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Sandwell Council by-election

LIB DEM BLOW AS LABOUR SNATCH NEWTON

25-01-2008

One of the few Lib-Dem strongholds in the Black Country has been broken with Labour’s shock victory last night in the Sandwell Newton by-election. David Hosell snatched the seat left vacant following the death of Martyn Smith by just 35 votes.

The Labour candidate polled 884 votes, narrowly overcoming Lib Dem Michaela Allcock (809) with the Conservatives’ Val Ward notching a respectable 587 to come third. Green candidate David Hawkins polled just 45 votes.

Until this result, Newton and it’s neighbouring ward of Great Barr and Yew Tree had returned a full slate of six Lib-Dem councillors.

Although Sandwell is a Labour stronghold, this is the party’s second significant by-election victory in recent months, as they also gained Princes End (from the BNP) in November.

It was an exhausting, but satisfying day for West Bromwich East MP Tom Watson, who began yesterday with a leaflet drop at 6.30am in Newton before heading to Westminster where he regained a junior ministerial position following Peter Hain’s resignation.