WITH big questions still remaining over the future leadership of the Isle of Wight Council following all the excitement of Friday's count, here are some key points of the election.

The Isle of Wight went to the polls on Thursday voting for a new Isle of Wight Council, Police and Crime Commissioner, and in some areas, town and parish councils.

Voting for 39 councillors for the Island's main authority, a majority of 20 was needed to take control.

No group was able to reach that target and the ruling Conservative Party lost its power.

The council is now in a state of no overall control, as the Conservatives only secured 18 seats, and suffered the blow of its leader, Dave Stewart, not being reelected.

New acting party leader, Cllr Steve Hastings, has invited opposition councillors to cross the chamber and help form a majority administration.

Filling the remaining 21 seats of the council are 13 independents, two Green, two Island Independent Network, one Labour, one Liberal Democrat, one Our Island and one Vectis Party councillors.

While that all happened, there were some key seat changes and voting close-calls you may have missed:

  • Prominent politician Shirley Smart lost her Mountjoy and Shide seat to a new Conservative face, Martin Oliver, by 159 votes.
  • The Binstead and Fishbourne seat, previously held by Conservatives, was easily won, with a vote margin of 300, by newcomer, Independent Ian Dore. The councillor who previously held the seat, John Kilpatrick, threw his support behind Ian in the election period.

Ex soldier Ian Dore unseats Conservative in Binstead and Fishbourne

  • Former council leader, Jonathan Bacon, was able to get back on the council, beating the Conservative candidate Brian Tyndall by 154 votes in Brading and St Helens.

Our Island Leader Jonathan Bacon wins County Hall seat back

  • The Green Party was able to gain two seats on the council for the first time — taking two former Conservative seats and dethroning the leader of the council. Cllr Joe Lever won the Carisbrooke and Gunville ward by 39 votes and Cllr Claire Critchison gained 876, winning Chale, Niton and Shorwell by a margin of 240. 

Conservative Isle of Wight Council Leader Dave Stewart loses seat

Isle of Wight Council's new Green Party members on what next

  • In a head-to-head battle between Conservative and Labour in the heart of Cowes, with only 35 votes in it, Labour's Richard Quigley won the seat.

​Cowes North Conservative loses to Labour's Richard Quigley

Isle of Wight County Press:

  • Gaining the most votes out of every candidate, and the only one to reach four figures, was Independent Paul Fuller gaining the support of 1,101 people in Cowes West and Gurnard — 77 per cent of the votes cast in the ward.
  • In Freshwater South, the fight was between two councillors — Conservative, George Cameron and Independent, John Medland. Cllr Medland won, by 49 votes, meaning Mr Cameron, the chairman of the Isle of Wight Council, lost his seat.
  • It was a close race in Haylands and Swanmore with only 14 votes separating winning Conservative Cllr Vanessa Churchman and Independent Les Kirkby.
  • A ten-vote gap secured the win for Independent Chris Jarman in Totland and Colwell against Conservative Carol Bryan.
  • It was even closer in Osborne, with only four votes between first and second — Conservative Cllr Stephen Hendry stopping the Green Party's hope for a third seat.
  • Former council stalwart, the Lib Dem's Reg Barry was not standing for re-election in Nettlestone and Seaview, leaving the door open for new Independent David Adams to take the seat.
  • 23 councillors will be returning to their seats in County Hall, including members of the former Conservative cabinet team Cllrs Paul Brading, Clare Mosdell and Ian Ward and well-known Independents, Cllrs Debbie Andre, Geoff Brodie and Julie Jones-Evans.

Fresh faces for Isle of Wight Council as new candidates win

  • The Island Independent Network gained another seat with Cllr Karen Lucioni taking Ryde Monktonmead away from the Conservatives.
  • The newly-formed political group Vectis Party also gained its first seat, with its leader Daryll Pitcher unseating the Conservatives cabinet member for housing, Barry Abrahams.

Isle of Wight County Press:

  • Despite fronting 28 candidates, Labour candidates only managed to secure one seat — which is still a rise as they had no seats before the election.

The first meeting of the Isle of Wight Council will be on May 26, when decisions about leaders and the cabinet will be made.