CITY OF PRESTON LABOUR PARTY

Preston Labour Party have celebrated a massive landslide victory in the Riversway ward seeing their candidate Linda Crompton elected, and defeating the challenge from the Lib Dem/Tory coalition.  The local Tories did not put up a candidate in a blatant attempt to support their coalition partners.

Preston Labour saw a significant increase in their vote from the local elections in May, while the Liberal Democrat support collapsed (May figures in brackets)

Labour 890 (803)

Liberal Democrat 388 (807)

Green 56

Turnout 29%

Preston Labour Party fought the campaign on local issues, highlighting radical policies designed to help the most needy in Preston, and comparing these with the savage cuts from the Tory/Lib Dem coalition at Preston Council. The Liberal Democrats highly negative campaign was flatly rejected.

Thanking those that voted for her, Linda Crompton said ‘I didn’t expect to get that many votes, I was overwhelmed.’

Labour group leader, Coun John Collins said: ‘There was a palpable desire to have Labour back and I could see that when we were going out on the doorsteps.’

The victory in Riversway means that Labour now have 25 seats on the council, with the Tories on 22, Lib Dems on 7 and Independents 3.