Conservative candidate wins by-election for South Kesteven District Council's Bourne East ward
A Conservative Party candidate has won a by-election with more than double the number of votes of the second-placed candidate.
Julia Reid, who lives in Bourne and who has been a town councillor for three years, will represent people in the Bourne East ward on South Kesteven District Council.
She received 310 votes in a by-election held yesterday (Thursday, November 10).
One-fifth of the 3,523 people eligible to vote in the by-election did so.
The full results were:
- Rhys Baker (Green Party) - 50 votes
- John Ireland (Lib Dem) - 78 votes
- Brenda Johnson (Ind) - 120 votes
- Alex Molyneux (Labour Party) - 154 votes
- Julia Reid (Conservative Party) - 310 votes
With this result, plus Conservative success in a by-election for Grantham St Wulfram's ward also held yesterday, and the resignation of Independent Jan Hansen from Toller ward, the political make-up of South Kesteven District Council is now as follows:
- 39 Conservatives
- 7 Independents
- 3 Alliance SK
- 2 Independents (unaligned)
- 2 Labour and Co-operative (unaligned)
- 2 Liberal Democrats (aligned with Independent group)
In the past 20 years there have been four leaders of the district council - Linda Neal, Bob Adams, Matthew Lee and the current leader, Kelham Cooke. All have been Conservative and the Conservatives have controlled the council since 2003.
There will be a by-election for Toller ward, which covers Folkingham, Billingborough and Horbling, on December 15.
The full council reaches the end of its four-year term next year, when an election is due.