It’s a Labour win in Shooters Hill

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

A Greenwich by-election last week saw Labour retaining its stake in the area following the resignation of a former council leader.

Labour candidate Raja Zeeshan has been elected to represent the Shooters Hill ward for Greenwich council in a by-election held on Thursday, having received 1,043 votes.

The newly-elected councillor comfortably won, with Ezra Aydin of the Conservatives claiming 237 votes. Green candidate Tamasin Rhymes came in third with 185 votes, with Reform UK’s Alan Cecil polling 179.

Kirstie Shedden of the Liberal Democrats garnered 158 votes. The turnout for the by-election was 22.5 per cent, with 1,811 ballots cast in total. The vote was called following the resignation of Labour councillor Danny Thorpe.

Cllr Thorpe served as an elected official for more than 20 years and was a former leader of the council until May 2022. He announced his departure on X at the end of September, stating he was no longer able to dedicate the time he once had to his duties.

The win means the Labour Group retains its 50 seats on Greenwich council, while four seats are occupied by the Conservatives, and one final seat remains empty.

Another by-election for the authority’s empty West Thamesmead seat will take place on December 19, following the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Lloyd.

Pictured top: Woolwich Town Hall, where Greenwich council holds its meetings (Picture: LDRS/Joe Coughlan)