Voting is under way in the Westbourne and Poets’ Corner by-election for a seat on Brighton and Hove City Council.
Voters are required to have proof of their identity at polling stations today (Thursday 1 May) unlike those voting by post.
The by-election was called after Labour councillor Leslie Pumm resigned his seat last month citing his health.
At least seven of the eight candidates have run for election to the council before.
The eight candidates are
- Gary Farmer – Reform UK
- Keith Jago – Independent
- David Maples – Independent Trade Union and Socialist Candidate
- Georgia McKinley Fitch – Independents for Direct Democracy
- Tony Meadows – Conservative
- Sam Parrott – Labour
- Geoff Shanks – Green
- Michael Wang – Liberal Democrats
Polling stations were due to open at 7am and should close at 10pm at
- Hove Museum and Art Gallery, 19 New Church Road, Hove
- Holy Cross Church Hall, Tamworth Road, Hove
The results for the two seats in the ward at the local elections in May 2023 were
- Julie Cattell – Labour – 1,911 votes (elected)
- Leslie Pumm – Labour – 1,741 votes (elected)
- Renato Marques – Green – 743 votes
- Geoff Shanks – Green – 691 votes
- Michael Bates – Conservative – 448 votes
- Mark Clayton – Conservative – 421 votes
- James Verguson – Independent – 211 votes
- Geoff Date – Liberal Democrats – 208 votes
- Dave Hill – Trade Unionists and Socialist Coalition – 111 votes
- Patricia Mountain – UK Independence Party (UKIP) – 65 votes
A total of 6,550 votes were cast by at least 3,275 voters, with a further 11 ballot papers rejected. The turnout was 45.86 per cent.
Only four out of the 23 electoral wards had a higher turnout – Rottingdean and West Saltdean (51.49 per cent), Hollingdean and Fiveways (49.47 per cent), Westdene and Hove Park (46.18 per cent) and Wish (45.93 per cent).
Geoff Shanks is the only candidate who stood in the ward in the local elections in May 2023. He came fourth out of the 10 candidates who were running for two seats.
James Verguson, the only Independent candidate two years ago, was the proposer for Georgia McKinley Fitch for this by-election and the Lib Dem candidate in May 2023, Geoff Date, was the seconder for Michael Wang.
The Conservative candidate Tony Meadows was proposed by Audrey Buttimer, 93, who served as mayor of Hove from 1991-92, having been mayoress three years earlier.
She represented the old Westbourne ward on Hove Borough Council when it was safe Conservative territory and the same ward on Brighton and Hove Council. She retired in 1999.
Westbourne and Poets’ Corner ward is bounded by the railway line in the north, the seafront in the south and Sackville Road and Hove Street in the east.
The westernmost streets in the ward are Alpine Road, Hogarth Road and Walsingham Road.
The count is due to start at 10am tomorrow (Friday 2 May) and the results will be published by Brighton and Hove News.
