Southwark Lib Dems hold Riverside ward with swing from Labour

1.24.02pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 17th Dec 2007

Cllr Nick Stanton, Cllr Anood Al-Samerai, Simon Hughes MP and Cllr Eliza Mann

Last Thursday Liberal Democrat Anood Al-Samerai won the Riverside ward by-election in Southwark with an increased majority. The Liberal Democrats secured 1114 votes, Labour 691 and the Conservatives just 260 - a swing of 1.6% from Labour to the Lib Dems.

The result means the party retains coalition control of Southwark with 27 seats, and shows the party has every opportunity to progress in the Lambeth and Southwark London Assembly seat.

The result would also be enough to put the Lib Dems into overall control in the borough in 2010 if the swing from Labour was repeated across key wards in the borough.

Commenting, Cllr Anood Al-Samerai said:

"I am delighted by this result and it will be a privilege to continue the work of improving the ward. Local people have voted to continue the Lib Dem record of strong representation and investment in Southwark - I will not let them down."

Cllr Nick Stanton, Riverside ward councillor and leader of Southwark Council added:

"Labour's negative campaign has backfired. From day one they said they were fighting to win but this result has left Labour 's chances of victory across the borough, in the London Assembly elections and against Simon Hughes severely dented."