Council by-election · Thursday, 24 September 2026
Brighton and Hove City: Queen's Park ward
5 candidates. Same page for each, in ballot-paper order.
At the election of Thursday, 4 May 2023, this seat was won by 120 votes (2% of votes cast). Past results describe the past; each election is a new contest.
about these dates
- Calculated from the statutory election timetable (working days before polling day).
- Confirm against the council's official notice.
Describe a household. Yours, a friend's, a neighbour's. Then each candidate's page shows what applies.
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This is a council seat. A councillor's win changes what the council decides: council tax, housing repairs and allocations, planning, social care, schools admissions, parking, bins, libraries. It does not change national tax, benefits or NHS policy, so this page shows only positions published for this council election, and no national party pledges are implied.
No sourced positions have been published for this ballot yet, so every candidate shows the same empty slots. Every claim that appears carries its source, date and exact quotation; see the public ledger.
Compare candidates side by side
How this vote is counted: first past the post. One cross; the candidate with the most votes wins.Worked example
Every ballot with one cross is counted for that candidate. The one with the most votes wins, even without a majority. Example: A 4,000, B 3,900, C 2,100. A wins with 40% of the vote; the 60% cast for others elect nobody. There are no second preferences; a vote for a candidate who does not win has no further effect.
Rudi Dikty-Daudiyan
Liberal Democrats
ShowHideMoney —Housing —Health —Education —Environment —Immigration —Crime —Defence & EU —Equality —0 in total
Rudi Dikty-Daudiyan
Liberal Democrats
In their own words
Brighton and Hove Liberal Democrats are pleased to introduce Rüdi Dikty-Daudiyan as their candidate in the upcoming Queen’s Park by-election. Rüdi is a freelance translator who is proud to have made his home in the Queen’s Park ward.
Rüdi says, “I couldn’t be happier to have made Brighton my home, but like many of our residents, I’m concerned about how it’s being run. The current Labour council has a massive majority, and yet, we’re not seeing the results we deserve. This is the sixth expensive by-election being held since they came into office. That’s money that could have been spent on improving pavements, dealing with bins and recycling and anti-social behaviour. If elected, I would focus on getting the basics right.
In his spare time, Rüdi plays for the Queen’s Park Tennis Club and volunteers for the Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Association. He lives in the ward with his husband and dog Emma.
Where this information comes from
Positions are quoted from the candidate's or party's own published material and official records, each with its source. Candidates and their agents can also submit sourced statements, published as written once we confirm they appear at the cited address. Submit a statement.
Published positions on the nine topics
Nothing published that we could source, yet. A councillor sits on the council that sets council tax and decides planning, housing repairs and allocations, social care, bins, parking, libraries and, in most areas, school admissions. It cannot change national tax, benefits or NHS policy.
- Are you this candidate, or their agent? Send us a sourced statement; it is published as written.
- Look yourself: the council's election notices · the party's site · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).
Steve Gladwin
Labour Party
ShowHideMoney —Housing —Health —Education —Environment —Immigration —Crime —Defence & EU —Equality —0 in total
Steve Gladwin
Labour Party
In their own words
Behind the grand facades around Queen’s Park itself are communities facing some of the worst relative poverty in the city.
That is being felt particularly hard by pensioners and families struggling to pay their bills.
I want to be a councillor who is visible, accessible and focused on the issues that make a real difference to people’s lives.
Mr Gladwin, who retired from the NHS earlier this summer, has pledged to put tackling the cost of living, pensioner poverty, and fuel poverty at the heart of his campaign.
He has also highlighted economic regeneration and support for the wider Brighton and Hove economy as key priorities, drawing on previous experience running a small business.
Mr Gladwin lives in the area and has worked in the NHS for nearly 30 years, including as an executive director at several trusts.
He also has experience in local government and worked as a journalist in Brighton and Hove, serving as political editor for a local newspaper.
Where this information comes from
Positions are quoted from the candidate's or party's own published material and official records, each with its source. Candidates and their agents can also submit sourced statements, published as written once we confirm they appear at the cited address. Submit a statement.
Published positions on the nine topics
Nothing published that we could source, yet. A councillor sits on the council that sets council tax and decides planning, housing repairs and allocations, social care, bins, parking, libraries and, in most areas, school admissions. It cannot change national tax, benefits or NHS policy.
- Are you this candidate, or their agent? Send us a sourced statement; it is published as written.
- Look yourself: the council's election notices · the party's site · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).
John Shepherd
Reform UK
ShowHideMoney —Housing —Health —Education —Environment —Immigration —Crime —Defence & EU —Equality —0 in total
John Shepherd
Reform UK
In their own words
No statement to voters supplied to Democracy Club.
Where this information comes from
Positions are quoted from the candidate's or party's own published material and official records, each with its source. Candidates and their agents can also submit sourced statements, published as written once we confirm they appear at the cited address. Submit a statement.
Published positions on the nine topics
Nothing published that we could source, yet. A councillor sits on the council that sets council tax and decides planning, housing repairs and allocations, social care, bins, parking, libraries and, in most areas, school admissions. It cannot change national tax, benefits or NHS policy.
- Are you this candidate, or their agent? Send us a sourced statement; it is published as written.
- Look yourself: the council's election notices · the party's site · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).
Stefan Sönke Speckesser
Conservative and Unionist Party
ShowHideMoney —Housing —Health —Education —Environment —Immigration —Crime —Defence & EU —Equality —0 in total
Stefan Sönke Speckesser
Conservative and Unionist Party
In their own words
I want to bring Queen’s Park back to life and make sure Craven Vale gets the regular care, repairs and clean streets residents deserve.
I want to be an active local voice who follows up with the council to get the basics right and to deliver for our community: affordable housing for families, protecting our green spaces and improving schools and services for young people so families have absolute confidence in their children’s education and wellbeing.
Where this information comes from
Positions are quoted from the candidate's or party's own published material and official records, each with its source. Candidates and their agents can also submit sourced statements, published as written once we confirm they appear at the cited address. Submit a statement.
Published positions on the nine topics
Nothing published that we could source, yet. A councillor sits on the council that sets council tax and decides planning, housing repairs and allocations, social care, bins, parking, libraries and, in most areas, school admissions. It cannot change national tax, benefits or NHS policy.
- Are you this candidate, or their agent? Send us a sourced statement; it is published as written.
- Look yourself: the council's election notices · the party's site · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).
Mark Strong
Green Party candidate
ShowHideMoney —Housing —Health —Education —Environment —Immigration —Crime —Defence & EU —Equality —0 in total
Mark Strong
Green Party candidate
In their own words
“I’m honoured to stand alongside Clare and am looking forward to working with her in support of all the ward. I’ve seen firsthand how important it is to work with local people and groups to explain decisions and hopefully get agreement on important issues. I want to support the ties between the council and the hard work done by the many charities and voluntary groups in Brighton & Hove.
“As a transport planner who has worked for many councils across the UK, I’m keen to see a continuation of the current Green administration’s work on improving active and inclusive travel, especially walking and wheeling as well as cycling.”
Where this information comes from
Positions are quoted from the candidate's or party's own published material and official records, each with its source. Candidates and their agents can also submit sourced statements, published as written once we confirm they appear at the cited address. Submit a statement.
Published positions on the nine topics
Nothing published that we could source, yet. A councillor sits on the council that sets council tax and decides planning, housing repairs and allocations, social care, bins, parking, libraries and, in most areas, school admissions. It cannot change national tax, benefits or NHS policy.
- Are you this candidate, or their agent? Send us a sourced statement; it is published as written.
- Look yourself: the council's election notices · the party's site · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).
Last time in this seat: election of Thursday, 4 May 2023
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tristram Burden (elected) | Labour Party | 1,822 | 30.6% |
| Chandni Mistry (elected) | Labour Party | 1,702 | 28.6% |
| Clare Elizabeth Rainey | Green Party | 856 | 14.4% |
| Mark Strong | Green Party | 682 | 11.4% |
| Adrian Hart | Brighton & Hove Independents | 467 | 7.8% |
| Martin David John Kenig | Conservative and Unionist Party | 266 | 4.5% |
| Thomas Osborne | Liberal Democrats | 163 | 2.7% |
5,958 valid votes. Result data from Democracy Club (source). Past results describe the past; each election is a new contest.
Brighton and Hove City: Queen's Park ward in numbers
Recorded crime nearby, July 2026
1,801 street-level crimes recorded within about a mile of the area's centre.
- violent crime: 514
- anti social behaviour: 412
- shoplifting: 283
- public order: 166
- other theft: 103
- criminal damage arson: 90
Go deeper: independent sources
Cross-cutting: polling, fact-checking, parliamentary research
- Commons Library: constituency data dashboards
- electionleaflets.org: archive of election leaflets, searchable by area
- Electoral Commission: political finance register (donations, loans, spending)
- Full Fact
- House of Commons Library research briefings
- Institute for Government
- Ipsos Issues Index: what the public says matters most
- LG Inform: council performance and finance data
- Local Elections Archive Project: every council result since 2002
- mySociety Local Intelligence Hub: data by constituency
- UK Parliament: Commons votes (every division, how each MP voted)
- UK Parliament: petitions, with signatures by constituency