The results of a by-election in Workington can now be revealed.
There was a by-election for four seats in three wards on Workington Town Council held yesterday.
The election was due to take place in May 2021 but due to COVID-19 restrictions, Jacqueline Kirkbride (Cons; Stainburn), Patricia Poole (St John’s) and Ellie Woods (Lab; Salterbeck) did not sign an official declaration between the time they were elected on May 7 and the first full council meeting on May 11.
They signed them in the days after the first full council meeting.
Despite the council’s clerk Catherine Gourlay taking advice from Cumbria Association of Local Councils that due to the situation, it was not an issue and the councillors were not in breach of any rules, it is understood some councillors on the parish authority objected.
Ms Gourlay then approached the National Association of Local Councils, which reviewed the situation and said that in fact, because the declarations had not been signed before the town council, those seats are technically vacant.
A rerun of the election was held last night. Last night’s election resulted in the same candidates winning the seats as in May.
Result of the by-election in the Salterbeck ward (one seat)
- Ellie Wood – Labour Party – 187 votes (Labour hold)
- Chris Richards – Conservative Party – 124 votes
Number of votes cast: 312
Number of votes rejected: 1
Turnout: 14.43%
Result of the by-election in the Stainburn ward (one seat)
- Jacqueline Kirkbride – Conservative Party – 185 votes (won seat previously held by Labour’s David King who died last July)
- Mike Rollo – Labour Party – 101 votes
- Peter Gaston – Independent – 100 votes
Number of votes cast: 387
Number of votes rejected: 1
Turnout: 23.7%
Result of the by-election in the St John’s ward (two seats)
- Patricia Poole – Independent – 370 votes (seat won after it was previously held by Labour councillor Joe Holliday, who died in late 2020)
- Anthony McGuckin – Labour Party – 358 votes (Labour hold)
- Jimmy Grisdale – Labour Party – 295 votes
- Mike Davidson – Conservative Party – 243 votes
- Rebecca Newton – Conservative Party – 200 votes
- Liam Heron – Independent – 162 votes
Number of votes cast: 1,628
Number of votes rejected: 1
Turnout: 19.58%
