U.K Local By-Elections Thread

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Late result: Labour have held the Beddau ward in Rhondda-Cynon-Taff.

Beddau is just east of Llantrisant.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Just one by-election last night; Orton & Tebay in Eden DC (the ex-Westmorland part. Tebay is home to a well regarded service station on the motorway) where an Indie had either died or resigned (not sure which). There were only two candidates (a LibDem and a Tory) and the LibDem won by three votes.

And note for the Rushden election last week; the Tory majority seems to have surged entirely because the LibDems didn't run a candidate this time round.

[Rural Radical]

Just one by-election last night; Orton & Tebay in Eden DC (the ex-Westmorland part. Tebay is home to a well regarded service station on the motorway) where an Indie had either died or resigned (not sure which). There were only two candidates (a LibDem and a Tory) and the LibDem won by three votes.

And note for the Rushden election last week; the Tory majority seems to have surged entirely because the LibDems didn't run a candidate this time round.

Tebay. The best services on the M6.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Again, not many by-elections this week. The Tories nearly suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Labour in Enfield in a ward (Turkey Street) handpicked to parachute an ex-Cabinet member who had lost his seat in May, back onto the Council. I think the Tory majority was about four votes.

The LibDems gained a seat off some Indies in Inverness and held a seat somewhere in darkest Cornwall.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It's likely these were the only local by-elections of interest this week, but I'll update this if I find out about any others.
Both wards saw straight Con/LibDem fights...

In Harrow, the LibDems regained a seat in their old Harrow Weald stronghold off the Tories (who now run Harrow LBC. Suffice to say the new administration has got off to a rocky start), while in Stratford DC, the Tories gained a seat in what was one of the safest LibDem wards in Warwickshire (Alcester).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Bearing in mind the events of recent days, it's probably not a suprise that Labour lost two seats last night; one a Lab/Lib marginal in Warrington (although the LibDems won by a lot), the other was in North Somerset (Pill ward; over the river from Bristol) which was narrowly lost to an Independent.
I'll update this if there were any other results.

[Democratic Hawk]

Bearing in mind the events of recent days, it's probably not a suprise that Labour lost two seats last night

And who's bloody fault is that The Labour Party is on a fast-track back to the 19 chuffing 83 or 1987, at best. Worse still, it's self-inflicted

Dave

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Some good news for all parties...

Labour comfortably held Ynyscedwyn in what was the first election in Powys since the end of Non-Partisan local politics (there was some speculation that Labour's key role in ending that could result in a backlash of some sort), the LibDems routed what was seen as a strong Tory threat in Ludlow St Peters (a working class ward on the eastern side of the town), the Tories did very well in two by-elections in West Sussex and "gained" a seat in Selby district that had been held by a Condependent since the council was first formed.
They also held onto their only ward in South Tyneside (Cleadon & East Boldon) which probably counts as a disapointment for the LibDems (who held the ward until very recently). The Labour vote there held up very well.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Only two wards up last night and Labour were defending both.

One was a safe Labour ward in Accrington and voted Labour by a predictably large margin, the other was marginal Lye Valley in Oxford... earlier this year the Labour lead in Lye Valley was down to under 100 votes (over the LibDems).
The results:

Lab 784, LDem 487, Con 150, Grn 64

Oxford Labour have been doing well in by-elections recently.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

A lot of wards up last night, and the overall picture is quite mixed...

Labour managed to lose yet another local by-election in Scotland (this time to the SNP) and it wasn't even close. Better news for Labour came in Lancashire, where they gained a seat in Rossendale off the LibDems, in Notts, where they easily held the Mansfield East CC division and in Gateshead where they easily held Dunston & Teams (with the Tories coming a very poor fourth; their vote there seems to have swung BNP-ward).

The Tories gained a ward in Wrexham CBC off an Indie (one of the rural wards along the English border), narrowly held onto a marginal in North Tyneside... and managed to lose one of their safest wards in the country (East Rural in Blackburn with Darwen; over 90% Tory in May) in some very odd circumstances; the victorious Indie was the daughter of the deceased Tory counciller, and the combined far-right vote was pushing 25%.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

A bit of a disaster for the Tories all told; they lost a seat in Neston to Labour and failed to gain marginal wards of the LibDems (in Penrith) and Labour (in Loughborough).
The result in Loughborough Shelthorpe was especially bad for several reasons; Shelthorpe is a marginal ward in a marginal constituency, turnout rose (by quite a bit I think)... and the Tories fell into third place behind the BNP.
I am now expecting the BNP to win seats in Leicestershire next year; most likely in Blaby DC (where they polled just under 10% in the '04 Euro elections).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Nothing especially interesting this week; Tories hold some seats in Cambridgeshire (in one turnout just collapsed) and the LibDems held a seat in Monmouth.
Next week will see the first local by-election in Manchester for a while; Gorton South is up.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Yet another mixed picture... the LibDems held onto Gorton South and as far as them and Labour go, the result wasn't far off a repeat of this May (there was a slight swing to Labour, but that's it), but the BNP came third and the Tories polled a mere 2.8% and came fifth.
In Cambridgeshire, the Tories took a ward off the LibDems on a massive (over 30%) swing, while in Bucks they held a ward with 74%.
In Durham, Labour took 84% of the vote in one County Division and gained a seat of an Indie... with close to 70% of the vote.
And in Shropshire, the Tories took a seat off the Indies in North Shropshire (not a suprise)... but managed to lose the "safe" Lawley ward to an Independent backed by various local farmers.

[Democratic Hawk]

In Durham, Labour took 84% of the vote in one County Division and gained a seat of an Indie... with close to 70% of the vote.

. My cousin used to be married to the late Dawdon member's brother

Dave

[Filuwaúrdjan]

An odd night really.

Labour gained the marginal Rishton ward on Hyndburn BC off the Tories by a suprisingly large margin (with the LibDem polling just 2.7% of the vote), while the LibDems gained what is normally a Con/Lab marginal in Havant. An Indy held a rural ward in North Yorks, the Tories easily gained another rural Warwickshire ward off the LibDems (who seem to be collapsing there) and there was a bizarre set of results in Wiltshire, where the LibDems and the Tories both gained a seat (one district, one county) in the same ward.

[Rural Radical]

An odd night really.

Labour gained the marginal Rishton ward on Hyndburn BC off the Tories by a suprisingly large margin (with the LibDem polling just 2.7% of the vote), while the LibDems gained what is normally a Con/Lab marginal in Havant. An Indy held a rural ward in North Yorks, the Tories easily gained another rural Warwickshire ward off the LibDems (who seem to be collapsing there) and there was a bizarre set of results in Wiltshire, where the LibDems and the Tories both gained a seat (one district, one county) in the same ward.

Another good result in Hyndurn. Its a pity the press dont pick these up. Cameron doing worse in the North West than Hague.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Missed this one: the LibDems gained a ward off Labour in Redbridge last thursday. From what I've heard, it was a case of a low turnout and carpet bombing with leaflets.
Not sure which ward though.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Late again (apologies...)

---
The LibDems easily held a safe ward in Cambridge and their safe ward in Reading, in Slough the Tories gained a seat off the Residents Association (and Labour wasn't that far behind), in Stroud Labour held onto a marginal ward by a decent-ish on a comedy turnout (probably helped by the lack of a Green candidate), while Labour held a ward near Barnsley... also on a comedy turnout.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I thought I'd already posted this, but seems not.

Labour had some tough wards to defend (one in Newcastle, one in Tewkesbury and one in Maidstone) and lost all three (although the Newcastle loss actually represented a small swing to Labour from May), but held onto a seat in Skegness (at least I think it was in Skegness).

In Shropshire, the Tories held their Oswestry SCC division and turnout was a ghastly 15%.
The Tories gained Whittington ward, while the LibDems gained Whittington SCC division (both held by a deceased Indie).

I think that's it.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Quite a few potentially vulnerable Labour wards up tonight. When it rains it pours doesn't it?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Labour actually managed to hold onto a seat in a Scottish by-election last night (in Renfrewshire).
Last local election in Scotland under the old electoral system apparently.

Labour lost a seat in the Dawley Magna ward (Telford & Wrekin UA) to an Indie. There seem to be two reasons for this; first is that there was a bit of a row about how the by-election was caused (ie; a resignation), but (sadly) a bigger factor was probably the fact that the Labour candidate's name was Santokho Sekham (shades of Wrockwardine Wood & Trench in 2003, where Jhalman Uppal (who finished last out of four candidates) ran almost 400 votes behind the other Labour candidate, who finished first out of four).

Not a suprise, but not nice to see. Sigh.

There was also a close LibDem/Green/Labour seat in a Camden ward which had gone 2/1 to the LibDems in May (the seat up was the Labour one), which resulted in a narrow LibDem gain. The Tories came an extremely poor fourth.

There were also some safe Tory holds in safe Tory wards in Gravesend, Southend and so on.

[afleitch]

Labour actually managed to hold onto a seat in a Scottish by-election last night (in Renfrewshire).

First and only this year, with a 20 point drop in one of their safest seats in the council mind. The increase in support for all other parties standing probably deprived the SNP of a suprise voctory.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I don't think the SNP winning any local by-election would have counted as a suprise

What's strange about this one, is that the overall pattern is the same as in those earlier in the year; except that this time the SNP fell just short, rather than just over.

Bearing in mind the atrocious record of Scottish Labour in local by-elections, I'm putting this down as a fluke.

[afleitch]

I don't think the SNP winning any local by-election would have counted as a suprise

What's strange about this one, is that the overall pattern is the same as in those earlier in the year; except that this time the SNP fell just short, rather than just over.

Bearing in mind the atrocious record of Scottish Labour in local by-elections, I'm putting this down as a fluke.

I was speaking with a Hamilton based SNP activist. He says (though I take this with a bucket of salt) that the canvass returns from Hamilton South are looking very good for the SNP- some switchers and many stay at home voters but overall a movement to the SNP in the first vote from Conservative voters. I also get the impression the SNP seem to be targeting Hamilton South intensly. I had originally thought there would be some effort, but resources would be concentrated on East Kilbride.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I was speaking with a Hamilton based SNP activist. He says (though I take this with a bucket of salt) that the canvass returns from Hamilton South are looking very good for the SNP- some switchers and many stay at home voters but overall a movement to the SNP in the first vote from Conservative voters. I also get the impression the SNP seem to be targeting Hamilton South intensly. I had originally thought there would be some effort, but resources would be concentrated on East Kilbride.

Well, activists do always tend to find that cavassing is good for them

Seriously though, parties looking for a breakthrough don't always target the seat everyone expects them to; before the last General Election, most observers thought the LibDems would go after either Newcastle "Central" or Blaydon.