UK local elections, May 2012

[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:

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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)

[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)

[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

[Andrea]

With candidates officially announced by all councils, at least 97 candidates have been elected unopposed.


Con 19 (6 in Powys, 2 in Flintshire, 1 in Flintshire, 1 in West Oxfordshire, 1 in Newcastle under Lyme, 1 in Conwy, 1 in Rugby, 6 in Monmouthshire)

Lab 20 (1 in Knowsley, 1 in Gwynedd, 2 in Powys, 2 in Pembrokeshire, 4 in Flintshire, 4 in Neath, 1 in Rhondda, 5 in Bridgend)

LD 6 (1 in Gwynedd, 3 in Powys, 1 in Pembrokeshire, 1 in Flintshire)

Plaid 22 (12 in Gwynedd, 2 in Pembrokeshire, 3 in Denbighshire, 1 in Ceredigion, 4 in Conwy)

Ind/No Description 30 (4 in Gwynedd, 12 in Powys, 7 in Pembrokeshire, 1 in Flintshire, 3 in Wrexham, 1 in Denbighshire, 1 in Ceredigion, 1 in Conwy)

Parties are already also guaranteed further 55 seats (for ex 2 members ward with 2 Lab, 1 Con standing):

Con 10 (3 in Daventry, 1 in Broxbourne, 1 in Conwy, 4 in Rugby, 1 in Dumfries and Galloway
Lab 31 (1 in Hartlepool, 2 in Flintshire, 1 in Wrexhan, 3 in Caerphilly, 1 in Neath, 2 in Rhondda, 2 in Merthyr, 3 in Blaenau Gwent, 1 in Bridgend, 2 in Swansea, 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)

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

1 LD (Argyll & Bute)


1 ward in Gwynedd has no candidates.

[Andrea]

thanks for the map.
I loved MPs and local parties congratulating on twitter, without any sign of irony, Cllrs re-elected unopposed last week.

[Andrea]

Thanks for the detailed report on various authorities.


The interesting thing if SNP win Glasgow is who will be the council leader. The current group leader is the weakest point of their campaign. She already mentioned that she may not even run when SNP will elect their new group leader after the election.

[Andrea]

Glasgow seats by ward...

Linn - 2 Lab, 1 SNP, 1 LDem
Newlands/Auldburn - 2 Lab
Greater Pollok - 2 Lab, 2 SNP
Craigton - 2 Lab, 2 SNP
Govan - 2 Lab, 1 SNP, 1 GF
Pollokshields - 1 SNP, 1 Lab, 1 Con
Langside - 1 SNP, 1 Lab, 1 Green
Southside Central - 2 Lab, 2 SNP
Calton - 2 Lab, 1 SNP
Anderston/City - 2 Lab, 1 SNP, 1 Green
Hillhead - 2 Lab, 1 SNP, 1 Green
Partick West - 2 SNP, 1 Lab, 1 Green
Garscadden/Scotstounhill - 3 Lab, 1 SNP
Drumchapel/Anniesland - 3 Lab, 1 SNP
Maryhill/Kelvin - 2 Lab, 2 SNP
Canal - 2 Lab, 1 SNP, 1 Green
Springburn - 2 Lab, 1 SNP
East Centre - 3 Lab, 1 SNP
Shettleston - 3 Lab, 1 SNP
North East - 3 Lab, 1 SNP

Baillieston doesn't seem to be in yet or isn't on the website or something.

2 Lab and 2 SNP in Baillieston. I see it's missing from the detailed results on the council website but they announced it on their twitter feed.
You left out 1 SNP in Newlands/Auldburn

[Andrea]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-18017940

Langside Ward in Glasgow may be re-run follwing the discovery of an uncounted ballot box in Battlefield. It may affect the elimination of some candidates in the earlier round. On the 8th Count a Green was elected over an SNP. Probably unlikely to change the overall result though.

EDIT: I stand corrected. The box contained up to 400 ballot papers.

A recount is taking place today.

Council website says the recount confirmed the Green took the final seat and "as the result of the rerun is not different, the Returning Officer does not intend to take any further action".