I'm Gosport's first Reform UK councillor and we're coming like a tidal wave – let's get back to basics
Gosport’s newly elected Reform UK councillor has said he will be focusing on ensuring residents have the basics of safe and clean streets in his ward.
Paul Carter won the Bridgemary by-election at Gosport Borough Council just 29 votes ahead of Liberal Democrat candidate Stephen Marshall last week.
The by-election was triggered by the sudden death of Liberal Democrat councillor, Bob Maynard.
Cllr Carter said he thought he had a 50/50 chance of winning going into the election - but said he was “ecstatic” at the turnout of 32 per cent.
He said he wants to take things “back to basics” for residents.
This includes providing a safer environment by fighting to reinstate manned CCTV, which he said will help to stop anti-social behaviour and clean up the streets.
He said the death of Levi Kent, who was stabbed in 2022 near a CCTV camera, might have been avoided if someone had been watching the footage live.
He said cleaner streets need to become a priority, as his ward is looking “tatty.”
He said fly-tipping needed to be stopped to create “a really clean environment.”
He said: “I believe the current Liberal Democrat administration has overpromised and under delivered.”
He hit out at the council “vanity project” in redeveloping the Criterion building, claiming it took £343,100 in funding away from a sports pavilion in Nobes Avenue in 2023/24.
He wants to see money spent on sports facilities in his ward and aims to enlist the help of his fellow Bridgemary ward councillor Steve Hammond (Lib Dem).
He said Reform is now coming in like a “tidal wave” and wants to see elections in May go ahead.
He said: “It is like a tidal wave. People are angry with politics locally and have had enough and want to make a change because they do not really feel listened to locally.”