Durham County Council’s newest elected member is getting straight to work, having claimed victory in last week’s Chester-le-Street by-election.
Cllr Julie Scurfield won the former Conservative seat with almost double the votes cast for the Tory candidate, and she arrived at County Hall yesterday morning to meet Labour colleagues and plan for the months ahead.
Cllr Scurfield’s victory means Labour has won all three by-elections in County Durham since the party lost control of the authority in 2021’s full election.
She said:
“Thursday night was a cause for huge celebration and a proud moment for me, my family, and the Labour Party. It was also a demonstration that Chester-le-Street has lost faith in the Coalition running the Council and, like the rest of the county, demands change.
“The real work starts now, and I can’t wait. During the election campaign, I met with and listened to hundreds of people across the town, most of whom were despairing at Tory plans for the over-development of the Riverside Sports complex, the lack of investment and lack of a plan for the town centre and the awful decline across our green spaces. I’m here to represent their views and ensure all of that is brought to an end.
“I will continue to work closely with residents on these and the many other issues they brought to my attention during the campaign, communicating with them regularly and always be accountable to them.”
County Durham Labour Leader, Cllr Carl Marshall, said:
“Julie is a tireless and positive campaigner and I have no doubt she will bring that hard work, passion and relentlessness to her role as councillor.
“County Durham Labour is winning back those who left us two years ago and while Julie’s election was hard earned, it’s also another demonstration of how two years of regressive policies, dithering on big decisions and a failure to hold this horrendous government to account has seen support for the Tory-led Coalition dramatically fall away.
“The writing is on the wall for the Tories and those who continue to prop-up this failed Coalition running the Council.”