By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
The Independent Alliance has now joined Labour as official opposition parties at Nottinghamshire County Council after winning a seat in an Eastwood by-election.
Both parties now have 15 seats in the chamber, which places both groups on equal footing.
The ruling Conservative Group has 35 seats and retains a majority despite the election defeat and failing to retain this particular seat.
The poll in Eastwood was called following the death of Councillor Eddie Cubley (Con) in August, with the Conservative, Labour and the Independent Alliance parties contesting the seat on Thursday (November 3).
And it was the Independent Alliance candidate Kane Oliver who came out victorious, beating Labour’s candidate and Broxtowe Borough Council leader Cllr Milan Radulovic by just 41 votes.
He will sit alongside the group in County Hall for the first time on Friday (November 4) as councillors meet for an extraordinary full council meeting to push through the devolution consultation.
Cllr Steve Garner (Ind), who represents Mansfield South, makes up the final seat as an unaligned independent.
In a statement after his victory, Cllr Oliver, who owns Oliver’s Pub and Kitchen on Nottingham Road, Eastwood, said: “I’d like to thank the 1,223 residents for voting for me – getting elected to represent my home town is a huge honour and one I don’t take lightly.
“I’d like to pay tribute to the late Eddie Cubley and thank my opponents for a clean fight.
“I will immediately get on with the job of fixing Eastwood’s broken roads and pavements and deliver the positive change that Eastwood richly deserves.
“I want to say to my neighbours in Eastwood – it doesn’t matter who you supported or whether you voted at all. I am happy to help you all.”
Labour’s Cllr Radulovic finished a close second place with 1,182 votes and 41.7 per cent of the vote share – marginally behind Cllr Oliver on 43.1 per cent.
Labour’s share of the vote compared with 2021 actually decreased by 0.1 per cent – despite the party currently being ahead by dozens of points in various national polls.
Cllr Mick Brown (Con), who represents Greasley on Broxtowe Borough Council, was the Tory candidate vying to retain his late colleague Cllr Cubley’s division.
He finished in third place with 431 votes – 15.2 per cent of the vote share – in a 31.2 per cent swing away from the Tories.
Turnout for the poll was 30 per cent.
It comes just weeks after councillors on the authority paid tribute to the late politician.
Cllr Cubley, who represented Eastwood on the authority between May last year and his death, had also beaten current Broxtowe Borough Council leader Cllr Radulovic to win the seat in the county-wide election last year.
He also represented Greasley on Broxtowe Borough Council alongside Cllr Brown.
Tributes poured in after his death was confirmed, with councillors expressing their shock and sadness at his passing.
At County Hall, Cllr Cubley sat on the pensions fund, health scrutiny and the children and young people’s scrutiny committees.
He was also involved in the City of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Fire Authority.
In his personal life, he was also described as being an avid skydiver and had a black belt in taekwondo.
At the full council meeting in September, he was described as “quietly thoughtful and intelligent” with members from all sides of the chamber paying their respect.
