CONSERVATIVE candidate Kyle Daisley claimed the vacant Bromsgrove South seat on Worcestershire County Council as Labour lost almost a third of their vote from 2017.
Daisley (769) earned more than twice as many votes as Labour rival Bren Henderson (351), who finished in a distant fourth place in the by-election held on Thursday night (October 31).
The seat had been vacated by longstanding Labour councillor Chris Bloore, who last month revealed he was leaving the country to move to Canada.
Two years ago, Mr Bloore triumphed with 1,263 votes, which equated to more than half of the votes cast. The Tories' Claire Jones finished second with 1,013.
The turnout was lower on this occasion but saw Labour lose more than 900 votes with Henderson recording just 18.3% of the vote - a drop of 32.2% from 2017.
Newly-elected Councillor Daisley's closest challenger was independent candidate Rachel Jenkins with 436 votes, while the Liberal Democrats' Josh Robinson was third with 357.
Staggering show of support behind Kyle Daisley and a new chance for Bromsgrove South. Thank you to those that voted and placed your trust in us. Now the hard work begins! https://t.co/OZsM2uJ3JZ pic.twitter.com/rkfXgXnrTK
— Broms Conservatives (@BromsTories) November 1, 2019
So it wasnt to be this time, for our candidate - Bren Henderson.Thank you to everyone that was involved in the campaign, and of course the residents of Bromsgrove South who voted Labour today. Congratulations, Kyle, you have a hard act to follow! pic.twitter.com/XaEvp6qovS
— Bromsgrove Labour (@BromsgroveLab) October 31, 2019
So it wasn’t to be this time in Bromsgrove South. We are encouraged by a huge increase in vote share. Many thanks to all those who voted for our fantastic candidate , Josh. Onwards and upwards to #GE19 now! pic.twitter.com/gvNivUDuaZ
— Bromsgrove Lib Dems 🔶 (@BromsLibDems) November 1, 2019
At 23, Daisley, a flight attendant, will be one of the youngest councillors sitting on the county council.
Full results:
CON (Daisley): 769 40.2% (-0.3)
IND (Jenkins): 436 22.8% (+22.8)
LDEM (Robinson): 357 18.7% (+13.7)
LAB (Henderson): 351 18.3% (-32.2)
Conservative GAIN from Labour.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here