COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 31.07.25

Just three council vacancies were fought over this week, two of which were Labour defences.  They managed to fend off a challenge from Green newcomers in east London, where the Labour vote share plummeted by almost 26 per cent.  There was a large swing there from Labour to both the Greens and Reform, who were also newcomers in that ward.

Labour endured a similar collapse in their vote share in Warrington, where Reform UK gained their first seat on that council.  Elsewhere, the Lib Dems completed a routine hold in their south west stronghold, where Labour did not even bother putting up a candidate this time around.  That's understandable, as their 11 per cent last time would have guaranteed them last place, even without their now trademark slump...

Thames View, Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council

Lab: 334 (36.1%) -25.9%

Grn: 277 (29.9%) New

Ref: 197 (21.3%) New

Con: 117 (12.6%) -10.6%

Lab HOLD

Barnstaple with Westacott, North Devon District Council

LDm: 505 (40.5%) +0.5%

Ref: 383 (30.7%) New

Con: 205 (16.4%) -6.1%

Grn: 154 (12.3%) -2.4%

LDm HOLD

Bewsey & Whitecross, Warrington Borough Council

Ref: 752 (43.7%) New

Lab: 631 (36.6%) -22.6%

LDm: 223 (13.0%) -8.4%

Con: 116 (6.7%) -12.7%

Ref GAIN from Lab

Abbreviations

Lab = Labour

Grn = Green

Ref = Reform UK

Con = Conservative

LDm = Liberal Democrat