Vicki Wells was elected on Thursday (December 2) with 1,239 votes to Conservative candidate Syed Ahmed’s 972 votes.
This means both the Conservatives and Labour have 17 seats each on the council, with the Liberal Democrats holding two. One councillor is currently sitting as an independent.
Labour group leader Beccy Cooper reacted to the result, saying her party is an ‘administration in waiting’.
“The Marine by-election is the culmination of a seismic shift in politics in Worthing,” she said.
Dr Cooper said it was a ‘comfortable victory’ for Labour adding that new councillor Vicki Wells would be ‘energetic, competent, and compassionate’.
“The result sends out a clear message that Worthing is eager for change and ready to take a new direction,” she added.
The group leader accused the Conservatives of ‘managing decline in Worthing for a decade or more’ saying that allegations against some of its members meant it was ‘not fit to govern’.
Read the full article on the Worthing Herald site here