HIGHAMS PARK: Election victory for Liberal Democrats

9:51am Friday 5th December 2008

By Mhairi Macfarlane

THE Liberal Democrats have held onto their seats at the Hale End and Highams Park by-election.

Jane Morgan and Nick Bason scored a victory at the election yesterday, with 1298 and 1295 votes respectively.

This victory came despite a smear campaign against the Liberal Democrats, believed to have been carried out by a BNP member or sympathiser.

Conservative candidates Sandeep Christian and Sheree Rackham followed close behind with 1223 and 1155 votes.

The three seats in Hale End & Highams Park have traditionally been Conservative, but the Liberal Democrats took all three seats at the local election in 2006 and have now secured their position for another 14 months.

Jane Morgan, a music teacher, has lived in the ward for nearly 30 years and has been actively engaged with community work during that time through the Liberal Democrats.

She attends Neighbourhood Watch meetings and contributes to Community Council and Police Panel meetings.

Nick Bason works for the disability rights organisation Employers’ Forum on Disability and has previously worked as an independent elections adviser, working with community, housing and regeneration projects across the UK.

Speaking at the count, new Hale End and Highams Park councillor Mr Bason said: “We would like to thank all those residents from all sides of the political spectrum who gave us their support today on the basis of the hard work put into the ward by the Liberal Democrat Focus team over a long period of time.

Cllr Morgan added: “We campaigned on our record of action and accountability to residents. It is these principles that we will continue to stand by as the new council team for the ward.

“Local people know they can trust the Lib Dem team to produce action and not just words.”

Local Liberal Democrat leader Cllr John Macklin hailed the result as “absolutely fantastic”.

He said: “This victory is made all the more special when taking into consideration the high-profile slur campaign run against the Lib Dems in the ward and the negative campaigning tactics which we were the victim of.

“The result just goes to show that our commitment to year round hard work and accountability is ultimately rewarded and appreciated by the electorate.

“It is simply not good enough to just turn up when there is an election on and sling mud at the other parties. Voters are not fooled by these tactics.”

Conservative candidates Sandeep Christian and Sheree Rackham are disappointed with their defeat.

Mr Christian said: “We are both disappointed. We wanted to serve the community we live in as councillors on the ground.

“But I lost by 50 votes, so there is a good chance to consolidate things in the next 14 months and will go for it next year.

"And in the future we will continue to publicise our ideas for the future in the In Touch magazine.”

Labour candidates Mohammed Ahmed and Gerry Lyons got 264 votes and 241 votes respectively.

The poll was called following the death of councillor John Beanse and the resignation of Noel Penstone due to ill health, which brought the number of by-elections in the borough this year to five.

The Liberal Democrats have now won four of the five Waltham Forest by-elections called during 2008, increasing their representation on the Council to 20 seats.