COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 09.10.25

Seven by-elections were held this week, including a Wednesday contest that was easily held by the Lib Dems.  The following day the Lib Dems held again, this time in Somerset, and also took a seat from the Conservatives in neighbouring Devon.

This week was a good test of how the Tory party conference had played out to the electorate, with three seats being defended - one each in the north of England, south of England and Midlands.  They lost all three.  Furthermore, their vote share was down in all seven seats, including double digit drops in four of them.  In all three losses they slumped to third place.

Reform took two of the Tory seats, while they held in Northamptonshire.  If you recall, Reform were struggling to hold seats following the local elections, but they have now held their last four defences.

Labour's only defence was a seat in Lancashire, in which the outgoing councillor had resigned from the party last year before continuing as an independent.  Labour failed to retake the seat, losing out to residents' group Our West Lancashire and being pushed into third by Reform.

Widcombe & Lydcombe, Bath and North East Somerset Council

LDm: 769 (44.4%) -11.8%

Grn: 267 (15.4%) +0.6%

Lab: 212 (12.2%) +4.7%

Ref: 206 (11.9%) New

Con: 149 (8.6%) -12.8%

Ind: 83 (4.8%) New

Ind: 45 (2.6%) New

LDm HOLD

Lloyds & Corby Village, North Northamptonshire Council

Ref: 754 (38.5%) +2.1%

Lab: 635 (32.4%) -11.8%

Grn: 371 (18.9%) +9.7%

LDm: 113 (5.8%) +1.5%

Con: 86 (4.4%) -1.5%

Ref HOLD

Skelton East, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council

Ref: 839 (65.3%) New

Lab: 247 (19.2%) -10.7%

Con: 179 (13.9%) -29.4%

LDm: 19 (1.5%) -1.5%

Ref GAIN from Con

Kenn Valley, Teignbridge District Council

LDm: 1,116 (50.4%) +11.0%

Ref: 512 (23.1%) New

Con: 212 (9.6%) -19.0%

Ind: 181 (8.2%) New

Grn: 122 (5.5%) -13.9%

Lab: 59 (2.7%) -9.9%

Ind: 12 (0.5%) New

LDm GAIN from Con

Aughton & Holborn, West Lancashire Borough Council

Ind: 704 (35.5%) +10.4%

Ref: 478 (24.1%) +18.6%

Lab: 385 (19.4%) -21.3%

Con: 295 (14.9%) -8.7%

Grn: 78 (3.9%) -1.1%

LDm: 42 (2.1%) New

Ind GAIN from Lab

Bretforton & Offenham, Wychavon District Council

Ref: 357 (43.5%) New

Grn: 213 (25.9%) New

Con: 165 (20.1%) -35.4%

Lab: 33 (4.0%) -25.9%

LDm: 31 (3.8%) -10.8%

Ind: 12 (1.5%) New

Ind: 10 (1.2%) New

Ref GAIN from Con

Yateley West, Hart District Council

(held on Wednesday)

LDm: 1,101 (54.7%) -5.9%

Ref: 562 (27.9%) New

Con: 348 (17.3%) -8.2%

LDm HOLD