COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 24.07.25

Seven seats were up for grabs this week, with Labour defending just the one (Cardiff), which they held despite losing more than a fifth of their vote.  Reform are the new challengers in that ward, surging into second place from scratch.

The Labour vote was down in all six of the seats the party contested and they finished a humiliating last place in two of them.

Reform gained a seat from the Tories in South London, but the Conservatives faired better elsewhere.  They managed to hold off challenges from Reform newcomers in three seats, while they nominally gained a seat from the Greens in Rutland.  The Greens failed to field a candidate in the latter, providing a free-for-all for the remaining parties.

Bromley Common & Holwood, Bromley London Borough Council

Ref: 1,342 (34.0%) New

Con: 1,161 (29.4%) -11.8%

Lab: 720 (18.2%) -10.4%

LDm: 540 (13.7%) -2.2%

Grn: 185 (4.7%) -9.7%

Ref GAIN from Con

Llanrumney, Cardiff Council

Lab: 755 (39.4%) -20.5%

Ref: 630 (32.9%) New

LDm: 281 (14.7%) +9.3%

Pld: 138 (7.2%) New

Con: 64 (3.3%) -14.2%

Grn: 47 (2.5%) New

Lab HOLD

Berkhamsted West, Dacorum Borough Council

LDm: 643 (56.4%) -2.0%

Con: 357 (31.3%) -8.5%

Grn: 99 (8.7%) -0.4%

Lab: 41 (3.6%) -6.1%

LDm HOLD

Swanage, Dorset Council

Con: 1,254 (35.4%) -0.4%

Ref: 748 (20.8%) New

LDm: 737 (20.8%) +12.8%

Ind: 415 (11.7%) -7.7%

Lab: 400 (11.3%) -19.4%

Con HOLD

Borehamwood Brookmeadow, Hertsmere Borough Council

Con: 478 (29.6%) -18.7%

Ref: 394 (24.4%) New

Ind: 339 (21.0%) New

Lab: 295 (18.3%) -33.5%

LDm: 47 (2.9%) New

Grn: 37 (2.3%) New

Ind: 26 (1.6%) New

Con HOLD

Alrewas & Fradley, Lichfield District Council

Con: 690 (42.4%) -1.1%

Ref: 439 (27.0%) New

Lab: 314 (19.3%) -17.9%

LDm: 185 (11.4%) -7.9%

Con HOLD

Barleythorpe, Rutland County Council

Con: 209 (35.9%) +10.3%

LDm: 136 (23.4%) New

Ref: 123 (21.1%) New

Ind: 114 (19.6%) New

Con GAIN from Grn

Abbreviation

Ref = Reform UK

Con = Conservative

Lab = Labour

LDm = Liberal Democrat

Grn = Green

Pld = Plaid Cymru

Ind = Independents