Welwyn Hatfield Council has elected a new councillor for Welwyn West following the death of Cllr Mandy Perkins.
Conservative Party candidate Paul Smith won the by-election, which was held last night.
He received 960 votes in total, beating Liberal Democrat candidate Christina Raven, who received 604 votes, and Labour Party candidate Josh Chigwangwa, who received 72.
Paul is a finance director who has lived in Welwyn Village for nine years, and said he is keen to continue Mandy’s legacy of hard work for the Conservatives by “maintaining and improving” the area.
He said: “We have to ensure that her positive actions endure in Welwyn and that is the cornerstone of my campaign.”
Paul also stated his aim to support local businesses to help “maintain and develop the vibrancy” of the village centre.
Welwyn Hatfield MP Grant Shapps tweeted: “Congratulations to new Cllr Paul Smith for winning a closely contested by-election in Welwyn West on Thursday.
“Paul will be a great representative for Welwyn.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here