A crunch by-election dubbed the “fight for the right” handed the Green Party an historic victory last night by just 34 votes.
The incumbent Conservatives, Restore Britain and Reform UK’s vote fractured three ways to allow retired GP Ingrid Dodd to take the Guston, Kingsdown and St Margaret’s-at-Cliffe seat on Dover District Council, with the result revealed on Friday morning.
Restore Britain’s 10% of the vote inflicted its first by-election blow to Reform UK’s ambition to take a seat in an area they swept the boards at last year’s county council elections.
On a high by-election turnout of just over 45%, the Greens just edged it on a night of high tension.
When the ballot papers tumbled out of the black boxes at the count, it became clear it would be a straight Green Party versus Reform UK contest.
The by-election was sparked by the resignation of Conservative Martin Bates in a ward held by the Tories for decades. Their candidate, David Hawkes, finished in third place.
The contest attracted huge media attention after Restore Britain announced it would be fielding former Royal Marine Jez Hermer, who is a Kingsdown native, as its first-ever local council candidate.
With three right-of-centre parties in the mix, no one - least of all their candidates - was sure who would win but privately suspected the Greens could prosper.
James Defriend, the Reform candidate and a well-respected Dover county councillor, was widely tipped to win until Restore announced it was running.
In the end, Ms Dodd secured 767 votes to Mr Defriend’s 733.
Ms Dodd said afterwards: “I am absolutely thrilled and delighted - I couldn’t be happier to be representing this ward.
“I was born in Kingsdown, I went abroad for a bit and then came back and worked in St Margaret’s as a GP, so I feel as if the chalk cliffs are in my very bones.
“I am also super happy to be under the auspices of the Green Party because Green principles are in my heart. I think the Green Party is burgeoning as more and more people see the light and realise that we are a part of nature and we are a part of the world and we are only going to save ourselves.”
Mr Hermer said: “The result is exactly what we wanted. We wanted to poll more than we did in the Manchester mayoral election (8.7%) and we’ve done that. It is those incremental steps that we’re looking for.
“Of course, we would have liked to win, but it wasn’t to be.
“To be honest, I thought Reform would win, but I’ll take the result quite happily.”
Mr Defriend did not attend the count held at the Dover District Council chamber in Whitfield.
He said: “As much as I am a councillor and a carpet shop owner, I am also a single dad to three amazing children, and tonight I have my kids.
“I know that not being at my own count will not do me any favours with some people but, the truth is, me being there won’t change the result.”
George Madgwick, spokesman for Reform UK, said after the result was declared: “It’s a good result for us fundamentally.
“It’s disappointing that Restore Britain allowed the Green Party to win this and Restore need to take a look in the mirror. The lesson is that if you vote Restore, you get the Green Party.”
Result
DODD, Ingrid - The Green Party: 767 (28.7%)
DEFRIEND, James - Reform UK: 733 (27.4%)
HAWKES, David - Local Conservatives: 456 (17%)
WISBEY, Steve - Labour Party: 389 (14.6%)
HERMER, Jez - Restore Britain: 284 (10.6%)
WANSTALL, Graham - Independent: 35 (1.3%)
Turnout: 45.08%
Electors: 2,668
Electorate: 5,919