UK local elections, May 2012

[Χahar]

Interestingly, two different constituencies in Newfoundland didn't vote on election day in 2007. A candidate died in one constituency, and in the other the Tory was returned unopposed, which is something that would only happen in Newfoundland.

[Senator MaxQue]

Oh. Apparently, in the british contermandered elections, only the parties who ran in first can run and only with their first candidate? Or Wikipedia is totally confused?

In Quebec, there is no rule like that. The Champlain by-election was having a couple of minor candidates (like the Christian Democracy Party) not running in the general election, but running in the by-election.

[Sibboleth]

Major corruption scandal has just blown up in Bury. One of the councillors arrested led the council until last May's elections.

Bribes, I note. Old school.

[You kip if you want to...]

All kicking off over at my own council as well (Wirral).

http://www.wirralnews.co.uk/wirral-news/local-wirral-news/west-wirral-news/2012/02/01/wirral-council-leadership-in-crisis-over-no-confidence-votes-80491-30235739/

9-month old Labour minority will probably be chucked out for a Tory minority before the election. Things could get interesting when the Tories (presumably) lose seats in May.

[Die-hard Clockworkfan]

Major corruption scandal has just blown up in Bury. One of the councillors arrested led the council until last May's elections.

Bribes, I note. Old school.

Bury people don't do nonsense.

The two Tory councillors arrested represented the two safest Tory wards in the borough: Church ward (basically western Bury along Bolton Road and Ainsworth Road, quite middle-class although there are some dodgier bits) and North Manor ward (a collection of villages between Bury and Ramsbottom that don't really have any connections to each other: Greenmount on the western side of the valley, Walmersley on the eastern side of the valley and Summerseat in the bottom of the valley - basically this ward only exists to keep Walmersley out of neighbouring Moorside ward and stop Moorside voting Tory).

Given that the Conservatives have several seats to defend this year which Labour won easily last year, plus some other difficult defences, they're not exactly making it easy for themselves.

[doktorb]

Oh. Apparently, in the british contermandered elections, only the parties who ran in first can run and only with their first candidate? Or Wikipedia is totally confused?

In Quebec, there is no rule like that. The Champlain by-election was having a couple of minor candidates (like the Christian Democracy Party) not running in the general election, but running in the by-election.

From what I understand, yes. The rules on deaths during an election were found to be seriously wanting in South Staffordshire, so when it happened again in Thirsk and Malton there was far less confusion.

If the ballot paper in Somewhereshire looks like this:

A. BOLTON (Labour)
C. DENVER (Lib Dem)
C. FARLAND (Cons)
B. HIGGINBOTTOM (Green)
T. SMITH (BNP)

And during the election campaign, the LibDem dies, the only party which can nominate a candidate is the LibDem. No other (additional) party can join the ballot, and the other candidates can be changed if necessary.

[Harry Hayfield]

Welsh Local Elections 2004 - 2008

I know that Andrew has done some sterling work on the Welsh local elections, but in Wales (as he has pointed out) there is more than one kind of Independent and whilst generally speaking most Independent groupings work together they have been known to squabble over the years so this tally of councillors elected is based on how they were nominated as opposed to their actual workings in council

Welsh Local Elections 2004
Labour   525377   35.48%    (476 Seats)
Independent   218762   14.77%    (315 Seats)
Plaid Cymru   226673   15.30%    (174 Seats)
Liberal Democrat   220310   14.88%    (146 Seats)
Conservative   187593   12.67%    (108 Seats)
Ratepayers    13198    0.89%    (10 Seats)
Non Party Independent    23444    1.58%    (9 Seats)
Swansea Independents    10601    0.71%    (6 Seats)
Merthyr Independents     6077    0.41%    (6 Seats)
People Before Politics     7603    0.51%    (3 Seats)
Social Democratic Party     2655    0.17%    (3 Seats)
Democratic Alliance of Wales     2221    0.15%    (3 Seats)
Llanwit First Independents     3250    0.21%    (2 Seats)
Green    16570    1.11%
Forward Wales     4943    0.33%
Cardiff Citizens     3841    0.25%
Independent Ratepayers     1762    0.11%
Llais Ceredigion     1096    0.07%
United Kingdom Independence Party      907    0.06%
Socialist Alternative      809    0.05%
Rhondda People's Party      596    0.04%
Captain Beany, NMBP      522    0.03%
Communist      382    0.02%
Debra Hill, CPA      266    0.01%
British National Party      254    0.01%
Socialist Labour Party      249    0.01%
Huw Pudner, Respect      210    0.01%
None of the Above Parties      155    0.01%
Anne Savoury, ProLife      134    0.00%
Karl-James Langford, Liberal      110    0.00%

Welsh Local Elections 2008
Labour   462858   29.97%    (344 Seats -132)
Independent   227183   14.71%    (282 Seats -33)
Plaid Cymru   241668   15.65%    (207 Seats +33)
Conservative   272712   17.66%    (173 Seats +65)
Liberal Democrat   223342   14.46%    (166 Seats +20)
Non Party Independent    39352    2.54%    (46 Seats +37)
Llais Gwynedd     7119    0.46%    (12 Seats)
Blaenau Gwent People's Voice    12198    0.79%    (8 Seats)
Swansea Independents    11282    0.73%    (8 Seats +2)
Merthyr Independents     6648    0.43%    (6 Seats)
Ratepayers     9756    0.63%    (4 Seats -6)
Llanwit First Independents     6276    0.40%    (3 Seats +1)
Social Democratic Party     2778    0.17%    (3 Seats)
Green     9544    0.61%
British National Party     4564    0.29%
Independent Ratepayers     2777    0.17%
United Kingdom Independence Party     1723    0.11%
Socialist Alternative      804    0.05%
Communist      695    0.04%
Captain Beany, NMBP      369    0.02%
Respect - The Unity Coalition      186    0.01%
None of the Above Parties       96    0.00%
Karl Langford, Liberal       73    0.00%

[Leftbehind]

^Good work.

[afleitch]

So yeah, two weeks ago Labour saw it's budget in Glasgow pass by just 2 votes. There were also 7 defections from the party and a number of those who defected (and were deselected in London's cull a few months ago) will be running against the official Labour candidates.

[Andrea]

The Liverpool Post says that Liverpool is going to bypass the Government's referendum and go straight to having an elected mayor.

I don't like the sound of this:

The Liverpool Post can exclusively reveal the move is linked to a deal to get £130m of extra cash for schools, housing, regeneration and job creation.

Council leader Joe Anderson said the money is only available if the city chooses to have a mayor.

I presume that Liverpool can be trusted not to elect another Peter Davies, but he isn't exactly the only walking argument against elected mayors in the UK.

Joe Anderson has been adopted as the Labour candidate for Liverpool Mayor. He was the only one putting his name forward.

In Salford, Labour has selected Ian Stewart (Eccles MP 1997-2010 before losing out in selections contests against Barbara Keeley and Hazel Blears when one seat was abolished) to be their mayoral candidate. It was a competitive selection (at least on paper. I haven't seen voting figures yet): his rivals were John Merry (current council leader) and Peter Wheeler (a former NEC member and local candidate).  UPDATE: Stewart 259 votes, Merry 131, Wheeler 89
Salford Tories are fielding Karen Garrido (a Worsley councillor and leader of the Tory council group)

[You kip if you want to...]

Joe Anderson's been a fairly good council leader from what I gather, atleast compared to Warren Bradley (not that that says much). He'll win.

[YL]

Polls reported on Look North last night show "Yes" ahead in the elected mayor referendums in all four Yorkshire cities that are having them.  Retaining the mayor is also ahead in Doncaster.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17304093

[You kip if you want to...]

My polling card came today. This election'll be my first.

/attentionwhoring

[You kip if you want to...]

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/03/29/liam-byrne-to-quit-shadow_n_1388155.html?ref=uk

Hope the door doesn't hit him on the way out.

[YL]

So, what's going to happen in Bradford?

[afleitch]

What Glasgow has in store;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow_City_Council_election,_2012

[Andrea]

In Scotland SNP and Labour have already guaranteed of 13 seats each because of lack of enough other candidates in some wards (for ex 4 members ward with 5 candidates including 2 Lab/SNP). The Tories and the LibDems are sure of 1 each too.

Labour 13 (3 in North Lanarkshire, 2 in East Ayrshire, 3 in Dumfries & Galloway, 2 in Falkirk, 1 in South Lanarkshire, 1 in Clackmannanshire, 1 in Inverclyde)

SNP 13 (1 in Moray, 2 in Clackmannanshire, 3 in Falkirk, 1 in Western Isles, 2 in Angus, 3 in East Ayrshire, 1 in Aberdeenshire)

Con 1 (in Dumfries and Galloway)

LD 1 (in Argyll and Bute)

There aren't totally unopposed returns though ( for ex 4 members wards with just 4 candidates)

[Die-hard Clockworkfan]

Not having anything better to do I have put all the Scottish candidate lists together into one document.

Download here (PDF, 2.60 MB)

[Vasall des Midas]

How does the number of candidates in Scotland compare with last time's? Up? Down?

[afleitch]

How does the number of candidates in Scotland compare with last time's? Up? Down?

Up. There's less 'undernomination' by the SNP and more minor party representation. The Greens are also better represented it seems.

[afleitch]

Once against, the political machinations of Blantyre's great and good on the political scene never ceases to amaze me.

[Andrea]

The number of candidates in 2007 was 2,607
Lab 521
SNP 437
Con 379
LD 331
SSP 126
Green 100
Solidarity 83
Ind 551
Others 79

I think the overall number of candidates this time is a bit down. According to a poster on another forum, the total this year is around 2,401. SNP is clearly up: from 437 to 612. Lab and Con are a bit down (498 and 360). LibDems have reduced their candidatures by 100 to 227. Greens are at 84. The far left has taken a big dip: just over 60 candidates between Sol and SSP

[afleitch]

The number of candidates in 2007 was 2,607
Lab 521
SNP 437
Con 379
LD 331
SSP 126
Green 100
Solidarity 83
Ind 551
Others 79

I think the overall number of candidates this time is a bit down. According to a poster on another forum, the total this year is around 2,401. SNP is clearly up: from 437 to 612. Lab and Con are a bit down (498 and 360). LibDems have reduced their candidatures by 100 to 227. Greens are at 84. The far left has taken a big dip: just over 60 candidates between Sol and SSP

Well I'll be...

[doktorb]

Oh god, the other forum's gone down

[You kip if you want to...]

Labour held their campaign launch today in Birmingham btw.