Local campaigner Charlie Davis was selected last night as the Conservative candidate for the Eltham Town & Avery Hill ward council by-election being held on 17th October. The unexpected by-election has been called following the resignation of one of the ward’s Labour councillors 2 years into the 4 year council term.
Local Conservative Party members selected Charlie - who previously served as an Eltham councillor for six years - at a selection meeting held in the ward last night (Monday 16th September). Charlie works in the fintech sector supporting small businesses to grow, and earlier this year stood as the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Eltham & Chislehurst.
The by-election, in one of the borough’s most marginal wards, follows Greenwich Conservatives’ victory in the Mottingham, Coldharbour & New Eltham ward by-election June. In that contest, held during the General Election campaign, Roger Tester was elected with a 4.7% swing from Labour.
Charlie Davis said: “It is a privilege to have been selected as the Conservative candidate for the Eltham Town and Avery Hill by-election. The first house I lived in was in Lannoy Road in New Eltham, I grew up by Eltham Station and now my partner, Alice, and I are raising our family on Archery Road.
“I’m looking forward to speaking to as many residents as possible over the next month on the issues that are important to our community. It’s crucial that we do more to support the High Street and our other shopping parades, protect and improve our wonderful green spaces, and make the ward safer - particularly after Sadiq Khan’s disastrous decision to close Eltham Police Station.
“If elected I will work alongside our fantastic Conservative councillor Pat Greenwell to give the ward everything I’ve got.”
Councillor Matt Hartley, Leader of Greenwich Conservatives, said: “We couldn’t ask for a better candidate in this by-election than Charlie Davis. Charlie was a highly effective councillor during his six-year service on the Council previously, and has the experience to make a difference for residents from day one.
“This unexpected by-election is an opportunity to elect someone who will work hard every day to get things done for the community - and it’s also an opportunity to send a message to the Labour-run Council which continues to demonstrate it has the wrong priorities for the south of the borough. We’re looking forward to making our case to people in Eltham, New Eltham and Averry Hill over the coming weeks.”
