In the early hours of Friday, May 2nd, actor Paul Valentine (The Green Party) was confirmed as the winner of by-election in the Lambeth council ward of Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction.
The by-election was called after Jim Dickson (Labour) decided to step down, nine months after his surprise election as the MP for Dartford in Kent.
It is the first time the Greens have ever won a by-election in the borough, and Labour’s first by-election defeat in Lambeth since 2008.[1]
Previous results had suggested the contest would be a clear two-horse race between the Greens and Labour, and so it proved again, with the two parties sharing 87% of the vote, from a 32% turnout.[2]
Valentine topped the poll by a 326 vote margin over Labour candidate, Stephen Clark.
The six week campaign was hard-fought, with a large numbers of Green activists pitted against Labour’s own support drawn significantly from among its 57 Lambeth councillors.[3]
The result means Lambeth council now has six opposition councilors, with the Greens and the Liberal Democrats each having three out of the borough’s 63.
Councillor Paul Valentine, said:
“I’m honoured to have received the support of the residents of Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction, and proud to be able to represent them for the next year and hopefully longer.
I look forward to being able to provide an alternate voice while strengthening the opposition and improving governance across the borough.
Because for too long Lambeth Labour has been wasteful with taxpayer’s money, while underdelivering essential services.
The council’s actions are in dire need of greater scrutiny and the decisions made by Lambeth Labour’s executive, blithely nodded through by its councillors, such as the exploitation of our parks, need vigorous push-back. It’s my commitment to provide this.”
Fellow Green Party councillor Scott Ainslie (Streatham St Leonard’s and leader of the group) said:
“I’m delighted to be able to welcome Paul to the group of Green Party councillors.
He is committed, hard-working and loyal and just the kind of independent thinker Lambeth needs. As a young private renter working in an insecure industry, he is well situated to understand the challenges faced by so many of the people who live in our borough. Paul’s fifteen years of experience as a trade union member has been excellent preparation for taking on the councillor role.
For almost a year the residents of Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction have been underrepresented and underserved by an absent councillor who has continued to be paid his allowances, while switching his elected allegiances as freely as those of his football team.[4]
That changes now.”
Contact:
Nick Christian 07846597000
[1] Vassall Ward By-Election – Thursday 20 March 2008 https://moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=45&RPID=94850824
[2] Election results for Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction https://moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=239&RPID=94846776
[3] https://x.com/SarbazBarznji/status/1910447472607904013
[4] Prior to his election as MP for Dartford, Jim Dickson presented himself as a supporter of south London’s Crystal Palace, however since he has often tweeted in the manner of a long-term fan of Dartford FC: https://x.com/Jim4Dartford/status/1917262810251247747