Stockport by-election results in full as Lib Dems get double victory

The Lib Dems have bagged a double by-election victory in Stockport.

Huma Khan became councillor for Cheadle West and Gatley after winning more than 1,000 votes, with Rachel Bresnahan being elected in Bredbury Green and Romiley with 1,500 ballots.

The seats are considered to be safe Lib Dem territory and were previously held by the party's former councillors, Tom Morrison and Lisa Smart, who resigned from their council roles in September to focus on their new jobs as MPs.

Mr Morrison and Ms Smart were both at Stockport town hall for the by-election counts on October 17 to support their newly elected Lib Dem colleagues.

It was a difficult night for Stockport Labour Party, whose candidates finished in third place in both elections behind the Conservatives, and picked up a total of 127 votes in the race for Bredbury Green and Romiley.

Councillor Khan said the campaign was a "hard slog," and that her top priorities include regeneration for Cheadle high street.

"I want to breathe some new life into it, and ensure the quality of the high street is great for the people of Cheadle West and Gatley," she added.

"I am also very passionate about protecting our green spaces, we'll be continuing our support towards [Gatley] golf club, where there are development proposals, it is something we want to preserve because it is an important space for the local residents."

Bredbury Green and Romiley's Councillor Bresnahan said: "I'm a youth worker, that's always something that is going to be close to my heart. I love the community, anything that I can do to improve or help it is top of my list.

"I work with a lot of people facing food poverty, so that's another area that is really important to me. I am going to work incredibly hard for people [in the ward] and earn every one of those votes."

The result is a boost for Stockport Lib Dems who currently hold a total of 30 council seats in the chamber, in a town hall which is under no overall control.

A third Stockport council by-election will be held on October 31 in the Bramhall South and Woodford ward, after former Lib Dem councillor Ian Powney stepped down on health grounds.

At the May local elections this year, the Lib Dems won in Bramhall South and Woodford by just 81 votes, with the Conservatives a close second in the race.

Winning the by-election in Bramhall South and Woodford would give the Lib Dems a total of 31 councillors, one seat away from taking full control of the town hall. But the contest could also see the Conservatives regain a seat on Stockport council, after the Tories were wiped out in the 2023 local elections.

The full results from the October 17 by-elections were as follows.

Cheadle West and Gatley

Greens: 341
Labour: 517
Conservatives: 553
Lib Dem: 1,159

Turnout 22 percent

Bredbury Green and Romiley

Labour: 127
Conservatives: 552
Lib Dem: 1,506
Greens: 104

Turnout: 21.5pc

By Declan Carey, Local Democracy Reporter, Manchester Evening News - MyStockport, 18 October 2024