Main parties swept aside

People power became firmly established as a political force last night as independent and single-issue candidates swept aside the mainstream parties in some parts of Britain.

In Worcestershire, the independent Kidderminster Hospital Heath Concern party - which campaigned against the closure of the local hospital's A&E department - won five seats to take overall control of Wyre Forest District Council.

In Elmbridge, Surrey, a consortium of local residents' groups, which fight mainly on planning issues, took control of the local council for the first time after previously sharing with local Liberal Democrats.

Grassroots campaigners also got a foothold in power in Lewisham, where a candidate representing Local Education Action By Parents won a single seat on the council.

All three victories represent a significant shift away from voters putting their trust in the ability of conventional parties to deliver promises, amid a growing conviction that specific campaigns on specific issues can prove far more effective.

The victory in Wyre Forest follows the election of KHHC candidate Dr Richard Taylor, who caused huge embarrassment to Labour last year when he ousted minister David Lock during the General Election.

Dr Taylor put himself up for office after seeing Kidderminster Hospital go from a large district general hospital to a one-stop clinic. Two years ago the casualty department was closed, and 192 inpatient beds lost.

Immense local outrage at the plans to downsize the hospital led to him being elected to Parliament with a majority of 17,630, a victory helped by the decision of the Lib-Dems not to put up a candidate against him. Late last year his efforts appeared to be forcing the Government into a U-turn after health minister Alan Milburn announced an expansion of some services, although his campaign is ongoing.

In Elmbridge, meanwhile, which is home to celebrities including Cliff Richard, Chris Tarrant and Max Clifford, six groups of mainly wealthy local residents have consolidated their power in an area that would normally be expected to be a Tory stronghold.

They are driven primarily by attempts to restrict building around their homes - typically priced at £300,000 - which are under constant pressure from property developers.

The residents say their stewardship of the council has brought notable successes, from cutting debt to reopening a local cinema. But local Liberal Democrat leader Graham Winton, who until now shared power with the groups, says they take a "Victorian" view of the issues facing the council.

"They need to be more forward looking. They are very insulated. They worry about their own patches. We try to take a boroughwide view, and we feel they are single-issue people which is not necessarily the way forward."

In Lewisham LEAP, set up by a local parent and GP, took a seat in Telegraph Hill, a part of the borough where a campaign to reopen a disused secondary school has galvanised residents.

Helen Le Fevre, 38, a nurse at St Thomas' Hospital, secured her place on the council by a margin of only 53 votes. Mrs Le Fevre said: "We had the highest turnout of any ward in the borough and that shows the passion that is behind education.

"The failure to provide sufficient places in schools is a burning issue. It is a new grassroots politics."