FORMER Dudley Council leader Pete Lowe says he and fellow Labour councillors are committed to listening to residents and trying to rebuild trust after the party's slaughtering at the local election last Thursday (May 6).
Cllr Lowe, who represents Lye and Wollescote and has stood for Parliament in Stourbridge as well as throwing his hat in the ring in the early stages of the West Midlands mayoral race, said the pary would work hard to move forwards after the disastrous results which saw a number of long-serving, high-profile and hard-working councillors turfed off the council.
He said: “Labour has heard loud and clear what the results in Dudley and the Black Country have told us. That it’s time for Labour to clean up and reconnect with working families.
“No more tinkering around the edges. We need a bold, ambitious vision for the future of our region which puts the priorities of working families at its core.
“As a former council leader who won Dudley against tough opposition, I’m committing alongside Labour councillors across Dudley to listen to our residents over the weeks and months to come to rebuild trust between Labour and each and every community that has been left behind by this Government.
“I’m continuing the all-year round work that myself and Councillor Mohammed Hanif do to repay the trust voters placed in us to be their representatives.”
Labour's Keiran Casey (Upper Gornal and Woodsetton) was among the dedicated party members ousted as the Conservatives turned the borough blue overnight on May 6.
Mr Casey, who had represented his ward since 2012, has pledged to do all he can to continue to help the community despite having lost out to Tory Mark Westwood who polled 1,397 votes to Mr Casey's 1,313.
He told the News: “It has genuinely been a pleasure to represent the area I love on the council since 2012 and I am really proud of what myself and Adam Aston have achieved in that time, so I like to think I leave the place better than when I found it.
“I'll still be around doing things in the community working as a team just like we always have done, in the end, I still love the community whether I am a councillor or not, so I will try to do everything I can to make it a better place.
“Clearly it wasn't just a bad night in Dudley, but has happened for Labour across the country. I think there's a couple of reasons for this really – how well the vaccine roll out is going, people wanting the Government to succeed because it's good for the country at the moment to get us out of this dreadful pandemic.
“But I also think there's still a massive job for Sir Keir Starmer to continue to do to get the Labour Party back on a footing with working class people in places just like Dudley and across the country.
"I think he's got a real task ahead of him, but he needs to keep cracking on and bringing us back to where I, and many residents in Dudley think the Labour party should be.”
He said the result in Upper Gornal and Woodsetton "was much closer than in other areas across Dudley" and he added: "This gives me some comfort that lots of local residents went out and supported me and recognised the work I had done since 2012."
Labour's Gaye Partridge, also lost the Cradley and Wollescote seat she had held since 2002, after Conservative Natalie Neale pipped her to the post to make a return to the council.
Gaye, who polled 1,232 votes to Cllr Neale's 1,395, said afterwards that she would be taking some time out to assess what the results meant for her and the party and she added: "I have to say the last 19 years haven’t been a chore and I have been impressed and inspired by so much that happens locally.
“The next few months will see the start of the consultation on the Black Country Plan and, like many others, I will do everything possible to ensure Wollescote’s Green Spaces continue to exist long into the next century.”
Labour's other big losses included Brockmoor and Pensnett Labour councillor John Martin who lost his seat to Tory Rebbekah Collins who polled 1,207 compared to Mr Martin's 919, and Brierley Hill's Serena Craigie who was beaten by Conservative candidate Adam Davies (1,692 - compared to 1,011).
Labour stalwart and former cabinet member Hilary Bills also lost her Halesowen North seat to Conservative candidate Stuart Henley who polled 1,906 votes compared to Hilary's 1,698.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel