Conservatives miss out in Colchester City Council by-election

Labour and the Liberal Democrats have taken a seat each in a city council's by-election.

The seats, won in the Highwoods ward, in Colchester mean the Lib Dems remain as the lead party in a coalition with Labour and the Greens.

The Conservatives candidates came fourth and fifth out of the six who stood.

Liberal Democrat leader of the council David King said the deciding factor was the "quality of the candidates".

The by-election was held after two independent councillors, Beverley and Gerard Oxford, resigned.

The turnout was 21.44% from an electorate of 7,196 and the seats were won by Catherine Bickersteth for Labour and Alison Jay for the Lib Dems.

It was the first local election held since the town was granted city status and Colchester Borough Council became Colchester City Council.

Newly elected Labour councillor Ms Bickersteth said she was thrilled to top the ballot with 653 votes.

She said the Labour group would continue working in the coalition and do its "utmost to make sure that, with all the things that people are facing in a cost of living crisis, we make Colchester as great as it deserves to be".

Adam Fox, leader of the Labour Group and deputy leader of the council, said: "Topping the ballot shows that people are fed up with the Conservatives nationally as well and that Labour is ready to take on the Conservatives when a general election comes."

Mr King said the outcome showed there was "a clear preference for a non-Conservative councillor and that centre and centre-left have a strong voice".

He added: "The most important thing I take away from this is that if we have quality people who are prepared to put their heart and soul into helping people in their ward, and Alison Jay does, they will get a personal vote".

Darius Laws, leader of the Conservative Party at the city council, said he was "really pleased" with the result despite his party not taking a seat.

"We haven't quite seen the Labour surge in numbers that perhaps people were predicting," he said.

"If you look at the national polls, things aren't great for the Conservatives at the moment, but locally here in Colchester, we've proved that there are people who want to vote Conservative.

"They came out on a cold day in December and voted for us."

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