UK local by-elections 2011

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Arllechwedd, Gwynedd
Plaid 56.0 (+8.8 )
Lib Dem 20.4 (-32.4)
Lab 15.8
Cons 7.7

Other results aren't up yet on the authories' websites.

Not looking good for LibDem hopes to keep what they have in Gwynedd next year. Though maybe they'll do better with candidates with less... er... offensive surnames.

[MaxQue]

Arllechwedd, Gwynedd
Plaid 56.0 (+8.8 )
Lib Dem 20.4 (-32.4)
Lab 15.8
Cons 7.7

Other results aren't up yet on the authories' websites.

Not looking good for LibDem hopes to keep what they have in Gwynedd next year. Though maybe they'll do better with candidates with less... er... offensive surnames.

If I can ask why, what is the problem with the Douglas-Pennants? I understand than they are a very old nobility family, but, what else?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

If I can ask why, what is the problem with the Douglas-Pennants? I understand than they are a very old nobility family, but, what else?

Because (and this is no reflection on the man in question; he may be very nice for all I know) they were a bunch of absolute and utter bastards. They developed,* owned and ran Penrhyn Quarry until the 1950s and in terms of how they treated their workforce they were the worst of the families that owned slate quarries in North Wales. Which is saying a lot, actually. Of particular relevance would be the lockouts in Bethesda at the turn of the last century, one of the most important events in the history of North Wales and one of the most important in the modern history of Wales generally. In which they were the bad guys.

So the name is kind of toxic. Which probably isn't especially helpful if you're trying to get elected, no matter how hard you try.

_{(translation: 'there is no traitor in this house'. It's a card put up in the windows of striking quarrymen in Bethesda)}

*Via outright theft and the proceeds of slavery. I don't make this up.

[YL]

Conwy, Uwchaled

Ind 94.1
Con 5.9

(from Britain Votes)

LOL.  Why no Plaid candidate?

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Roughly what I'd have expected there.

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This seems to be a very strange ward.

[MaxQue]

Conwy, Uwchaled

Ind 94.1
Con 5.9

(from Britain Votes)

LOL.  Why no Plaid candidate?

I suppose it is a very rural area where only the candidate is important, no matter his party.
The kind of place which would prefer non-partisan elections at the local level.
According to Wikipedia, the area is heavily Welsh-speaking, too.

[MaxQue]

Abbey, Dumfries and Galloway
Count 1 (compared to 2007/2008 by-election)
Cons 39.7 (+5.9/-1.1)
Lab 38.5 (+10.4/+5.3)
SNP 21.8 (+4.0/+3.8 )

Count 2 (compared to 2008 by-election 2PP)
Lab 51.0 (+5.0)
Cons 49.0 (-5.0)

LABOR gain on CONSERVATIVE


Byker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Lab 72.6 (+14.9)
BNP 8.7
Lib Dem 6.1 (-18.2)
Ind 4.7
Cons 4.6 (-4.6)
Newcastle First 3.3

Crewe South, Cheshire East (two candidates, so I'm using the combined total for each party. Each party had two candidates. Wards were redrew, so past comparisons are not possible.)
Lab 59.2, 2 seats
Cons 31.5
Lib Dem 9.3

Results for Burton Town, Staffordshire County and Manvers, Rushcliffe are still missing, apparently.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Haha, Byker.

Anyway... didn't the LibDems used to be fairly strong in south Crewe? Ah, yes. They did. My memory was right. So... wow.

[Leftbehind]

Results for Burton Town, Staffordshire County and Manvers, Rushcliffe are still missing, apparently.

According to ALDC;

Burton Town, Staffordshire County
Lab 43.7 (+9.3)
Con 31.3 (+8.5)
Lib 18.6 (-9.1)
UKI  6.4 (+6.4)
[BNP15.1 (-15.1)]

(compared to Jun '09)

Manvers, Rushcliffe
Con 69.3 (-5.0)
Lab 30.7 (+5.0)

(compared to May '07)

Not to mention, the overlooked and then forgotten by-election in Camborne;

Camborne South, Cornwall
Lab  34.5% (+28.5%)
Con  33.5% (+6.6%)
MKN  20.4% (-8.0%)
Grn  11.6% (+11.6%)
[Lib 21.1% (-21.1%)]
[Ind 17.6% (-17.6%)]

(compared to May '07)

Good night for Labour (and Greens).

[MaxQue]

A comment on the "Britain Votes" website constated than another by-election was forgotten

Marchwiel, Wrexham County (that is in NE Wales, near England Border. This is a rural ward based on the Marchwiel village, just to the southeast of Wrexham City town. 2008 results were IND 51.2, IND 29.7, CONS 13.1, BNP 6.1. This by-election had only two candidates, a Conservative and an Independant (not one of those who ran in 2008)

Ind 63.7
Cons 36.3 (+26.2)

[Chancellor of the Duchy of Little Lever and Darcy Lever]

By-elections on 23rd June:

AIRYHALL/BROOMHILL/GARTHDEE, Aberdeen; caused by the resignation of a Lib Dem councillor after he was charged with embezzlement from a local community centre.  This is a built-up area in south-west Aberdeen on the north bank of the Dee, running west from the Bridge of Dee.  First preferences in 2007 were LD 37.7 C 27.4 SNP 17.3 Lab 12.8 Ind 4.8 with the Lib Dems winning 2 seats and the Conservatives 1.  Pretty much anything could happen here - the Lib Dems are obviously on the slide and have run the council for eight years, this ward is part of the Aberdeen South and North Kincardine Holyrood seat which the SNP now hold, while the Conservative group in Aberdeen is suffering from civil warfare with half of the party caucus having jumped ship.  Candidates are LD/C/SNP/Lab/Grn/NF/2 Indies.

BINSTEAD AND FISHBOURNE, Isle of Wight; caused by the death of a Conservative councillor.  This ward is on the north-east coast of the island; Fishbourne is a small village located on the estuary of Wootton Creek, while Binstead to the east is the western end of the town of Ryde.  The Isle got re-warded at the last election in 2009, at which the Conservatives defeated an Independent candidate by just four votes; the shares were C 42.5 Ind 42.1 LD 15.4.  Candidates are C/Ind/LD/Lab/UKIP; the Independent is the same one as in 2009.

COCKINGTON-WITH-CHELSTON, Torbay, Devon; caused by a Conservative councillor being elected Mayor of Torbay.  This ward is located just west of Torquay town centre and includes the former village of Cockington, now part of the town.  The results in 2007 and 2011 were both close, with the Conservatives winning three seats each time with majorities over the Lib Dems of 62 votes in 2007 and 100 votes last month; shares last month were C 36.0 LD 26.6 Lab 14.8 Grn 12.1 Ind 10.6.  Candidates for the by-election are C/LD/Lab/Grn and two Independents.

DEEPING ST JAMES, South Kesteven, Lincs; postponed from May after the death of a Lib Dem councillor who had been nominated for re-election.  The largest of several villages in the fens just north of Peterborough known as the Deepings, Deeping St James is perhaps best known as the home of the world darts champion Martin Adams.  This is a three-member ward which in 2007 had just four candidates, two Conservative, one Lib Dem and the then Labour county councillor, a colourful character who has changed his name by deed poll to Fair Deal Phil Dilks.  Shares of the vote in 2007 were C 37.7 LD 36.9 Lab 25.4.  This time there are full slates of Conservatives and Lib Dems, two Green Party candidates and two Independents (one of whom is Dilks).

ELMLEY CASTLE AND SOMERVILLE, Wychavon, Worcs; caused by no candidates being nominated for the May election (the Conservative councillor died shortly before nominations opened).  This is a long and narrow ward in the Vale of Evesham between the town itself and Bredon Hill, containing the villages of (from west to east) Great Comberton, Little Comberton, Elmley Castle, Netherton, Hinton on the Green, Sedgeberrow and Aston Somerville.  The 2007 result was C 72.4 LD 27.6 and the by-election is again a straight C/LD fight.

LLANEGWAD, Carmarthenshire; caused by an Independent councillor being disqualified for not attending any meetings in six months (due to ill-health).  This is a deeply rural area covering the lower Cothi valley until it flows into the Tywi at Nantgaredig, which is probably the largest settlement in the ward.  For what it's worth, the shares in 2008 were Ind 52.6 Ind 28.1 PC 19.4.  The by-election is a straight fight between an Independent councillor and Plaid.

ST ANDREWS, Great Yarmouth; caused by the death of a Conservative councillor.  This is an urban ward in southern Great Yarmouth on the Suffolk side of the river, just north of Gorleston.  The seat was won convincingly by the Conservatives in 2008, 62.6-37.4 over Labour, but in May Labour narrowly gained the seat by 52.2-47.8.  The by-election is again a straight C/Lab fight.

SEABRIDGE, Newcastle under Lyme; postponed from 5 May following the death of the UKIP candidate.  This ward is located at the south end of the town of Newcastle under Lyme, between the Clayton Road and the M6 motorway.  It's a fairly well-off area and this is reflected in the voting patterns, which show a safe Conservative ward.  The 2010 vote shares were C 43.4 Lab 28.9 LD 19.2 UKIP 8.4 and the same four parties are standing this time.

STANTON, Derbyshire Dales; caused when the only candidate who was nominated for this ward in the May elections withdrew.  Located in the Derwent valley just north of Darley Dale, the ward includes the villages of Stanton in Peak and Rowsley in the Peak District National Park and Northwood and Tinkersley outside it.  The 2007 result was C 59.6 LD 40.4, although I believe the Conservative councillor then left the party.  Candidates this time are C/LD/Lab.

[ObserverIE]

Newcastle-under-Lyme, Seabridge

Con 45.7 (+2.3)
Lab 40.8 (+11.9)
UKIP 9.2 (+0.8 )
Lib Dem 4.3 (-14.9)

Carmarthenshire, Llanegwad

PC 52.1 (+32.7)
Ind 47.9

Wychavon, Elmley Castle and Somerville

Con 68.8 (-3.6)
Lib Dem 31.2 (+3.6)

Torbay, Cockington with Chelston

Lib Dem 46.3 (+19.7)
Con 27.1 (-8.9)
Lab 15.8 (+1.0)
Inds 8.4
Green 2.4 (-9.7)

Isle of Wight, Binstead and Fishbourne

Ind 37.2 (-4.9)
Con 36.9 (-5.6)
Lib Dem 12.1 (-3.3)
UKIP 8.1 (+8.1)
Lab 5.7 (+5.7)

(from http://britainvotes.blogspot.com/)

Great Yarmouth, St. Andrews

Lab 51.4 (-0.8 )
Con 48.6 (+0.8 )

(compared with May 2011 - 14.0% swing to Labour since 2008 so a Labour gain)

(from http://www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/council-democracy/elections-news-information/elections-results.htm)

South Kesteven, Deeping St. James

Actual results first:

Ind Dilks 792 (elected)
Ind Stevens 647 (elected)
Con 631 (elected), 483, 318
Green 350, 289
Lib Dem 242, 70, 67

Percentages:

Ind Dilks 29.8
Ind Stevens 24.3
Con 23.7 (-14.0)
Green 13.1 (+13.1)
Lib Dem 9.1 (-27.8 )

(from http://www.southkesteven.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=4971&p=0)

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Serious Business in Caernarfon.

[minionofmidas]

Both the notion that the council can coopt members in certain circumstances, and the notion that party politics "should not" play a role in that, are so alien to my understanding of representative democracy as to make it impossible to have an opinion. Though neither is as outlandish as the notion that councillors should not discuss who to vote for before the meeting - wtfh?

[YL]

Derbyshire Dales DC, Stanton

Con 246
Lab 173
LD 84

(via the Council's Twitter feed)

At a glance that looks like a pretty good Labour performance.

[minionofmidas]

Let me guess, the LD in Kesteven whose vote total was non-joke was their incumbent.

[ObserverIE]

Let me guess, the LD in Kesteven whose vote total was non-joke was their incumbent.

From above:

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[ObserverIE]

Derbyshire Dales DC, Stanton

Con 246
Lab 173
LD 84

(via the Council's Twitter feed)

At a glance that looks like a pretty good Labour performance.

Derbyshire Dales, Stanton

Con 48.9 (-10.7)
Lab 34.4 (+34.4)
Lib Dem 16.7 (-23.7)

[minionofmidas]

Oh well, so he was locally known for some other reason... and the other two were not.

[ObserverIE]

Aberdeen City, Airyhall/Broomhill/Garthdee

1st preferences

SNP 33.2 (+15.9)
Lab 23.3 (+10.5)
Con 19.4 (-8.0)
Lib Dem 16.5 (-21.2)
Green 3.0 (+3.0)
Inds 3.9 (-0.9)
NF 0.7 (+0.7)

SNP win seat on final count.

SNP	1112	1115	1120	1136	1161	1263	1441
Lab	783	783	784	810	829	956	1068
Con	649	652	654	656	676	801
LD	554	558	562	584	599
Ind 1	98	99	109	122
Green	101	103	104
Ind 2	32	34
NF	25

http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/ElectedRepresentatives/Elections/Byelection/garthdee_byelection.asp

(via Vote2007)

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Both the notion that the council can coopt members in certain circumstances, and the notion that party politics "should not" play a role in that, are so alien to my understanding of representative democracy as to make it impossible to have an opinion. Though neither is as outlandish as the notion that councillors should not discuss who to vote for before the meeting - wtfh?

Town Councils can be Serious Business, you know.

[minionofmidas]

Both the notion that the council can coopt members in certain circumstances, and the notion that party politics "should not" play a role in that, are so alien to my understanding of representative democracy as to make it impossible to have an opinion. Though neither is as outlandish as the notion that councillors should not discuss who to vote for before the meeting - wtfh?

Town Councils can be Serious Business, you know.

That's why I don't get it.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Both the notion that the council can coopt members in certain circumstances, and the notion that party politics "should not" play a role in that, are so alien to my understanding of representative democracy as to make it impossible to have an opinion. Though neither is as outlandish as the notion that councillors should not discuss who to vote for before the meeting - wtfh?

Town Councils can be Serious Business, you know.

That's why[/i] I don't get it.

I think the general idea is that if you aren't on the Town Council (any Town Council) then you aren't supposed to get it.

[Chancellor of the Duchy of Little Lever and Darcy Lever]

Two by-elections on 30th June, both in safe Conservative wards in safe Conservative councils.

CHESHUNT CENTRAL, Broxbourne, Herts; caused by the resignation of a Conservative councillor after he was arrested on suspicion of fraud.  Just outside the Greater London boundary in the Lea Valley, Cheshunt is a dormitory town for commuters to London; Liverpool Street is fourteen miles away on the West Anglia Main Line.  The main local employer is the supermarket chain Tesco which has its head office here.  Broxbourne council (which also includes Hoddesdon to the north) is dominated by the Conservatives, with the Labour opposition able to win just one of the district's thirteen wards, and it's not this one.  Entirely built-up except for the marshy ground along the Lea, Cheshunt Central is one of the weaker Tory wards, but they still enjoy a majority of nearly a thousand votes, currently over Labour, who took second place from the BNP in 2008.  The shares of the vote in May were C 67.9 Lab 20.4 English Democrats 11.6; the by-election sees candidates from the three main parties, UKIP and an Independent.

THAMESFIELD, Wandsworth, South London; caused by the Conservative leader of the council being appointed to Boris Johnson's team of Deputy Mayors of London.  Thamesfield ward consists of the Putney bank of the River Thames south of Putney Bridge; it's served by Putney station, six miles from Waterloo on the Windsor Line, with East Putney underground station just outside the ward boundary.  For decades now Wandsworth has been a 'flagship' Tory administration which sets unbelievably low council taxes by providing almost no actual services themselves, instead 'outsourcing' them to private companies; because of this the Conservatives have had more than 70% of the council seats continuously since 1990 even though all three of the borough's constituencies voted Labour in 1997 and 2001 (and Tooting or its predecessors have been held by Labour in Parliament since 1964).  Thamesfield ward is part of the Putney seat which is the better end of the borough for the Tories, and the votes in 2010 were C 56.0 Lab 17.7 LD 16.8 Grn 9.6, the leading Tory candidate polling almost 5000 votes.  The same four parties are contesting the by-election; for some reason the Labour candidate is working the ward hard with leaflets like this:


Edit: This is my 300th post

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Difficult to think of many less promising wards in London to target, tbh.

[MaxQue]

Oh well, so he was locally known for some other reason... and the other two were not.

With some research, I got the answer.

He was the only LD local candidate. The two others were a couple living in the South Kesteven district, but not in or near the contested ward.

They don't seem to like outside candidates. The 3rd Tory candidate was also from outside the ward and he polled behind a Green.