Dallow by-election results - new Luton councillor elected

Labour candidate Alia Khan has been elected to serve on Luton Borough Council, after topping the poll in the Dallow ward by-election.

Her total of 1,486 votes was sufficient to clinch victory ahead of the Liberal Democrats Basharat Hussain, who received 1,076 votes.

Following the count at the Town Hall last night (Thursday, August 4), Ms Khan said in a social media post: “First and foremost, the biggest thanks goes out to all the residents of Dallow who came out and voted for me. I firmly commit to working hard for my community and serving them as their Labour Councillor. I look forward to working hard for my community”

Luton Labour councillors posted on Twitter: “A big congratulations to Cllr Alia Khan, our new Labour councillor for Dallow.”

Conservative and Unionist candidate Malik Azad Nikyalvi was third with 154 votes, while Marc Scheimann, standing as an Independent, polled 58.

The total of verified votes cast was 2,791, which is a 26.9 per cent turnout, among a Dallow electorate of 10,362.

Ms Khan will serve on the borough council until next May’s local elections, when all the seats are up for re-election.

The ruling Labour group on the local authority now has 31 councillors, there are 14 Liberal Democrats, two Conservatives and one Independent.

She joins Labour’s Raja Ahmed and former Labour councillor Abbas Hussain, now an Independent, representing Dallow ward.

Several electoral changes are due to be made before next year with some new ward names and slight alterations to a few of the ward boundaries within the town.

But the number of local authority electoral wards will be unchanged at 48, according to the Local Government Boundary Commission.

The proposals were to increase from 19 to 20 wards as of next May, losing Crawley, Icknield and Limbury while adding Beech Hill, Central, Poets and Vauxhall.

The vacancy arose following the disqualification of Labour councillor Hannah Adrees.

Adrees, of Conway Road, was sentenced to eight months in custody, suspended for 18 months, at Luton Crown Court, with a condition she completes 200 hours unpaid work, after admitting one count of fraud.