The Conservatives are currently propped up at Wandsworth Council by an Independent councillor who they made a deal with
A Labour councillor has resigned from Wandsworth Council, with the result of a forthcoming by-election potentially tipping control of the authority in favour of the Conservatives.
Labour councillor Lizzy Dobres, who represented Trinity, has quit after four years to take up a new job that is “politically restricted”.
A by-election will be held in the coming weeks for the seat in Trinity, which could decide control of the council for the next four years. If the Conservatives win the by-election, the group would have a two-seat majority to control the council whereas at the moment they control it as a minority administration.
Ms Dobres said: “Serving as a councillor for Trinity has been one of the greatest privileges of my life, and stepping down is not a decision I ever wanted to make.
“I had every intention of serving my full term. However, after a prolonged period of uncertainty in my day job whilst pregnant, I have accepted a politically restricted role. That means I can’t serve as a councillor while working in this job.”
The Trinity ward, which is represented by two councillors, saw a shift in the local elections in May, as former Labour councillor Jack Mayorcas lost his seat to Conservative councillor Kirsten Botting by 64 votes. Ms Dobres held her own seat by 195 votes.
The elections saw Labour lose overall control of the South London borough, with the Conservatives just one seat short of the 30 needed to win a majority.
The Conservatives won 29 seats in the local elections – up seven compared to 2022 – while Labour secured 28 seats, down seven from the previous elections.
The Conservatives struck a deal with Independent councillor Malcolm Grimston to govern the authority under a confidence and supply arrangement. This means Councillor Grimston supports the Conservatives on key votes needed for the council to keep functioning, including the annual budget and votes of no confidence.
But the Conservatives would no longer need this agreement if the group won the by-election for Ms Dobres’ seat.
Tooting Labour announced Ms Dobres’ resignation in an email to members on Friday (July 10), in which they said she had “worked tirelessly for the community” since being elected to the council in 2022 – including leading on work to address violence against women and girls.
Ms Dobres added: “While it is incredibly difficult to leave a role and a community I care so deeply about, I know this is the right next step. Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the past four years. It has been an honour to represent Trinity, and I will always be grateful for the trust you placed in me.
“I wish my colleagues every success and look forward to cheering them on as they continue to serve our community.”
The council has not yet announced the date of the by-election.
Ms Dobres’ resignation came on the same day Conservative councillor Aled Richards-Jones announced he was stepping down as leader of the council due to increasing work commitments.
Councillor Richards-Jones’ successor is expected to be announced in the coming days.
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