A former Halton councillor and executive board member is set to take a seat on a neighbouring authority after victory in a by-election earlier today.

The by-election for Wolverham in Cheshire West and Chester was triggered when Labour councillor Michael Edwardson stepped down citing health reasons. The votes were cast yesterday in the Ellesmere Port ward and announced earlier today, Friday.

The results were:

  • Grannell, Katie Sarah - Green Party: 73
  • James, Sally Ann - Party of Women: 42
  • Jewkes, Elizabeth - Liberal Democrat: 35
  • Sharples, Luke James - Conservative Party: 31
  • Starkey, Jonathan Charles - Independent: 64
  • Stockton, John Robert - Labour Party: 576 (elected)

There were 833 votes cast and a turnout of 22.8 per cent.

Posting on X, Labour's Ellesmere Port and Neston MP Justin Madders, said: "A fantastic result for Labour - congratulations to John Stockton who will be a great councillor for Wolverham - what a collapse in the Tory vote finishing sixth out of six."

Mr Stockton is a retired teacher who is married and lives in Picton Gorse near Chester. He worked for most of his career in Knowsley, where where he was head of vocational education and careers at a school.

He has been a member of the Labour Party for 34 years and was a councillor in Halton for 20 years. His roles included being a member of its ruling executive board as portfolio holder for transport. He also took on the role of responsibility for smart ticketing and then later for bus provision in a regional role on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

He has also held roles for the Labour Party, including as chair of the Labour Group, and he has been a parliamentary candidate in three general elections.