Mansfield Independents, previously known as Mansfield Independent Forum,New name but still the same to people first in Mansfield Chad, Mansfield local newspaper, 5 September 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2020 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. 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.Three independent councillors defect to Reform UK BBC News, 25 October 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024 The party was de-registered in May 2025.
History
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.Mansfield businessman to make changes Mansfield Chad, local newspaper, July 2001 Retrieved 2 December 2014 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.
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. Most of the newly elected councillors were new and inexperienced. Egginton formed his Cabinet mostly of MIF members including Rickersey as Portfolio Holder for Corporate Issues. 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".
In September 2019 the party was renamed to the Mansfield Independents. The party was formally dissolved and de-registered with the Electoral Commission in May 2025.
Election results
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
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. +YearCandidatePopular votePositionMajority1st Pref2nd Pref2002Tony Egginton4,1505,951#15882007Tony Egginton12,01513,720#14,9362011Tony Egginton10,90112,680#1632015Kate Allsop17,60422,600#12,8802019Kate Allsop5,8607,928#22023Mick Barton4,992N/A#3
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. 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. +YearCouncillorsControl2003 Mansfield Independent2007 Mansfield Independent2011 Labour2015 Mansfield Independent2019 No Overall Control2023 Labour
County Council 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. +YearCouncillorsControl2005 Labour2009 Conservative2013 Labour2017 No overall control2021 Conservative
UK Parliament elections
The party fielded a candidate in the 2005 election, coming third behind Labour and the Conservatives. In the 2010 general election they were reduced to fourth place behind the Liberal Democrats. The party did not field official candidates in the 2015, 2017 or 2019 elections. YearCandidateVotes%Position2005Stewart Rickersey6,49117.0#32010Andre Camilleri4,3399.0#4
See also Nottinghamshire local elections 2015 Mansfield District Council election
References