An independent councillor in the fight for a place on Fenland District Council said he had stood for election to make a deliberate statement.
While most of the voters in the North East Cambridgeshire Constituency were focused solely on voting for a new MP the people of Whittlesey South Ward of the district council were also choosing a new councillor in a by-election.
The Tories’ Gurninder Gill won the seat with 988 votes, to independent Martin Curtis’ 841. Third place went Clayton Payne of the Workers Party of Britain, who polled 274 votes.
In his post-election speech Mr Curtis said he had stood for election, not just to win, but to put a rocket up some people and to put across the message that the people of Fenland ‘deserve a better council’.
He said: “Unless Fenland learns to work with people other than their own leadership, things will be repeated time and time again.”
Mr Gill thanked everyone for voting for him after he was elected.
While Mr Payne also thanked everyone for voting for him and said he had stood to get a different viewpoint out there.”
He said: “I stand for a very socialist party, but I am humbled by those who voted for me.”
