Labour win brilliant success in Gosport by-election

By Connor Steel

GOSPORT BOROUGH COUNCIL have announced that Labour Party Candidate Jonathan Brown has been elected as a councillor for the vacant Grange & Alver Valley ward after the by-election was held on Thursday; the result coinciding with the “landslide majority” victory for the party across the country which confirmed Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister.

This election came after the sad death of Councillor Maggie Morgan in April; the Conservative representative receiving thanks across the political spectrum for her dedicated service shown for the Borough ward since being elected in 2012. She was remembered for being Gosport’s Youth Champion and was a key person within the Rowner Community Trust.

Counting was undertaken on Saturday morning at Gosport Town Hall as Mr Brown won a total of 749 votes for Labour; which represented thirty-nine percent of this tally. It further represented the rise in party support across the Borough as their candidate came second in the Gosport General Election result; winning over 11000 votes across the constituency.

Robbie George Beech trailed behind for the Conservative Party as he secured 33% (639 votes) in share, whilst Liberal Democrats candidate Clive Foster-Reed won 307 votes in a sixteen percent share. Independent Dale Fletcher finished fourth and bottom with just thirteen percent (243) in the final result; which was shared online by the Council after 11am.

The Liberal Democrats remain in overall control of Gosport Borough Council with fifteen councillors; whilst their current opposition consists of ten Conservatives, and three Labour seats. The next round of local council elections for Gosport aren’t set to take place until 2026; with the final results from the May 2, 2024 vote available to see here via our website.

PICTURED BY ALAMY (JHRTD3): Jonathan Brown was elected to the Town Hall after a vote in Grange & Alver Valley.