Labour holds on to city seat after by-election

Three people, who are all councillors, stand in front of a Milton Keynes Council-branded display board inside a council building.Charlotte Knowles/Milton Keynes Labour Party

Tracey Bailey (middle) with council deputy leader Lauren Townsend and fellow ward councillor for New Bradwell, Stephen Brown (both Labour)

Amy Holmes
Milton Keynes political reporter

Labour has held a seat on Milton Keynes City Council after a by-election with more than double the votes of second-placed Reform UK.

It was held for the authority's New Bradwell ward after Labour's Shanika Mahendran died in July aged just 28 following a brief illness.

Tracey Bailey won with 1,023 votes, Reform candidate Julian Camies picked up 441 votes with Alan Francis (Green Party) in third.

The political balance on the council remains the same with the Liberal Democrats and Labour part of a progressive alliance with 20 and 19 seats respectively while the Conservatives have 12 and Reform nine.

A woman in a pink coat stands on a brightly painted outdoor area with bold blue, yellow, green, and orange patterns, with a modern glass‑fronted building and leafless trees in the background.Amy Holmes/BBC

Shanika Mahendran had been a councillor in Milton Keynes since 2022

Bailey had previously been a Labour councillor in the Danesborough and Walton ward for three years but lost her seat in the May local elections.

She said: "Being elected to represent the people of New Bradwell is an honour and a privilege I do not take lightly, and I know I have big shoes to fill.

"I look forward to working closely with the community to address local concerns and continue MK Labour's work of delivering for New Bradwell."

Camies had lost to Mahendran in the May local elections in the same ward, finishing 88 votes behind in third place.

Mahendran had represented the New Bradwell ward since 2022 and was a cabinet member for planning and placemaking, making her the first Asian woman to hold a cabinet post in the authority.

Labour lost control of the council after shedding 11 seats in the local elections in May, making the Liberal Democrats the largest party.

Voters are due back at the polls in the city next May, when a third of councillors on the authority will be up for re-election.

Full result: Tracey Bailey (Labour) 1,023 votes, Julian Camies (Reform UK) 441 votes, Alan Francis (Green Party) 175 votes, Gabriel Da Costa (Conservative) 160 votes, Martin Clarke (Lib Dem) 87 votes.

Turnout was 25.9% with 1891 votes - 5 ballot papers were rejected.

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