{"licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","attribution":"What's It To Me (whatsittome.org); candidate data Democracy Club CC BY 4.0","generated_at":"2026-11-07T13:19:49.345Z","ballot":{"ballot_paper_id":"local.north-east-lincolnshire.croft-baker.by.2026-11-12","election_id":"local.north-east-lincolnshire.2026-11-12","level":"local","poll_date":"2026-11-12","area_name":"North East Lincolnshire: Croft Baker ward","voting_system":"FPTP","by_election_reason":"RESIGNATION","candidates_locked":true,"official_sopn_url":"https://www.nelincs.gov.uk/assets/uploads/2026/10/Statement-of-Persons-Nominated-Notice-of-Poll-and-Polling-Locations.pdf","democracy_club_url":"http://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/api/next/ballots/local.north-east-lincolnshire.croft-baker.by.2026-11-12/","retrieved_at":"2026-11-07T12:04:39+00:00","previous_ballot_paper_id":"local.north-east-lincolnshire.croft-baker.2026-05-07","archived":false,"area_lat":53.5541779044951,"area_lng":-0.0378039058433972,"area_point_note":"Centroid of the ONS 2024 boundary. Statistics near this point describe the area, not any household.","area_gss":"E05001713","winner_count":1,"uncontested":false,"postponed":false,"postponed_note":null,"cancelled":false,"hpi_region":null},"candidates":[{"id":3848,"ballot_paper_id":"local.north-east-lincolnshire.croft-baker.by.2026-11-12","dc_person_id":139573,"dc_person_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/api/next/people/139573/","name":"Matthew Branson","surname_sort":"branson","party_ec_id":"PP18382","party_name_on_ballot":"Restore Britain","party_description_on_ballot":"","homepage_url":null,"wikipedia_url":null,"statement_to_voters_present":true,"previous_candidacies_count":0,"is_incumbent":false,"retrieved_at":"2026-10-20T10:23:18.605463+00:00","statement_to_voters":"I'm Matt, I'm 24, and I'm proud to announce that I'm your Restore Britain candidate in the Croft Baker by-election.\nI was born in Grimsby and I've lived here all my life. I left school at 16 as an electrical labourer, earned an apprenticeship, and qualified as an electrician in 2023. Since then I've worked my way up to electrical lead, working on sites across the country and abroad. I know what a hard day's work looks like, and I know what it's like to want a better future for the town you love.\nI've watched Grimsby and Cleethorpes decline over the years, and I don't think we have to accept it. If you elect me, I'll campaign for:\n✅ Safer streets, with a firm stance on anti-social behaviour, vandalism and graffiti, and a focus on the safety of women and girls\n✅ A cleaner, better-looking Croft Baker, with action on fly-tipping and litter\n✅ Real support for our local businesses, including traffic calming and more public toilets on the promenade and the Sea View Street Quarter proposal\n✅ Opposition to asylum accommodation in our ward, and a promise to listen to residents who raise concerns\nI'm not a career politician. I'm a local lad who wants to listen, work hard and speak up for Croft Baker.\nIf you see an issue in the ward, or you'd like to get involved, message me. I'd love to hear from you.","statement_retrieved_at":"2026-11-02T13:30:45+00:00","parliament_member_id":null,"parliament_match_note":null,"photo_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/media/images/people/139573/7c58e737-5d79-4538-8710-98c0b4123227.png","photo_copyright":"other","photo_uploader":"maj","photo_source":"Uploaded by maj: Approved from photo moderation queue","withdrawn_at":null,"parties":{"name":"Restore Britain","colour_hex":null,"emblem_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/media/emblems/PP18382/9308_Emblem_9308.jpg","official_site_url":"https://www.restorebritain.org.uk/","emblem_description":"Restore Britain (Monochrome)","parent_party_ec_id":null}},{"id":3849,"ballot_paper_id":"local.north-east-lincolnshire.croft-baker.by.2026-11-12","dc_person_id":130392,"dc_person_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/api/next/people/130392/","name":"Leon Brown","surname_sort":"brown","party_ec_id":"PP63","party_name_on_ballot":"Green Party","party_description_on_ballot":"Green Party candidate","homepage_url":null,"wikipedia_url":null,"statement_to_voters_present":true,"previous_candidacies_count":1,"is_incumbent":false,"retrieved_at":"2026-10-20T10:23:18.605463+00:00","statement_to_voters":"I’m Leon Brown, and I am excited to announce that I will be your local Green Party candidate for Croft Baker ward. I have lived in Cleethorpes for most of my life, where I have worked night shifts at a supermarket since 2020. I want to represent the working class people of Cleethorpes on the local council, so that I can improve the economic conditions for the people of our town.\n\nI am a passionate advocate for increased renewable energy infrastructure in our area, we are already a leading regional hub for this, as gas and oil prices continue to rise it will only become more important for us to maintain and improve this status. This will help bring energy prices down and provide stable, well-paid jobs to local people in our area.\n\nIn my spare time I enjoy hiking both in our local area and beyond, which is why I am committed to ensuring that the natural beauty of North East Lincolnshire is maintained. The loss of the Blue Flag status of Cleethorpes is an embarrassment to our town and I will do everything in my power as a councillor to ensure that this status is regained, and that Anglian Water are to be held to account for their repeated discharges of raw sewage onto our beach.\n\nI want the needs of the people to be the only priority for our council, which is why I’m asking for your vote in the upcoming local elections. Together we have a chance at standing up for ourselves against the career politicians and corporations that have gutted local industry and left our infrastructure to decay.","statement_retrieved_at":"2026-11-02T13:30:46+00:00","parliament_member_id":null,"parliament_match_note":null,"photo_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/media/images/people/130392/f579e9bb-755e-45c3-b164-79fc59982a89.png","photo_copyright":"copyright-assigned","photo_uploader":"NELincsGreenParty","photo_source":"Uploaded by NELincsGreenParty: Approved from photo moderation queue","withdrawn_at":null,"parties":{"name":"Green Party","colour_hex":"#02A95B","emblem_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/media/emblems/PP63/1119_Emblem_1119.jpg","official_site_url":"https://greenparty.org.uk/","emblem_description":"World with petals and Green Party name English","parent_party_ec_id":null}},{"id":3850,"ballot_paper_id":"local.north-east-lincolnshire.croft-baker.by.2026-11-12","dc_person_id":86504,"dc_person_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/api/next/people/86504/","name":"George Georgiou","surname_sort":"georgiou","party_ec_id":"ynmp-party:2","party_name_on_ballot":"Independent","party_description_on_ballot":"[blank]","homepage_url":null,"wikipedia_url":null,"statement_to_voters_present":true,"previous_candidacies_count":2,"is_incumbent":false,"retrieved_at":"2026-10-20T10:23:18.605463+00:00","statement_to_voters":"Croft Baker has, for many years, been represented by the Labour Party, the Conservative Party, and the Liberal Democrats, Yet despite this rotation of political control, many residents will be asking a simple question — what has really changed?\n\nWe have seen councillors come and go, and even seen one Conservative councillor recently 'jump ship' to Reform UK. But what does that say about loyalty, consistency, and accountability? And more importantly, what’s to stop the same thing happening again? If elected representatives can switch parties so easily, who are they truly representing — the people, or their own political interests?\n\nMeanwhile, the issues that matter most to residents remain unresolved. Roads are still in poor condition. Pavements are uneven, unsafe, and in many places simply neglected. We have also lost our post office and our butcher shop on the avenue. These are local services that gave our community its heart and are not luxury concerns, but basic responsibilities.\n\nResidents pay their council tax year after year, and rightly expect to see that money working for them. But when you look around, what do you actually see being delivered? Yes, bins are collected, and street lights are on — but beyond that, much of what truly affects daily life feels broken, ignored, or left behind.","statement_retrieved_at":"2026-11-02T13:30:46+00:00","parliament_member_id":null,"parliament_match_note":null,"photo_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/media/images/people/86504/ce64bc0c-b92b-435f-ab13-22b374b8b525.png","photo_copyright":"other","photo_uploader":"Mojoblackwhite","photo_source":"Uploaded by Mojoblackwhite: Approved from photo moderation queue","withdrawn_at":null,"parties":{"name":"Independent","colour_hex":null,"emblem_url":null,"official_site_url":null,"emblem_description":null,"parent_party_ec_id":null}},{"id":2727,"ballot_paper_id":"local.north-east-lincolnshire.croft-baker.by.2026-11-12","dc_person_id":139547,"dc_person_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/api/next/people/139547/","name":"Melissa Jade Grice","surname_sort":"grice","party_ec_id":"PP7931","party_name_on_ballot":"Reform UK","party_description_on_ballot":"","homepage_url":null,"wikipedia_url":null,"statement_to_voters_present":false,"previous_candidacies_count":0,"is_incumbent":false,"retrieved_at":"2026-10-08T12:20:28.715045+00:00","statement_to_voters":null,"statement_retrieved_at":null,"parliament_member_id":null,"parliament_match_note":null,"photo_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/media/images/people/139547/6e5bc649-c180-49ea-8a35-2db87b1a51a1.png","photo_copyright":"profile-photo","photo_uploader":"Mojoblackwhite","photo_source":"Uploaded by Mojoblackwhite: Approved from photo moderation queue","withdrawn_at":null,"parties":{"name":"Reform UK","colour_hex":"#12B6CF","emblem_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/media/emblems/PP7931/7762_Emblem_7762.jpg","official_site_url":"https://www.reformparty.uk/","emblem_description":"Emblem 1","parent_party_ec_id":null}},{"id":3852,"ballot_paper_id":"local.north-east-lincolnshire.croft-baker.by.2026-11-12","dc_person_id":1976,"dc_person_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/api/next/people/1976/","name":"Stephen William Harness","surname_sort":"harness","party_ec_id":"PP52","party_name_on_ballot":"Conservative and Unionist Party","party_description_on_ballot":"Conservative Party Candidate","homepage_url":null,"wikipedia_url":null,"statement_to_voters_present":false,"previous_candidacies_count":5,"is_incumbent":false,"retrieved_at":"2026-10-20T10:23:18.605463+00:00","statement_to_voters":null,"statement_retrieved_at":null,"parliament_member_id":null,"parliament_match_note":null,"photo_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/media/images/people/1976/208e48cc-d78d-4b03-89aa-831736bfa0a5.png","photo_copyright":"other","photo_uploader":"maj","photo_source":"Uploaded by maj: Approved from photo moderation queue","withdrawn_at":null,"parties":{"name":"Conservative and Unionist Party","colour_hex":"#0087DC","emblem_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/media/emblems/PP52/7730_Emblem_7730.jpg","official_site_url":"https://www.conservatives.com/","emblem_description":"Emblem 1 Conservatives English logo","parent_party_ec_id":null}},{"id":2728,"ballot_paper_id":"local.north-east-lincolnshire.croft-baker.by.2026-11-12","dc_person_id":126031,"dc_person_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/api/next/people/126031/","name":"Janet Elizabeth Mager","surname_sort":"mager","party_ec_id":"PP53","party_name_on_ballot":"Labour Party","party_description_on_ballot":"","homepage_url":null,"wikipedia_url":null,"statement_to_voters_present":true,"previous_candidacies_count":1,"is_incumbent":false,"retrieved_at":"2026-10-08T12:20:28.715045+00:00","statement_to_voters":"🙌Meet Janet, a proud Croft Baker resident who has lived in the ward all her life and knows it inside out ❤️\n\nJanet has always believed strongly in community values. She has dedicated her time to volunteering with social services, MIND, and the Restorative Justice Panel, and has worked in mental health, giving her real insight into the challenges many people face. She is also a passionate supporter of better funding for SEND.\nJanet is not a career politician. She is a local resident who cares deeply about her community and wants to make a difference, bringing her experience, compassion and understanding to support the people of Croft Baker.","statement_retrieved_at":"2026-11-02T13:30:50+00:00","parliament_member_id":null,"parliament_match_note":null,"photo_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/media/images/people/126031/de1e8277-8566-4010-aa3a-9caba8944d98.png","photo_copyright":"other","photo_uploader":"maj","photo_source":"Uploaded by maj: Approved from photo moderation queue","withdrawn_at":null,"parties":{"name":"Labour Party","colour_hex":"#E4003B","emblem_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/media/emblems/PP53/52_Emblem_52.gif","official_site_url":"https://labour.org.uk/manifesto/","emblem_description":"Rose with the word Labour underneath","parent_party_ec_id":null}}],"claims":[]}