Lib Dems win council seat from Reform after resignation

The Liberal Democrats have won a council seat in Cambridgeshire from Reform UK after the sitting councillor resigned after two months in the job.

Tony Nelson stood down in July from the St Neots Eynesbury ward on Huntingdonshire District Council for what were believed to be personal reasons.

Ian Taylor secured a victory in Thursday's by-election with 1,024 votes. Reform's Steve O'Hara was in second place with 647 votes, with the Conservative, Labour and Green getting fewer than 150 votes each.

The Lib Dems are the largest party at the council with 21 out of 52 seats, and have been running the local authority in coalition with Independent and Green councillors.

However, the two Green Party members left the administration earlier this week in a row over housing developments.

Taylor, who is a paramedic, said he was "honoured that Eynesbury has put its trust" in him.

"This community means a great deal to me, and I'll work every day to repay that trust," he added.

The other votes received were:

• Alexander Pushkarev, Conservative: 143
• Anna Pritchard, Green Party: 118
• Michael Gilks, Labour: 104
• Daniel Laycock, Independent: 102

The political make-up of the council is:

• Lib Dem: 21
• Conservative: 15
• Reform: 9
• HDC Independent Group: 4
• Green Party: 2
• Labour: 1

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