Lib Dem elected as a councillor in Salford and the Cotswolds

Chris Twells, already a Liberal Democrat member of Salford City Council, was yesterday elected to Cotswold District Council.

The Guardian says he was a paper candidate there, but the Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard reports that he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service before last night’s count that he felt he was in with a good chance of winning the Cotswold seat.

And having won it, he has chosen to serve on the Lib Dem run Cotswold DC rather than in Salford. He told the Standard:

"I am delighted to have been elected to represent Tetbury with Upton ward and I would like to thank everybody who voted for me. 

"I will be taking some time off over the weekend and speaking to the Chief Executive of Salford City Council after the Bank Holiday weekend to establish what action I need to take to resign as a councillor, to allow for a by-election to be held in my ward."

I'm sure something similar once happened to Lord Bonkers or a friend of his, but I can't find the relevant diary entry.

But this incident does illustrate why I declined to be a paper candidate this year: I was afraid I might get elected.