The Greens have taken a seat from Labour, winning the Queen’s Park by-election for a seat on Brighton and Hove City Council.
Marina Lademacher came first with 1,133 votes while Labour candidate Simon Charleton finished second with 729 votes.
Party suppoerters were jubilant, giving the party their ninth member to Labour’s 35 on a council with 54 members. Labour retains a comfortable majority.
Reform candidate John Shepherd came third with 237 votes, finishing ahead of the Conservatives.
The Liberal Democrat candidate Rudi Dikty-Daudiyan finished fourth with 98 votes, the Tory candidate Sunny Choudhury came fifth with 82 votes and Independent candidate Adrian Hart received just 64 votes.
The result was declared just before noon. Earlier, it was announced that the turnout was just 2,351 from an electorate of 7,065 or 33.28 per cent.
Councillor Lademacher said: “I’ve spoken to so many residents during this campaign who have shared heartbreaking stories of neglect and abandonment at the hands of the Labour-run council and this disastrous government.
“I share their anger at overflowing bins, dirty streets, deeply unsafe social housing conditions and rents that just keep rising. I’ve lived those struggles as a renter myself and I know the toll they take.
“As a councillor for Queen’s Park, I will continue to fight for people who are struggling and listen to those who have been neglected.
“Thank you to everyone who voted for me and to those who didn’t. I am here for every resident and ready to serve our communities.
“Together we can and will build the fairer, greener, more equal Brighton and Hove we all deserve, with no one left behind.”
Councillor Steve Davis, the Green opposition leader on Brighton and Hove City Council, said: “I’m beyond delighted to have Marina joining our growing group of Green councillors, with such a huge swing in our favour.
“The last two by-elections should be a stark warning to Labour that the direction they are headed both nationally and locally is not going down well and people want representatives who offer real hope and real change.
“Queen’s Park residents are incredibly lucky to have someone as hard-working and dedicated as Marina representing them and I know she’s ready to hit the ground running.”
The seat became vacant when Labour councillor Tristram Burden resigned, citing a conflict of interest in his new job as a local authority inspector at the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
It is the second by-election in the two-member ward since the local elections in May 2023.
Just over a year ago Milla Gauge held the seat for Labour after Chandni Mistry resigned.
Labour said that the by-election took place against a challenging backdrop nationally that was always expected to make holding the seat difficult.
The Labour leader of the council Bella Sankey said: “First, I want to thank the people of Queen’s Park for coming out and taking part in the democratic process for a second time since May 2023.
“We knew this would be a difficult by-election, given the volatile national picture.”
Councillor Sankey added: “While this result is disappointing, we want to thank every resident who kept the faith with Labour and to all residents for the important doorstep conversations.
“We are listening carefully to what people in Queen’s Park are telling us and will redouble our efforts to deliver on the issues that matter.”
Ha! That’s what the Greens get for listening to their core voterbase instead of ignoring, alienating, and talking them and the city down!
I trust that the Labour Party will be celebrating this intentional concession to the Greens as it’s clear from recent LAB campaigning + messaging that they had absolutely no intention at all to win this, or indeed any other, seat in future.
Talk negatively, poll negatively!
Not surprising Greens won given popularity of government and the fact this is the second Queens Park byelection in just over a year. Reform seem to have absorbed most of the Tory vote. Adrian Hart’s vote completely collapsed, maybe a lesson to focus on local issues not obsessively talking about gender – comes across as weird and divisive and he doesn’t understand safeguarding! Greens ran a good campaign, Labour a decent second making best of a bad lot. Congratulations to Ms Lademacher.
You’re right about how national politics (especially the unpopularity of the Labour government) influenced the 33 percent who came out to vote. And you’re correct about Reform drawing in Tory voters. And while you might be right that me raising the schools safeguarding scandal wasn’t imagined by some to be authentic (or true at all), your wisdom drains away to zero when you suggest caring about a major breach in child safeguarding is ‘obsessive’, ‘weird’, ‘divisive’. Comments like that were said very early on about anyone trying to raise an alarm on the harms inflicted by what eventually became known grooming gangs scandal. Back then whistle blowers were presumed to be stirring up hatred and feeding the far right. Here in Brighton, myself and the brave parents at the centre of this nightmare are routinely branded as bigots or ‘anti-trans’. So please Alison Lee, read this: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/health/2025/08/health-bosses-failed-to-act-on-nhs-clinic-prescribing-gender-drugs-to-kids-for-five-years and this: https://can-sg.org/2025/08/22/protecting-children-the-nhs-sussex-controversy/
For what its worth, support for me from the 33 percent may also have ebbed away because I parted from Brighton & Hove Independents (which I co-founded with Cllr Bridget Fishliegh). Bridget is great and an excellent ward councillor but as one of the few councilors who met the parents and heard their shocking stories, Bridget’s decision to withdraw support and ignore the safeguarding breach was a red line for me (and others in our independent group then used the exact same slurs against me as you have used). A ‘Safeguarding First’ approach to children used to mean investigating claims of harm, abuse and neglect without prejudice and diligently following the evidence and determining if the claims are accurate. Not in Brighton & Hove.
I’m intrigued that you say I don’t understand safeguarding. What don’t I understand Alison?
You are doing a grand job Adrian. How anyone can argue with child safeguarding is a mystery to me. A highly disturbing mystery since such people often think of themselves as good and decent people in other ways, but seem to have a complete blindspot about what is going on in their childrens’ schools and why.
All this “your wisdom drains away to zero” patter sounds more Bond villain than prospective councillor, whilst blaming Bridget Fishleigh rather than accepting responsibility for your own electoral performance sounds like sour grapes. It’s clear that very few people in Queens Park want this sort of thing from their councillors. Precisely 64 people, to be exact.
One day you’ll when the issue I raise hits the headlines with full force you’ll look back and wish you’d read the two articles I linked you to. Yep, this issue may have lost me votes but given every other candidate was fully briefed about this emerging scandal (with evidence) I’m happy with 64. Its on the record that I did what I could.
Can’t blame 33 % … turn out only 350 lower than last time … but you’re vote went down nearly 400! They all did not vote …
I don’t. Re-read what I said. And read the two articles while you’re at it.
Has everyone forgotten how disastrous the Greens were when they ran the council?!! Some of the worst recycling rates in the country, pollution at an all time high due to their traffic systems. The vanity project of the i360 which has cost the residents 56 million pounds of debt. This was pushed through by councillor Kitkat against the opinion of Brighton residents.
Um Milla Gauge held the seat, really? Most worrying is the turnout. Maybe apathy is the true winner.
Turnout was about what was expected, you have to consider it being September, and by-elections are factors that result in lower turnout. 350 or so people difference? It’d make it tight if they all went Labour, but the reality is that wouldn’t have happened.
Um yes she did in last years by-election
“Just over a year ago Milla Gauge held the seat for Labour after Chandni Mistry resigned.”
The swings tell a very interesting story. Greens pushed hard for this. Conservatives being below 100 votes is particularly shocking; effectively wiped out in this ward. Shows they are almost entirely unelectable in central Brighton, and it seems like Reform is the replacement for the Cons, a narrative being seen across the country. Labour will be looking at itself after this, I’m sure, as well. Was a bit surprised to see the independent vote drop, but Adrian’s politics are…divisive.
Divisive? How so?
Please take this in good faith: from what I’ve observed, your stance tends to provoke very strong and opposing reactions. For some people, it resonates; others, it feels exclusionary. That’s why I described it as divisive. Not as a criticism of you, but because it seems to polarise opinion, making a difficult election platform, especially for an independent.
Not that this result will dissuade you, I’m sure. The world would be a better place if more people took such a proactive approach to their city.
Wow, I know I am not reading The Argus( All of these comments are sensible and considered, such a refreshing change. I agree that the Greens deserved this, I met a group of them campaigning and they were very positive and bright. Labour on the other hand have been very negative, it seems their only strategy is to slag off and lie about the Greens which looks bad, from the sidelines. Sankey’s comment piece last week was a case in point, just a thread of insults which made her and her party look unprofessional and resentful, they deserved to lose this.
I agree with you regarding mudslinging. Personally, I think negative campaigning damages you just as much as the party intended. By the same token, one of the key things I dislike about PMQs is the constant barrage of insults thrown at each other – it’s not good politics.
And give the Argus commenters a bit of time, they shall not disappoint!
Yes, we all know by-elections have a very low turnout. But just to correct the previous poster, the difference was 404. Which does make the margin slightly bigger.
It’s a bit disingenuous for Ms Sankey to blame national issues because she simply does not listen to the electorate of Brighton and Hove. So part of the blame is on her and the Closed Cabinet. You own your mistakes.
Let’s hope Mr Polanski has a very positive effect for the future.
Agree on your point about Bella Sankey still not really getting it with her comment.
The anger is at the Labour council, not just the Labour government. The council are planning to close libraries, they’ve closed schools, and they say nothing to challenge the government on the impact of ongoing austerity in the city. It’s local decision-making, broken local promises, PLUS their complicity with Keir and co that’s the problem.
Goodness knows what backbench Labour councillors are thinking, or quite how or why they are still just going along with what Bella, Jacob, Tim and co tell them to vote on. The Cabinet is so out of touch with residents, and their determination to shut down opposition voices (including residents) is just dreadful. They aren’t even pretending to be community representatives anymore, they are pushing through national Labour agendas locally. They don’t have to, it’s their choice.
Pitiful turnout. No one cares.
Cares? About what?
2,351 people care, Dave.
2351
What is your sauce Benji
Until you reveal your sources we’re just have to accept it’s probably not true
The sixth paragraph of this article, Rupert.
Doesn’t Steve Davis look worryingly ill?
The traits of Benji’s responses
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In the famous bar scene from the 1997 film Good Will Hunting, Will Hunting (Matt Damon) humiliates a condescending Harvard graduate student named Clark, who is trying to impress two women by belittling Will’s friend Chuckie (Ben Affleck). Will exposes the student’s supposed intellectual prowess as plagiarism and rote memorization, rather than original thought.
The encounter unfolds in several key moments:
The student’s attack: Clark attempts to show off by reciting a passage on the impact of social distinctions based on inherited wealth. He aims to make Chuckie, a working-class man, feel inferior for attending a less prestigious school.
Will’s reveal: Will immediately recognizes the exact source of the quote, calling Clark out for plagiarizing a passage from “Vickers’ Work in Essex County.” He challenges Clark by asking if he has any original thoughts on the matter.
The central insult: After exposing his unoriginality, Will delivers the iconic line: “See, the sad thing about a guy like you is in fifty years you’re gonna start doin’ some thinkin’ on your own and you’re gonna come up with the fact that… you dropped a hundred and fifty grand on a f—in’ education you coulda’ got for a dollar fifty in late charges at the public library
🙃
I knew I’d seen a Benjamin before. He’s probably an AI construct modelled on the film.
I’ve evolved from a poodle to an AI construct. Moving up in the world! Apparently, recalling (or simply scrolling back up and looking at) the number in an article I just read and using it to rationalise an argument is “rote memorisation” and “plagiarism”…
…I suspect Rupert doesn’t actually have anything of substance, and is a bit slighted for being called out for not reading an article properly before attempting to go on a verbal offensive, before embarrassing himself, so he is resorting to ad hominem.
And I’ve never actually seen that film. Team America pretty much ruined Matt Damon for me.
Ok – thank you Benjamin. You’re not using ‘divisive’ in its typical pejorative sense (i.e implying intent: ‘stirring up division’). This brings us to an ethical dilemma for any candidate who, after standing several times, is made aware of something taking place that is, frankly, horrifying. For me, within weeks of the May 2023 local election, I was contacted by parents and what they told me led to quickly to the realisation that something really bad was taking place in a large number of Brighton & Hove schools. I knew immediately that an extremely serious safeguarding breach was happening and also knew that it was running unchecked because the headteachers, social workers, GPs, council officers and councillors who might otherwise have raised the alert were terrified of being accused of transphobia. In July 2023 I went in to the council chamber and asked Bella Sankey to respond to parent concerns. Although Bella had by now received legal correspondence from the family she told me the concerns I had summarised were “baseless smears”.
By the time of the 2024 Queens Park by-election I was advised by other independents and other supporters to avoid any reference to this matter if I wanted to be elected. I disagreed and raised the matter at the hustings and in campaign literature, in interviews and, any chance I got. Who knows if that won or lost me votes (I came third with 449 votes, a 17 percent share).
This time, standing again, for the third time in as many years, raising a safeguarding scandal that the city STILL turns a blind eye to was a no-brainer. Winning the seat became secondary to highlighting this issue. Perhaps naively I thought two articles outlining the issue (the article links I give Alison Lee in this comments thread) would cause the penny to finally drop.
Yes, Benjamin, a difficult election platform as you say. (Did you ever read the articles? I’d value your opinion).
I appreciate a reasoned discussion on topics, thank you for indulging me. I can see that you view this as a matter of principle and not just electoral calculation, and I respect that you’ve chosen to stand by what you believe in, even knowing it may cost votes.
In my experience, safeguarding (and I’m going to throw whistleblowing in there as well) often makes one unpopular, and it usually is to the detriment of the reporter. I’m reminded of the Francis Review and the BMJ 2019 study that showed that staff who raised concerns were commonly ignored, bullied, victimised, or driven out of their jobs, and it would not be a leap of logic to suggest that this applies to other sectors as well.
My thoughts are that it is hard to stand on a moral principle. It is isolating. It is lonely.
It is the right thing to do.
Thanks Benjamin. I was very happy to stand on moral principle – but I was also referencing the concrete, real world facts of a real child safeguarding scandal in our city. Yet, it has proven very hard to persuade people to do even a few minutes of research in order to check the voracity of my claims (I’d still be pleased if you or anyone here reads the two articles I shared links to and reports back).
Ref JamesK comment: To be honest I wouldn’t mind a bit of AI right now! A Chat GBT review of the validity of the New Statesman article goes like this: “The article provides a thorough and well-researched account of the controversy surrounding WellBN’s prescribing practices. It raises valid concerns about the safety of hormone treatments for minors, the adequacy of oversight, and the slow response by regulatory bodies. While the article is critical of WellBN and the NHS, it also presents evidence from medical experts and official investigations, which lend credibility to its claims”.
The second article points out that the scandal is not limited to NHS Sussex. In July 2023, Brighton and Hove council leader Bella Sankey dismissed parents’ safeguarding concerns as “baseless smears” despite already having received legal correspondence from families. In other words, while 54 councillors listened, the council leadership sidestepped what it knew to be the truth. Only a handful have thought it a good idea to meet the parents and investigate their claims (and none from the powerful Cabinet). As the facts of this horrific story slowly emerge into the mainstream I think voters across the city will soon demand answers from their elected representatives.
Thank you. I’d very much like your opinion on the two articles.
Moral principle yes, but you’ll see that I stood on evidence of (a) harm to children and (b) of the culpability of council leaders. I dont use the works ‘scandal’ flippantly. True, it is isolating for anyone raising this issue but it won’t stay that way for long. At some point in the near future the fact that the child safeguarding issue at the heart of this was ever imagined to be a ‘for’ or ‘against’ matter (or less important than getting elected) will become a testament to ideological capture (walking hand-in-hand with the fear of being branded transphobic).
At least this win spares us Bella Sankey’s gloating, but apart from that I can’t really see any advantages. The Greens are just as bad as Labour and most are watermelon Greens – green on the outside and red on the inside – almost interchangeable. Go on Marina. Surprise us in a good way.
Labour aren’t red on the inside. They’re blue.
Labour are over. Starmer is a cringe worthy puppet of Trump and just as authoritarian
So, Brighton swaps one bunch of clueless leftys for another bunch of clueless leftys….
Soon, Queens Park will have its own I360, potted plants all over the place, and you’ll need a hacking blade like Indiana Jones to walk down the street because of the weeds……
You couldn’t make it up…..
Why do you have an issue with potted plants?
He has a deeply rooted concern about them.
Leaf him alone