Paralysed councillor defeated by one vote plans to stand again
A councillor who lost his seat at this year's local elections while recovering from a rare condition that left him paralysed has said he plans to have his name on the ballot in four years' time.Kevin Pardy had represented Sundorne and Old Heath for Labour on Shropshire Council since 2013, but lost to Reform's Mandy Duncan by a single vote in May. The election came after he collapsed at home in December with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare condition that affects the nervous system, leaving him unable to fully campaign. Mr Pardy said, while disappointed with the result, he was determined to stand again at the next election.
"I really was disappointed, knowing I'd lost by a vote," he told the BBC. "It was a miserable night. "It was so close - I'd have preferred to lose by 201 votes, but I look forward to the next election."
'Extraordinarily frightening'
It is not known what causes Guillain-Barré syndrome and it affects patients' senses and movement, as well as their breathing and heartbeat, according to the NHS."When I first contracted it, I can't remember what happened," Mr Pardy said. "I was put into an induced coma, I wasn't aware of what was happening."But he said it was "extraordinarily frightening" for his wife, a nurse of more than 40 years, who feared he could die."I was in a pretty bad way," he said, and was in hospital until March when he was moved to a rehabilitation centre in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. "I realised the election was coming up, so I turned to my Labour colleagues who worked so hard," Mr Pardy said. Meanwhile, he did what he could to campaign using social media.While he lost his unitary council seat, Mr Pardy won his seat on Shrewsbury Town Council - again by a narrow margin of just two votes. Since then, he has almost fully recovered use of his upper body and is starting to walk with a frame.He said the support he had received had been "tremendous"."I got support from people right across the parties. "People are substituting for me on my committees and I'm waiting on a laptop so I can join remotely."The 66-year-old said getting back to his work in the community, as well as his family, is driving his recovery."As a town councillor, there's plenty to be getting on with," he said."It's going to be difficult, but if I can, I will."
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