Local campaigner Siama Gulnar Qadar has been selected as the Conservative candidate to represent residents in West Thamesmead, who will have the chance to elect a new local councillor in a by-election on Thursday 19th December. A by-election has been called following the resignation of Chris Lloyd, who represented the ward first as a Labour councillor before leaving the party and later joining the Liberal Democrats.
Siama is the founder of a Women's Financial Literacy and Empowerment Hub in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, dedicated to equipping women with the knowledge and confidence to achieve financial independence and holistic empowerment. A finance consultant and author, Siama combines her professional expertise with a passion for supporting women in their personal and professional journeys.
Born and raised in neighbouring Lewisham, Siama’s work is deeply connected to her roots. She previously contested for the role of Mayor of Lewisham, demonstrating her commitment to public service and creating positive change in the community, and she has campaigned across the Royal Borough of Greenwich as part of the local Conservative team.
Local Conservatives have won two of the year's three council by-elections, with Roger Tester elected in Mottingham, Coldharbour & New Eltham ward in June and Charlie Davis winning a seat from Labour in Eltham Town & Avery Hill ward in October. Conservatives regained second place in this month's Shooters Hill by-election, which followed the resignation of Labour councillor and former Council Leader Danny Thorpe.
Siama Gulnar Qadar, Conservative candidate for West Thamesmead, said: "It is a privilege to be selected as the Conservative candidate for this unexpected West Thamesmead by-election. I am looking forward to campaigning for action on the issues that are on residents' minds - including fly-tipping, crime and anti-social behaviour, and making the local area safer. The Labour Party has run our borough for a very long time, and I think it's about time we put an end to their complacency in the places they have a history of taking for granted. I'm looking forward to speaking to residents in the coming weeks."
Councillor Matt Hartley, Leader of Greenwich Conservatives, said: "No-one was expecting 6 elections in 2024, but the by-elections keep coming. The Greenwich Conservative team is looking forward to supporting Siama, who is a tireless local campaigner. Given the time of the year, lots of people will be looking into voting by post and I'd encourage anyone in West Thamesmead looking to apply to do so straight away."
For details on how to apply to vote by post visit www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote
