The Conservative, Green and Labour candidates for the upcoming Brighstone, Calbourne and Shalfleet by-election have been announced today (Friday).
Carol Bryan (Conservative), Doug Alldred (Green Party) and Gary Clarke (Labour) have joined Nick Stuart (Liberal Democrats) and Stephen Parkes (Vectis Party) in declaring their intention to run for the post.
It follows the resignation of senior Conservative councillor, Steve Hastings, earlier this month who said he had become disillusioned with politics locally and nationally. His resignation triggered a by-election, with voters set to head to the polls on 24th November.
Carol Bryan has previously been chair of Totland Parish Council and helped contribute during her time to a wide range of projects in the local community.
In 2021, she narrowly missed out on the Isle of Wight Council seat in Totland and Colwell, losing by 10 votes.
Mrs Bryan now works part-time in a care home in the West Wight and the Island Conservatives say she is keen to use her experiences for the benefit of residents in the ward.
Gary Clarke, a former teacher at Sandown High School, was the Labour candidate in the 2021 elections for Lake North, where he finished 3rd.
An Isle of Wight Labour Party secretary said Mr Clarke was an active party member and both he and members look forward to campaigning in the Brighstone, Calbourne and Shalfleet ward, meeting electors and listening to their concerns during November.
Doug Alldred, a musician, was 1 of the 3 candidates vying for this seat in 2021 but came 3rd. He has since been on Brighstone Parish Council and helped residents with flooding, planning and highways issues.
Mr Alldred said he was proud to be able to stand to represent the area he grew up in. He said:
“The Green Party councillors in County Hall have already made a real difference and I hope voters will give me the chance to join them in the Alliance Administration where I’ll be able to have a real say in improvements and protections for this incredibly precious environment and community.”
Nick Stuart, a former civil servant and school teacher turned fencing coach, came second in 2021 for the Brighstone, Calbourne and Shalfleet Ward.
He is a parish councillor on Brighstone Parish Council and Calbourne, Porchfield and Newtown Parish Council and has worked with residents on traffic, parking and environmental issues,
Stephen J. Parkes, also a musician by trade, is a member of Shanklin Town Council and stood in the 2021 elections for Sandown North as an independent candidate. He has pledged to tackle issues in the ward such as public transport, local services and over-development.
The Vectis Party says with the chaos in national politics at the moment it was time to send a message to Westminster with voters choosing change, choosing local and choosing them on 24th November.
Poor old Brighstone what a choice.
No chance I’m voting Tory again, we’ve had 12 years to stop the immigrants but it’s worse than ever!