The Liberal Democrats celebrated winning their first councillor in Ashton – before declaring Labour’s days ruling Preston City Council are numbered.
A by-election was held for the Ashton ward of the city on Thursday (16 October) with the count being held at Town Hall once polling stations closed at 10pm.
It was clear on the evening that it had come down to a race between the Lib Dems and Reform UK, despite the by-election being held as a result of the resignation of Labour’s Robert Boswell.
Read more: Preston City Council to step in to help those struggling as a result of government benefit caps
Ronan Hodgson was ultimately elected as the new Lib Dem councillor for Ashton, in a ward he will share with two Labour councillors. Labour retains overall control of Preston City Council.
He told Blog Preston: “The campaign has been an education. It goes to show where politics is that the Lib Dems can win in somewhere that is historically quite a strong Labour area.
“Part of the appeal of the Lib Dems is that we don’t get down to a nasty level. I think I found it amusing that other parties had to resort to personal attacks because they felt threatened by my candidacy.
“I want to thank everyone for their support. I will do the very best for them as their councillor.”
Cllr Hodgson was referring to one of Labour’s campaign tactics being to refer to him as ‘a flown-in Lib Dem staffer all the way from Wiltshire’. He assured us that he has, in fact, moved to Ashton ward recently on a permanent basis.
John Potter, the Lib Dem leader of the opposition at Preston City Council, said: “We grafted like never before and all the credit goes to Ronan who led from the front, out almost daily.
“Lots of people are terrified of Reform but the Lib Dems can beat them.
“I think the personal attacks were unnecessary, but they do happen in politics. We focused on how good Ronan was for Ashton instead.
“Next year in the local elections, Labour are losing their majority on this council.”
For Reform candidate Lee Slater, a former Labour member who has been politically engaged for a long time prior to joining Reform UK, it means a second unsuccessful campaign in Preston.
In May he stood in Preston South West in the Lancashire County Council elections but was ultimately pipped to the post by the Lib Dems’ Mark Jewell. In both instances Reform UK were second with Labour in third.
He told Blog Preston ahead of the declaration: “People are a bit upset with Labour. It’s taken a while for it to sink in with Keir Starmer. It came to a point where I realised Labour is a sinking ship – when you’re speaking to people and you’ve no defence for what they’re saying to you.
“I’m not a politician. I’m a father, I’ve got kids and I’ve got concerns. The bottom line is, this isn’t really a big thing. The bottom line is, I’m worried.”
Labour will seen their marked change in popularity since 2022 when the former Cllr Boswell won the seat at a canter. Then, it was just Labour, the Lib Dems and the Conservatives who stood. By 2025, they were joined by a local independent in Ann Cowell, a Preston Independents candidate in Aran Bailey and the Reform UK candidate.
Cllr Matthew Brown, the leader of Preston City Council, believes their struggles are down to the popularity of the national Labour Party.
He said at the start of the night: “We are up against a national trend which is showing Labour losing three quarters of its by-elections. Whatever happens, I’m proud of Mark [Routledge] and we do feel he is the most credible candidate.
“The Lib Dem candidate has recently moved into the area, claiming that he’s lived here god knows how long when he hasn’t.
“Whatever happens we need to continue to deliver our progressive agenda, which I don’t think any of the other parties will do.”
Cllr Brown is particularly proud of the £800,000 care package announced by Preston City Council to support residents on the lowest incomes.
He will be hoping Preston Labour’s efforts to support residents with the cost-of-living crisis, which he says other parties would not match, will be enough to see the party retain control of Preston City Council if elections go ahead in 2026 as expected.
Results
Turnout was 28.23%
Aran John Bailey (Independent) – 60
Kevin Brockbank (Conservative) – 61
Ann Cowell (Independent) – 101
Ronan John Hodgson (Liberal Democrat) – 659 – elected, Lib Dem gain from Labour
Mark Francis Routledge (Labour) – 429
Lee Slater (Reform UK) – 548
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