I met a number of Yarm Town Councillors and found dismay that a by-election has been called, apparently by the Labour Party. Three of the ten signatures calling the by-election were from known Labour Party members, who stood for Labour during the last local elections in May 2007 and were defeated. If the by-election goes ahead the cost to Yarm residents will run into thousands of pounds.
There is no sign yet that Labour will even field a candidate, adding insult to injury. I respect the right of residents to call an election if they feel the need for one, rather than replacement councillors being co opted, but on this occasion it appears Labour have engineered the by-election for their own Party political gain. I would not be surprised if they do not even field a candidate, after all they appear to have abandoned Yarm almost entirely.
