Bath Voice News: seven candidates line up to contest the Widcombe & Lyncombe byelection on the 9th October

By Harry Mottram: Following the departure of Deborah Collins as the councillor for the Widcombe & Lyncombe ward due to health problems there will be a byelection on Thursday October 9th, 2025. In recent times it was held by the Conservatives until the Liberal Democrats swept in at the 2019 election when Lib Dem candidates Alison Born and Winston Duguid unseated Mark Shelford and Jasper Becker for the Conservatives. Deborah Collins replaced Winston Duguid in the 2023 election as the Lib Dem member.

Already seven candidates have thrown their hats into the ring to replace Deborah with all eyes on whether the Lib Dems can hold the ward, or the Conservatives can win it back – or even Reform who are doing well in national opinion polls can take the seat. To be fair the Green Party and the Labour Party candidates along with two independents will also have a say in the matter so being mid term it’s a seven horse race.

The candidates are:

  • Madeline Blackburn, Independent
  • Stuart Bridge, Liberal Democrats
  • Matt Corner, Conservative Party
  • Neil Howard, Green Party
  • Casey Nolan, Independent
  • Aaron Scott, Reform UK
  • Helen Torrance, Labour Party

In 2023 the result for the two councillors were:

Photo ID you’ll need

You’ll need to show photo ID when voting in person in some UK elections or referendums.

You’ll need it to vote in:

  • UK parliamentary elections, including general elections and by-elections
  • recall of MP petitions in England, Scotland and Wales
  • local elections in England (including councils, mayors, the Greater London Authority and parishes)
  • Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales
  • neighbourhood planning referendums in England
  • local authority referendums in England (including Council Tax increase referendums)

There are different rules if you vote in Northern Ireland.

Check if you have accepted photo ID

The photo ID you show must be the original version. You cannot use a photograph, image on a phone or a photocopy of your ID.

The photo on your ID must look like you. You can still use your ID even if it has expired.

You’ll need one of the following types of photo ID to vote:

  • a UK or Northern Ireland photocard driving licence (full or provisional)
  • a driving licence issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands
  • a UK passport
  • a passport issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or a Commonwealth country
  • a PASS card (National Proof of Age Standards Scheme)
  • a Blue Badge
  • a biometric residence permit (BRP)
  • a Defence Identity Card (MOD form 90)
  • a HM Armed Forces Veteran Card (MOD form 100)
  • a national identity card issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
  • a Northern Ireland Electoral Identity Card
  • a Voter Authority Certificate
  • an Anonymous Elector’s Document

You can also use one of the following travel passes as photo ID when you vote:

If you do not have accepted photo ID

If you do not have a type of photo ID that allows you to vote, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate for free. A Voter Authority Certificate is a paper document that displays your photo and can be used to prove your identity when voting at a polling station.

You can either:

If you’re voting as someone’s proxy

You’ll need to take your own ID when you go to vote on someone else’s behalf. You do not need to take theirs.

If you’ve changed your name

The name on your ID must match your name on the electoral register. If it does not, you’ll need to either:

  • register to vote again with your new details
  • take a document with you to vote that proves you’ve changed your name (for example, a marriage certificate)

Small differences do not matter. For example, if your ID says ‘Jim Smith’ instead of ‘James Smith’.

Bath Voice and Local Democracy Reporters

The journalists are funded by the BBC as part of its latest Charter commitment, but are employed by regional news organisations. A total of 165 reporters are allocated to news organisations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland including Bath Voice. These organisations range from television and radio stations to online media companies and established regional newspaper groups. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities, second-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.

Bath Voice Monthly Newspaper is distributed free to thousands of homes and some supermarkets – distributed from the first of the month. Harry Mottram is the News Editor

Email him at news@bathvoice.co.uk Bath website: https://bathvoice.co.uk/news/
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