Labour wins Claremont ward in Blackpool by-election
Low turnout recorded as Katie Helen Donnelli-Hunn claims victory
Labour candidate Katie Helen Donnelli-Hunn has won the Blackpool by-election for the Claremont ward, held on Thursday, 1st October 2026.
Donnelli-Hunn secured the seat with 458 votes, representing 41.79% of the total ballots cast.
The Reform UK candidate, Mark Butcher, followed closely with 419 votes, amounting to 38.23%.
The election saw a turnout of 22.02%, with 1,099 verified ballot papers out of an electorate of 4,991.
Other candidates included Paula Brooksbank for Restore Britain with 79 votes, Rob Jones of the Green Party with 44 votes, John Jake Thomson from the Local Conservatives capturing 62 votes, Kevan Michael Benfold of the Liberal Democrats receiving 18 votes, and Kim Sherrie Knight running as an Independent and gathering 16 votes.
In terms of rejected ballots, three were unmarked or void due to uncertainty, with no papers rejected for multiple candidate selection or lacking official marks.