Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Labour's Liza Begum wins Westminster Council by-election

Labour's Liza Begum wins Westminster Council by-election

LABOUR'S Liza Begum has won the Westminster Council by-election in Churchill ward, Pimlico.

Her victory with a 324 vote majority means that Labour retains the seat, after a more closely fought race with the Conservatives at the 2018 council elections.


The election was triggered in March when councillor Andrea Mann announced she was resigning to focus on caring for a family member.

Westminster Council is controlled by the Conservative group, who have 41 councillors to Labour’s 19.

Begum, who previously worked as a personal assistant in the NHS, said: “I’m ecstatic.

“I won with a large majority and that’s really significant, it shows the community really wants change.

The Pimlico Road resident added: “Housing is a huge issue. The fact that there’s a lot of over development… and without residents being properly consulted. And many of them don’t include housing that is really affordable to local people, so residents feel that they are being pushed out.”

The leader of the opposition Labour group, councillor Adam Hug, tweeted: “Huge congratulations to our new Cllr for Churchill ward the wonderful @LizaBegum_ who fought an amazing campaign and will be [a] huge asset to her community, to the council and to our Labour Group. Majority of 324 over the Conservatives after a competitive by-election.”

The full results were:

Liza Begum, Labour: 1,340

Shaista Miah, Conservative: 1,016

Vikas Aggarwal, Liberal Democrat: 295

Zack Polanski, Green Party: 186

Andrew Cavell, The For Britain Movement: 99

The other two sitting councillors in Churchill ward are Murad Qureshi (Conservative) and Shamim Talukder (Labour).

(Local Democracy Reporting Service)

More For You

modi-bjp-reuters

BJP supporters celebrate in New Delhi. (Photo: Reuters)

Modi's BJP wins Delhi assembly election after 27 years

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that "development had won" as his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured victory in Delhi’s local elections, ending a 27-year gap since it last controlled the capital’s legislature.

"Development has won, good governance has won," Modi said after Delhi’s former chief minister, a key opposition leader, conceded defeat.

Keep ReadingShow less
Uganda-high-commission-event

The event also focused on Uganda’s role in cultural diplomacy and sustainable development.

Uganda high commission hosts heritage event in London

THE UGANDA high commission in London hosted an event highlighting Uganda’s cultural heritage and investment opportunities at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Building. The event featured a performance by the Watoto Children’s Choir.

Uganda’s high commissioner to the UK, Nimisha J Madhvani, addressed the gathering, welcoming guests and speaking about the country’s cultural diversity.

Keep ReadingShow less
Maha-kumbh-pilgrims-reuters

Devotees arrive at the river bank to take a holy dip at Sangam during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, India on January 28, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)

India says 420 million pilgrims have visited Maha Kumbh

INDIA’s government announced on Friday that more than 420 million pilgrims have taken part in ritual bathing at the Maha Kumbh, a Hindu religious festival.

Organisers say the estimate is based on artificial intelligence and surveillance cameras used to track attendance.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bird-flu-Getty

There have been 27 confirmed cases of bird flu in England and one in Scotland during the current outbreak. (Representational image: Getty Images)

England bans 'bird gatherings' to contain avian flu spread

THE GOVERNMENT has announced a ban on "bird gatherings" in England as part of efforts to contain the spread of avian influenza.

The ban, which comes into effect from midday on Monday, will apply to fairs, markets, and shows involving various bird species.

Keep ReadingShow less
Matt-Jukes-Getty

Matt Jukes, the UK’s head of counterterrorism, has called for a social media ban for children under 16. (Photo: Getty Images)

Nine-year-old among youngest referred for far-right deradicalisation

A UK charity working to counter far-right radicalisation has seen children as young as nine referred for support.

Exit Hate UK, which helps individuals leave extremist movements, said its youngest-ever referral was nine years old, with the average age of those seeking help being about 15, according to The Times.

Keep ReadingShow less