From the Macclesfield Express of Wednesday, 8th May, 2002
Vic Barlow wrote under the headline "Murphy's Law may be a real winner":
YOU have to hand it to the people of Tytherington they are no mugs; they know when they are on to a good thing. Despite Conservative efforts rebel councillor Brendan Murphy, ejected from by the Tory Party by Council leader Peter Burns, was re-elected by the voters.
You may remember that Coun Murphy's greatest crime was to bow to the wishes of residents and declare Danegate 'dead in the water'. In this borough acknowledging public opinion is tantamount to treason. Out of touch councillors usually vote like sheep for policies they do not understand affecting areas they don't know, leaving residents to suffer the consequences. Never do they admit they got it wrong.
Coun Murphy and I have fought like cat and dog so I know his credentials and I'd be delighted to have him in my corner, obviously the residents of Tytherington feel the same. He's sharp, articulate and knows precisely how things work in the town hall so Tytherington folk can expect their problems to be handled by a real pro.
I have no doubt he will be a terrific representative of the area and a real thorn in the side of a complacent administration. So it's not all bad is it?
No one could say that councillors Murphy, Carter, Arnold, Keegan, Palmer, Claro, Roberts and Thompson are stupid. That's eight; it's a start. Only another 52 to go.
Election Special by Lauren Cumming had the headline "Tories are still in control but party outcast Murphy is real winner" and she wrote:
VOTERS in Tytherington struck a blow for independence when they reelected expelled Tory Brendan Murphy. The controversial councillor stood as an independent candidate after being booted out of the Conservative group last year.
He polled 660 votes to finish 127 votes ahead of Tory candidate Bill Livesley Speaking-after the count, at Macclesfield Leisure Centre, Coun Murphy said: "I expected nothing - I left it entirely in their hands.
"I have been unhappy for a long time at the way we have been running things contrary to what the people wanted.
"And until, and unless, the Conservative group start to listen and connect with people there will always be a problem.
"This small velvet revolution in Tytherington will send a message to the Town Hall authority that they must start listening now."
A dramatic recount in Disley and Lyme Handley ward meant veteran councillor Margaret Duddy had a nervous half hour wait to find out whether she would be ousted from the council after more than 25 years.
A nail-biting half hour passed before it was announced that the former council leader had beaten Liberal Democrat candidate Christopher Makepeace by just five votes.
Coun Duddy said: "I just made it! It was very, very close but at the end of the day I have always done my best for Disley and I will continue to do so."
Former Lib Dem leader Coun Mike Flynn, who holds the other seat in that ward, said: "We thought we'd won - the number of bundles was the same.
"But this was a superb result for the Liberal Democrats - we have turned Disley round from being a Tory strong-hold to them barely hanging on by the skin of their teeth." He added: "Five votes it's not much of a mandate!"
THE WITCH-HUNT BEGINS ...
Lauren Cumming also wrote under the headline "Burns calls for inquiry into rebel's victory":
 THE LEADER of the council has called for an inquiry into Brendan Murphy's winning election campaign in Tytherington. Councillor Peter Burns has claimed that the outspoken independent - who was expelled from the Conservative group last year - misled voters by calling himself "The True Conservative Candidate" in his election leaflets.
This is the latest chapter in the ongoing dispute between the two - dubbed "The Burns and Murphy Show" - which has seen Coun Murphy booted out of the Tory group and kicked off any borough council committees. Speaking after the count Coun Burns said: "Conservative Central Office will be looking very closely into the proceedings that took place. There are a few questions that need to be looked into.
"The review will look at some of the possible misrepresentations made to the electorate in terms of a candidate's credentials.
"Brendan Murphy called himself The True Conservative Candidate but he is not - he is an independent who has been kicked out of the Conservative Party" He added: "This is not a case of sour grapes." [No, more like a wagonload of the sourest grapes possible, Ed.]
Coun Burns said that if Coun Muphy was found to have been elected on "illegal" grounds the contest should be re-run or the candidate with the second highest number of votes should win the seat. Tory candidate Bill Livesley polled the next highest number of votes in the ward.
Coun Murphy said: "He is just being childish and spiteful instead of accepting the democratically reached decision of the people in Tytherington.
"The Conservative Party does not have the copyright on the use of the word conservative.
"I remain a Conservative and I was one before he even knew how to spell the word." He added: "Councillor Burns has produced a list of party members who have helped me during the campaign and he is going to have them expelled from the party.
"His conduct is more like that of an old style communist leader than the leader of a democratic party."
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One-third of the seats on Macclesfield Borough Council were up for election on May 2nd, 2002.
Brendan will put principles before politics and people before party ... a man we can trust to represent us.
