News Beat
Labour and Liberal Democrats on York Council Heworth by-election
Ruling Labour’s leader Cllr Claire Douglas said her party would stand on a record of delivery during the upcoming Heworth by-election campaign.
Cllr Nigel Ayre, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition, said the vote would give residents the opportunity to send Labour a message and end their failing majority.
It comes after Heworth’s incumbent Labour councillor Ben Burton announced he had decided to stand down due to leaving York for work.
A by-election to fill his vacant seat is expected to take place in mid-January, with a date yet to be confirmed.
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Labour, who took control of the council in May 2023, currently has 24 seats on the authority including Cllr Burton’s, compared to the Liberal Democrats’ 19.
Three Conservatives also sit on the 47-seat council along with one independent.
The political make-up of the council currently gives Labour an overall majority of one which would be lost if another candidate wins the upcoming by-election.
Cllr Burton said his achievements since his election in 2023 included helping residents with benefit advice, working with Tang Hall Community Centre and on improvements to Glen Gardens.
But Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Ayre said that while they wished Cllr Burton well, Labour’s majority had delivered chaos.
Cllr Ayre said: “The reality is Labour is already unravelling, with cuts to our libraries, botched infrastructure projects, and an Executive that has stopped listening to York’s residents.
“This by-election gives Heworth the power to change that.
“One seat changing hands would end Labour’s majority and force the council to start listening again.
“A Liberal Democrat councillor in Heworth would bring proper scrutiny, real local action, and a voice that doesn’t just rubber-stamp decisions made behind closed doors.”
Labour leader Cllr Douglas said people were fed up with the Liberal Democrats’ old-fashioned point-scoring style of politics, especially when they could see it was not true.
Cllr Douglas said: “At a time when trust in politics is low, it is disappointing that Cllr Ayre’s comments denigrate the hard work put in day-in-day-out, by councillors of all parties.
“Ben recognises local councillors must be on the ground and where circumstances change and this is not possible, standing aside for another hard-working resident to represent Heworth is the right decision.
“We’re very happy to campaign on our record of activity and delivery for Heworth at this important by-election.”
In York Council’s last all-out elections in May 2023, Cllr Douglas, Cllr Burton and Labour’s Cllr Bob Webb won its three seats with 2,149, 1,890 and 1,867 votes respectively.
Green candidates Erin Dyson, Sabine Janssen-Havercroft and Andy Wilson won a combined total of 1,141 votes, 515, 340 and 286 votes respectively.
Conservatives Susan Vaughan and Robert James received 428 and 421 votes respectively, 849 in total.
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Morley, Samantha Phoenix and Ian Murphy won 632 votes combined, 252, 240 and 140 respectively.
The turn-out was 31.7 per cent.
