Labour may lose control

The Labour Party could lose control of Telford & Wrekin Council after losing a crucial by-election.

Adrian Williams, of Telford & Wrekin People’s Association, won the Dawley-Magna seat at yesterday’s by-election, with 649 votes.

Labour candidate Santokho Sekham was second with 476 votes, followed by Conservative candidate Harvey Unwin with 446.

The result means the Labour Party now holds only 26 seats on the council, against 28 from the other parties and Independents combined.

Today, Councillor John Dixon, leader of the council’s Conservative group, said he planned to discuss the possibility of a coalition with the Liberal Democrats and Independents, which would give them a controlling majority.

“Whether anything comes of it remains to be seen, but it’s a possibility,” he said.

“It’s a hung authority and things will have to change.”

The Dawley-Magna vacancy arose following the resignation of Phil Davis, former council leader, who left to become director of Birmingham-based Regional Action West Midlands.

Prior to Mr Davis’s resignation, it was a hung council. Labour held 27 - 50 per cent - of the council’s 54 seats, against the Conservatives’ 14, Independents’ eight and the Liberal Democrats’ five seats.

Turnout at yesterday’s election was 22.5 per cent.