Local educator Helen Williams selected as Eastfield candidate.

Following the resignation of Cllr Tony Randerson, the Social Justice Party have selected Helen Williams to be our candidate for the Eastfield by-election on the 19^th June.

Cllr Randerson previously resigned as a Labour councillor in 2023 citing disgust at the party’s adoption of a right-wing policy platform and at the blocking of another left-wing councillor from the parliamentary candidate selection process in Scarborough & Whitby. Two years after winning the 2023 Eastfield by-election, Tony made the difficult decision to retire as a councillor due to personal reasons.

Helen’s pitch to voters

Helen has worked for a variety of youth empowerment and mental health charities since 2005 and currently runs literacy events and programmes supporting children and families across the local area, including at schools in Eastfield.

In a speech to local SJP members, Helen said that she felt driven to stand because of her work in the community at Eastfield “For four years I’ve been helping Eastfield’s children to find enjoyment in reading and writing. But sadly, attainment figures show that children in Eastfield are at risk of getting left behind. This is because schools have lost funding and families have lost opportunities to enjoy learning outside of school time. As a councillor, I’d want to make the most of opportunities to revitalise the community, not just in education but in accessing healthcare, in providing housing and pushing forward with the high-street regeneration.”

The next generation of Councillor

Helen praised Tony Randerson, who represented Eastfield on Scarborough Borough Council and North Yorkshire Council for 12 years, and promised to replicate his commitment to the community “Eastfield desperately needs a representative who – just as Tony Randerson did – will stand up to Labour and the Tories in County Hall and who will be a constant presence in Eastfield; someone who engages and responds to every resident and who will always put the needs of the community first.”

She continued “Tony’s re-election two years ago shows that when you put in the hard work you can make peoples’ lives better and win their support. Let’s prove to Eastfield that Tony wasn’t a fluke and that socialists will always do right by those they represent.”

The Social Justice Party knows that communities like Eastfield suffer when the mainstream parties and careerist politicians take them for granted. Tony Randerson showed us that socialist councillors put in the hard work and win the trust of their constituents, only Helen Williams can continue Tony’s legacy.