Greens retain seat at Brighton and Hove City Council by-election (From The Argus)
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Greens retain seat at Brighton and Hove City Council by-election
12:47am Friday 9th July 2010 in News By Rebecca Evans
The Greens have retained the St Peter and North Laine seat in the Brighton and Hove City Council by-election.
Lizzie Deane took 1816 votes in the by-election on Thursday, beating Labour’s 24-year-old student Tom French into second place with 880 votes.
Conservative candidate Rob Buckwell won 365 votes, Liberal Democrat candidate Trefor Hunter got 103 and independent candidate Gerald O’Brien recorded 32 votes.
Turn-out for the by-election was low at just over 24%.
The result means the Greens have held onto the seat vacated by Keith Taylor and maintained their position as joint second largest party on the council.
The by-election was called when Mr Taylor resigned after 11 years on the council to take up a seat as an MEP – the position vacated by Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas.
Coun Deane said: “I would like to thank the voters for putting their faith in me to represent them as a councillor.
“I look forward to representing the people of St Peter and North Laine. We look forward to increasing our number of councillors.”
She had pledged to try and protect urban green spaces, reduce traffic and improve air quality during her campaign.
After the result was announced at about 11.45pm Mr French called on the Greens to work in coalition with Labour councillors to “oust the Tories” but admitted it was unlikely.
He added: “I am really proud of all our campaigners – ordinary Brighton people who love the city and want to improve it.”
Mr Buckwell said: “I think our vote share held up quite well. It was a positive campaign but we always knew it was a difficult seat.”
It is the latest victory for the Green Party in the city after Dr Lucas became MP and Alex Phillips took the Goldsmid ward from the Conservatives at the last by-election in July.
Both Labour and the Greens have 13 seats and the Conservatives remain a minority administration with 25 seats.
The Liberal Democrats have two councillors.
Comments(23)
Metro Reader
says...
7:46am Fri 9 Jul 10
Local government quite possibly has a bigger daily impact on your everyday life, your council tax; bus service; leisure services; footpaths; refuse collection (or not in B&H) the list goes on. Yet just 24% of the ward, eligible to vote, bothers SHAME ON YOU.
B&H Council member don’t give fudge about anything other than party lines, they work against each other and against the people of B&H, and the loony green will make it even worse.
People living in this ward should be TOTALLY ASSAMED, the sooner we get compulsory voting the better.
Spanners
says...
7:53am Fri 9 Jul 10
mtmoocher
says...
8:06am Fri 9 Jul 10
salty_pete
says...
8:14am Fri 9 Jul 10
Andy R
says...
8:20am Fri 9 Jul 10
salty_pete wrote:It's how the list system works, rightly or wrongly, and Taylor was next on the Greens' list at the election. You can criticise it but it's not some arrangement cooked up specifically to suit him and his party.
The other, probably bigger issue here, is Mr Taylor’s “appointment” as MEP. Can anyone answer just how many people voted for him to be our MEP ?
That electorate eh? Still insisting liking what the Greens are saying and voting for them in huge numbers. Sack the lot of 'em and get some new voters I say!
....and let's not even talk about "ConDem's" dismal showing.....
mike_on_the_mike
says...
8:36am Fri 9 Jul 10
ants4t
says...
8:40am Fri 9 Jul 10
Le Chiffre
says...
8:45am Fri 9 Jul 10
Simple.
chipmunk77
says...
9:39am Fri 9 Jul 10
ants4t wrote:That's not an excuse though is it, if you have them coming through the door, try reading them.
I dont know how many people actually knew it was happening. We have had so many party leaflets through our door this year they get instantly recycled. I only saw it was on because I walked past a polling station on my way to work.
Anyone registered to vote also GOT an official poll card, like we did.
We voted, but unfortunately the Greens still got in, even with our tactical voting for the party that were second largest at the last local election!
Shame on the people who couldn't be ars-d to vote, you really have brought it on yourselves.
Christophe Hawtree
says...
11:53am Fri 9 Jul 10
That said, the turnout was surely a valid sampling of any level of turnout. But enough of that: it's not the weather to put on anorak.
leobrighton
says...
12:18pm Fri 9 Jul 10
Metro Reader wrote:You complain about peoples lack of enthusiasm to vote then explain the reasons why. So it should be compulsory to vote for councillors who work against them should it.
Turn-out for the by-election was low at just over 24%. - That's a MASSIVE understatement. Local government quite possibly has a bigger daily impact on your everyday life, your council tax; bus service; leisure services; footpaths; refuse collection (or not in B&H) the list goes on. Yet just 24% of the ward, eligible to vote, bothers SHAME ON YOU. B&H Council member don’t give fudge about anything other than party lines, they work against each other and against the people of B&H, and the loony green will make it even worse. People living in this ward should be TOTALLY ASSAMED, the sooner we get compulsory voting the better.
Gubbins
says...
1:01pm Fri 9 Jul 10
Le Chiffre wrote:Spot on. They can now be ignored. It also appears the other political groups failed to get their own individual messages / policies out. That in itself is disgraceful - particularly the tories.
If you don't vote - you can't complain. And that's 76% of you. Simple.
TheInsider
says...
1:03pm Fri 9 Jul 10
brightondrjohn
says...
2:58pm Fri 9 Jul 10
All I want is the traffic on the St Peter's traffic system to be controlled so that we don't have to suffer from car horns going off every time someone wants to move into the right lane either because they didn't know the right way out of Brighton or (and more often the case) because they are trying to avoid waiting in line. The pollution coming into my windows literally is inches thick each year. I want that managed. I want more green areas developed like that opposite Gloucester Place. And I want more than anything else is a council that works for the people not for party centralised politics.
Thumper Hove
says...
3:14pm Fri 9 Jul 10
brightondrjohn wrote:Did you not notice that busy road before you moved in then?
Well I was surprised that I got two letters and a party political leaflet from the Green Party, a letter from the Labour candidate and that was it. I knew nothing about the other candidates or their policies, stance or intent. All I want is the traffic on the St Peter's traffic system to be controlled so that we don't have to suffer from car horns going off every time someone wants to move into the right lane either because they didn't know the right way out of Brighton or (and more often the case) because they are trying to avoid waiting in line. The pollution coming into my windows literally is inches thick each year. I want that managed. I want more green areas developed like that opposite Gloucester Place. And I want more than anything else is a council that works for the people not for party centralised politics.
TheInsider
says...
4:01pm Fri 9 Jul 10
Then a van driver (a local company I shall not name) shouted at a driver with two small kids in the back: "Fu** off you c**t" and then continued a foulmouth rant. The children looked really frightened.
The problem along there is that visitors leaving Brighton are always in the wrong lane and don't realise until they get right up to the locaton where they have to change lanes.
It could be improved very simply with better signage earlier along that stretch.
taxidiy
says...
4:44pm Fri 9 Jul 10
4:01pm Fri 9 Jul 10
I was sat on the grass a few weeks back waiting for a mate at exactly the point where brightondrjohn is talking about and yes, horns were being sounded all the time by angry motorists due to this lane issue.
Then a van driver (a local company I shall not name) shouted at a driver with two small kids in the back: "Fu** off you c**t" and then continued a foulmouth rant. The children looked really frightened.
The problem along there is that visitors leaving Brighton are always in the wrong lane and don't realise until they get right up to the locaton where they have to change lanes.
It could be improved very simply with better signage earlier along that stretc
Can i suggest as you know the company involved that you report him to Operation Crackdown!!
TheInsider
says...
4:49pm Fri 9 Jul 10
yorkie44
says...
5:32pm Fri 9 Jul 10
Le Chiffre wrote:The 76% perhaps decided that none of the candidates were worth a vote! If we had an option on the voting form saying "None of these" and made it a legal requirement to vote then we would know the true possition.
If you don't vote - you can't complain. And that's 76% of you. Simple.
The Brighton Bear
says...
8:19pm Fri 9 Jul 10
Christophe Hawtree wrote:I think you have completely missed the point!
People who did vote were all galvanised to do so, evidently, but is a fact that, with a by-election, it is quite a feat - amidst the press of events - to make a voting date uppermost in the mind. That said, the turnout was surely a valid sampling of any level of turnout. But enough of that: it's not the weather to put on anorak.
Gubbins
says...
10:38pm Fri 9 Jul 10
yorkie44 wrote:A total irrelevance in the wider issues of democracy.
Le Chiffre wrote: If you don't vote - you can't complain. And that's 76% of you. Simple.The 76% perhaps decided that none of the candidates were worth a vote! If we had an option on the voting form saying "None of these" and made it a legal requirement to vote then we would know the true possition.
Emmin
says...
12:12pm Tue 13 Jul 10
The Brighton Bear says...
5:31am Fri 9 Jul 10