News
Tough Bloxwich by-election test for Walsall Tories
Following the sad and untimely death of Councillor Melvin Pitt on the eve of the general and local elections in May, voters in Bloxwich West will appoint his successor in a by-election on Thursday 15th July.
In the 2008 local elections, former Mayor Melvin Pitt retained the council seat for the Conservatives with a comfortable majority of 971. However, the 2010 elections saw fellow Conservative Louise Harrison elected with a majority of 321. The Bloxwich West by election will be the first indication since the May ballots of how voters have reacted to the cuts introduced by the Tory controlled cabinet.
The decision to close the Bryntisilio Outdoor Education Centre and the closure of Willenhall Leisure Centre as well as the cancellation of the £100million Building Schools for the Future programme are likely to have an influence on the result. Disenchanted Conservative and Libdem supporters may turn to Labour, the Green Party or UKIP in a protest against the policies of both the Conservative council and the coalition government. A victory for the Conservatives will be seen as a vindication of these policies and a green light for further cuts.
The list of candidates standing in Bloxwich West is:
Christine Cockayne – Liberal Democrats
Zoe Henderson – The Green Party
Theresa Smith – The Conservative Party
Paul Valdmanis – UKIP
Fred Westley – The Labour Party