Council by-election · Thursday, 1 October 2026

Blackpool Borough: Claremont ward

7 candidates. Same page for each, in ballot-paper order.

KM1. Kevan Michael Benfold
Liberal Democrats PB2. Paula Brooksbank
Restore Britain

3. Mark Butcher
Reform UK

4. Katie Helen Donnelli-Hunn
Labour Party

5. Rob Jones
Green Party

6. Kim Sherrie Knight
Independent

7. John Jake Thomson
Conservative and Unionist Party

At the election of Thursday, 4 May 2023, this seat was won by 34 votes (2% of votes cast); turnout was 21%. Past results describe the past; each election is a new contest.

In a hurry? The two-minute guide to this ballot →

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Boundary: ONS Open Geography Portal (Open Government Licence). Map tiles: OpenStreetMap.

Nominations closed and confirmed. Official list. Candidate data: Democracy Club.

Key datesPolling day in 11 days · proxy vote deadline in 3 daysRegister by Tue 15 SeptPostal vote by Wed 16 Sept 5pmProxy vote by Wed 23 Sept 5pmFree voter ID by Wed 23 Sept 5pmPolls 7am to 10pm · photo ID needed

about these dates

Calculated from the statutory election timetable (working days before polling day).
Confirm against the council's official notice.

Find your polling station at WhereDoIVote (Democracy Club; you enter your postcode there, nothing leaves this page). Official notices: Statement of Persons Nominated. Accepted photo ID: Electoral Commission list.

In this ward 7 candidates from 7 parties or independent slots are standing. Parties do not stand everywhere; here is how to find out whether yours stands nearby.

This is a council seat. A councillor's win changes what the council decides: council tax, housing repairs and allocations, planning, social care, schools admissions, parking, bins, libraries. It does not change national tax, benefits or NHS policy, so this page shows only positions published for this council election, and no national party pledges are implied.

Sourced positions found for 1 of 7 candidates

Compare candidates side by side

You're voting for

Your local councillor

Councillors sit on the council that runs services where you live. They set the council's budget and council tax, and decide local planning applications. Here, for Blackpool Borough: Claremont ward.

What this office decides

Planning. Whether new homes, extensions and developments get permission.
Waste and streets. Bins, recycling, street cleaning, fly-tipping.
Council tax. The level you pay, within limits set nationally.
Social care. In county and unitary councils, care for older and disabled people.
Parks and libraries. Opening, funding, closing.
Council housing. Repairs, allocations and, in many areas, homelessness.

What it does not

NHS policy and waiting times. Parliament and the NHS.
Income tax and benefits. Parliament.
Immigration. Parliament.
Policing policy. The Home Office and your Police and Crime Commissioner or mayor.
Schools' curriculum. Government and, for academies, their trusts.

Candidates often campaign on things their office cannot change. That is not dishonest in itself — an MP can press a council, a councillor can lobby government — but it is worth knowing which is which. Summarised from the Local Government Association and UK Parliament descriptions of each role.

How this vote is counted: first past the post. One cross; the candidate with the most votes wins.Worked example

Every ballot with one cross is counted for that candidate. The one with the most votes wins, even without a majority. Example: A 4,000, B 3,900, C 2,100. A wins with 40% of the vote; the 60% cast for others elect nobody. There are no second preferences; a vote for a candidate who does not win has no further effect.

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Search every position on this ballot

Numbered as on the ballot paper. Open a candidate to see their positions on the nine topics, with sources. Until a household is described, only positions that apply to everyone are counted.

1Kevan Michael Benfold

Liberal Democrats

ShowHide

Money —Housing —Health —Education —Environment —Immigration —Crime —Defence & EU —Equality —0 in total

Democracy Club profile Party site

In their own words

No statement to voters supplied to Democracy Club.

Stood before

Blackpool council, Greenlands ward (by-election), December 2025 (Liberal Democrats) — not elected
Blackpool council, Bispham ward (by-election), November 2024 (Liberal Democrats) — not elected
Blackpool council, Warbreck ward, May 2023 (Liberal Democrats) — not elected
Blackpool council, Greenlands ward (by-election), November 2022 (Liberal Democrats) — not elected
Blackpool council, Warbreck ward, May 2019 (Liberal Democrats) — not elected

Previous candidacies from Democracy Club. A record of standing, not a judgement.

Where this information comes from

Positions are quoted from the candidate's or party's own published material and official records, each with its source. Candidates and their agents can also submit sourced statements, published as written once we confirm they appear at the cited address. Not yet invited to submit a statement: we have no contact address. If you are this candidate, use the link below. Submit a statement.

Published positions on the nine topics

Nothing published that we could source, yet. A councillor sits on the council that sets council tax and decides planning, housing repairs and allocations, social care, bins, parking, libraries and, in most areas, school admissions. It cannot change national tax, benefits or NHS policy.

Are you this candidate, or their agent? Send us a sourced statement; it is published as written.
Look yourself: the council's election notices · the party's site · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).

1Kevan Michael Benfold

Liberal Democrats

2Paula Brooksbank

Restore Britain

ShowHide

Money —Housing —Health —Education —Environment —Immigration —Crime —Defence & EU —Equality —0 in total

Democracy Club profile Party site

In their own words

No statement to voters supplied to Democracy Club.

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

Are you this candidate, or their agent? Send us a sourced statement; it is published as written.
Look yourself: the council's election notices · the party's site · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).

2Paula Brooksbank

Restore Britain

3Mark Butcher

Reform UK

ShowHide

Money —Housing —Health —Education —Environment —Immigration —Crime —Defence & EU —Equality —0 in total

Democracy Club profile Party site

In their own words

Blackpool South is an opportunity for the constituents of Blackpool South constituency to send the strongest message to Westminster that they want change, they want traditional values, they want lower taxes, economic growth and opportunity for all, not just for multinational business. People want border control, economic competence, fairness, real equality, not artificial DEI targets, quotas and positive discrimination.

On the 4th of July, in Blackpool South, vote for Mark Butcher, vote Reform UK.

Mark Butcher, founder of Christian soup kitchen, Amazing Graze has been announced as the Reform UK prospective parliamentary candidate for the Blackpool South Constituency by election to be held on July 4th 2024.

Statement to voters supplied by the candidate to Democracy Club, retrieved 2026-09-19. Reproduced unedited.

Stood before

UK Parliament, Blackpool South, July 2024 (Reform UK) — not elected
UK Parliament, Blackpool South (by-election), May 2024 (Reform UK) — not elected
Blackpool council, Bloomfield ward, May 2023 (Independent) — not elected

Previous candidacies from Democracy Club. A record of standing, not a judgement.

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

Are you this candidate, or their agent? Send us a sourced statement; it is published as written.
Look yourself: the council's election notices · the party's site · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).

3Mark Butcher

Reform UK

4Katie Helen Donnelli-Hunn

Labour Party

ShowHide

Money —Housing —Health —Education —Environment —Immigration —Crime —Defence & EU —Equality —0 in total

Democracy Club profile Party site

In their own words

This summer, Claremont lost a dedicated public servant, Councillor Ivan Taylor, who served local people for over 50 years.

As Claremont looks to the future, I believe residents deserve a councillor who will continue to put local people first.

I was born and raised in Blackpool, and this town has shaped so much of who I am. We have so much to be proud of and I believe there is something special about Claremont.

Claremont itself has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I came here for workshops at Blackpool Central Library as a child, attended my first Blackpool Youth Council event here, recorded music at Rock Hard Studios, and have spent more family nights than I can count at Funny Girls. They might seem like small things, but they’re the memories that make somewhere feel like home and they’re part of why standing to represent Claremont feels so personal to me.

One of my core values is I feel passionately about people being heard, treated fairly, and supported when they need it. It’s what led me to study Law, to volunteer in legal advice centres helping people who couldn’t afford legal support, and ultimately to the work I do today.

I now work as a caseworker, helping people who are often dealing with some of the most difficult moments in their lives. That can mean working with councils, housing providers and public services, navigating systems that can feel impossible to navigate alone, or simply making sure somebody’s voice isn’t ignored.

And that work has taught me what good representation really looks like. It’s about listening properly, taking people seriously, showing up and sticking with an issue until you’ve done everything you can to get something changed.

That’s the kind of councillor I want to be for Claremont.

Statement to voters supplied by the candidate to Democracy Club, retrieved 2026-09-19. Reproduced unedited.

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

Are you this candidate, or their agent? Send us a sourced statement; it is published as written.
Look yourself: the council's election notices · the party's site · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).

4Katie Helen Donnelli-Hunn

Labour Party

5Rob Jones

Green Party

ShowHide

Money 1Housing —Health 1Education —Environment 1Immigration —Crime —Defence & EU —Equality —3 in total

Democracy Club profile Party site

In their own words

*Claremont Deserves Better*

Too long have we have not been listened to with our concerns. We deserve the opportunity to be proud of our area but at this moment the council have not been interested in helping. There is litter everywhere, dirty alleys and dog poo. For myself and a lot of residents we have to dodge this mess every time we leave the front door of our homes.

I want to see a cleaner Claremont, we need our Parks to be clean and safe.

As someone who grew up in Claremont and still lives here, I feel what the rest of us feel on a day to day basis.

*Mental Health* is another important topic to me, I think organising more social events in the community, clubs and projects.

*The Cost of Living* we all are feeling the pinch of it. I would like to work on assisting the cost of living for Claremont.

As your councillor, I will be the first to hold up my hands and state I’m not infallible, I won’t always know the answer immediately but what I can promise is that I will go out of my way to learn, research and come up with my own answer. I will be your representative, I will listen to you and always fight your corner.

Statement to voters supplied by the candidate to Democracy Club, retrieved 2026-09-19. Reproduced unedited.

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

Candidate statements and leaflets are published as written; we check they are real, not that they are true. Switch between summaries and exact quotations with the control above the list.

Money and cost of living

What this candidate says

Candidate statement · Rob Jones (candidate), via Democracy Club · Statement to voters: Rob Jones

Their position

I would like to work on assisting the cost of living for Claremont.

What that means

Says he would like to work on assisting the cost of living for Claremont.

Retrieved 2026-09-19.

Housing and property

Nothing published on this yet.

Healthcare and social care

What this candidate says

Candidate statement · Rob Jones (candidate), via Democracy Club · Statement to voters: Rob Jones

Their position

*Mental Health* is another important topic to me, I think organising more social events in the community, clubs and projects.

What that means

Says mental health is important to him and proposes more community social events, clubs and projects.

Retrieved 2026-09-19.

Education and universities

Nothing published on this yet.

Environment, climate and energy

What this candidate says

Candidate statement · Rob Jones (candidate), via Democracy Club · Statement to voters: Rob Jones

5Rob Jones

Green Party

6Kim Sherrie Knight

Independent

ShowHide

Money —Housing —Health —Education —Environment —Immigration —Crime —Defence & EU —Equality —0 in total

Democracy Club profile

In their own words

No statement to voters supplied to Democracy Club.

Stood before

UK Parliament, Blackpool South, July 2024 (Alliance for Democracy and Freedom) — not elected
UK Parliament, Blackpool South (by-election), May 2024 (Alliance for Democracy and Freedom) — not elected
Blackpool council, Squires Gate ward, May 2023 (Reform UK) — not elected
Blackpool council, Highfield ward (by-election), May 2021 (Reform UK) — not elected
UK Parliament, Bootle, December 2019 (Reform UK) — not elected

Previous candidacies from Democracy Club. A record of standing, not a judgement.

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

Are you this candidate, or their agent? Send us a sourced statement; it is published as written.
Look yourself: the council's election notices · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).

6Kim Sherrie Knight

Independent

7John Jake Thomson

Local Conservatives

ShowHide

Money —Housing —Health —Education —Environment —Immigration —Crime —Defence & EU —Equality —0 in total

Democracy Club profile Party site

In their own words

No statement to voters supplied to Democracy Club.

Stood before

Blackpool council, Brunswick ward, May 2023 (Conservative and Unionist Party) — not elected

Previous candidacies from Democracy Club. A record of standing, not a judgement.

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

Are you this candidate, or their agent? Send us a sourced statement; it is published as written.
Look yourself: the council's election notices · the party's site · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).

7John Jake Thomson

Conservative and Unionist Party

Photos: shown where one exists on Democracy Club (5 of 7 here); initials otherwise. A missing photo says nothing about the candidate. · How much sourced material we found per party · Why isn't my party standing here?

Last time in this seat: election of Thursday, 4 May 2023

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Ivan John Taylor (elected)	Labour Party	538	31.4%
Lynn Suzanne Williams (elected)	Labour Party	504	29.5%
Harry George Gordon	Conservative and Unionist Party	222	13%
Lawrence Anthony Sloman	Conservative and Unionist Party	179	10.5%
Garry Michael Richardson	Independent	144	8.4%
Sue Close	Liberal Democrats	124	7.2%

1,711 valid votes, turnout 21%. Result data from Democracy Club (source). Past results describe the past; each election is a new contest.

Blackpool Borough: Claremont ward in numbers

Official open data about the area. It describes the place, not you, and it favours no candidate.

House prices in Blackpool

Average price £137,386, up 6.8% on a year earlier (July 2026).

Flats and maisonettes: £75,951
Detached houses: £238,826

Source: HM Land Registry UK House Price Index for the local authority (Open Government Licence). A local-authority average; prices within it vary widely.

Recorded crime nearby, July 2026

1,091 street-level crimes recorded within about a mile of the area's centre.

violent crime: 497
anti social behaviour: 196
criminal damage arson: 70
other theft: 69
public order: 69
shoplifting: 52

Source: data.police.uk (Open Government Licence). Centroid of the ONS 2024 boundary. Statistics near this point describe the area, not any household. Recorded crime reflects reporting and policing as well as offending; see the ONS guidance in further reading.

Blackpool Borough: Claremont ward in numbers

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Go deeper: independent sources

None of these is affiliated with a party. Where a source campaigns for a position, the label says so. Links open the original site.

Cross-cutting: polling, fact-checking, parliamentary research

Commons Library: constituency data dashboards — House of Commons Library. Parliamentary research service, impartial by statute.
electionleaflets.org: archive of election leaflets, searchable by area — Democracy Club. Civic-technology archive; leaflets are the parties' own material.
Electoral Commission: political finance register (donations, loans, spending) — Electoral Commission. Official register.
Full Fact — Full Fact. Independent fact-checking charity.
House of Commons Library research briefings — House of Commons Library. Parliamentary research service, impartial by statute.
Institute for Government — Institute for Government. Independent think tank on how government works.
Ipsos Issues Index: what the public says matters most — Ipsos. Polling company (monthly, unprompted survey).
LG Inform: council performance and finance data — Local Government Association. Sector body for councils.
Local Elections Archive Project: every council result since 2002 — Andrew Teale. Independent archive from Returning Officers' data, CC BY-SA.
mySociety Local Intelligence Hub: data by constituency — mySociety. Civic-technology charity; non-partisan.
UK Parliament: Commons votes (every division, how each MP voted) — UK Parliament. Official record, Open Parliament Licence.
UK Parliament: petitions, with signatures by constituency — UK Parliament. Official record.

Sources used on this page

Statement to voters: Rob Jones — Rob Jones (candidate), via Democracy Club, undated. Retrieved 2026-09-19. 3 quotations.

Candidate lists and nominations: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0). Tax and benefit figures: PolicyEngine UK, open source.

Blackpool Borough: Claremont ward

Your local councillor

What this office decides

What it does not

The ballot paper

1Kevan Michael Benfold

In their own words

Stood before

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

1Kevan Michael Benfold

2Paula Brooksbank

In their own words

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

2Paula Brooksbank

3Mark Butcher

In their own words

Stood before

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

3Mark Butcher

4Katie Helen Donnelli-Hunn

In their own words

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

4Katie Helen Donnelli-Hunn

5Rob Jones

In their own words

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

Money and cost of living

Housing and property

Healthcare and social care

Education and universities

Environment, climate and energy

5Rob Jones

6Kim Sherrie Knight

In their own words

Stood before

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

6Kim Sherrie Knight

7John Jake Thomson

In their own words

Stood before

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

7John Jake Thomson

Blackpool Borough: Claremont ward in numbers

House prices in Blackpool

Recorded crime nearby, July 2026

Blackpool Borough: Claremont ward in numbers

Go deeper: independent sources

Sources used on this page

1Kevan Michael Benfold

In their own words

Stood before

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

2Paula Brooksbank

In their own words

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

3Mark Butcher

In their own words

Stood before

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

4Katie Helen Donnelli-Hunn

In their own words

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

6Kim Sherrie Knight

In their own words

Stood before

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

7John Jake Thomson

In their own words