Lionel Openshaw and Kim Amanda Powell campaigning for Labour. Pic: Lionel Openshaw
The two Labour candidates won in yesterday’s local by-elections in the Whitefoot and Evelyn wards with the party retaining control of both wards.
Kim Amanda Powell, who received a total of 1,314 votes, will now join Lewisham Council as the representative for Whitefoot after taking in more than twice as many votes as her closest opponent, Max Brockbank of the Liberal Democrats.
Lionel Openshaw, who has lived in Lewisham for over 27 years and is an active member of the community, will become the new representative for Evelyn after he secured a comfortable victory having received 1,681 votes to his name.
“Evelyn has many challenges — from poverty, traffic, pollution, neglected green spaces, to development — and Evelyn needs hard-working councillors,” he told Eastlondonlines just days before the poll.
About 25% of the registered voters participated in the by-elections in their respective wards, with Evelyn announcing a turnout of 25.21%, while Whitefoot’s was reported to be 24.75%.
The by-elections were called in March after the resignations Janet Daby and Alex-Feis Bryce.
More information about the candidates that participated in the Evelyn ward by-election can be found here.
🌹Double by-election win for Lewisham Labour!🌹
Congratulations @kimpowell_ & @LionelOpenshaw our new Labour Councillors. Huge thank you to the 100s of activists who came together to make this happen.
In Lewisham we know the way to fight Tory austerity is to vote Labour. pic.twitter.com/EOymHUOW6L— Damien Egan (@damienegan) May 2, 2019
