Young blood as teenager wins
TEENAGER Dominic Beck yesterday became the youngest councillor in South Yorkshire when he took the Wales ward seat on Rotherham Council – previously held by the Tories – for Labour.
The 19-year-old, who is studying business management at Sheffield Hallam University, polled 2,089 votes while the Conservative candidate, Gillian Shaw, came a distant second with 1,160.
In all, Labour took 20 of the 21 seats that were up for grabs and increased its majority in the council chamber by four. Labour now holds 54 seats, with the Conservatives on seven, one BNP councillor and one independent.
Labour’s gains came from two Conservative councillors, in Hellaby and Wales, and from two independents, in Maltby and Wickersley wards.