Slough councillor will resign if she wins Chesham and Amersham by-election

A by-election has been triggered in the constituency following the tragic passing of MP Dame Cheryl Gillian in April, aged 68.

Slough councillor Natasa Pantelic, cabinet member for social care and public health, announced on Twitter a few days ago she was selected to be the Labour candidate for Chesham and Amersham.

Dame Cheryl Gillan MP who passed away on April 4

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Pantelic said she will resign her cabinet and councillor role if she wins the by-election on June 17 in order to focus on being a full time MP and the constituency.

She said: “I want to be here for local people. They elected me and put their trust in me, and I want to deliver on the priorities that I promised them in this election campaign.

“So, I will very much be a full-time MP for this constituency, and I will be moving here permanently.”

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When asked if she thinks the people of her ward, Cippenham Meadows, will feel betrayed, Cllr Pantelic responded: “I think I’ve done a really good job for residents there and I will keep working hard for them while I’m in that position – but the reality is I’m also now officially, hopefully as of today [May 20], nominated as the Labour candidate and I want to be putting my full energy into that in the next coming weeks.

“It’s up to the local people here [Chesham and Amersham]. If they vote for me, I’m theirs.”

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The Chesham and Amersham constituency has predominantly voted Conservative since its creation in the 1970s.

Throughout the campaign, Cllr Pantelic will be facing Tory candidate Peter Fleet, Sarah Green for the Liberal Democrats, Green Party’s Carolyne Culver, and other candidates to be MP for Chesham and Amersham.