Conservatives Gain Seat in Heene Ward By-Election

The Conservatives have gained a seat in Worthing’s Heene Ward after a closely contested by-election held yesterday. Conservative candidate Luke Houghton won with 742 votes, defeating Labour’s Anthony Squires by just 38 votes.

The full results of the by-election show Houghton securing 742 votes, Squires receiving 704 votes, and other candidates trailing behind. Trudi Starling of the Liberal Democrats garnered 133 votes, while Green Party candidate Kate Thornton received 186 votes. The total turnout for the election was 27%, with 11 votes rejected as invalid.

This result marks a significant shift for Heene Ward, which had been held by Labour before the resignation of former councillor Richard Mulholland in August. The current composition of Worthing Borough Council is 21 Labour members, 11 Conservatives, two Greens, and three Worthing Community Independents.