Reform wins Labour MP's council seat in by-election

Reform UK has won a by-election to take a district council seat previously held by a Labour MP.

Nancy Wright was elected as councillor for Worksop East on Thursday with 600 votes, beating Labour's Cameron Holt, who received 485 votes.

The by-election was held after Bassetlaw MP Jo White resigned following 14 years as a councillor in September.

White, who campaigned for Holt alongside mayor of the East Midlands Claire Ward, said the decision to step down was due to a "risk of a conflict of interest" with her role as MP.

In a social media post after her victory, Wright said "the days of Labour running Bassetlaw are numbered, and only Reform is able to provide the change we need".

"This election is a clear wake up message to the Labour establishment in Bassetlaw and across the country that residents will no longer be taken for granted," she said.

"I will get straight to work fixing Worksop and putting residents first rather than Westminster.

• Nancy Wright, Reform UK: 600
• Cameron Holt, Labour: 485
• Anne Froggatt, Restore Britain: 91
• Ben Storey, Conservative: 89
• Anne Kean, Green Party: 42

The Conservatives also won by-elections for Nottinghamshire County Council and Newark and Sherwood District Council.

Penny Rainbow was elected as Southwell's county councillor, while former county councillor Scott Carlton won the Dover Beck seat on Newark and Sherwood District Council on Thursday.

Both seats were previously held by Conservative councillor Roger Jackson, who died from cancer in July.

Carlton received 409 votes to Reform candidate John Hart's 328, while Rainbow had 2,019 crosses on the ballot paper, while Reform's Edward Stubbs received 1,159 votes.

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