AFTER growing tired of being mistaken for another man, Cambridgeshire County Councillor Steve Count has taken time out of his busy schedule to make it clear that he is Steve Count and not Liberal Democrat council hopeful Stephen Court, who missed out in the recent March by-election by three votes.
Apparently there are only so many times you can be mistaken for a Lib Dem before you can not take it any more and feel duty-bound to e-mail your local newspaper to set the record straight.
With that being the case Cllr Count, in an impassioned plea for correct identification, wrote the following: “Having worked forever and a day to get the budget right for County Council, it has now been passed so I took a day off to have lunch in March with my wife.
“Twice today and twice in the days before I have been commiserated over the election results.
“Please let your readers know Stephen Court, who stood for the Liberal Democrats, is a different person to me. He lost to Malcolm George and I took no part in this election.
“I (Steve count) am a Conservative Councillor at both Cambridgeshire County Council where I continue to have a position on the Cabinet and also March Town Council. Thank you for you help in putting this straight.”
Since the two men are likely to stand against eachother in the forthcoming May Cambridgeshire County Council elections, it seems sensible to try and clarify which one is which so you do not vote for the wrong candidate by mistake.
Cllr Count is a Conservative March councillor. He is a successful businessman who has dabbled in property, textiles, manufacturing, leisure and, intriguingly, lingerie.
To describe his short political career as eventful would be an understatement. Since his election to Fenland District Council in 2009, he has been de-selected by his own party, bounced back to gain a seat on Cambridgeshire County Council and even thrown his hat in the ring to be Cambridgeshire’s first police commissioner.
He now holds a high-profile cabinet position and has been shortlisted at this year’s Councillor Achievement Awards.
His Liberal Democrat rival, Stephen Court is a technician who works in the Engineering Department at Huntingdon College.
The son of a train driver, he has been a Lib Dem member for the past 22 years.
He is strongly opposed to the proposal to build houses on the green near 46 Cavalry Drive and space adjacent to Cavalry Drive and Upwell Road and fears that further sites may be under threat in March.
Hopefully that clears things up.
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