Labour emerged as winners in the Hurdsfield by-election, despite all three main parties seeing their share of the vote decline.
Stephen Carter was last night elected councillor for the Cheshire East council ward after securing 341 votes - 36 per cent of the 929 votes cast.
It marks a return to the local political scene for the veteran councillor and former leader of the Macclesfield Labour group.
But the party's vote share was nearly 10pc down on the figure former councillor Gill Boston achieved when she won the seat for the party in 2011.
Turnout was low at 26.5pc and all three main parties saw their vote share decrease with the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and the Green Party picking up votes.
The Liberal Democrats came in second with candidate Stephen Broadhead securing 239 votes - 26pc of the vote.
The Conservatives came in third with 168 votes, an 18pc share.
UKIP weren't far behind the Tories with 132 votes, a share of 14 pc. Whilst the Green Party gained 48 votes.
The poll was sparked after the previous councillor Gill Boston stood down last month. Mrs Boston accepted a role on the new East Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group, but a change in the rules after she accepted the job prohibited existing councillors from being appointed, and she was forced to stand down.
-For reaction to the results see next Wednesday's edition of the Macclesfield Express.
