Labour wins city by-elections (One gain from Conservatives, one seat held)

Labour is celebrating after by-election victories in the Plymouth City Council wards of Plymstock Dunstone and St Peter and the Waterfront.

Alison Stephenson, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

Stefan Krizanac gained Plymstock Dunstone from the Conservatives, winning 1,072 of the votes with Tory candidate Julie Hunt in second place with 919.

The seat had been held by political veteran Vivian Pengelly, a former leader of the council, who had represented the ward for the Conservatives since Plymouth became a unitary authority in 1997. She died last month after a battle with cancer.

Labour held St Peter and the Waterfront following the resignation of Sue McDonald, with seasoned politician Alison Raynsford winning a conclusive victory. She gained 1,126 votes, leaving Conservative Ian Fleming way behind with 488.

Mrs Raynsford, (nee Seabeck), was Labour MP for Plymouth Devonport from 2005 to 2010 and for Plymouth Moor View from 2010 to 2015.

Labour, which controls Plymouth City Council, now has 33 councillors.

Following the result in the early hours of Friday morning, Plymouth City Council leader Tudor Evans (Lab, Ham) Tweeted: “What a pair of ceiling smashers. Plymouth Labour now have 33 councillors, the highest we’ve had this century, thanks to a brilliant hold in St Peter by

Alison Raynsford and a stunning gain off the Tories by Stefan Krizanac in Dunstone.”