The Conservatives have resoundingly won a council by-election, retaining a seat they have held since the 1970s.
This afternoon (May 3), Steve Adams was declared the winner in Camden Council's Frognal by-election at Alexandra Palace.
The vote was held yesterday (May 2) alongside the votes for London Mayor and the London Assembly.
His election to one of two seats in the ward came after the resignation of Conservative group leader Cllr Gio Spinella earlier this year.
Speaking to Ham and High, Cllr Adams said he was “pleased” with his win, adding that he was looking forward to helping the people of Frognal.
Cllr Adams, who is returning to the council after he lost his Belsize seat in 2022, said: “I look forward to being back in council and providing constructive, sensible and responsible opposition to the ideas they come up with that need challenging.”
During the election campaign, Cllr Adams met people who were opposed to a new ‘school streets’ scheme proposed by the council.
If implemented, most traffic would be barred from Kidderpore Avenue, Ferncroft Avenue and Kidderpore Gardens during school drop-off and pick-up times.
He now says one of his first tasks is to try and stop the scheme.
He said: “Councillors should always concentrate on local issues for the benefit of residents.
“I know something has to be done – but it’s not the scheme that has been presented.”
Adams ultimately won more than twice the votes of his nearest challenger – Simon Lickert of the Labour party - and almost as many as almost all the others combined.
Liberal Democrat Sarah Hoyle finished third, followed by Green party candidate Charles Harris, in an election with a turnout of 42%.
Adams will now join fellow Conservative councillor Andrew Parkinson in representing the ward.
It is expected that the results of the London Assembly and London Mayoral elections will be announced tomorrow (May 4).
Here are the by-election results in full:
- Steve Adams – Conservatives – 1,103
- Simon Lickert – Labour Party – 519
- Sarah Hoyle – Liberal Democrats – 372
- Charles Harris – Green Party - 219
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