Tories gain one, Labour hold one in by-elections
IT WAS a case of gain one, hold one in two Calderdale Council wards following a brace of byelections.
Victorious Conservative Felicity Issott won the seat vacated by Independent councillor Rob Holden, who resigned for health reasons, making it a hat-trick of seats for the party in the Ryburn ward.
Meanwhile winning candidate Shazad Fazal successfully defended the Park ward seat which had been held for Labour by Coun Mohammad Naeem, who died in July, by a very comfortable margin.
Coun Issott, who has two years’ experience as a Ripponden parish councillor, said she felt like she had gone through a rollercoaster of emotions but wanted to begin tackling important issues in the ward.
She is campaigning for a vehicle activated speed camera in the Ryburn area to help address safety concerns and is planning to organise a road safety week in October.
“I’m delighted – I can’t wait to get to work,” she said after the count at North Bridge Leisure Centre, Halifax, last week.
Conservative group leader Coun Steven Leigh (Ryburn) said it had been a great team effort to get Coun Issott elected – with a majority of 390 – and she would be a tremendous new councillor for Ryburn.
Coun Fazal was congratulated by Labour group leader Coun Tim Swift (Town) and he praised his team, headed by his agent Ferman Ali, a bumper 1,768 majority meaning Labour continue to hold all three seats in the ward.
“I am extremely delighted. “Local issues were the key thing in the campaign – litter, traffic issues, more housing for local people, more training and more employment for young people,” he said.
The results do not affect overall control of the council – Labour now have 28 seats, a majority of five over all other parties, with the Conservatives’ gain giving them 16 seats with the Liberal Democrats on five and two Independents.
Turnouts for the by-elections were down on May’s, when every council ward in Calderdale was contested.
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