Lib Dems take first Black Country seat after by-election
Liberal Democrats in the Black Country are celebrating a win in the Cradley and Wollescote by election.
Ryan Priest took the seat for the party for the first time, with 1,321 votes, 550 more than Labour candidate Rachael Gardener on 771, with the Conservatives third on 353.
The by election was called after the death of Labour councillor Richard Body, less than a week after he had been re-elected to the ward in May.
It was victory at the second attempt for the winning candidate, who came last in the same ward in 2019 with just 4.5 per cent of the vote.
He said: "The people of Cradley and Wollescote have demanded change in our communities and a fair deal from Dudley Council, and I am honoured to have been entrusted by residents to deliver that.
“Hard work, shoe leather, and community support are what has underpinned this win.
"People have made their voices heard on the issues that impact them, here in the community I am so proud to live in.
“The Liberal Democrats are back in the Black Country, and we’ve done it in a really spectacular way. “
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