Pollsters Forecast Lib Dem Return to Dudley Council

Polling company Election Predictor has released its forecast for the 2023 Local Elections in Dudley, and claims that the Liberal Democrats are set make a return to Dudley Council after more than 10 years with no representation in the chamber.

The poll suggests that Liberal Democrat candidate Ryan Priest will oust longstanding Labour councillor Richard Body in Cradley and Wollescote, with Labour expected to take two seats from the Conservatives elsewhere in the borough.

The election in Cradley and Wollescote is seen as something of an outlier in the Dudley Borough, in that it is the only place where the Conservative party came last place in 2022 and is generally viewed as a two-horse race between Lib Dem Ryan Priest and the Labour Party.

The party locally are cautious about the recent poll and claims that while the numbers look positive for the party in Cradley and Wollescote, a win is far from certain.

Liberal Democrat candidate for Cradley & Wollescote Ryan Priest said:

"Voters in Cradley and Wollescote know that this election is a race between myself and the Labour Party, and while our internal polling is positive, it is looking very close."

"Conservative voters who are tired of Labour letting down our community need to lend their vote to me at this election. A vote for the Tories will only let Labour back in."

"We are on track to win, but we expect there will be less than 100 votes in it."

Elsewhere in the borough, the Liberal Democrats are keeping a watchful eye on a number of other seats, and have identified Norton and Kingswinford South as 'ones to watch.'

The party's Membership Development Officer and Candidate for Hayley Green and Cradley South Ethan Stafford said:

"We know the Conservatives are in for a rough night across the country, and we know that in places like Kingswinford and Norton it is the Liberal Democrats who are set to benefit from their collapse.

"We expect to pick up Cradley and Wollescote, but if the Conservative's polling drops even further, Ryan won't be elected alone."