The Poole Engage Party is a local political party on Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council. Until December 2022, the party was known as the Poole Local Group.

Poole Engage Party
LeaderJudy Butt
Founded2022
Split fromConservative Party
Preceded byPoole Local Group
HeadquartersPoole
IdeologyLocalism
Non-partisan politics
BCP Council
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Website
https://pooleengage.org.uk/

History edit

The group was formed in June 2022 by five councillors.[1] Four out of the five members were deselected by the Poole Conservative Association for the 2023 election. They successfully appealed but they decided not to return to the Conservative Party, hence the creation of Poole Engage.[2] With the founding of the group, the council once again became a hung council with no overall control, the Conservatives put into a minority administration.

The party changed its name in December 2022.[3] They stood 16 candidates in the 2023 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council election.[4] Only party leader Judes Butt in Creekmoor and Julie Bagwell in Hamworthy were re-elected.[5]

Membership edit

The group had 5 members from 2022 to 2023:[6]

Councillor Ward Elected as
Julie Bagwell Hamworthy Poole People
Steve Baron Parkstone Poole People
Daniel Butt Hamworthy Poole People
Judes Butt Creekmoor Conservative
Mohan Iyengar Canford Cliffs Conservative

Following the 2023 election the group had 2 members:

Councillor Ward Elected as
Julie Bagwell Hamworthy Poole People
Judes Butt Creekmoor Conservative

References edit

  1. ^ "'Trust completely broken': Conservatives resign due to association 'disagreement'". uk.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  2. ^ "Leader of BCP Council's newest political group vows to put town's priorities first". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  3. ^ "New Poole political party changes its name to Poole Engage". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  4. ^ "LISTED: Who is standing to be a councillor in next month's BCP Council elections". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
  5. ^ "'Blown away': Liberal Democrats storm into largest BCP Council party after election". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  6. ^ "'We'll encourage a strong voice for Poole'". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 2022-06-28.