At the Edgeley and Cheadle Heath by-election held on Thursday, Labour saw their majority from the local election a little over five months ago slashed from almost 1,900 to just over 300 votes. There was a massive swing to the Liberal Democrats, resulting in a very strong second place.
Speaking after the result, Cllr Mark Hunter, Leader of the Council and of the Lib Dems at Stockport Town Hall, said: “Residents in Edgeley and Cheadle Heath saw the dreadful in-fighting within Labour, where a hard-left faction is trying to take over the local party, and they punished them for this.
“The Lib Dems gained ground by working tirelessly for our excellent local candidate, Robbie Cowbury, and by promoting our positive agenda for change. Local voters told us repeatedly that Labour had taken the area for granted for far too long and the internal bickering was the final straw for many. The result confirms that the future for Stockport Is now clear. Next year’s all-out election – when every single seat across the borough is up for grabs – will be a straight fight between the Lib Dems and the new hard left Labour Party.”
