Over 3,200 residents of Bradley Stoke are being called to the polling booths for the second time in a fortnight – this time to choose a single councillor to sit on the town council.
The by-election in the Willowbrook ward on Thursday 18th July 2024 has been called following the resignation of Cllr Brian Mead (Labour), who was elected to the town council in May 2023.
Over the period May 2023 to January 2024, Cllr Mead attended just three out of a possible 19 council or committee meetings where he was expected.
It is understood that he cited ill health as his reason for resigning.
Cllr Mead’s departure means that Labour members no longer form the largest group on the town council, the interim seat distribution being Labour 6, Conservative 6, Liberal Democrat 1 and Green 1.
A by-election has been called because it was requested by the requisite number (ten) of local electors following the advertising of the ‘casual vacancy’ in May.
The Journal understands that Conservative supporters worked together to ensure there were sufficient signatures to force a by-election.
The cost of staging the by-election, which falls on the town council, is likely to be in excess of £5,000.
Had a by-election not been forced, the remaining 14 members of the town council would have voted amongst themselves to choose [co-opt] a replacement councillor.
Conservative members of the council are known to be aggrieved that since the last annual meeting in May 2024 they have no representation on any of the town council’s four committees. This is a consequence of the way councillors from the other political groups cast their votes in the committee member selection process. However, even if the Conservatives become the largest group as a result of the imminent by-election, they might well remain frustrated as they would still not command an overall majority of the 15 seats on the council.
There are just two candidates standing in Thursday’s by-election:
- Sue Bandcroft (Labour)
- Anthony Griffiths (Conservative)
Neither of the candidates live within the Willowbrook ward.
Sue Bandcroft is a resident of Stoke Gifford. She was co-opted onto Stoke Gifford Parish Council in August 2021 and was elected to the same body in May 2023.
In her by-election leaflet, Sue Bandcroft writes :
“I will complement the Labour team on the council and feel I can bring a lot to the cross-party hard work that needs to continue.”
Anthony Griffiths (more commonly known as Tony) is a resident of Bradley Stoke and served on Bradley Stoke Town Council from 2011 until 2023. He failed to secure re-election in May 2023.
In his by-election leaflet, Anthony Griffiths writes:
“I will improve our play areas for our children, work to keep the local town council tax down, and to make savings not cuts in services.”
More information
Images of the candidates’ by-election leaflets and links to self-penned profiles from when they stood for election in May 2023 can be found on the Journal’s dedicated 2024 Willowbrook By-election information page.
Registered voters living within the Willowbrook ward should by now have received a poll card by post.
Related link: Map showing the Bradley Stoke Town Council ward boundaries
The result of the by-election will appear on the above information page once it is known.
Labour Statement
UPDATE added 17th July 2024.
Statement received from the Bradley Stoke and Stoke Gifford branch of the Labour Party:
“We understand that the Conservative Party members or supporters have chosen to call an election.”
“We are disappointed that they have chosen to burden Bradley Stoke Town Council with this avoidable cost, when it was known that a vacancy would be caused by the resignation of a councillor.”
“Other parties were approached with the view of a co-option taking place. Three parties had candidates in mind to ensure no financial cost to the town council. Unfortunately, the fourth party decided that an election would be their preference.”
“We would like to take this opportunity to wish our departing councillor, Brain Mead all the best for the future. Unfortunately, having suffered health issues over the years, he has been unable to be an effective councillor, and therefore took the decision to step down.”
Editor’s note: Readers may recall that the Conservative group made similar comments after Labour supporters [allegedly] forced a by-election in March 2022 when a vacancy arose following the death of a Conservative town councillor. That by-election, in the Bradley Stoke South ward, ended up costing local taxpayers a staggering £12,868.
