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Published: 14 May 2010
by JAMIE WELHAM

LABOUR emphatically recovered a seat in their traditional heartland of Church Street after less than two years in Conservative hands.

It is the only change in Westminster City Hall, which despite significant swings to Labour in some wards, remains firmly in the control of the Conservatives. 

Following the elections last Thursday the party holds 48 of the 60 seats in the borough, with Labour controlling the remainder.

For the Liberal Democrats, who had been tipped to make history and claim their first council seat, the election did not deliver their grand entrance.

They failed to oust any Tory councillors in their targets Bayswater and Pimlico, leading some disgruntled activists to complain that their strategy had been misguided and the party should have been concentrating on Labour wards.

First-time Labour candidate Ahmed Abdul-Hamid unseated Mehfuz Ahmed, who had won the Church seat in a shock by-election victory in 2008. 

Prior to this anomaly – evidence of an imminent Labour collapse, said the Tories at the time, it had been dye-cast red for a century.

Mr Abdul-Hamid, chairman of the Anglo-Egyptian Society based at the Stowe Centre, in the Harrow Road was ecstatic.

“Winning is in my genes. The campaign was very challenging but I put my stamp on Church Street, and I felt I would win because of all the hard work I had done along with my children who are my supporters. Now I’m going to have a meeting with the residents and talk to them about what they want me to do in the area,” he said.

For unseated Mr Ahmed, it looks like he will live to fight another day. Conservative leader Colin Barrow has left the door open for the popular politician to return.                                          

Labour group leader Paul Dimoldenberg said the party posted “great results”. This comes despite not selecting candidates in three wards because of an administrative blunder at constituency headquarters. Labour boasted 10 per cent plus swings from the Conservatives in Maida Vale, Little Venice and Regent’s Park.

Cllr Dimoldenberg said: “These are great results for Labour’s hard working councillors and candidates on which we build over the coming months and years. 

“We have been working closely with Karen Buck MP and together we have been taking up local concerns on behalf of thousands of local residents. Over the coming months we will continue to redouble our efforts to improve the environment, tackle crime and anti-social behaviour and to improve housing conditions for local families”.

City Hall will wave goodbye to a number of Conservative councillors following the election. Among the eight who make way are long-serving Marylebone High Street councillor Mark Page and the most recent mayor of Westminster, Duncan Sandys.

Leader of the Conservatives Colin Barrow will see his cabinet ratified at a full council meeting next week.

He said: “Overall an excellent council election result for Westminster Conservatives. We retained all our seats won in 2006. 

“Voters have entrusted us with the government of the city for another four years. 

“Our victory was tinged with some sadness, however, as we were not successful in retaining Mehfuz Ahmed who won the historic by election two years ago in Church Street. Mehfuz has been a fantastic local councillor representing his residents in the council and delivering for them. I hope to welcome him back in the future.”

WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL - RESULTS

Conservatives 48 seats
Labour 12 seats
Turnout 79,001 good votes cast -  (53.3% turn-out)