We have a major by-election this week, that to replace our dear departed Prime Minister. Yes, that's right, it's the by-election to replace Sir Keir - despite the plank having previously promised to see out his Westminster term in full. There are also four council seats up for grabs.
UK PARLIAMENT BY-ELECTION
Holborn and St Pancras
(Lab defence)
Triggered by the resignation of a vile man, ostensibly - and ominously - to concentrate his efforts on 'international affairs'. Like Blair and Johnson before him, Starmer went as far as he possibly could in decimating our nation, before jumping ship to spread the poison around the world on behalf of the globalist project. Odds on favourite to replace him as an MP is a Somali refugee and the current leader of Camden London Borough Council. She was only appointed council leader in May, after Labour had clung onto the council despite losing 17 council seats - 10 of which to the Greens. The Greens are more dominant to the east of Camden. Two local authorities over they demolished Labour in May to take control of Hackney (which now has a pink haired Alphabet Person for its council leader). As to be expected for a Westminster by-election, the ballot paper in Holborn and St Pancras will be a crowded affair on Thursday with 15 candidates vying for the position. Candidates from across the political spectrum are represented, but this vacancy is at the heart of woke north London and is very much a left-wing tussle, as Green Party leader Zack Polanski also looks to succeed Starmer. The Tories and Reform finished fourth and fifth here in 2024, both roughly 16,000 votes behind first placed Labour. By alphabetical coincidence, the candidates for Restore Britain, Rejoin EU and Reform UK are all sandwiched together slap bang in the middle of the ballot paper and they all have blue logos! The difference is that Rejoin EU campaigners don't get hounded and screamed at by crazed leftists when they are out leafleting!
Karl - Lab HOLD
Rich - Lab HOLD
COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS
We also have four council contests, with a defence each for the SNP, the Conservatives, Labour and Reform.
Midstocket/Rosemount, Aberdeen City Council
(SNP defence)
Triggered by the death of the 71-year-old incumbent, who had represented this ward just north east of the city centre since 2007. Aberdeen used to be solid Labour territory, with the party in control from 1980 up to 2002. It has since been in the limbo land of no overall control, with multiple coalition authorities, including a highly unusual four year stretch of Lab-Con partnership. The council has also had minority Lib Dem and SNP administrations, with these two parties sharing power since 2022. Reform UK and two independents join the ballot on Thursday.
Karl - SNP HOLD
Rich - SNP HOLD
Kilburn, Denby, Holbrook & Horsley, Amber Valley Borough Council
(Con defence)
Triggered by the resignation of the incumbent, for unspecified reasons. This rural ward is sandwiched between the market towns of Belper and Heanor, in a borough that has bounced between Tory, Labour and no overall control since the 1980s. The longest period of unbroken control was a 14 year Conservative run between 2000 and 2014. It has gone blue twice more since then, but is currently run by a minority Labour administration. There was a by-election here in May 2025, in which Labour were pushed into third by the Greens. There is no independent or Lib Dem standing this time, but both Reform and Restore are new entries. Will the latter cancel each other out again?
Karl - Con HOLD
Rich - Con HOLD
Myatt's Fields, Lambeth London Borough Council
(Lab defence)
While all the attention is north of the river in Camden, there is a council seat up for grabs south of it. and another Labour defence. This contest was triggered by the death of the incumbent, who died from cancer. Her age is not known, but judging from photographs she was probably in her 60s. This is a fairly mixed ward, with high levels of deprivation in some parts and heavily regenerated or 'gentrified' parts. Like most London wards, the native population is a minority, but not overwhelmingly so here. The Greens gained one of two Labour seats here in May, but the Labour incumbent clung on to her seat by just 17 votes. Dropping out from May are an independent and the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, while entering the fray are the Socialist Party of Great Britain and the Christian Peoples Alliance.
Karl - Lab HOLD
Rich - Lab HOLD
Town, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
(Ref defence)
Triggered by the resignation of the incumbent, citing various reasons, but stupidity appears to be a significant factor. She was only elected in May this year, but upon being informed of her victory (apparently she did not even attend the count) she rocked up at the council house for Kidsgrove Town Council - only to be told she had not been elected to that council. She later sent her resignation letter to that same council and complained that she had received 'very little to no training for this role' (it is not clear if this was a dig at Reform or Newcastle-under-Lyne Council, or a combination of both). Kidsgrove Council eventually forwarded her resignation to Newcastle-under-Lyme Council and she officially left office citing health reasons. Reform took control of the council in May, ending a five year run of Conservative control. The same five parties that contested this ward in May will do so again on Thursday.
Karl - Lab GAIN
Rich - Lab GAIN
Richey led Karl by five points going into this week's round of the head-to-head and that won't change with the pair having gone like-for-like across the board.
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