Greens gain Council seat from Tories in Spelthorne by-election
After a strong set of local elections for the Greens in May, the party has now added yet another Councillor to its tally. In a by-election held on May 25, the Greens gained a seat from the Tories on Spelthorne Borough Council. This means that the Greens – who are in joint administration in Spelthorne with the Liberal Democrats and a group of independents – now have three Councillors on the authority.
The Green vote share increased by 29 percentage points, and Stuart Whitmore was elected with a majority of 128. There was no candidate from the Liberal Democrats, UKIP or the Labour Party as there had been the last time this seat was up for election.
Whitmore’s victory takes the Greens’ tally of principal authority Councillors to 550 across England and Wales.
The result has been celebrated by both Greens and by supporters of a progressive alliance between parties opposed to the Tories.
Best for Britain’s CEO Naomi Smith said, “Great to wake up to this news. Labour and Lib Dems stood aside in a progressive alliance for the Green candidate.” Green Party Councillor in Richmond Andree Frieze tweeted, “Congrats to Stuart and North Surrey Greens for this #GreenWin. I was happy to help get the vote out there yesterday. Another council where the #PeogressiveAlliance is seeing off the Tories.” And Green North Yorkshire County Councillor Andy Brown tweeted, “Once again @TheGreenParty proves really good at taking seats from the Conservatives.
Since the May local elections, the Tories have sought to defend four seats in local council by-elections. They have lost all of them – two to the Greens (including yesterday’s in Spelthorne), one to Labour and one to an independent.
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The other Green gain from Conservatives, on 19th May, was Ellel ward in Lancaster, with Greens moving from third to first place.
The victor, Sally Maddocks, joins 10 other Green councillors in a district council of 60, led since May 2021 by the Greens’ Caroline Jackson. Two points here. The other Green seats have been taken from Labour in central & south Lancaster, so this victory in an essentially rural ward breaks new ground. And, that Greens can lead this council with 10 – now 11 – councillors says a lot about a growing political credibility and capacity to work across party lines to give leadership.