Green Party loses Charnwood seat to Conservatives in by-election

The Green Party suffered a significant setback in a by-election for the Wreake Valley ward of Charnwood Borough Council. Conservative candidate James Poland won the seat with 1,091 votes, defeating Reform UK’s Michael Slade, who received 706 votes. The Green Party candidate, Hamzah Sheikh, finished in third place with 372 votes, losing a seat previously held by the party following the resignation of former group leader Laurie Needham.

The loss comes amid declining approval ratings for Green Party leader Zack Polanski, following various controversies and internal criticism. The result leaves Charnwood Borough Council without overall political control, with Labour currently running the council through a confidence-and-supply agreement with the Greens.