Labour scoops Plymouth council by-election

Beats Tories three-fold

Labour candidate Paul McNamara has scored a resounding success in a by-election for a seat on Plymouth City Council.

He scored three times as many votes as his nearest challenger, Conservative Will Jones.

The by-election in the Efford and Lipson ward followed the death of Labour councillor and former lord mayor Brian Vincent in April at the age of 73.

After the result was announced, Cllr Charlotte Holloway (Lab, Drake) said: “It is a wonderful thing to see someone get what they’ve worked so hard for. His sheer graft and love of Plymouth is going to do so much good for the people of Efford and Lipson.”

The council’s deputy leader Cllr Jemima Laing (Lab, Stoke) Tweeted: “Paul has helped so many of us in Plymouth Labour to win over the years that it really has been a special moment to see him have a victory of his own tonight. Congratulations Paul, you deserve it.”

And leader Cllr Tudor Evans (Lab, Ham) added: “We're all delighted for Paul, who has been knocking on the door (well, thousands of them) of councillordom. Welcome aboard, shipmate!”

There was a 20.2 per cent turnout in the ward for yesterday’s poll.

Full results: Paul McNamara (Labour) 1,204; Will Jones (Conservative) 423; Pat Bushell (Green) 196; Alexander Primmer (Lib Dem) 80; Chaz Singh (Independent) 69; Darryl Ingram (Heritage) 54; Neil Prentice (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition) 23.