ConservativeHome's Local Government Blog

Council byelection results

Arbury and Stockingford Division, Warwickshire County Council
 
Labour 1331

Conservative 1079

BNP 449

Green 170

Lib Dem   118

Socialist Alternative 43
 
Lab Hold.

Portfield Ward, Christchurch BC 

Lib Dem 279

Con   278

Indepedent 156

UKIP 98

Lib Dem Hold
 
Abbotsford Ward, Erewash Borough Council

Conservative 471

Labour 306.

Lib Dem 105.

Con Hold. Congratulations to Cllr Kathryn Major.

Kirk Hallam. Derbyshire County Council

Labour    1261    49.9% -15.8%
Tory     783    31.0% -3.3%
BNP     327     12.9% +12.9%
Liberal Democrats 158 6.2%  +6.2% 

Lab Hold
 
St Helens MBC Moss Bank  

Lib Dems 1,480     53.9%   -8.6%

Labour  1,011     36.8%   +8.6%  

Conservatives  111   4.0%   -5.3%

Green    73     2.7%   +2.7%  

Independent  71     2.6%   +2.6%    

Lib Dem Hold

Wychavon DC Droitwitch Central

Lib Dem   233 (334 last time)
Con 223  (249 last time)

Lib Dem Hold. (Lab got 221 last time but did not put up a candidate for the byelection.)

 

Council byelection results

Walberswick and Wenhaston Ward, Suffolk Coastal

Conservatives 316 (66%, -6.1%)

Green            163 (34% from nowhere.)

Con Hold. (Labour got 27.9% last time which was in 2007.)

Brockhurst Ward, Gosport. (Two seats contested.)

Lib Dem 562 and 523.(50.1%. +2.6%.)                                                                                     

Conservative  364 and 339 (32.5%.7.1%)    

Green 131 (12.1% +5.9%)

Labour 60 and 56 (5.45% -1.4%)

Lib Dem Holds

Whittington Ward, Lichfield.

Conservative 345 (65.1%)

Lib Dem 185 (34.9%)

Con Hold

Another council byelection result

Ferndown Central, East Dorset.

Conservative. 510 (51.67%. -25.17%.)

Independent. 477. (48.37%.)

Con Hold. (The Lib Dems got 23.16% last time but didn't contest the byelection.)

Congratulations to Cllr Lesley Dedman on her victory.

Council byelection result

Sutton LBC Nonsuch Ward 

Lib Dem - 1,665 (50.6% +3.5%)
Conservative - 1,329  (40.4% -7.4%)
BNP - 211   (6.4%)
Lab - 88     (2.7% -2.5%)

Lib Dem gain from Con.

One local government by-election result from June 25th 2009

It would appear there was only one local government by-election yesterday, in Scotland, the result of which was as follows:

Monifeith and Sidlaw ward, Angus Council
SNP - 2,486 (68.6%, +14.3)
Conservative - 698 (19.3%, +0.8)
Lib Dem - 439 (12.1%, +4.9)
SNP hold

Hat-tip: Luke Akehurst

Council byelections from last Thursday

A large number of byelections took place to coincide with the Euro and county Council elections last Thursday so I won't put in all the figures but just list who won what.

We did rather badly losing seats overall compared with the sweeping gains in the main Council elections. Was it because we were defending the large majority of the seats being contested and so had most to lose? Or does the discrepancy establish that Council byelections are unreliable as a wider indicator of Party fortunes?

Labour force council byelection in Warwickshire on technicality

Labour are forcing a byelection in Warwickshire on a technicality over last weeks county council elections. Tom Wilson was elected by a convincing margin as the County Councillor for the Arbury & Stockingford  with 1637 votes.  His colleague and wife, Sonja Wilson was also elected with 1582 votes.  The two Labour candidates were defeated with 1472 and 1480 votes each.

The local Labour officer, Jeff Place, wrote to the Chief Returning Officer at Warwickshire County Council, Jim Graham, to “formally object to the candidature of Cllr Tom Wilson in the Arbury & Stockingford division”, based on a technical mistake Cllr Wilson made in completing his nomination papers.

One by-election result

North Ormesby and Brambles Farm, Middlesbrough UA (Middlesbrough) Lab hold. Con vote 14% -8, Lab 60% -5, LD 7% from nowhere, BNP 19% from nowhere, New Nationalist did not stand losing 14%.

Actual result: (North Ormesby and Brambles Farm, Middlesbrough UA, Con 131; Lab 549; LD 63; BNP 175).

Three local government by-elections

• Irwell Riverside, Salford MBC ( Salford moving to Salford & Eccles) a Lab hold: Con vote was 12% -3, Lab 38% -7, LD 18% -22, BNP 17% from nowhere, Green 8% from nowhere, UKIP 8% from nowhere.
• Barton, North Lincolnshire Council (Cleethorpes) a Con hold: Con vote was 64% +14, Lab 27% +11, LD 9% -7. Ind did not stand losing 18%.
• Cottesmore, Rutland Council (Rutland & Melton) a Con hold: Con vote was 68% +3. LD 32% from nowhere. UKIP did not stand losing 35%.

Sky News has a report on Labour's victory in Hazel Blears' backyard:

"The major parties had braced themselves for a backlash after MPs' claims came to light. But Labour hung onto the place on Salford Council with a reduced majority. Communities Secretary Ms Blears apologised last week after it emerged she did not pay capital gains tax when she sold her London flat. The Salford MP paid back £13,000 but Prime Minister Gordon Brown described her actions as "unacceptable". At the count she said she was "delighted" with Labour candidate Matt Mold's 606 votes. She added: "The people of Salford have firmly and thoroughly rejected the politics of the BNP."

Council byelection results

Increasingly thin pickings as contests usually become scheduled to coincide with the Euro Elections.

Gateshead Borough - Chopwell and Rowlands Gill: Lab 1221, Lib Dem 898, C 177. (May 2008 - Lab 1547, Lib Dem 720, C 443). Lab hold. Swing 8.2% Lab to Lib Dem.

Isle of Anglesey County - Llanbadrig: Ind 255, No description 201. (May 2008 - Ind unopposed). Ind hold.

In the Anglesey contest both candidates were independents and both had the surname Hughes.

Council byelection

Only one contest this week. A Labour hold in the Rossmere Ward in Hartlepool.

Labour 532. UKIP 300. Lib Dem 166. BNP 157. Con 102.

(May 2008. Lab 488. UKIP 373. Lib Dem 258. C 197.)

Swing 4.8% UKIP to Labour.

Council by-election results for 30th April 2009

There were four local by-election contests yesterday:

East Ecclesfield ward, Sheffield
LD - 2,239 votes - 44% (+1)
Lab - 1,420 - 28% (-2)
BNP - 716 - 14% (+1)
Con - 564 - 11% (-)
Green - 107 - 2% (-1)
Lib Dem hold

Staple Tye ward, Harlow
LD - 604 votes - 39% (+6)
Con - 544 - 35% (-16)
Lab - 329 - 21% (+5)
UKIP - 66 - 4% (+4)
Lib Dem gain from Con (who latterly sat as an Independent after being expelled from the party)

Tadworth and Walton ward, Reigate & Banstead
Con - 925 votes - 64% (-2)
UKIP - 350 - 24% (+10)
Lab - 163 -11% (+11)
(LD did not stand)
Con hold

Bannockburn ward, Stirling
Awaiting full results
Lab hold

Jonathan Isaby

Yesterday's by-election results

Wanstead, Redbridge LBC (Leyton and Wanstead) a Con hold. Con vote was 37% -5, Lab 20% -6, LD 30% +18, BNP 5% from nowhere, Green 7% -12, UKIP 1% from nowhere. Wanstead: CON 1300; LAB 694; LD 1030; BNP 171; Green 256; UKIP 33

Derby Road West, Erewash Borough Council (Erewash) Lab gain from Con. Con vote was 33% -14, Lab 39% +7, LD 17% -5, BNP 11% from nowhere.

Alfold, Cranleigh Rural and Ellen’s Green, Waverley (South West Surrey moving to Guildford) a Con hold. Con vote was 64% -6, LD 36% +14, Ind did not stand losing 8%.

Totteridge, Wycombe (Wycombe) Lib Dem gain from Lab. Con vote was 30% -11, Lab 16% -27, LD 54% +38.

Aboyne, Upperdeeside and Donside, Aberdeenshire (Banff and Buchan) currently a CON seat.  The count is not taking place until Friday morning.

Inverness West, Highland (Caithness, Sutherland and Eastern Ross) currently an IND seat.  The count is not taking place until Friday morning.

Tories narrowly miss snatching a council seat in West Somerset

Just one local government by-election yesterday, where the Conservatives narrowly missed snatching an Independent-held seat:

Minehead South ward, West Somerset district council
Ind - 393 votes - 52% (-13%)
Con -  370 - 48% (+13%)
Ind hold

Jonathan Isaby

Labour hold a ward in Manchester in yesterday's only council by-election

As far as I am aware, there was only one council by-election yesterday, in the Moston ward of Manchester City Council. The result was as follows:

Labour - 39% (-14%)
BNP - 23% (+23%)
Lib Dem - 20% (+ 5%)
Conservative - 16% (-7%)
Green - 2% - (-7%)
Labour hold

Jonathan Isaby

Latest by-election results

• Belsize, Camden LBC (Hampstead & Highgate moving to Hampstead & Kilburn) Lib Dem hold.  Con vote was 39% +2, Lab 11% -3, LD 46% +5, Green 4% -4.
• Skircoat, Calderdale MBC (Halifax) a Con hold.  Con vote was 37% -17, Lab 8% no change, LD 34% +1, Green 3% from nowhere, Ind 6% from nowhere, BNP 7% from nowhere, Kerbside Ind 7% from nowhere.
• Temple Newsam, Leeds City (Leeds East) Con gain from Lab.  Con vote was 28% -5, Lab 23% -10, LD 23% +13, BNP 24% no change, Green 2% from nowhere.
• Felpham West, Arun DC (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton) Con hold. Con vote was 52% +14, Lab 5% from nowhere, LD 22% +6, BNP 14% from nowhere, UKIP 7% -10, Ind did not stand losing 29%.
• Ramsey, Huntingdonshire DC (North West Cambridgeshire) Con hold.  Con vote was 38% -20, Lab 4% -4, LD 26% -8, UKIP 32% from nowhere.
• Moulton, Weston & Cowbit, South Holland DC (South Holland & The Deepings) a Con hold.  Con vote was 81% +27, LD 19% from nowhere, Ind did not stand losing 27%, UKIP did not stand losing 19%.
• Wiveliscombe & West Deane, Taunton Deane BC (Taunton moving to Taunton Deane) an Ind hold.  Con vote was 31% -4, Ind 67% +22, UKIP 2% from nowhere, LD did not stand losing 20%.

Frustrating by-election results for Conservatives

The Conservatives fell marginally short of ousting Labour in East Ham and, unfortunately, lost a seat in Redditch.

• Royal Docks, Newham LBC (East Ham) Lab hold.  Con vote 45%  +13, Lab 46% -1, CPA 6% -5, Respect 2% -8.
• Ettingshall, Wolverhampton MBC (Wolverhampton SE) Lab Hold.  Con vote 21% +1, Lab 59% -8, LD 17% +4. Ind 4% from nowhere
• Long Clawson, Melton DC (Rutland and Melton) Con hold.  Con vote 51% -4, Lab 11% from nowhere, Ind 25% -20, BNP 13% from nowhere.
• Headington Hill, Oxford DC (Oxford East) Lab hold.  Con vote 31% -3, Lab 38% +2, LD 26% +2, Green 4% -2.
• Central, Redditch DC (Redditch) Lab gain from Con.  Con vote 37% -10, Lab 51% +15, LD 6% -, Ind 2% -4, Green 3% from nowhere.
• Headless Cross, Redditch DC (Redditch) Con hold.  Con vote 48% -4, Lab 32% -12, LD 10% -18, Ind 3% from nowhere, Green 7% from nowhere.
• Yarborough, NE Lincs UA (Great Grimsby) LD hold.  Con vote 24% -4, Lab 21% no change, LD 36% no change, BNP 17% from nowhere, Generalist 3% from nowhere, Ind did not stand losing 15%.

Local Government by-election results for 19th March 2009

Below are the results from four local council by-elections which took place yesterday:

Larkswood ward, Waltham Forest
Con - 74% (+20)
Lab - 13% (-3)
LD - 8% (-3)
Green - 5% (-5)
(UKIP did not stand, having previously been on 9%)
Con hold

Chiltern Woods ward, South Oxfordshire
Con - 79% (+9)
LD - 21% (+6)
(No Green or Independent stood, having previously won 10% and 4% of the vote)
Con hold

Leek East ward, Staffordshire Moorlands
Con - 39% (-7)
LD - 20% (+20)
Ind - 17%(+17)
Ind - 16% (+16)
Green - 8% (+8)
(Ratepayers and Lab did not stand, having previously won 34% and 21% of the vote)
Con hold

Pendlebury ward, Salford
Lab - 38% (-8)
Con - 32% (+9)
BNP - 14% (-)
LD - 13% (-4)
Ind - 2% (+2)
Green - 2%(+2)
Lab hold

Live coverage of Council byelection result on webcast tonight

Conservative-controlled Staffordshire Moorlands District Council is providing live coverage of the counting and result for today's Council byelection in Leek East Ward. You can see it on their website from 9pm.

Cllr Stephen Ellis, Cabinet Member for Planning, Development and Property Services says:

"We’re not aware of any other Council that has done this previously. At Staffordshire Moorlands, we broadcast all of our Council and Committee meetings live to the Internet.  All meeting broadcasts are
also recorded and therefore capable of repeated viewing. We continue to build up an impressive online archive of all our meetings. This new technology is proving very popular with one of our planning meetings securing over 300 hits – far more than would ever attend a planning meeting."

"Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has just won a Beacon award for its pioneering work in connection with ‘digital inclusion’."

Local Government by-election results for 12th March 2009

Here are the results from yesterday's contests:

Rainhill ward, St Helens
Lab - 46% (-6)
LD - 31% (+17)
Con - 15% (-11)
BNP - 6% (-3)
Green 2% (+2)
Lab hold

Parr ward, St Helens
Lab - 48% (-15)
LD - 31% (+5)
BNP - 10% (+10)
Ind - 6% (+6)
Con - 3% (-8)
Green - 2% (+2)
Lab hold

Bowthorpe ward, Norwich
Con - 36% (-2)
Lab - 30% (-8)
LD - 27% (+16)
Green - 8% (-6)
Con hold

Hartland and Bradworthy ward, Torridge
LD - 63% (+21)
Con - 26% (+26)
UKIP - 8% (-8)
Ind - 3% (-28º
(Greens did not stand, having previously won 12%)
LD gain from Ind

Maryfield ward, Dundee
Counting this afternoon, so the result will be posted later.
First preference percentages were:
SNP - 48%   
Labour - 31%   
LibDem  - 11%   
Con - 7%    
SSP - 2%    
Independent - 1%    
Independent - 1%
After redistributions, the SNP took the seat.
SNP gain from Lab

Council byelection results

North Warwickshire.
Atherstone Central 
Neil Dirbeiaks, Lab   320   37.07%
Jill Davies, Con    221   25.60%
Matthew Mason, BNP      186   21.55%
Ray Jarvis, Ind      136   15.75%
Lab Majority    99    11.47%
Lab Gain From Con
Swing from Conservative to Labour of 7.76%

Broadland DC
Buxton

Lib Dem 555  71.4%
Conservative 201  25.8%
Green 22  2.8%
Lib Dem gain from Con

Carlisle
Castle Ward
Lib Dem 465
Lab 304
BNP 255
Con 143
Green 125
Lib Dem 36.0%  -8.3%
Lab        23.5%  -0.1%
BNP        19.7% +19.7%
Con        11.1% -5.1%
Green     9.7%  +9.7%
Ind          0%    -15.9%
Lib Dem hold.

Carlisle,
Belah Ward

Con 700
Lab 307
Ind 221
BNP 142
LD 79
Grn 61
Con    46.4% -39.8%
Lab     20.3% -3.4%
Ind 1   4.6% +14.6%
BNP     9.4%  +9.4%
Lib Dem 5.2% +5.2%
Green    4.0% +4.0%
Eng Dem 0%   -9.7%
Conservative hold.

Vale of Glamorgan   
Llandow - Ewenny

Conservative 612
Labour 127
PC 140

Con 69.6%
Lab 14.4%
PC  15.9%
Conservative hold.

UPDATED

Newcastle under Lyme

Ravenscliffe Ward.

Conservative 229. Labour 213. BNP 180. Lib Dem 146. UKIP 131. Conservative hold.

Tory council byelection victor also wins bet

Cllr William Keen who was elected last week in a Council byelection in Epsom & Ewell, gaining a seat from the Residents Association, also won a bet on himself. He bet £50 on himself and won back £450. He decided to place the bet because he "knew" he was going to win. Hats off to him. But with those odds and that degree of confidence why didn't he make it £1,000.

By-election results for Thursday 26th February 2009

Rushall - Shelfield, Walsall MBC (Aldridge-Brownhills) Con hold.  Con vote 50% -11, Lab 25% +6, LD 11% -1, Greens 4% -3, UKIP 10% from nowhere.

Greasley, Broxtowe DC (Broxtowe) Con hold.  Con vote 49% -1, Lab 26% +4, LD 10% no change, BNP 13% -4, UKIP 1% from nowhere.

Honiton St Michaels, East Devon (Tiverton and Honiton) LD gain from Con.  Con vote 49% -20, LD 51% from nowhere, Lab did not stand losing 31%.

Court, Epsom and Ewell DC (Epsom and Ewell) Lab gain from LD.  Con vote 25% +7, Lab 33% +2, LD 30% -10, Residents13% +1.

Ruxley, Epsom and Ewell DC (Epsom and Ewell) Con gain from Residents.  Con vote 51% -12, Lab 7% -3, LD 5% -2, Residents 33% -10, UKIP 4% from nowhere.

Michael Fallon MP provides some background to the BNP win in Sevenoaks

Michael Fallon, MP for Sevenoaks, has provided me with this background on yesterday's BNP gain from Labour in his Sevenoaks constituency:

"Swanley St Mary's was Labour's safest seat on Sevenoaks District Council. There are three Swanley wards; we won all three seats in Swanley Christchurch, leaving Labour with three councillors in Swanley Whiteoak and two (now one) in Swanley St Mary's.

We campaigned hard with a strong local candidate who was born in the ward; I had a team of eleven with me canvassing there on Saturday. We put the Tory vote up from 208 to 247. The Lib Dems didn't bother to stand. BNP attracted frustrated traditional Labour voters (they did the same in Welling (Bexley) a few weeks back). Their literature and message was relatively moderate but focussed on immigrants and asylum-seekers jumping the housing queue."

Tim Montgomerie

Local Government by-election results for 19th February 2009

Yesterday's council by-election results show electoral advances for the BNP around the country - with the party gaining its first council seat in the south east of England, in Sevenoaks.

Swanley St Mary’s, Sevenoaks district council
BNP - 41% (+41)
Lab - 34% (-21)
Con - 25% (-)
(UKIP did not stand, having previously secured 20%)
BNP gain from Lab

Downham, London Borough of Lewisham
Lib Dem - 40% (-11)
Lab - 24% (-2)
Con - 24% (+8)
BNP 11% (+11)
Green - 2% (-5)
Two Lib Dem holds

Bilton, Harrogate borough council
LD - 50% (-2)
Con - 38% (-7)
BNP - 9% (+9)
Lab - 3% (-)
Lib Dem hold

Thringstone, North West Leicestershire district council
Lab - 36% (-7)
Con - 31% (-1)
BNP - 28% (+28)
Lib Dem - 5% (-20)
Lab hold

Jonathan Isaby

Council by-election results for February 12th 2009

A mixed bag of results from yesterday's local authority by-elections. Congratulations in particular to Clare Hilley (pictured), the chairman of London Conservative Future, on her election to Croydon council.

Waddon, London Borough of Croydon
Con - 46% (+3)
Lab - 38% (+1)
BNP 5% (+5)
LD - 5% (-2)
Green - 4% (-5)
UKIP - 2% (+2)
People's Choice 0.4%(+0.4)
Loony - 0.3% (+0.3)
Con hold

Jubilee, London Borough of Enfield
Lab - 51% (+7)
Con - 40% (-2)
LD - 3% (+3)
Green - 2% (-12)
UKIP - 2% (+2)
Ind - 2% (+2)
Lab gain from Con

Cannock West, Cannock Chase district council
Con - 61% (-7)
Lab - 31% (-1)
LD - 8% (+8)
Con hold

Grange Park, South Northamptonshire district council
Con - 76% (-24)
LD - 24% (+24)
Con Hold

Jonathan Isaby

Council byelection results

• Tynemouth, North Tyneside MBC (Tynemouth) Con hold.  Con vote was 62% -5, Lab 28% -4, LD 9% from nowhere.

• Hyde Newton, Tameside MBC (Stalybridge and Hythe) Lab hold.  Con vote 16% -3, Lab 46% +9, LD 6% -6, BNP 29% +3, Green 2% -4, UKIP 1% from nowhere.

• Heath Town, Wolverhampton MBC (Wolverhampton North East) Lab hold. Con vote 39% +15, Lab 49% +6, LD 12% -14, Ind did not stand losing 6%.

• Plaistow, Chichester DC (Chichester) Con hold.  Con vote 57% -21, LD 43% +21.

• Rossett, Wrexham UA (Wrexham) Con hold.  Con vote 64% +3, Lab 4% -4, LD 23% -8, Ind 9% from nowhere

Liberal Democrats exploit Gaza in local election campaign

This leaflet is being distributed in the London Borough of Redbridge by the anti-Israel Liberal Democrats ahead of a looming by-election. Click on image to enlarge.

Hat tip to Justin Hinchcliffe.

Council byelection results

I've got the results in percentage terms for these two:

East Wickham, Bexley LBC (Old Bexley and Sidcup) Con hold.  Con vote
27% -6, Lab 23% +2, LD 19% +4, BNP 27% +11, Eng Dem 4% -6, UKIP did
not stand -6.  We won by 8 votes.  In 2002 we were third here with
Labour holding two seats behind the top scoring Lib Dem.

New Duston, Northampton BC (Northampton South) Con hold.  Con vote 53%
+10, Lab 16% -2, LD 15% +7, Ind 16% -5, Others did not stand losing
11.

Also the results in number of votes for these ones:

Bentswood Ward, Mid Sussex. Lib Dem 514, Labour 456, Conservatives 332, BNP 92. A Lib Dem hold.

In a Parish Council result in Knaresborough we gained a seat from the Lib Dems. Conservatives 325, Independent 297, Lib Dem 285, Labour 46.

BNP defeated in Bexley Council byelection

In November I reported that the BNP were campaigning hard to gain a seat on Bexley Council. In yesterday's election they were defeated in East Wickham Ward in Bexley with the Conservatives holding the seat with a majority of eight. The new Conservative councillor for the Ward, Steven Hall, polled 798, the BNP 790, Labour 700, the Lib Dem 564 and the English Democrats 128. Of course it is still a matter of concern that a neo-Nazi party should come so close to being elected, but Welling, where the election took place, is the area where they used to have their Party headquarters. So having seen them off here is an important victory.

More news of Council byelections when we have them.