CARADON District Council's longest serving member Godfrey Smale, who represented the Calstock ward for 28 years, lost his seat in a shock election result. The Labour councillor, who was awarded the MBE for his services to local government in 2005 and was known as the father of the district council, said he felt the result was in part a reflection of the Government losing popularity nationally. The three seats for the Calstock ward on Caradon District Council were won by Conservative Jim Flashman and Liberal Democrats Russell Bartlett and Margaret Allen. Mr Smale came fourth with 825 votes. Caradon District Council will be for the first time in its history controlled by a political party after the Liberal Democrats took 23 seats, a majority of four over all other parties. Mr Smale ,72, who has also been a Cornwall County Councillor for 27 years and a member of Calstock Parish Council, said his defeat was disappointing but he still had other commitments as a county councillor and plenty of work to do. 'I will miss the day to day issues like housing and planning that you deal with as a district councillor,' he said. 'Over the years you build up trust with local people and know how to help them and where to go to get answers. 'I think this time there were quite a number of people who voted against the Government and some who abstained. 'I hope the successful councillors will put their commitment into it because it is a tremendous commitment and there is still a lot of work to do.' Re-elected member Russell Bartlett said Mr Smale was an established councillor and had done a wonderful job: 'He is an educated man and knows what he is talking about. It is a big disappointment for someone like Godfrey to lose his seat. We have been friends for years and I shall miss him.' Andrew Long topped the poll in the Callington ward, winning Mebyon Kernow's first seat on Caradon for 24 years and Chris Thomas and Kath Pascoe were re-elected. The two seats for Landrake and St Dominick were won by Olive Eggleston and Katharine Garner. Andrew Long also topped the poll in the Callington Town Council election. Others elected were Jeremy Gist, Chris Thomas, Sue Nettle, Denise Winfindale, Karen Gold, Michael Green, Rick Lumley, Roger Ellard, Heather Jones, Rosemaria Coakley and Alfred Coakley. In the Harrowbarrow ward of Calstock parish the four seats were won by Jim Flashman, Sharon Daw, John Roberts and Malcolm Jarrett. There was no election in the other four wards. Flowers were presented to Dulcie Stevens as she stood down from Calstock Parish Council after more than 30 years last week. Mrs Stevens' commitment to the council included three terms as chairman. Callington (3 seats) Andrew Long 726 Chris Thomas 628 Kath Pascoe 580 Kathleen Glancy 427 Kevin Wheldon 376 Peter Coneybeare 319 Kenneth Scoble 290 Andrew Murray 240 Robin Woods 220 Calstock (3 seats) Jim Flashman 947 Russell Bartlett 963 Margaret Allen 882 Godfrey Smale 825 Ian Courtis 791 Sharon Daw 759 Landrake and St Dominick (2 seats) Olive Eggleston 617 Katharine Garner 593 Barbara McTaggart 574 Sarah Maher 551 Roger Creagh-Osborne 294