Voters will head to the polls on Thursday in Wandsworth’s Trinity ward
A by-election for the seat of a former Labour councillor in Wandsworth is around the corner, and it could decide control of the council for the next four years.
Voters in Wandsworth Council’s Trinity ward will head to the polls on Thursday (August 27) to decide who they want to take over the seat of former councillor Lizzy Dobres. The by-election is a five-way contest between the Conservatives, Labour, Lib Dems, the Green Party and Reform UK.
If the Conservatives win, the group will have a two-seat majority to control the council whereas at the moment they rule as a minority administration.
The local elections on May 7 saw Labour lose overall control of the South London borough, after taking over from the Conservatives for the first time in 44 years in 2022. The Conservatives won 29 seats – just one seat short of the 30 needed to win a majority – while Labour secured 28 seats.
The Tories then struck a deal with Independent councillor Malcolm Grimston to govern the authority under a confidence and supply arrangement, but the group would no longer need this agreement if it won the by-election for Ms Dobres’ seat.
The Trinity ward, which is represented by two councillors, saw its own shift in the local elections, 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, but she quit in July to take up a new job that is “politically restricted”.
Trinity by-election candidates
- Shirin Chiara Georgiani – Labour
- Dylan Connor Peter Henderson – Lib Dems
- Otto Jacobsson – Conservatives
- Sylvain Magne – Green Party
- Josh Stanton – Reform UK
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) contacted each candidate for the Trinity by-election, or party they are representing, to speak about their priorities if they became councillor.
Conservative candidate Otto told the LDRS he was committed to tackling issues affecting residents’ daily lives, including pushing for cleaner streets and parks, reducing crime and improving safety for women and girls.
He said his background in finance would help the council as it faced a “very challenging financial picture” involving an estimated 40 per cent reduction in future government funding.
Otto said: “I live in the area, so for me this is really about everyday issues that I want to see fixed myself – fly-tipping, graffiti, cleaner streets. I think we’re making great progress there since Wandsworth Council was won over by the Conservatives in May. There’s been a visible difference in terms of rubbish on the streets, fly-tipping getting removed and graffiti getting cleaned up.”
Regarding Trinity, he added: “I think it’s one of the best places in London to live with a young family and I want to keep it that way, and the problems that we do have I want to address them and see if we can get them solved quickly.”
Lib Dem candidate Dylan told the LDRS he would prioritise transparency and holding the Conservatives to account over any council tax rises and proposed austerity measures if he was elected. He said: “If we had a Lib Dem councillor elected to local government, it would allow for a larger diversity of voices to be heard on the council.”
Dylan said he would champion the voices of younger people and families, while standing up for the borough’s green spaces and residents’ safety.
He said: “I want to stand up for our green spaces to ensure that they remain beautiful places to go when you need some time out by ensuring bin bags are available to dog walkers.”
He added: “I’d also want to champion any attempts to get more police officers on our streets and patrolling to keep our communities safe, and close any CCTV blackspots in our community.”
Green candidate Sylvain told the LDRS his priorities would include protecting vital local services by opposing proposed austerity measures, including the cancellation of council housing schemes.
He vowed to fight for safer and cleaner streets, push for funding to improve green spaces, advocate for access to affordable housing, campaign for schemes to relieve cost-of-living pressures on residents and hold the administration to account.
Sylvain said: “Residents should vote for me because social justice and environmental justice are inseparable, and Trinity deserves a representative who will genuinely listen and fight for the long-term well-being of our community.”
He added: “Electing a Green councillor breaks the two-party trap. Even a single Green voice on the council provides crucial scrutiny, challenging damaging austerity policies and offering a viable alternative. I will bring dedication, fresh perspective, and a focus on evidence-based solutions to ensure our tax pounds work for our neighbourhood.”
The LDRS contacted Labour candidate Shirin and contacted Reform UK on behalf of candidate Josh but did not receive a reply to the request for their priorities if elected.
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on August 27 in Trinity for residents to cast their vote.
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