Grad Wins Council Seat Despite ‘Personal Attacks’

A Jesus grad has become the youngest member of Cambridge city council after defeating his Tory rival by 266 votes.

George Owers says he has realised his ambition of making the city a ‘Tory free zone’, with no Conservative councillors left on either the city or county councils.

And the former chairman of the Cambridge University Labour Club branded his Tory opponents “pathetic”, accusing them of employing “personal attacks and innuendo” during the campaign.

Owers out on the campaign trail sporting the ‘tie-not-quite-tied-up’ look.

After his victory, Owers told The Tab: “I think that this result shows, with the collapse of the Lib Dem vote relative to May this year and the swing against the Tories, that people are unhappy with this coalition government’s swingeing cuts.”

And Cambridge’s youngest councillor hit out at the student Conservative Association (CUCA) for their campaigning methods. He said: “the main Tory motivation in this election seemed to be personal and petty animosity towards me.

“Their personal attacks and innuendo did not work, including their pathetic attempt to attack me as a ‘student firebrand’. Indeed, one resident who spoke to me yesterday while going to vote said ‘That’s exactly what we need, young people with energy and conviction.’ Indeed, I think she voted for me because of the Tories’ attacks on me!”.

Owers and his campaign team celebrate victory.

Asked to comment on Owers’ accusations, CUCA Vice-Chairman Callum Wood told The Tab: “I wish Mr Owers every success in his councilship for Coleridge. Further to this, if he feels that CUCA or its members have been guilty of any wrongdoing then I can only offer my apologies.”

Owers has been a controversial figure in Cambridge student politics for some time. Last year he accused CUCA of “obsession with snobbish etiquette, expensive luxury and the supposedly superior social class” after they released a handbook recommending that members save water by drinking champagne.

And earlier this year he described his Tory opponents as “pathetic and underhand” after The Tab exclusively revealed that the ex-head of CUCA had sent fake emails to CULC, posing as a woman.

Owers’ victory last night will do nothing to relieve the tensions.