Double victory for Hannah in Abbey By-election
Jubilant Shropshire Liberal Democrats are celebrating after gaining two more Conservative seats in a double council by-election victory after a nailbiting count at the Shirehall in Shrewsbury last night.
Environmental scientist and local campaigner Hannah Fraser seized the Abbey Division of Shropshire Council by 8 votes with a 10.2% Conservative to Lib Dem swing since the last council election in 2009. After three recounts she also emerged as the winner of the contest in the Abbey ward of Shrewsbury Town Council with a majority of 2 votes. Both seats were vacant after the Conservative councillor resigned due to illness.
Overturning a Tory majority of 254, the county council poll is the fourth successive Liberal Democrat by-election victory on Shropshire Council since the General Election, and their third gain from the Conservatives.
In the Shropshire Council poll, the result was Hannah Fraser (Lib Dem) 550 (45.3%), Conservative 542 (44.6%), Green 122 (10.0%) on a healthy byelection turnout of 41.3%. In the town council election on identical boundaries, Hannah Fraser took 546 votes, the Conservatives 544 and the Green candidate 124.
In 2009 the unitary result was Conservative 637, Lib Dem 383, Labour 269.
Lib Dem county opposition leader Cllr Nigel Hartin said: "Hannah Fraser will make a superb councillor and was a very strong candidate. But this election result reverses a big Tory majority. It must also be seen as the verdict of the voters on the shambolic and expensive recent failures by Shropshire Council's Conservative leaders."
"It shows that Shropshire people are increasingly turning to the Liberal Democrats for a credible alternative to the crude cuts and blind eye to shocking council waste and inefficiency which is the hallmark of the Conservatives.
"Our agent Heather Kidd once again ran a superb campaign with help from across Shropshire, our new MEP and colleagues in Wales. It shows that where we work hard all year round and offer a strong candidate with a credible policy offer and obvious community commitment, Liberal Democrats can keep on winning."