A by-election in Bexley saw Labour retain their stake in the area by a narrow margin against the Conservatives.
Labour candidate Jeremy Fosten has been elected to represent the Belvedere ward for Bexley Council in a by-election held on Thursday (October 17) after receiving 862 votes.
Christine Frances Bishop of the Conservative Party came in a close second with 713 votes, followed by Michael Pastor of Reform UK with 378 votes.
The Green Party’s Sarah Elizabeth Rose Barry came in fourth with 157 votes and David McBride scored 127 votes for the Lib Dems. The turnout for the by-election was 18.5 per cent, with 2,239 ballot papers issued.
Cllr Fosten told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “I am honoured that last night I was elected as a councillor for Belvedere.
“On paper this is just another Labour hold, but I’m determined for it to be so much more than that and I’ll be working to repay the trust Belvedere residents have put in me.
“Big thanks to my friends, family, Bexley Labour councillors and members for their support in getting me elected.”
The Belvedere seat was previously held by Daniel Francis and became available after he was elected as the Labour MP for Bexleyheath & Crayford in July at the General Election.
The Labour victory means the party retains its 12 seats in Bexley Council, with the Conservatives maintaining 31 seats as the ruling party of the authority.
Lib Dem candidate David McBride previously served as a Bromley councillor for 16 years, representing St Mary Cray and Cray Valley East. He was also a former mayor of Bromley borough.
He told the LDRS: “This was always going to be a battle between Labour and the Tories and that’s how it ended up. However, the Liberal Democrats stood in Belvedere for the first time in 18 years and we ran a positive campaign on local issues.”
