Mansfield Independents

Political party in the United Kingdom

Mansfield Independents

Founded| 14 July 2005
Dissolved| 13 May 2025
Headquarters| Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
Ideology| Localism
Slogan| Putting people before politics [1]

* Politics of the United Kingdom
* Political parties
* Elections

Mansfield Independents, previously known as Mansfield Independent Forum,[2] was a local political party in the local government district of Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, England. It was officially registered in 2005, having already successfully campaigned for the election of Tony Egginton as Mayor of Mansfield two years earlier.[3] Egginton had stood for election after being convinced to do so by the leader of the pro-Mayoralty campaign, Stewart Rickersey.

At the May 2023 Mansfield local elections, four MI members were successful. On 25 October 2024, three long standing members defected to Reform UK, marking a new political group on the council.[4] The party was de-registered in May 2025.[5]

## History

[edit]

The directly elected Mayor of Mansfield was created following moves made by Mansfield-based businessman Stuart Rickersey to change the governance of Mansfield through a public referendum.[6] Local newsagent Tony Egginton was encouraged to stand as an independent candidate in the ensuing election, and was elected to the position on 17 October 2002.[7]

Following Egginton's successful election as Mayor, Rickersey then recruited many ward councillor-candidates to challenge Labour's traditional domination at the May 2003 local elections, winning control of the council with 25 seats.[8] Most of the newly elected councillors were new and inexperienced.[9] Egginton formed his Cabinet mostly of MIF members including Rickersey as Portfolio Holder for Corporate Issues.[10] The party was officially registered with the electoral commission on 14 July 2005, formalising the existence of a party that had unofficially existed since Egginton's election. Fellow Mansfield Independent Kate Allsop was elected as Executive Mayor to succeed Egginton following his retirement in 2015.

In 2015 Councillor Sid Walker of the Mansfield Independents, then sitting as a UKIP councillor, was investigated by Mansfield District Council for posting racist material on Facebook and calling a constituent a "left wing bitch".[11]

In September 2019 the party was renamed to the Mansfield Independents.[2] The party was formally dissolved and de-registered with the Electoral Commission in May 2025.[5]

## Election results

[edit]

The Mansfield Independent Forum has contested elections since Tony Egginton's election in 2002, first informally as an alliance of independent councillors in 2003 and then formally as a registered UK political party from 2005 onwards.

### Mayoral elections

[edit]

Tony Egginton served as Mayor of Mansfield from 2002 until his retirement in 2015. He was succeeded by Kate Allsop, also of the Mansfield Independents.

Year  | Candidate  | Popular vote  | Position  | Majority

|
|
|
|

1st Pref  | 2nd Pref
2002  | Tony Egginton | 4,150  | 5,951  | #1 | 588
2007  | Tony Egginton | 12,015  | 13,720  | #1 | 4,936
2011  | Tony Egginton | 10,901  | 12,680  | #1 | 63
2015  | Kate Allsop | 17,604  | 22,600  | #1 | 2,880
2019  | Kate Allsop | 5,860  | 7,928  | #2 | -2
2023  | Mick Barton  | 4,992  | N/A  | #3 | -4,995

### District Council elections

[edit]

See also: Mansfield District Council elections

Mansfield Independent Forum councillors held a majority on Mansfield District Council from 2003 to 2011. The party lost control of the council to the Labour Party in 2011 before regaining control in 2015.[12] In the 2023 local elections, the Mansfield Independents suffered an almost total wipe-out, losing all but four of their seats on Mansfield District Council, and finishing in third place in the Mayoral Election.[13]

Year  | Councillors  | Control

|
|

2003 |

25 / 37

|  | Mansfield Independent
2007 |

29 / 37

|  | Mansfield Independent
2011 |

10 / 37

|  | Labour
2015 |

15 / 37

|  | Mansfield Independent
2019 |

13 / 37

|  | No Overall Control
2023 |

4 / 37

|  | Labour

### County Council elections

[edit]

See also: Nottinghamshire local elections

Mansfield Independent Forum has been represented on Nottinghamshire County Council since 2009. Following the 2017 election the party became the junior partner in a governing coalition with the Conservatives.[14]

Year  | Councillors  | Control

|
|

2005 |

0 / 66

|  | Labour
2009 |

6 / 66

|  | Conservative
2013 |

2 / 66

|  | Labour
2017 |

4 / 66

|  | No overall control
2021 |

0 / 66

|  | Conservative

### UK Parliament elections

[edit]

See also: Mansfield (UK Parliament constituency)

The party fielded a candidate in the 2005 election, coming third behind Labour and the Conservatives.[15] In the 2010 general election they were reduced to fourth place behind the Liberal Democrats.[16] The party did not field official candidates in the 2015, 2017 or 2019 elections.

Year  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | Position

|
|
|
|

2005 | Stewart Rickersey  | 6,491  | 17.0  | #3
2010 | Andre Camilleri  | 4,339  | 9.0  | #4

## See also

[edit]

* Nottinghamshire local elections
* 2015 Mansfield District Council election

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Independent, Issue 1 2019. A newspaper Promoted and Published by Kate Allsop. Accessed 2 October 2019
2. ^ a b New name but still the same committment [sic] to people first in Mansfield Chad, Mansfield local newspaper, 5 September 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2020
3. ^ "Mansfield Independent Forum". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
4. ^ Three independent councillors defect to Reform UK BBC News, 25 October 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024
5. ^ a b "Mansfield Independents". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
6. ^ Mansfield businessman to make changes Mansfield Chad, local newspaper, July 2001 Retrieved 2 December 2014
7. ^ "Voters snub parties in mayor polls". BBC News. 18 October 2002.
8. ^ "Make or break time for independents". Mansfield and Ashfield Chad. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
9. ^ "Independent revolution's driving force announces shock resignation". Mansfield and Ashfield Chad. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
10. ^ "Mayor unveils new Mansfield cabinet". Mansfield and Ashfield Chad. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
11. ^ "'Racist' photo storm to be probed by council". chad.co.uk.
12. ^ "Mansfield District Council Election Results 1973-2011" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
13. ^ Topping, Andrew; Pridmore, Oliver; Beck, Laycie (5 May 2023). "Labour hold overall control with large majority in Mansfield". NottinghamshireLive. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
14. ^ "Mansfield Independent Forum join forces with Tories to control County Hall". Mansfield and Ashfield Chad. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
15. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
16. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.