Green Party holds Lancaster council seat
The Green Party has retained its strong presence on Lancaster City Council after winning the Castle ward by-election.
Will Farley has been elected as the city’s newest Green councillor, securing 845 votes.
Labour came second, with William David Evans receiving 190 votes. Reform UK candidate Marco Wright finished third with 132 votes, while Liberal Democrat Malcolm Allan Martin came fourth with 41 votes.
The Conservatives did not stand in the by-election.
The result means the Greens remain the dominant party in Castle ward, which Labour says has been held by the party since 1999.
Mr Farley’s total was also more than 300 votes higher than the Green Party’s result in the previous Castle ward by-election in 2024.
Speaking after his victory, Councillor Farley, who lives in the ward, said he was “extremely proud” that people in Lancaster had “continued to put their faith in the Green Party”.
He said: “We will build on the standards that many of you have come to expect – and also prove ourselves to those of you who believe we can do more.
“I’ve had so many interesting conversations with people across the campaign, some of whom are completely apathetic to voting, others sceptical of the Green Party.
“Yet when people come together and talk about what we have in common, the results can be surprising.”
He added that politics should focus on communities working together rather than division.
Councillor Farley said: “Whether on a national or local level, we need to remember how to talk with one another, solve problems together and ultimately do our job as elected officials.
“That job is to serve our community – and not to prove that any sole party has all the answers.”
The Green Party was defending the seat following the resignation of Isabella Metcalfe-Riener, who was elected two years ago but is now moving away.
Castle ward’s two other city councillors, Dave Brookes and Paul Stubbins, are also Greens.
Labour said it was pleased to secure second place after running what it described as a “robust but civil campaign”.
Labour candidate William Evans said: “It was good to come above Reform UK and maintain second place.
“The Reform votes appear to be mainly due to the absence of the Conservatives. I’d like to congratulate Will Farley for a well fought campaign.”
A Lancaster City Council Labour group spokesperson said by-elections were often used by voters to reflect on national issues rather than local ones.
They also criticised Reform UK’s campaign, claiming it focused on issues such as immigration and potholes, which they said were not the responsibility of the city council.
Lancaster City Council is currently led by a shared administration made up of the Greens, Liberal Democrats and Morecambe Bay Independents.
Following the result, the council is made up of 23 Green councillors, 20 Labour councillors, seven Liberal Democrats, five Conservatives, three Morecambe Bay Independents and three independents.
Because of phased election timetables, Lancaster City Council had no scheduled elections earlier this month, unlike some other councils.
In the last Castle ward by-election in 2024, Isabella Metcalfe-Riener won for the Greens with 524 votes. Labour came second with 212 votes, the Conservatives were third with 43 votes and the Liberal Democrats came fourth with 27 votes.