The Conservative Party has named its candidate for an upcoming York ward by-election.

Jessie Secker will stand for the party at the Haxby and Wigginton by-election for City of York Council on Thursday, November 28.

She has lived in Haxby all her life, and her family has been part of its community since 1926.

Ms Secker sits on Haxby Town Council and is char of the Wigginton Primary School parent teacher association (PTA).

If elected, Ms Secker said she will act on “the issues that matter most to Haxby and Wigginton”, adding: “I want to do more to represent my neighbours, helping to make our community an even better place to live.

“An issue you hear time and time again in the village is the lack of lighting on the Haxby New Earswick underpass, but nothing has been done about it.

“I have launched a campaign to improve safety in the underpass as parents should not have to worry about their children travelling to school or anyone cycling/walking to and from work.”

She added: “Similarly, anti-social behaviour continues to go unaddressed with alarming attacks happening and even drain covers stolen in the village only last week.

“I have been on walkabouts with our local police team to highlight areas where I believe we need extra patrols, and I want to see tougher action taken against offenders not just dispersal orders.”

Ms Secker said: “A vote for me will show the government the real concerns our villages have about the removal of the winter fuel allowance and the family farm tax.

“A vote for me will be a vote for new representation where we get stuff done.”

Read about the other candidates:

As The Press reported, the by-election was called after Liberal Democrat councillor Ed Pearson announced last month that he will be stepping down from the role, having first been elected by residents in Haxby and Wigginton in 2019.

He and Lib Dem councillors Cuthbertson and Hollyer retained their seats in the May 2023 local elections with a total of 6,092 votes from the 10,838 ballots cast overall.

When announcing his plans to resign, Cllr Pearson said it had been an “honour and privilege” to serve as a ward councillor for the past five and a half years.

He said he was resigning to spend more time with his family, and focus on his health and wellbeing.

The candidates standing in the by-election are (in alphabetical order): John Crispin-Bailey, Reform UK; James Flinders, Labour and Co-operative Party; Ian Lowson, Green Party; Jessie Secker, Conservative Party; and Richard Watson, Liberal Democrats.