A Bermudian woman living in Britain has been elected as a councillor in her London borough.

Jahdia Spencer won a seat on the Royal Borough of Greenwich Council after a by-election in the ward of West Thamesmead last night.

The Labour Party candidate won 465 votes — 45 per cent of the poll — and comfortably saw off a challenge from Liberal Democrat candidate Steve Day, who received 336 votes.

After the result was announced, Ms Spencer, 26, said she was “honoured” to be elected.

She said: “I’d like to thank the residents of West Thamesmead for believing in me and believing in everything I’ve said.

“I would like to thank the Labour Party and all my comrades. You guys did so much to make this a victory.

“I would like to thank my friends and my family and my mom for really just supporting me through this.”

Ms Spencer said she was inspired to run for office after seeing the effective work of the Labour Council of Greenwich.

She ran a three-week campaign with the help of fellow Labour councillors and braved harsh weather conditions to hear residents’ concerns.

Ms Spencer said: “While there were occasional difficult encounters, including some doors being slammed and unkind words, I maintained a positive attitude and focused on meaningful discussions with all residents, regardless of their political affiliation.”

She added: “I believe every resident deserves to be heard and their concerns taken seriously.”

Turnout at the poll was low at only 15 per cent.

Ruth Handyside, the Reform UK candidate, came third with 92 votes, while Conservative candidate Siama Gulnar Qadar won 82 votes. Anji Petersen won 55 votes for the Green Party.

The by-election was called after the resignation of Chris Lloyd, who had served as a councillor for ten years. Mr Lloyd had been elected as a Labour councillor but switched to the Liberal Democrats a year ago.

Ms Spencer said her election had a “significant impact on the community”.

She said her popularity had been boosted by earlier reporting by The Royal Gazette, which caught the attention of Bermudians in England.

She added that many felt inspired to offer support; they included a ten-year-old supporter.

Ms Spencer said: “I've worked diligently to encourage Labour participation among my family, friends and community networks, taking time to answer questions and explain why Labour best represents our interests.

“As a Labour ambassador, I've focused on fostering healthy conversations within Bermudian and Caribbean communities.

“I want to show Bermudians, and young people across the world, that we can achieve anything we set our minds to.”

Ms Spencer will be one of 51 Labour Party representatives on Greenwich Council, which also has four Conservative councillors.

Before her move to London, Ms Spencer was the youth leader for the Free Democratic Movement, and remains a member of the party.

She told The Royal Gazettelast month: “As a Greenwich resident, I love this borough and am committed to working with local residents of West Thamesmead to make it a cleaner, safer and better place to live.

“Giving back to the community I’m part of has always been a guiding principle in my life.”

Ms Spencer also thanked a host of Bermudians who helped her campaign.