Tories hold seat in Golders Green by-election with 66 per cent of vote

Excellent Conservative by-election result in Golders Green.

Congratulations to our new Councillor Peter Zinkin!

Shows the Conservatives are recovering in London.

Augurs well for the Mayoral contest next year and for the next General Election in a key marginal. pic.twitter.com/QKMNRqUDV1

— Greg Hands (@GregHands) February 17, 2023

The turnout in the election for the vacant Barnet Borough Council seat was 27.2 per cent. The result was a small boost for the Tories whose vote share rose by 1.6 per cent, but Labour enjoyed a greater gain with a rise in the vote share of three per cent.

The election was called after the death of Barnet's longest-serving councillor and two-time mayor Melvin Cohen on 13 December last year.

His successor, Mr Zinkin, was previously a Barnet councillor in Childs Hill, and he narrowly lost his seat in last year's local elections when Labour took control of Barnet Council.

Last few hours left to vote for Peter Zinkin in Golders Green 🗳

There was tremendous support for him on the doors earlier today, well done to @BarnetTories for organising a great campaign 💪 pic.twitter.com/1vrP4ZoI7D

— Emma Best AM (@emmabest22) February 16, 2023

Peter Zinkin (right) pictured yesterday ahead of polls closing

He was raised in a secular Jewish home, and like his party leader and prime minister Rishi Sunak, he attended Winchester College, going on to Cambridge, rather than Oxford.

He was also the Chairman of the Golders Green Synagogue for more than a decade and was a trustee and Vice-President of the United Synagogue for 6 years.

Conservative Party Chairman Greg Hands praised the "excellent" by-election result on social media, and said that it "shows the Conservatives are recovering in London.

"Augurs well for the Mayoral contest next year and for the next General Election in a key marginal," he added.