In the Norland ward by-election for the RBKC council on 2 May, Labour’s Monica Press came second, securing 29% of the votes. Although the Conservative candidate, Stéphanie Petit, won decisively with 51% of the votes, it represented a 9% increase for Labour compared to the 2022 council election 2022 and a swing from Conservative to Labour.
Winning this unexpected by-election in a ward that has been was always a farfetched hope, but the result shows that Labour is making progress in Kensington. The LibDem candidate secured only 13% and the Green candidate only 7% of the votes.
In a statement, Monica Press said:
“Thank you to everyone who voted for me in this election, to my campaign team and our many volunteers who were out on the doors every day, come rain or shine. I’m proud of the positive campaign we ran in Norland and our message for change.
Whilst we didn’t win the seat, many voters chose Labour for the first time, with a 9% increase in our vote share and a swing from Labour to the Tories since 2022 This result shows that in Kensington & Bayswater the general election will be a straight choice between Labour and the Tories.”