Seven candidates will compete to succeed Ivis Williams as councillor for Shooters Hill at a by-election called after the Labour councillor’s resignation earlier this month.
Williams quit after Labour threatened her with suspension for speaking up for residents in the ward who had protested against the planned sale of Green Garth, a bungalow in the grounds of Shrewsbury House community centre, and the Greenwich Equestrian Centre, which was an Olympic legacy project.
The row over Green Garth and the equestrian centre made the pages of Private Eye this week, which reported that the Shrewsbury House trustees – which had been in talks with the council about taking on Green Garth – had met with “stonewalling, silence, deflection, deferral and, in the case of the proposed disposal, a flawed and secretive process”.
Arguments over the issue are likely to dominate the by-election, which will be held on Thursday June 26. Williams has endorsed the Green candidate Tamasin Rhymes, the chair of the Greener Greenwich Community Network and a school governor.
Williams said: “There is a need for more opposition voices in the town hall, and I believe that the Green Party candidate can bring that voice and be a champion for residents.”
Rhymes said: “It is vital to protect our community facilities, which need security of tenure, and not to have bits of it sold off piece by piece.”
Labour has put forward Jummy Dawodu as a candidate. The Greenwich Wire understands that officials at the party’s London region chose her, rather than local party members. Dawodo, who works in the NHS, was only picked this week after the officials dropped their first choice of candidate.
The Conservatives have picked Tim Waters, a full-time grandfather of three who is also a school governor. He has pledged to fight against the council’s land sales in Shooters Hill, and to “campaign to get the council to finally fix the potholes and pavements”.
The by-election will also be a test of Reform UK’s appeal in the borough, weeks after the party won control of county councils including Kent. It has already been leafleting in the area. The party described its candidate, Paul Banks, as a “lifelong borough resident who knows every nook and cranny of the area. He joined Reform UK passionately believing it’s the only party representing UK citizens.”
Kirstie Shedden, the local party chair, will stand again for the Liberal Democrats.
There are also two independents. One, Arnold Tarling, is a one-time Ukip candidate who quit after becoming disillusioned with the party. He has since thrown himself into tidying up tatty street furniture and neglected flowerbeds in and around Eltham and documenting it on a Facebook page, We Love Eltham.
A second independent, Nazia Tingay, is standing on a pro-Palestine ticket.
Two hustings are planned for residents to quiz candidates: at Shrewsbury House on Saturday June 14 at 1pm, and at Barnfield Hub, on Sunday June 15 at 4pm.
Shooters Hill ward stretches from the affluent streets around Shrewsbury Park to the Barnfield Estate in Plumstead and the old Royal Military Academy development on Woolwich Common. In a by-election last October, Labour’s Raja Zeeshan won with 1,043 votes, with Conservative Ezra Aydin a distant second on 237 votes and Green candidate Rhymes third on 185 votes. The turnout was just 22.5 per cent.
Applications to vote for those not on the register must be received by June 10 at gov.uk/register-to-vote, while applications for postal votes must be made by the following day. Applications for proxy votes must be in by June 18. Photo ID will still be needed to vote in person. More details are on the Greenwich Council website.
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