LABOUR HOLD GIPSY HILL WARD BY JUST 36 VOTES
Labour’s Luke Murphy won with a majority of just 36 votes on a 27 per cent turnout in last night’s by-election for Gipsy Hill ward with just 1,220 votes after only 27 per cent of eligible residents turned out to vote.
Green party Peter Elliott finished second – way ahead of the third-placed Conservative candidate Leslie Maruziva.
A Green party spokesman said: “This was an unprecedented swing from Labour to the Green Party. “It shows that the more people see of Labour in Lambeth, the less they like what they see.
“But it also shows that local people are backing the Greens alternative vision, particularly keeping libraries open and refurbishing, not destroying estates.”
The Labour to Green swing in last night’s by-election was 27.4 per cent.
Green party sources say they have not had time to check out how many Labour-held seats in Lambeth would go Green party on such a swing.
But they suggest this would probably include Herne Hill, Tulse Hill, Brixton Hill and St Leonards to at least be there.
Herne Hill ward councillors include Jim Dickson, Brixton Hill include Cllr Florence Eshalomi who was recently voted GLA member for Lambeth and Southwark, and St Leonards includes the current Mayor.
The by-election followed the death of Labour’s Cllr Niranjan Francis who passed away on Saturday, April 23 after a battle against cancer.
Result: Luke Murphy (Lab) 1,220 votes; Pete Elliott (Green) 1,184 votes; Leslie Rangarirai Maruziva (Con) 210 votes; Rosa Fenn Jesse (Liberal Democrat) 84 votes; Elizabeth Jones (UK Independence Party) 73 votes; Robin Andrew David Lambert (Independent) 24 votes; Steve Nally (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition) 19 votes.
For more information visit: http://moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=141&RPID=28384953
COMMENT
This is an appalling result for Lambeth Labour, a damning indictment of their policies towards demolishing housing estates and savaging its library services – even though they have loadsamoney to spend on security guards and – announced in the last 24 hours – two firms of consultants to decide what to do with the Lambeth archives currently based at the Minet and, so the rumour goes, in the nuclear bunker on the Central Hill estate.
The Green party have come from almost nowhere in Gipsy Hill to give Labour a fright. If more people had turned up to vote it could have been the Green party celebrating a historic victory today.
Too many councils – both Labour and Conservative – seem to think that, once elected, they have the divine right to do whatever they like. They don’t. That attitude needs to change – and fast. Any council which thinks they can need to take a long, hard look at themselves.
Lambeth Labour are on notice that the people have had enough. Wake up and smell the coffee.