Tories add to Labour misery with surprise by-election win
THE Tories have pulled off a shock council by-election victory in Salford by capturing a seat they have not won for a quarter of a century.
Rabbi Arnold Saunders snatched secured the seat in Kersal from Labour.
The ward was once strong Conservative territory, being represented by former ceremonial mayor Rufus Heron and former Tory leader Howard Balkind - who later defected to Labour.
The seat was won from Labour with a 21 per cent swing.
It was vacated following the death of popular councillor Harry Davies, who died after a brave cancer battle in November.
The Tories took 850 votes, boasting a majority of 297. Labour candidate Mike Pevitt took 553 votes, while Independent Jonny Wineberg put in an impressive performance with 354 votes.
Ukip’s Christopher Barnes took 182 votes, Green Party candidate Jason Reading 48 and Lib Dem Adam Slack 39. Labour threw the kitchen sink at the crunch by-election, which saw a 24pc turnout.
Despite bringing out the big guns - including Blackley and Broughton MP Graham Stringer and the region’s interim mayor Tony Lloyd - Labour’s vote collapsed.
The ward has one of the highest concentrations of Jewish residents of any in the country.
Insiders say Labour’s vote in Jewish areas of the ward has crumbled.
Councillor-elect Saunders - known as Arnie - is a well-known face in Salford, having stood in local elections in Kersal twice before. The Higher Crumpsall and Higher Broughton Synagogue rabbi said a range of issues helped him take the seat, but that the key was good old hard work. “I had a lot of support, from Tory head office to volunteers and friends and family,” he said. “But there were a few issues. You cannot divorce what happened in Kersal from the national situation. “Labour has problems, we saw that in Copeland. The Labour vote just didn’t get out.” Councillor-elect Saunders said many Labour votes may have been lost to independent Johnny Wineberg over the contentious Salford City FC plan for a new 5,000-capacity stadium. Complaints over the move to three-weekly bin collections, he added, also played into his hands - as did the fact Labour candidate Mr Pevitt was ‘parachuted in’ from Swinton. The city’s Conservative leader Coun Les Turner said: “It was a great result, although I didn’t expect such a sizeable majority.” Councillor-elect Rabbi Arnold Saunders