IN a closely fought contest Labour and the Conservatives both won a seat on Woolston Parish Council following yesterday’s by-election with 19-year-old Max Czekalski topping the poll for Labour.
Max has become Warrington’s youngest Councillor by topping the ballot with 245 votes, against tough Conservative competition for both available seats in the Woolston East Ward By-election.
Rob Tynan won the second available seat for the Conservatives with 239 votes, just five more votes than Lib-Dem Brian Meichien.
Max, Warrington’s first-ever Youth Mayor, pledged to work with Police to tackle anti-social behaviour, engage local young people, set up more litter picks, and work to make Woolston a greener and healthier place.
Commenting on his success, Max said: “I want to thank everyone who voted for me and who took part in this election. Over the past few weeks, I’ve met hundreds of residents who have shared their concerns and ideas on how we can make Woolston a safer, cleaner, greener place to live. I’m delighted to have won their trust and can’t wait to begin working towards that shared vision.”
Charlotte Nichols, MP for Warrington North, added: “Max topping the ballot shows that in these tough times, people are putting their trust in Labour to deliver for them. I look forward to working with Max in the near future and am confident he will be a strong advocate for Woolston.”
Meanwhile, Cllr Tynan said: “We ran a clean and positive campaign focusing on important local issues that will improve the lives of the residents of Woolston. I look forward to working with the Parish Council and Conservative Borough Councillors Joshua Dixon and Eastty delivering for residents. Thank you to all those who supported us “.
Cllr Wendy Maisey OBE, Chair of Warrington Federation added: “Rob will be a great asset to the Parish Council, he has excellent local knowledge and is committed. We had a very positive reception on the doorsteps and it was good to hear that the voters who put their trust in us in May 2021 for the first time were voting Conservative again.”
Cllr Tynan and Wendy Maisey
Czekalski, Maximillan (Lab) 245 (E)
Klein, Howard Martin (Con) 216
Meichien, Brian Alastair (Lib Dem) 234
Tynan Rob (Con) 239 (E)
Warren, Daniel Gregory (Lib Dem) 135
5 Comments
Well done to young Max and let’s hope the young blood will improve youth facilities in Woolston. I do think the turnout of just over 1,000 is pathetic and shows an underlying lack of respect for politics in general. People really don’t believe what the mainstream politicians tell us and it’s seeping through to local politics.
It’s not a turnout of 1,000 though Jim, is it?
1,069 votes cast but remember we had two votes each so if everyone cast two votes (which admittedly they didn’t) this means there could be as few as 535 electors out of about 10,000 electors! So even poorer turnout than it seems.
Depressing!
Ex-parish councillor (1989-2011).
Jim and Shaun: don’t blame the people for the low turn out, blame our electoral system. You can fool some of the people some of the time but you can’t fool them…..
The electorate is gradually realising, certainly for general elections, it really doesn’t matter how so many of them vote, unless they are in a marginal constituency, because it will have no effect on the overall outcome. Our FPTP system favours the political parties but effectively disenfranchises large swathes of the electorate. Hence consistently low, risibly low voter turn outs. Until an equitable PR system is introduced right across the board, not just meddled with in Wales and Scotland, voters are being short changed. But the political parties are concerned, because it favours them.
Apart from the last GE, where the Brexit factor played a major part, the outcome of virtually every other one has been determined by how the electorate in a very small number of marginal constituencies cast their votes. This trend is evident increasingly in local elections too. How often do you read here and in the WG after elections “you could stick a red rosette on anything (usually an expletive) and they would vote for it round here?” Until our electoral system gives the voter a greater influence over the make up and directions of our political parties, rather than them having to accept (take it or leave it) what the party zealots say they are going to get, voter apathy will keep participation low.
Well we did not receive any information about the election an neither did our neighbours so,, denied a vote for the first time in our lives. So wrong , surely this is maladministration.
What happened to polling cards? Where were the voting stations, wasnt one at the hub