FORMER Dudley Council leader Pete Lowe says he and fellow Labour councillors are committed to listening to residents and trying to rebuild trust after the party s slaughtering at the local election last Thursday (May 6). Cllr Lowe, who represents Lye and Wollescote and has stood for Parliament in Stourbridge as well as throwing his hat in the ring in the early stages of the West Midlands mayoral race, said the pary would work hard to move forwards after the disastrous results which saw a number of long-serving, high-profile and hard-working councillors turfed off the council. He said: “Labour has heard loud and clear what the results in Dudley and the Black Country have told us. That it’s time for Labour to clean up and reconnect with working families.
LABOUR S Keiran Casey says he ll continue to do all he can to help the community of Upper Gornal and Woodsetton despite losing his council seat in last Thursday s local election. Cllr Casey, who had represented the ward since 2012, was among the Labour Party casualties ousted by the Conservatives who turned the borough blue overnight on May 6. The party s slaughtering at the polls has seen a number of long-serving, high-profile and hard-working councillors turfed off the council. But community-spirited Mr Casey, who polled 1,313 votes versus Conservative Mark Westwood s 1,397, has pledged to carry on doing his bit to help out colleagues and the community.
Hilary Bills had been councillor for Halesowen North and was well respected in her ward. She lost out to Conservative candidate Stuart Henley at the local elections last week, with the ex-UKIP councillor polling 1,906 votes compared to Hilary s 1,698. The 73-year-old married mum-of-two daughters and grandmother-of-four said she will continue in her myriad of community roles including secretary of Halesowen In Bloom, on the friends of Hurst Green Park and with Shell Corner Partnership. She will also continue as governor of Leasowes and Halesbury schools. Hilary said people were voting along party lines, rather than for individuals and what they had done as councillors, and blamed the national Boris Bounce for her defeat.
Cllr Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council. DUDLEY S Conservative Group has turned the borough overwhelmingly blue this morning after giving Labour a beating at the polls. The Tories now hold 46 seats on Dudley Council and have finally gained the majority that has eluded them in recent election battles. Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley s Conservative Group and Dudley Council, described the results as unbelievable and he added: It s been a long-time coming. Just three Labour councillors managed to hang onto their seats after voters went to the polls for the 2021 local election yesterday (Thursday May 6), while the Tories won a whopping 23.