Labour Win Should Put Tory Mercer ‘On Notice’

Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Moor View Gareth Derrick says that the party’s impressive result in Thursday’s by-election should put the current Conservative MP, Johnny Mercer, “on notice”.

Plymouth Labour’s Will Noble won the by-election in Moor View ward with 1,415 votes to the Conservatives’ 877 in an election called after a Conservative councillor stood down.

Shannon Burden eventually quit following months of public criticism after she moved 130 miles to Gloucestershire but continued claiming her councillor allowance.

Gareth, a former Royal Navy senior commander, was selected to fight the Plymouth parliamentary seat last year and campaigned alongside Will in his fight to win Moor View ward from the Conservatives.

Gareth Derrick (L) with Will Noble after Labour’s by-election win in Moor View ward

“The result Will achieved on Thursday should certainly put Mr Mercer on notice,” said Gareth, who was a Ham ward councillor for four years.

“Labour’s victory is a clear indication that people in Plymouth no longer feel the Conservatives, locally or nationally, are acting in their best interests in the face of a cost of living crisis, a collapsing NHS and a whole host of local issues.

“What we saw was a collapse of the Tory vote, and the kind of swing we achieved on Thursday would put a stop to the Tory administration of the Council in May and see an end to Johnny Mercer’s time as a Plymouth MP.

“I will be back out knocking on doors in the constituency next week sharing Labour’s positive vision for our city and our country,” said Gareth.

“I’ll be talking to as many people as possible about why I’ll be asking them to put their trust in me at the next general election, whenever it comes!”