The Liberal Democrat Candidate George Percival won the Shirley by-election on 10th October 2024, turning around a large deficit from the election in the same ward that took place in May 2024.
The Tories and Labour candidates were a distant second and third. The only Independent candidate Andrew Pope was fifth out of the six candidates, behind the Green Party candidate. And the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate was last.
Andrew Pope says:
 |
| Andrew's recent "safe standing" campaign victory at St Mary's Stadium |
"I am proud of running my own campaign with no notice, as the power of calling a by-election was with the Labour Party.
Thank you to the people who voted for me. This is just the beginning of the rebirth of Southampton Independents.
People are already offering to help to campaign, because they know that the Westminster parties let them down. Independent campaigners work with others to win.
It is clear from their comments at the count that the Westminster parties threw everything at this by-election. Many people commented on the doorstep that they had much more contact during this by-election than during the recent General Election.
I congratulated George Percival on his win when I was at the count, and told him that I would immediately be campaigning to get a number of the 20mph signs removed from the ward, especially on Hill Lane.
That campaign has already begun. Labour promised to remove the 20mph signs in May, just before the election, in a blatant attempt to influence the result of that election.
Labour have now lost hundreds of votes in just five months, and they deserve to for breaking so many promises in Southampton and at Westminster.
As is proven by the result, residents increasingly agree with my saying on the thousands of leaflets that I delivered: 'Labour or Tory, same old story'."
The full result was:
