LW: Polls open for most eventful Medway by-election in recent years

Luton and Wayfield’s four polling stations are now open for voters to choose a successor to Labour’s disgraced former councillor Dennis MacFarlane.

Voters will have the choice between seven candidates from six parties – the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, BNP, Greens and UKIP. There is also an Independent.

The ward’s two other councillors, Tony and Val Goulden, recently resigned the Labour Whip and have formed an Independent Group with Walderslade Cllr Ian Burt.

According to the Medway Messenger‘s Alan Watkins, the Labour candidate, Sam Whittington’s ‘Facebook entries covering sex, toys, fantasies and political criticisms of Labour were circulated among political groups’.

Tony Goulden told Yourmedway that they ‘feel we will be able to do more for Luton and Wayfield as we will spend less time on party politics and more on the people we are serving’.

Conservative Deputy Group Leader Cllr Alan Jarrett, said that ‘there is seldom smoke without fire, so if the Gouldens have resigned in the middle of a by-election then there is something deeply wrong below the surface.

‘I have always found the Gouldens to be honest and caring councillors, and if they say there is something wrong then we should all be worried.’

Polls will close at 10pm tonight, when votes will be counted at Gun Wharf.