Councillor Ric Metcalfe, leader of the City of Lincoln Council, kept his seat for the Labour Party today in a narrow victory.
Mr Metcalfe, who has served on the city council for nearly 40 years and represents the Glebe ward, received just 28 more votes than his Conservative party competition, Jacob Beardmore, a current student at the University of Lincoln.
Speaking after the announcement of his victory, Mr Metcalfe said he was “pleased to just have squeezed in there”.
“I’m always mindful of the need to constantly check back, not just at election times, but throughout the year, to make sure that people generally do believe that the council is doing the right things – and I think we are,” he said, adding that the small margin was reflective of a broader national shift towards the Conservative Party.
Mr Beardmore, currently in his third year of a Politics and International Relations degree, said: “For a first-time candidate up against really tough opposition, I think I’ve done pretty good. Quite proud of myself.”