Liberal Democrats win seat in city by-election
THE Liberal Democrats have secured a seat on the city council after victory in the Yardley East by-election.
Newly elected councillor Deborah Harries was quick to praise the legacy built by former Lib Dem councillor Neil Eustace, who had held the seat for over three decades before his death earlier this year.
With a turnout of just 25 per cent, Ms Harries secured more than twice as many votes as her nearest competitor, Labour’s Carmel Corrigan, with 1,312 votes to her 609.
The Conservative Party’s Pervez Akhtar came a distant third, with just 89 votes.
Speaking following her victory, Cllr Harries said she was ‘humbled’ to be following in the footsteps of Cllr Eustace.
“I’m so grateful to the people of Yardley East who voted for me and to the fantastic team who supported me throughout,” she said. “I’m going to prioritise making our roads safer, our streets cleaner, and most importantly, ensuring the people of Yardley East are always engaged with regarding any potential changes to our community.”
Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Jon Hunt said: “This brilliant win this puts us on a strong footing to go into next year’s elections for the city council. “The Birmingham Liberal Democrats have a renewed team, with fresh talent joining us and exciting ideas coming through. We need a council that delivers for people where they live and we are developing some farreaching ideas to make this happen.
“This win in Yardley East is a vote of confidence in the Liberal Democrat approach and a rejection of Labour’s failed centralising policies.”