Home   News   Article

Subscribe Now

Labour’s Beth Gardiner-Smith to represent Romsey after Cambridge City Council by-election




Labour’s Beth Gardiner-Smith has won a Cambridge City Council by-election in Romsey ward, at which only 1,394 votes were cast.

Turnout was just 20.2 per cent, compared to the 41 per cent turnout in the ward at the city council election in May this year.

Beth Gardiner-Smith, second left, has won in Romsey. Picture: Cambridge Labour
Beth Gardiner-Smith, second left, has won in Romsey. Picture: Cambridge Labour

Cllr Gardiner-Smith was elected with 596 votes, with the Green Party candidate, Zak Karimjee, coming in second place with 409 votes.

The Liberal Democrat candidate, John Walmsley, came in third with 249 votes, while Conservative Rob Nelson received 138 votes.

The newly-elected Cllr Gardiner-Smith will join her fellow Labour councillors, Cllr Dave Baigent and Cllr Dinah Pounds, in representing the Romsey ward..

Having grown in Romsey, Cllr Gardiner-Smith said she knew the area well.

She previously said: “As a parent of young children, I know how important our local schools, community centres and the Romsey Rec are, as well as clean air and tackling climate change.

“As a Labour city councillor I will make sure we are doing all we can as a council to help people with the cost of living crisis, continue to support social housing and improve standards in the private rented sector as well as supporting local businesses here in Romsey.

“I’m proud that Cambridge is a City of Sanctuary and will use my voice on the council to make sure our city is welcoming to everyone who lives here, and continues to stand up to racism.”

The by-election was called after the Mairéad Healy resigned as a councillor.

Ms Healy had originally been elected to the city council standing for the Labour Party.

However, she left the party to sit as an independent candidate in October last year in response to comments made at the time by the national party leader Keir Starmer over the Israel and Gaza conflict.

Following the by-election, the city council now includes 26 Labour councillors, 10 Liberal Democrat councillors, five Green Party councillors, and one Conservative councillor.

Cllr Gardiner-Smith has a degree in philosophy, politics and economics from the University of Oxford.

She was the founding CEO of Safe Passage International, an international charity she set up and ran between 2018 and 2024 to help refugees in accessing safe routes to protection across Europe.

Before that, she held policy advisor roles for the shadow Labour Cabinet, including as political advisor to then shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper.

A senior policy associate at the Future Governance Forum, with a focus on asylum and migration, she trained as a community organiser with Citizens UK. She has also worked on national election campaigns in the United States.

The result in full

Beth Gardiner-Smith, Labour – 596 – Elected
Zak Karimjee, Green Party – 409
Rob Nelson, Conservative – 138
John Walmsley, Liberal Democrat – 249
Turnout: 20.2 per cent



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More