Labour candidate will ‘fight for fairer future’ for Long Eaton North after Reform councillor ‘squanders’ chance to serve and causes costly by-election

Labour’s George Carr-Williamson has vowed to “fight for a fairer future” for Long Eaton North after being confirmed as the candidate for the Derbyshire County Council by-election on Tuesday 2nd December.

The surprise vote was called just six months after May’s local elections, following the resignation of Reform Councillor Jack Bradley. 

The former Council cabinet member for SEND and education – who hit the headlines after secretly closing five adult education centres without consulting the public – has yet to tell his residents the reason for his departure, which has triggered a by-election costing taxpayers £27,000. 

In an open letter to residents, Labour candidate George Carr-Williamson said: “That is money that could have been spent on fixing our roads, supporting our schools, or cracking down on crime. 

“I doubt this behaviour will come as a surprise to you, though. We all know that in the six months Reform has been in power in Derbyshire, there hasn’t been a sniff of the party delivering on their promises. 

“Reform are breaking their pledge to cut council tax with a rise that could be as high as 10%, they are breaking their pledge to cut costs by increasing bosses’ pay to more than £200,000, and they are insulting our children with shameful comments about SEND. Our residents deserve better.”

George, who has lived in the community for over 15 years, promised to be the “voice” of Long Eaton North residents if they vote for him on 2nd December, and outlined his pledges in his letter, namely: 

• Fighting for your family: Pushing to get more of Labour’s free breakfast clubs and school-based nurseries in local schools, supporting families of children with SEND to get the provision they need – and the respect they deserve – and pushing for investment into skills training so more young people and working parents can get the secure employment they need.   
   
• Fighting for your town centre: Pushing the council to use new powers brought in by the Labour Government to seize empty shops, save derelict pubs, and block gambling and vape shops, and cracking down on anti-social behaviour, using his position to push for more local patrols and for Respect Orders to be used to ban persistent offenders.  
   
• Fighting for your homes: Making it tougher for landlords to convert houses into HMOs with new planning controls, ending the parking chaos, tackling littering and fly-tipping, and fighting for more funding for green spaces. 

He added: “Reform were given a chance to serve this community and they squandered it. I hope you will consider voting for me on 2nd December so I can fight for a fairer future that this town and its residents deserve.”