Byelection date announced following death of councillor

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The date of an upcoming by-election in Leicestershire has been announced following the death of a councillor.

Harborough District Council (HDC) has confirmed that the by-election will take place on Thursday, July 2, after it was announced that Labour councillor David Gair died on Tuesday, April 14.

Following the death of Cllr Gair, Conservatives took control of Harborough District Council in a knife-edge vote, which saw Tory councillor Simon Whelband take control as leader of the council.

Former Lib Dem leader Phil Knowles previously led a coalition of councillors made up from Labour, Liberal Democrats, Green and independent councillors since 2023.

Following the leadership change, Cllr Buddy Anderson and Cllr Jo Asher quit the Liberal Democrats and sat as independents.

The councillors said they “believed a change in our own group leadership was needed to move forward effectively and rebuild confidence”.

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The Conservative Party currently holds 16 seats on the authority, but does not hold a majority, with Lib Dems now having seven seats.

Cllr Gair was a long-standing member of Lutterworth Town Council before joining Harborough District Council as a councillor for Lutterworth East in 2023.

Prior to joining Harborough District Council, he served as a town council representative before serving on a number of committees and positions.

John Richardson, chief executive of Harborough District Council, said at the time: “Cllr Gair quickly became a highly respected member of the council following his election in 2023.

“As officers, we respected his passion for the community and his support as chair of the Audit and Standards Committee. We send our deepest condolences to David’s family and friends at this very sad time.”

The deadline for those who wish to become candidates is Friday (June 5), with candidates expected to be announced shortly afterwards.

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