Haverstock election delayed after councillor's death

THE political make-up of Camden Council may not be known until May 25 after the Haverstock ward election was postponed this week due to the sudden death of Cllr Syed Hoque. Because the Liberal Democrat councillor was intending to stand again in the Haver

THE political make-up of Camden Council may not be known until May 25 after the Haverstock ward election was postponed this week due to the sudden death of Cllr Syed Hoque.

Because the Liberal Democrat councillor was intending to stand again in the Haverstock ward, the election there has had to be postponed.

It has been rescheduled for May 25 - one day before the official council meeting on May 26 when the leader, mayor and executive must be appointed from among the winning candidates.

If no party has an overall majority after the Haverstock count on May 25 it will leave only a day to discuss possible coalition arrangements before the official signing in. Current leader of the council and leader of the Lib Dems, Keith Moffitt, said: "It will be unchartered territory, not knowing the final result until very late on.

"I am hoping people will see how important it is to keep the Camden ship on a steady course if it comes down to last minute negotiations."

At the last election Haverstock ward returned two Labour councillors and one Liberal Democrat.

But a by-election in 2007 returned a Liberal Democrat and Cllr Syed Hoque defected from Labour to the Lib Dems.

This meant that going into the election, the ward had three Lib Dem councillors.