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IMPRESSIVE WIN FOR LIB DEMS IN ROTHERHITHE WARD BY-ELECTION

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17 October 2008

Former TRA chair elected new councillor in big victory

Picture: Liberal Democrat Wilma Nelson at the count with Labour’s Kath Whittam and Conservative Loanna Morrison

By Gavriel Hollander
gav@southwarknews.org 

A FORMER head of a tenants’ association, Wilma Nelson, was elected as the new councillor for Rotherhithe ward during a comprehensive Liberal Democrat victory in last week's by-election.

Cllr Nelson, who had to relinquish her role as head of the Millpond Estate TRA as she was elected, won an impressive 56.4 per cent of the vote, with Labour's Kath Whittam polling 30.3 per cent and Loanna Morrison of the Conservatives trailing in third with 12.5 per cent.

The result represents a 1.6 per cent swing from Labour to the Lib Dems when compared with the results at the previous council elections in 2006.

The Conservatives polled less than in 2006, despite only three candidates standing this time around.

In her victory speech Cllr Nelson paid tribute to Cllr Anne Yates, whose sudden death triggered the by-election. "It's a sad and happy day," she said. "Sad for the loss of Anne Yates. It's a hard act to follow but I've been working in the community for a long time.

"I have always fought for the tenants and residents of Rotherhithe."

Whittam was upbeat about the future, despite the result. "It was a short campaign that we fought on positive issues and we will be back in 2010. People like the message I put out. Especially on some of the estates, they are fed up with things not getting done."

Simon Hughes, MP for North Southwark and Bermondsey, said: "This is an exciting start for Wilma, who will bring to the council her huge experience of issues on our estates."

Hughes also claimed the result meant that his party could gain outright control of the council at the next elections in 2010. "On the basis of this swing we would win a majority in the borough," he added.

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Comments (2)

1. At 12:55 PM on 23 Oct 2008, Anne wrote:
One of the reasons I did not vote Labour was because it appeared to focus on issues on the 'Peninsula'. T&Rs south of the 'Peninsula' are proping up their exceptional lifestyle quality to the detriment of their own. Lower Road transport issues are often raised but little/no mention of the other half of the one-way system i.e. Hawkstone Estate. Who have had all their major works put on hold. This estate sits in the middle of 2 of 3 busiest roads in Rotherhithe and is in an appalling condition. There is much hope pinned on the Lib Dems to help Hawkstone.
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2. At 09:20 PM on 23 Oct 2008, rebecca wrote:
I, like Anne, voted Labour as I'm disillusioned with the Lib Dem housing regime. Balman House, sitting opposite Hawkstone, has also been ignored by those who hold the housing office purse strings and major works delayed for the past 2 years. Time to refocus and get some equality back in how the housing cash is handed out. Decent homes means not living with urine on your stairwell every other day - or am I living in some dream land?? If Wilma Nelson can get service charges audited to the extent leaseholders can know they're paying for work that's been done and get estate repair work done on schedule - then good luck to her.
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