NEW COUNCILLOR Mohammed Shamsul Karim admits the hard work starts now after being voted in by just SIX votes.
The Ashton Hurst result may seem like a landslide in comparison to that in Hyde Godley but it was a close run thing between two Labour candidates.
Sitting councillor, Conservative Lucy Turner, trailed in fifth place behind Mike Glover, Dan Costello, Mr Karim and former representative Dolores Lewis.
Now after squeezing through with 1,052 votes against his party colleague’s 1,046, he is determined to get cracking on with the job.
And top of his list is listening.
Cllr Karim said: “I’ve been with the Labour Party a long time but this was actually the first time I’d stood as a candidate.
“I’d been doing other jobs with the party to help campaigns but I’d been waiting a long time.
“It was pretty tight – I was counting the votes like ‘one for me, one for Dolores’ but I’m really sorry for her.
“We actually did the same walks while campaigning. She’d do one door and I’d do another for three weeks up to the election.
“Every time we were together. One session in the morning and another in the afternoon.
“Now I’ve been voted in, I’ll go back to the people in my ward. They’re always complaining that councillors don’t listen.
“I’m going to go to their door and tell them, ‘I’m going to listen to you.’ That’s something I want to change in the ward.
“It’s not right. Every councillor works hard but sometimes there can be a misunderstanding with a voter.
“Now I’ve been voted in. I’m going to start straight away. I’m going to tell people, ‘I’m at your door, now tell me what you want to say. I’m listening.”
I have voted tonight. Not once leading up to the election have I had any candidate knocking at my door. No one is really interested in what we have to say.