LibDems retain Hale End and Highams Park Council Seats

12.47.00pm GMT Thu 11th Dec 2008

As reported on this site, Liberal Democrats and residents of Hale End and Highams Park ward were saddened by the untimely death of our constituency chairman Councillor John Beanse. Another of our councillors in the ward, Noel Penstone, was forced to resign due to ill-health. As a result a by-election was called for December 4th to elect two new councillors to succeed these two popular local champions.

New Cllrs Nick Bason and Jane Morgan together with Sheila Smith-Pryor, Mayor of Waltham Forest, celebrate their victory

The election campaign that followed was hard fought between ourselves and the Tories. We are delighted that both our candidates, Jane Morgan and Nick Bason were elected. They both had a higher share of the vote and increased majority over the previous election in 2006. They will join our third councillor in the ward, Sheila Smith-Pryor, currently Mayor of Waltham Forest, to form a new Focus Team.

The Liberal Democrats in Waltham Forest are now the second largest party with 20 councillors.

Time and again people say to us "we like your policies and your candidates but we can't vote for you because we don't think you can win". This result shows that, even in hard fought contests, if you vote for us, we do win.