A newly elected councillor has pledged to work hard to continue the legacy of her predecessor who passed away last year.

Cllr Ayten Guzel won a seat in Southbury ward with a 13.8 per cent majority for Labour in a by-election held on Thursday.

The poll took place following the death of long-serving Labour councillor Chris Bond in July.

After being elected, Cllr Guzel posted on Twitter: “I am truly honoured to have been elected as the new councillor for Southbury ward.

“Thank you to the Labour activists who campaigned and, most importantly, the Southbury residents who voted for me. I will work hard to carry Cllr Chris Bond’s legacy. May you rest in peace Chris.”

 

 

Southbury was one of three Enfield wards where seats were contested in last week’s by-elections, which had been delayed due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Labour polled badly in many parts of the UK, losing more than 300 council seats, while the Tories and Greens made substantial gains.

A seat in Chase ward, where Labour’s lead was much smaller in the 2018 local elections, was won by the Conservative group after a campaign focused on the future of a council-owned golf course.

Although Cllr Guzel won a large majority in Southbury, Labour’s share of the vote dropped by almost 19 percentage points compared to the 2018 local elections.

The Tories increased their share of the vote to 32.8 per cent – up by 5.8 percentage points on 2018.

There was also a slight increase in the Liberal Democrat vote share, from 2.9 per cent to 5.8 per cent.

But the Green Party saw the biggest jump in vote share – from 4.7 per cent to 11.2 per cent.

Three parties contesting the by-election – the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, the We Matter Party and the Taking The Initiative Party of Britain – did not field candidates for the ward at the last local elections. Their combined share of the vote was 3.7 per cent.

Voter turnout was 41.8 per cent – considerably higher than the 35.4 per cent figure in 2018.

Council leader Cllr Nesil Caliskan said on Twitter that Cllr Guzel would be an “excellent advocate for local residents”.

She added: “Our Enfield Labour family are thinking of Cllr Chris Bond today. May you rest in peace Chris.”