COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 27.02.20

Seven by-elections were held last night, mostly across central England.  Labour fought five of these and their share of the vote dropped in every one, although they held two of the three seats they were defending.  There was a surprise defeat in the solid Labour territory of Manchester where the party lost to an independent.  In Cheshire there was a return to politics for ousted Labour MP Laura Smith, where she won a seat on the council.  Smith lost her Crewe & Nantwich seat in the general election and was photographed at the Job Centre last month, sparking controversy when she claimed she was "the same as millions of others in the country".  Not really Laura - you were earning an £80,000 salary with copious expenses that most unemployed folk could only dream of.

It was a mixed night for the Conservatives with votes up in three and down in four.  Two seats were held and one was lost to the Lib Dems.

Millfield, Blaby District Council

Lab: 228 (52.2%) -1.0%
Con: 188 (43.0%) -3.8%
Green: 21 (4.8%) New

Lab HOLD

Duxford, Cambridgeshire County Council

Lib Dem: 1,607 (59.6%) +26.3%
Con: 1,090 (40.4%) -14.7%

Lib Dem GAIN from Con

Crewe South, Cheshire East Council

Lab: 854 (54.1%) -7.5%
Con: 566 (35.8%) +10.3%
Green: 69 (4.4%) New
Ind: 67 (3.6%) New
Ind: 34 (2.2%) New

Lab HOLD

Hillingdon East, Hillingdon London Borough Council

Con: 1,430 (68.8%) +9.1%
Lab: 488 (23.5%) -12.7%
Lib Dem: 86 (4.1%) New
Green: 59 (2.8%) New
UKIP: 16 (0.8%) New

Con HOLD

Clayton & Openshaw, Manchester City Council

Ind: 1,191 (47.9%) +3.4%
Lab: 1,083 (43.6%) -1.4%
Con: 102 (4.1%) +0.6%
Lib Dem: 57 (2.3%) -1.0%
Green: 51 (2.1%) -1.6%

Ind GAIN from Lab

Whittlesford, South Cambridgeshire District Council

Con: 526 (55.2%) -8.1%
Lib Dem: 427 (44.8%) +30.3%

Con HOLD

Gwersyllt North, Wrexham County Borough Council

Plaid: 189 (36.6%) New
Lab: 87 (16.8%) -10.7%
Con: 78 (15.1%) -5.0%
Ind: 51 (9.9%) New
Ind: 43 (8.3%) New
Lib Dem: 41 (7.9%) New
Ind: 19 (3.7%) New
Green: 9 (1.7%) New

Plaid GAIN from Ind