COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 12.02.26

Two seats were available on Thursday, with a third having been decided earlier this week.  All three of this week's vacancies have come about through the demise of the incumbents.

As we predicted, the Tories had too much in Bradford to easily hold off Reform.  The defending party was aided by a campaign gift from Reform, who had demanded the election go ahead despite the fact that the seat is vacated in 12 weeks time anyway.  The cost to the taxpayer was reportedly £30,000.

Not for the first time this week, the Labour party slumped to fourth place from first in Thursday's other contest.  Reform came from nowhere to take the Peterborough seat by a slender margin of 36 votes over the Greens.  As you can see from all three seats - the Labour vote is in freefall.

Worth Valley, City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Con: 1,815 (51.7%) -4.7%

Ref: 917 (26.1%) New

Lab: 425 (12.1%) -19.6%

Grn: 245 (7.0%) -1.0%

LDm: 83 (2.4%) -1.6%

Ind: 29 (0.8%) New

Con HOLD

Fletton & Woodston, Peterborough City Council

Ref: 565 (29.4%) New

Grn: 529 (27.6%) +16.2%

Con: 419 (21.8%) -11.8%

Lab: 323 (16.8%) -31.2%

LDm: 84 (4.4%) -0.7%

Ref GAIN from Lab

In Tuesday's action, Labour plummeted to fourth place in west Wales.  They had previously won the seat in a head-to-head with the Conservatives, but on Tuesday fell behind three newcomers.  The untimely death of their disabled councillor at the age of 34 didn't draw much sympathy among voters in the port town, with Plaid taking advantage of a very poor turnout.

Fishguard North East, Pembrokeshire County Council

Pld: 253 (33.8%) New

LDm: 135 (18.0%) New

Ref: 95 (12.7%) New

Lab: 83 (11.1%) -47.9%

Ind: 79 (10.5%) New

Con: 69 (9.2%) -31.9%

Ind: 35 (4.7%) New

Pld GAIN from Lab

BY-ELECTIONS 23.10.25

Plaid Cymru have taken the Senedd seat of Caerphilly in a crucial indicator of how next May's Senedd elections could pan out.

Labour's red wall in south Wales has never fallen, not even in the 2019 Brexit election that saw many seats in the red wall across northern England turn Tory blue.  However, recent council by-elections had seen Reform taking several Labour seats in the Valleys that make up the sturdiest red wall of all.

Reform were also expected to take the Senedd seat of Caerphilly on Thursday, but polls and bookmakers called it wrong.  The most recent poll conducted in the constituency found Reform leading on 42 per cent, closely followed by Plaid Cymru on 38 per cent.  Labour were way back on just 12 per cent.  Bookies put even more faith in Reform gaining this seat, making them odds on favourites, considerably ahead of Plaid, but miles in front of Labour who were languishing way back on 33-1.

It would have been a colossal victory for Reform, having previously finished last in 2021 with less than two per cent of the vote.  They still surged past every other party in this by-election - except for one.  Plaid Cymru emerged victorious with a fairly comfortable margin over Reform of 3,848.  Labour finished a distant third, as predicted, but they will take solace in the fact that their left-wing comrades in Plaid were the victors and not the dreaded Reform.

Labour had held Caerphilly since the dawn of what was then known as the Welsh Assembly.  Its first AM (now termed MS) was Ron Davies, the leader of Welsh Labour who led the charge for devolution back in the late 90s, before an infamous incident on Clapham Common in London brought him down in disgrace.

The most recent MS for Caerphilly was Hefin David, who was found dead in a suspected suicide two months ago.  In the 2021 Senedd election he secured Labour's biggest ever majority in the constituency, which has now been overturned by the fake nationalists of Plaid Cymru.  And check out that huge swing from Labour to Reform...

Caerphilly, Senedd

Lindsay Whittle (Pld) 15,961 (47.4%) +19.0%

Llŷr Powell (Ref) 12,113 (36.0%) +34.2%

Richard Tunnicliffe (Lab) 3,713 (11.0%) -34.9%

Gareth Potter (Con) 690 (2.0%) -15.3%

Gareth Hughes (Grn) 516 (1.5%) New

Steven Aicheler (LDm) 497 (1.5%) -1.2%

Anthony Cook (Gwd) 117 (0.3%) New

Roger Quilliam (UKIP) 79 (0.2%) New

Previous result

Hefin David (Lab) 13,289 (46.0%) +10.7%

Delyth Jewell (Pld) 8,211 (28.4%) -1.1%

Steven Mayfield (Con) 5,013 (17.3%) +8.4%

Stephen Jones (AbAs) 1,119 (3.9%) New

Steven Aicheler (LDm) 787 (2.7%) +1.3%

Tim Price (Ref) 495 (1.7%) New

There were also seven council contests taking place on Thursday, with Labour defending two seats - one each in south Birmingham and Colchester, Essex.  They were defeated in Birmingham by the Lib Dems, who were very much in the ascendancy overall.  The Moseley ward was previously contested for two seats, which is why the vote shares look a little off.  It is very much a left-leaning 'progressive' ward, which is why Reform and the Tories were nowhere to be seen.

Labour managed to cling on in Colchester, holding off a Lib Dem challenge, but saw their vote share plummet.  The Labour vote share was down in every seat contested, with the exception of Glastonbury in Somerset, where they were newcomers.

Reform made a gain in Portsmouth at the hands of an outgoing independent, garnering more than five times the vote of the second placed Tories.  Overall, Reformers would probably be disheartened by this election night, but the truth is that they are still taking the electoral landscape by storm.  From the other six council seats contested, they finished second in four at the first time of asking.

The Tories held a seat in Cambridgeshire, but lost a seat to the Lib Dems in Somerset.  The Lib Dems really were the success story of these council by-elections, gaining three and holding another.  There is still little evidence of a Green bounce, as per opinion polling, although they did marginally increase their vote share in three of five seats contested.

Moseley, Birmingham City Council

LDm: 1,634 (34.7%) -11.9%

Lab: 1,149 (24.4%) -14.1%

Ind: 923 (19.6%) New

Grn: 474 (10.1%) +1.5%

Ref: 345 (7.3%) New

Con: 101 (2.4%) -4.1%

Ind: 80 (1.7%) New

LDm GAIN from Lab

New Town & Christ Church, Colchester City Council

Lab: 800 (29.7%) -27.6%

LDm: 657 (24.4%) +12.1%

Ref: 600 (22.3%) New

Grn: 401 (14.9%) +5.3%

Con: 200 (7.4%) -8.9%

Ind: 38 (1.4%) -3.1%

Lab HOLD

Whittlesey North West, Fenland District Council

Con: 483 (47.5%) -9.8%

Ref: 346 (34.1%) New

Ind: 127 (12.5%) New

Lab: 60 (5.9%) -16.2%

Con HOLD

Paulsgrove, Portsmouth City Council

Ref: 1,770 (64.2%) New

Con: 311 (11.3%) -4.0%

Lab: 289 (10.5%) -4.1%

LDm: 239 (8.7%) +5.7%

Grn: 143 (5.3%) +1.9%

Ref GAIN from Ind

Glastonbury, Somerset Council

LDm: 882 (36.4%) -0.7%

Ref: 523 (21.6%) New

Con: 506 (20.9%) -9.7%

Grn: 480 (19.8%) -7.5%

Lab: 35 (1.4%) New

LDm HOLD

Dunster, Somerset Council

LDm: 1142 (49.6%) +8.4%

Ref: 666 (28.9%) New

Con: 449 (19.5%) -22.8%

Lab: 44 (1.9%) -4.2%

LDm GAIN from Con

Milton & Tamarside, Torridge District Council

LDm: 428 (37.5%) New

Ref: 355 (31.1%) New

Con: 191 (16.7%) New

Ind: 101 (8.8%) New

Grn: 67 (5.9%) -23.9%

LDm GAIN from Ind

Abbreviations

Pld = Plaid Cymru

Ref = Reform UK

Lab = Labour

Con = Conservative

Grn = Green

LDm = Liberal Democrat

Gwd = Gwlad

UKIP = United Kingdom Independence Party

AbAs = Abolish the Welsh Assembly

Ind = Independent

MAYORAL RESULTS

There were six regional and metropolitan mayoral elections held on Thursday, including two new posts - Greater Lincolnshire and Hull & East Yorkshire.  Labour were defending the four existing posts and successfully fought off strong Reform challenges in three of them.  Labour narrowly beat Reform by just a few hundred votes in both Doncaster and North Tyneside.  The Conservatives scored a gain from Labour in Cambridgeshire, which at the time of writing is the only piece of good news for the Tories on a torrid day.

Having wreaked devastating damage on the Tories on county councils across England, Reform UK took both of the new mayoral posts.  Ex-Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns triumphed for Reform in Greater Lincolnshire, while former Team GB boxer Luke Campbell became the first mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire.

Here are the results in full.

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough

Paul Bristow (Con) 60,243 (28.4%)

Ryan Coogan (Ref) 49,647 (23.4%)

Anna Smith (Lab) 42,671 (20.1%)

Lorna Dupré (LDm) 41,611 (19.6%)

Bob Ensch (Grn) 18,255 (8.6%)

Con GAIN from Lab

Doncaster

Ros Jones (Lab) 23,805 (32.6%) 

Alexander Jones (Ref) 23,107 (31.6%)

Nick Fletcher (Con) 18,982 (26.0%)

Julie Buckley (Grn) 2,449 (3.4%)

Andrew Walmsley (Yrks) 1,164 (1.6%)

David Bettney (SDP) 929 (1.3%)

Mihai Melenciuc (LDm) 895 (1.2%)

Frank Calladine (BDm) 448 (0.6%)

Ahsan Jamil (WPB) 434 (0.6%)

Andy Hiles (TUS) 393 (0.5%)

Richie Vallance (Ind) 245 (0.3%)

Doug Wright (Ind) 157 (0.2%)

Lab HOLD

Greater Lincolnshire

Andrea Jenkyns (Ref) 104,133 (42.0%)

Rob Waltham (Con) 64,585 (26.1%)

Jason Stockwood (Lab) 30,384 (12.3%)

Marianne Overton (Ind) 19,911 (8.0%)

Sally Horscroft (Grn) 15,040 (6.1%)

Trevor Young (LDm) 13,728 (5.5%)

Ref WIN (new post)

Hull & East Yorkshire

Luke Campbell (Ref) 48,491 (35.8%)

Mike Ross (LDm) 37,510 (27.7%)

Anne Handley (Con) 21,393 (15.8%)

Margaret Pinder (Lab) 18,568 (13.7%)

Kerry Harrison (Grn) 5,049 (3.7%)

Rowan Halstead (Yrks) 4,372 (3.2%)

Ref WIN (new post)

North Tyneside

Karen Clark (Lab) 16,230 (30.2%)

John Falkenstein (Ref) 15,786 (29.4%)

Liam Bones (Con) 11,017 (20.5%)

Chloe-Louise Reilly (Grn) 3,980 (7.4%)

John Appleby (LDm) 3,453 (6.4%)

Cath Davis (Ind) 1,780 (3.3%)

Martin Uren (Ind) 1,460 (2.7%)

Lab HOLD

West of England

Helen Godwin (Lab) 51,197 (25.0%)

Arron Banks (Ref) 45,252 (22.1%)

Mary Page (Grn) 41,094 (20.0%)

Steve Smith (Con) 34,092 (16.6%)

Oli Henman (LDm) 28,711 (14.0%)

Ian Scott (Ind) 4,682 (2.3%)

Lab HOLD

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 24.10.24

A total of 13 seats were available in this week's round of by-elections, with Labour defending six of them.  It was yet another grim set of results for them, with three of those seats lost to the Conservatives.  Labour finished last in two contests, while the vote share was also down in all 11 of the seats it contested - including some huge margins.  It was down 31.4 per cent in Calderdale, 26.3 per cent in South Ribble and 30.2 per cent in Surrey Heath.

Muscliff & Strouden Park - Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council

Con: 1,008 (42.3%) +16.4%

Lab: 424 (17.8%) -3.0%

Ind: 406 (17.0%) New

Ind: 188 (7.9%) New

LDm: 174 (7.3%) +1.9%

Ind: 100 (4.2%) New

Grn: 84 (3.5%) New

Con GAIN from Ind

Calder - Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Lab: 1,009 (36.3%) -31.4%

Grn: 784 (28.2%) +13.8%

LDm: 410 (14.6%) +9.6%

Ind: 316 (11.4%) New

Con: 251 (9.0%) -3.9%

SDP: 12 (0.4%) New

Lab HOLD

Northgate & West Green - Crawley Borough Council

Lab: 704 (38.5%) -15.0%

Con: 492 (26.9%) -2.0%

Ref: 292 (16.0%) New

Grn: 174 (9.5%) -3.0%

WPB: 133 (7.3%) New

TUS: 35 (1.9%) -3.2%

Lab HOLD

Prestatyn North - Denbighshire County Council

Con: 295 (25.9%) +0.1%

Ind: 221 (19.4%) New

Ref: 218 (19.2%) New

Lab: 212 (18.6%) -18.7%

Plaid: 169 (14.9%) -4.4%

LDm: 33 (2.0%) New

Con GAIN from Lab

Croft - East Lindsey District Council

Con: 198 (46.5%)

Ind: 79 (18.5%)

LDm: 75 (17.6%)

Ind: 48 (11.3%)

Grn: 21 (4.9%)

Lab: 5 (1.2%)

Con HOLD (previously elected unopposed)

Whickham North - Gateshead Borough Council

LDm: 902 (64.6%) +6.7%

Lab: 285 (20.4%) -6.3%

Con: 137 (9.8%) +0.9%

Grn: 72 (5.2%) -1.3%

LDm HOLD

Talybolion - Isle of Anglesey County Council

Ind: 678 (51.6%) +24.6%

Plaid: 518 (39.4%) -9.6%

Con: 72 (5.5%) -14.5%

Grn: 46 (3.5%) +0.5%

Ind GAIN from Plaid

Hemlington - Middlesbrough Borough Council

Lab: 422 (53.1%) -10.2%

Con: 251 (31.6%) +16.0%

Ind: 55 (6.9%) New

WPB: 47 (5.9%) New

LDm: 20 (2.5%) New

Lab HOLD

Town - Monmouthshire County Council

Con: 350 (58.9%) +29.9%

Lab: 184 (31.0%) -15.3%

LDm: 41 (6.9%) -1.6%

Grn: 19 (3.2%) New

Con GAIN from Lab

Barton & Becton - New Forest District Council

Con: 671 (57.1%) -0.9%

LDm: 505 (42.9%) +18.9%

Con HOLD

Histon & Impington - South Cambridgeshire District Council

LDm: 942 (38.7%) -2.3%

Ind: 617 (25.3%) +4.1%

Grn: 420 (17.3%) +5.8%

Con: 283 (11.6%) -0.1%

Lab: 172 (7.1%) -7.4%

LDm HOLD

Middleforth - South Ribble Borough Council

Con: 517 (46.3%) +21.7%

Lab: 362 (32.4%) -26.3%

LDm: 173 (15.5%) -0.9%

Grn: 64 (5.7%) New

Con GAIN from Lab

Old Dean - Surrey Heath Borough Council

LDm: 394 (44.7%) New

Con: 278 (31.6%) -27.3%

Ref: 109 (12.4%) New

Lab: 96 (10.9%) -30.2%

Ind: 4 (0.5%) New

LDm GAIN from Con

Abbreviations

Con = Conservative

Lab = Labour

LDm = Liberal Democrat

Grn = Green

SDP = Social Democratic Party

Ref = Reform UK

WPB = Workers Party of Britain

TUS = Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition

Plaid = Plaid Cymru

Ind = Independents and local groups

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 19.09.24

There were eight seats up for grabs on Thursday, plus one contest held on Monday.  With the exception of Huntingdonshire, where Labour were newcomers, the Labour vote share was down in all the other seats.  They lost four seats in total, three to the Conservatives and one to the Lib Dems.  They held three others, despite huge swings to the Lib Dems in Cornwall, Reform in Hartlepool and a combination of the Greens and Workers Party in Westminster.

The Tories were defending three seats, two of which were successfully held in Hartlepool, while they lost to an independent in Huntingdonshire.

Sidemoor, Bromsgrove District Council

LDem: 276 (52.6%) +24.9%

Con: 141 (26.9%) +3.1%

Lab: 87 (16.6%) -29.2%

Grn: 21 (4.0%) New

LDem GAIN from Lab

Falmouth Penwerris, Cornwall County Council

Lab: 337 (44.7%) -19.8%

LDem: 228 (30.2%) +25.5%

Grn: 189 (25.1%) +16.6%

Lab HOLD

Burn Valley, Hartlepool Borough Council

Lab: 475 (47.5%) -21.5%

Ref: 399 (39.9%) +23.9%

LDem: 89 (8.9%) New

Grn: 36 (3.6%) New

Lab HOLD

St Neots Eatons, Huntingdonshire District Council

Ind: 531 (32.7%) New

LDem: 426 (26.2%) +2.3%

Con: 420 (25.9%) -5.4%

Ind: 125 (7.7%) New

Lab: 77 (4.7%) New

Grn: 45 (2.8%) -8.7%

Ind GAIN from Con

Harrow Road, Westminster City Council

Lab: 512 (44.2%) -27.5%

Grn: 244 (21.1%) New

WPB: 166 (14.3%) New

Con: 162 (14.0%) -3.9%

LDem: 63 (5.4%) -4.9%

Ind: 11 (0.9%) New

Lab HOLD

West End, Westminster City Council

Con: 627 (48.8%) +8.5%

Lab: 489 (38.1%) -10.5%

Grn: 94 (7.3%) New

LDem: 74 (5.8%) -5.3%

Con GAIN from Lab

Fairfield, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (two seats)

Con (2): 1,291 & 1,181 (54.2%) +12.0%

Lab (2): 528 & 496 (22.2%) -4.4%

Ref (2): 344 & 304 (14.5%) +6.4%

Ind: 110 (4.6%) New

Grn: 62 (2.6%) New

LDem (2): 45 & 43 (1.9%) New

Con HOLD (two seats)

Marine, Worthing Borough Council

Con: 865 (40.7%) +7.9%

Lab: 781 (36.8%) -16.0%

Ref: 228 (10.7%) New

Grn: 138 (6.5%) -2.7%

LDem: 113 (5.3%) +0.1%

Con GAIN from Lab

Bestwood St Albans, Gedling Borough Council (held on Monday)

Con: 358 (47.8%) +16.3%

Lab: 300 (40.1%) -12.3%

LDem: 91 (12.1%) +6.3%

Con GAIN from Lab

Abbreviations

LDem = Liberal Democrat

Con = Conservative

Lab = Labour

Grn = Green

Ref = Reform UK

WPB = Workers Party of Britain

Ind = Independents

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 12.09.24

Ten council contests this week, including three in London.  Labour held in Tower Hamlets with an increased vote share, but their vote fell in Hackney where they lost a seat to the Greens.

Elsewhere there were Labour holds in Cambridge, Gateshead and Milton Keynes, but the Labour vote was down in all three.  They gained a seat from the Conservatives on the Isle of Arran with a huge swing, due in part to the absence of an SNP candidate and the Scotting voting system.  The Labour vote was down in seven of the ten by-elections.

The Lib Dems held two of the three seats they were defending, but surrendered a seat to an independent candidate in Norfolk.  The Lib Dems chose not to defend the seat after the sitting councillor passed away, instead endorsing the independent candidate who ended up winning the seat.

Romsey, Cambridge City Council

Lab: 596 (42.8%) -2.7%

Grn: 409 (29.4%) +8.7%

LDem: 249 (17.9%) +3.4%

Con: 138 (9.9%) -9.3%

Lab HOLD

Bridges, Gateshead Borough Council

Lab: 320 (30.6%) -27.7%

LDem: 255 (24.4%) +13.0%

Grn: 253 (24.2%) +9.8%

Ref: 166 (15.9%) New

Con: 53 (5.1%) -10.9%

Lab HOLD

London Fields, Hackney London Borough Council

Lab: 746 (54.1%) -6.9%

Ind: 437 (31.7%) New

Con: 72 (5.2%) New

LDem: 71 (5.2%) -8.0%

WPB: 52 (3.8%) New

Lab HOLD

Stoke Newington, Hackney London Borough Council

Grn: 1,253 (53.0%) +19.5%

Lab: 945 (40.0%) -19.2%

LDem: 78 (3.3%) New

Con: 74 (3.1%) -4.1%

Ind: 12 (0.5%) New

Grn GAIN from Lab

Bletchley East, Milton Keynes City Council

Lab: 869 (49.7%) -7.1%

Con: 431 (24.7%) -0.7%

Ind: 147 (8.4%) New

Grn: 143 (8.2%) +2.6%

LDem: 127 (7.3%) +0.5%

Herit: 30 (1.7%) New

Lab HOLD

North Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne City Council

LDem: 740 (64.5%) +2.9%

Lab: 234 (20.4%) -6.0%

Grn: 93 (8.1%) -0.2%

Con: 35 (3.1%) -0.6%

Ref: 26 (2.3%) New

PoW: 19 (1.7%) New

LDem HOLD

Freebridge Lynn, Norfolk County Council

Ind: 723 (53.8%) New

Con: 454 (33.8%) +2.8%

Lab: 167 (12.4%) +5.8%

Ind GAIN from LDem

Arran, North Ayrshire Council

(first preference votes)

Lab: 748 (45.4%) +35.4%

Ind: 402 (24.4%) +2.4%

Grn: 340 (20.6%) +10.7%

Con: 90 (5.5%) -27.0%

Ref: 55 (3.3%) New

LDem: 12 (0.7%) New

Lab GAIN from Con (elected at stage 5)

North Walsham Market Cross, North Norfolk Council

LDem: 283 (46.5%) -3.8%

Con: 239 (39.3%) +1.8%

Grn: 53 (8.7%) New

Lab: 33 (5.4%) -6.7%

LDem HOLD

Bow East, Tower Hamlets London Borough Council

Lab: 1,266 (53.3%) +6.1%

Grn: 722 (30.4%) +14.1%

Con: 239 (10.1%) +4.4%

LDem: 148 (6.2%) -2.3%

Lab HOLD

Abbreviations

Lab = Labour

Grn = Green

LDem = Liberal Democrat

Con = Conservative

Ref = Reform UK

WPB = Workers Party of Britain

Herit = Heritage

PoW = Party of Women

Ind = Independents

POLICE & CRIME COMMISSIONERS 2024

The results of the police and crime commissioner elections will appear below as they come in.

Avon & Somerset

Clare Moody (Lab) 95,982 (32.3%) +8.6%

Mark Shelford (Con) 91,006 (30.6%) -4.1%

Katy Grant (Grn) 64,623 (21.7%) +5.3%

Benet Allen (LDem) 45,864 (15.4%) +2.0%

Lab GAIN from Con

Bedfordshire

John Tizard (Lab) 40,745 (40.5%) +5.5%

Festus Akinbusoye (Con) 35,688 (35.5%) -6.9%

Jasbir Singh Parmar (LDem) 15,857 (15.8%) -2.7%

Waheed Akbar (WkP) 8,396 (8.3%) New

Lab GAIN from Con

Cambridgeshire

Darryl Preston (Con) 61,688 (38.1%) -4.8%

Anna Smith (Lab) 58,304 (36.0%) +4.7%

Edna Murphy (LDem) 41,984 (25.9%) +3.6%

Con HOLD

Cheshire

Dan Price (Lab) 86,279 (48.1%) +10.8%

John Dwyer (Con) 65,836 (36.7%) -7.9%

Paul Duffy (LDem) 27,342 (15.2%) +0.7%

Lab GAIN from Con

Cleveland

Matt Storey (Lab) 65,418 (52.6%) +23.7%

Steve Turner (Con) 58,977 (47.4%) -6.8%

Lab GAIN from Con

Cumbria

David Allen (Lab) 38,708 (47.4%) +21.3%

Mike Johnson (Con) 24,863 (30.4%) -23.1%

Adrian Waite (LDem) 18,100 (22.2%) +1.8%

Lab GAIN from Con

Derbyshire

Nicolle Ndiweni (Lab) 93,260 (43.6%) +6.1%

Angelique Foster (Con) 65,293 (30.5%) -25.5%

Russell Armstrong (RefUK) 32,944 (15.4%) +11.6%

David Hancock (LDem) 22,540 (12.1%) +2.8%

Lab GAIN from Con

Devon & Cornwall

Alison Hernandez (Con) 131,764 (43.3%) -6.7%

Daniel Steel (Lab) 107,897 (35.4%) +15.2%

Steve Lodge (LDem) 64,790 (21.3%) +3.4%

Con HOLD

Dorset

David Sidwick (Con) 57,994 (38.2%) -4.3%

Howard Legg (LDem) 34,774 (22.9%) +11.1%

Marianne Storey (Ind) 32,237 (21.2%) New

David Stokes (Lab) 26,884 (17.7%) +6.8%

Con HOLD

Durham

Joy Allen (Lab) 66,852 (56.0%) +12.2%

Rob Potts (Con) 37,773 (31.7%) -11.3%

Nigel Boddy (LDem) 14,678 (12.3%) -0.9%

Lab HOLD

Dyfed-Powys

Dafydd Llywelyn (Plaid) 31,323 (40.9%) -7.3%

Ian Harrison (Con) 19,134 (25.0%) -9.0%

Philippa Thompson (Lab) 18,353 (24.0%) +0.3%

Justin Griffiths (LDem) 7,719 (10.1%) +1.4%

Plaid HOLD

Essex

Roger Hirst (Con) 126,447 (37.1%) -16.9%

Adam Fox (Lab) 116,875 (34.3%) +11.4%

Kieron Franks (LDem) 52,922 (15.5%) +2.2%

Robin Tilbrook (EDem) 34,153 (13.2%) +3.4%

Con HOLD

Gloucestershire

Chris Nelson (Con) 47,838 (32.7%) -8.0%

Martin Surl (LDem) 46,352 (31.7%) +12.7%

Ashley Smith (Lab) 35,069 (24.0%) +7.9%

Matthew Randolph (Ind) 15,240 (10.4%) +10.4%

Con HOLD

Gwent

Jane Mudd (Lab) 28,476 (41.7%) -0.1%

Hannah Jarvis (Con) 21,919 (32.1%) +3.2%

Donna Cushing (Plaid) 9,864 (14.4%) -1.8%

Mike Hamilton (LDem) 8,078 (11.8%) +7.6%

Lab HOLD

Hampshire & Isle of Wight

Donna Jones (Con) 175,953 (42.3%) -7.5%

Becky Williams (Lab) 106,141 (25.5%) +6.2%

Prad Bains (LDem) 92,843 (22.3%) +4.5%

Don Jerrard (JAC) 40,691 (9.8%) New

Con HOLD

Hertfordshire

Jonathan Ash-Edwards (Con) 93,658 (36.7%) -11.8%

Sean Prendergast (LDem) 68,264 (26.7%) -0.7%

Tom Plater (Lab) 66,585 (26.1%) +2.0%

Matt Fisher (Grn) 26,714 (10.5%) New

 

Con HOLD

Humberside

Jonathan Evison (Con) 51,083 (39.7%) -5.9%

Simon O'Rourke (Lab) 46,846 (36.4%) -3.0%

Bob Morgan (LDem) 30,834 (24.0%) +8.9%

Con HOLD

Kent

Matthew Scott (Con) 120,491 (44.1%) -13.7%

Lenny Rolles (Lab) 92,508 (33.9%) +8.6%

Graham Colley (LDem) 60,279 (22.1%) +5.1%

Con HOLD

Lancashire

Clive Grunshaw (Lab) 135,638 (47.1%) +2.3%

Andrew Snowden (Con) 101,281 (35.1%) -6.5%

Neil Darby (LDem) 51,252 (17.8%) +9.0%

Lab GAIN from Con

Leicestershire

Rupert Matthews (Con) 62,280 (35.3%) -14.0%

Rory Palmer (Lab) 61,420 (34.8%) +1.5%

Aasiya Bora (Grn) 23,649 (13.4%) New

Ian Sharpe (LDem) 22,041 (12.5%) -5.0%

Fizza Askari (OneL) 7,104 (4.0%) New

Con HOLD

Lincolnshire

Marc Jones (Con) 39,639 (36.5%) -23.2%

Mike Horder (Lab) 31,931 (29.5%) +9.5%

Peter Escreet (RefUK) 15,518 (14.3%) +10.8%

Lesley Rollings (LDem) 13,380 (12.4%) +6.4%

David Dickason (EDem) 7,739 (7.2%) New

Con HOLD

Merseyside

Emily Spurrell (Lab) 152,640 (61.7%) +4.9%

Bob Teesdale (Con) 35,221 (14.2%) -8.6%

Amanda Onwuemene (Grn) 31,330 (12.7%) +12.7%

Christopher Carubia (LDem) 28,093 (11.4%) -5.2%

Lab HOLD

Norfolk

Sarah Taylor (Lab) 52,445 (35.2%) +13.1%

Giles Orpen-Smellie (Con) 50,567 (33.9%) -11.2%

Martin Schmierer (Grn) 23,628 (15.8%) +5.6%

John Crofts (LDem) 22,525 (15.1%) +1.4%

Lab GAIN from Con

Northamptonshire

Danielle Stone (Lab) 43,684 (39.3%) +11.8%

Martyn Emberson (Con) 39,714 (35.7%) -17.5%

Ana Savage Gunn (LDem) 27,799 (25.0%) +9.7%

Lab GAIN from Con

Northumbria

Susan Dungworth (Lab) 176,311 (51.0%) +4.4%

Ros Munro (Con) 78,818 (22.8%) -8.1%

John Appleby (LDem) 58,574 (17.0%) +6.3%

Mustaque Rahman (Ind) 31,773 (9.2%) New

Lab HOLD

North Wales

Andy Dunbobbin (Lab) 31,950 (36.0%) +6.9%

Brian Jones (Con) 26,281 (29.6%) -2.0%

Ann Griffith (Plaid) 23,466 (26.4%) -2.0%

Richard Marbrow (LDem) 7,129 (8.0%) +3.7%

Lab HOLD

Nottinghamshire

Gary Godden (Lab) 119,355 (52.1%) +8.6%

Caroline Henry (Con) 77,148 (33.7%) -14.2%

David Watts (LDem) 32,410 (14.2%) +5.5%

Lab GAIN from Con

South Wales

Emma Wools (Lab) 73,128 (45.2%) +4.2%

George Carroll (Con) 43,344 (26.8%) +2.5%

Dennis Clarke (Plaid) 27,410 (16.9%) -2.1%

Sam Bennett (LDem) 17,908 (11.1%) +6.5%

Lab HOLD

Staffordshire

Ben Adams (Con) 73,500 (45.6%) -10.1%

Alastair Watson (Lab) 70,128 (43.5%) +16.0%

Alec Sandiford (LDem) 17,666 (11.0%) +6.6%

Con HOLD

Suffolk

Tim Passmore (Con) 52,968 (40.2%) -14.5%

Robin Wales (Lab) 41,734 (31.7%) +8.7%

Rachel Smith-Lyte (Grn) 22,488 (17.1%) +3.5%

James Sandbach (LDem) 14,541 (11.0%) -2.8%

Con HOLD

Surrey

Lisa Townsend (Con) 95,538 (36.0%) +2.5%

Paul Kennedy (LDem) 82,213 (30.9%) +10.2%

Kate Chinn (Lab) 42,813 (16.1%) +0.2%

Alex Coley (Ind) 42,052 (15.8%) New

Con HOLD

Sussex

Katy Bourne (Con) 122,495 (39.0%) -8.3%

Paul Richards 99,502 (31.7%) +13.0%

Jamie Bennett (LDem) 48,923 (15.6%) +1.7%

Jonathan Kent (Grn) 43,105 (13.7%) +0.3%

Con HOLD

Thames Valley

Matthew Barber (Con) 144,092 (32.1%) -10.4%

Tim Starkey (Lab) 141,749 (31.6%) +3.8%

Tim Bearder (LDem) 84,341 (18.8%) +1.3%

Ben Holden-Crowther (MPTV) 46,853 (10.4%) New

Russell Douglas Fowler (Ind) 31,460 (7.0%) New

Con HOLD

Warwickshire

Philip Seccomb (Con) 45,638 (39.4%) -12.7%

Labour Co-op Sarah Feeney (Lab) 45,377 (39.2%) +11.5%

Richard Dickson (LDem) 24,867 (21.5%) +5.3%

Con HOLD

West Mercia

John-Paul Campion (Con) 73,395 (34.3%) -21.0%

Richard Overton (Lab) 63,082 (29.5%) +5.5%

Sarah Murray (LDem) 33,782 (15.8%) +0.2%

Julian Dean (Grn) 22,021 (10.3%) New

Henry Curteis (EDem) 21,645 (10.1%) New

Con HOLD

West Midlands

Simon Foster (Lab) 327,844 (57.5%) +12.0%

Tom Byrne (Con) 241,827 (42.5%) +3.1%

Lab HOLD

Wiltshire

Philip Wilkinson (Con) 38,578 (31.0%) -5.0%

Stanka Adamcova (Lab) 36,345 (29.2%) +14.9%

Mike Rees (Ind) 29,035 (23.3%) -4.5%

Alan Hagger (LDem) 20,485 (16.5%) -3.3%

Con HOLD

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 03.11.22

Seven seats were on offer this week in six by-elections.  The Conservatives were defending four and lost three.  They held in Croydon, but their vote share plummeted.  They lost to Labour in Lichfield, the Lib Dems in Wiltshire and an independent in Nottinghamshire.  In Wiltshire and Nottinghamshire they slipped to third place.

There was better news for the Tories in South Cambridgeshire, where they took one of two seats the Lib Dems were defending.

In Moray the SNP gained a seat from the Lib Dems in an intriguing contest.  In May's local elections the Lib Dems, SNP and Conservatives each put forward a candidate for three vacancies.  As they were the only three candidates, they were all elected unopposed.  The Lib Dem winner since resigned, hence the by-election.  The Lib Dems came nowhere, leaving the SNP to do battle with an impressive Tory turnout.

Absentees in this week's polls were the Greens in Nottinghamshire and Wiltshire, and the Lib Dems in Nottinghamshire.

Selsdon Vale & Forestdale, Croydon London Borough Council

Con: 983 (46.3%) -21.2%

Grn: 530 (24.9%) +8.8%

Lab: 372 (17.5%) +1.0%

Ind: 168 (7.9%) New

LDem: 72 (3.4%) New

Con HOLD

Chasetown, Lichfield District Council

Lab: 318 (73.3%) +15.2%

Con: 116 (26.7%) -15.2%

Lab GAIN from Con

Buckie, Moray Council

(first preference votes)

SNP: 1,172 (48.9%)

Con: 879 (36.7%)

Lab: 239 (10.0%)

LDem: 67 (2.8%)

Ind: 38 (1.6%)

SNP GAIN from LDem (elected at stage 4)

Eastwood, Nottinghamshire County Council

Ind: 1,223 (43.1%) New

Lab: 1,182 (41.7%) -0.1%

Con: 431 (15.2%) -31.2%

Ind GAIN from Con

Longstanton, South Cambridgeshire District Council

(two seats)

LDem: 578 (16.9%) elected

Con: 566 (16.5%) elected

LDem: 534 (15.6%)

Ind: 422 (12.3%)

Lab: 411 (12.0%)

Con: 394 (11.5%)

Lab: 266 (7.8%)

Grn: 169 (4.9%)

Grn: 85 (2.5%)

LDem HOLD

Con GAIN from LDem

Salisbury St Paul’s, Wiltshire Council

LDem: 813 (64.8%) +34.8%

Lab: 237 (18.5%) -3.3%

Con: 213 (16.6%) -15.6%

LDem GAIN from Con

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 18.08.22

Just two council seats were up for grabs this week - a Lib Dem defence in Cambridgeshire and a Conservative defence in Lancashire.  The Lib Dems easily held in Cambridge, increasing their majority in the Trumpington ward.  However, the Conservatives were shocked in Wyre, where an independent candidate came from nowhere to take the blue seat.  Labour also saw their share of the vote slump here.

Trumpington, Cambridge City Council

LDem: 1,017 (49.8%) +11.8%

Lab: 472 (23.1%) -4.5%

Grn: 298 (14.6%) -3.1%

Con: 256 (12.5%) -4.2%

LDem HOLD

Preesall, Wyre Council

Ind: 595 (39.5%) New

Con: 495 (32.8%) -29.9%

Lab: 315 (20.9%) -16.4%

Ind: 102 (6.8%) New

Ind GAIN from Con

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 04.11.21

Six by-elections to report and a bad night for the Tories.  They were defending three seats, but lost two to the Liberal Democrats.  They were obliterated in Gloucester, but fared much better in West Lancashire where they extended their lead over Labour and appeared to benefit from the absence of UKIP.

The Lib Dems held in Huntingdon where Labour did not even field a candidate this time.  Labour held in their Salford stronghold and gained a seat in Rutland.  The latter was a free-for-all following the resignation of an independent who'd previously been elected unopposed.  It was also the first time Labour had won a seat on Rutland County Council in over twenty years.

Longlevens, Gloucester City Council

LDem: 1,520 (60.3%) +15.1%

Con: 781 (31.0%) -17.8%

Lab: 135 (5.4%) New

Grn: 78 (3.4%) New

LDem GAIN from Con

Huntingdon East, Huntingdonshire District Council

LDem: 813 (55.3%) +8.3%

Con: 656 (44.7%) +5.6%

LDem HOLD

Oakham North West, Rutland County Council

Lab: 293 (62.6%) New

Con: 175 (37.4%) New

Lab GAIN from Ind

Blackfriars & Trinity, Salford City Council

Lab: 408 (51.8%) -2.3%

Grn: 160 (20.3%) -6.4%

LDem: 152 (19.3%) +13.0%

Con: 68 (8.6%) +0.8%

Lab HOLD

North Meols, West Lancashire Borough Council

Con: 634 (64.9%) +15.6%

Lab: 343 (35.1%) -3.0%

Con HOLD

Bourne, West Sussex County Council

LDem: 1,180 (49.7%) +20.7%

Con: 893 (37.6%) -13.4%

Grn: 178 (7.5%) -3.4%

Lab: 125 (5.3%) -3.9%

LDem GAIN from Con

Abbreviations

LDem = Liberal Democrat

Con = Conservative

Lab = Labour

Grn = Green

Ind = Independents

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 23.09.21

Of this week's six contests only one seat changed hands, a surprise gain for the Conservatives in Cambridgeshire.  The Tories also successfully held a seat in Leicestershire and there is little sign yet that they are paying an electoral price for the ongoing crises facing Britain.

Having lost a seat to the Tories, the Lib Dems held their other two seats, while Labour and a local resident's association successfully defended one each.

Shepshed West, Charnwood Borough Council

Con: 511 (43.6%) +2.2%

Lab: 316 (26.9%) +0.9%

Grn: 302 (25.7%) +14.4%

LDem: 44 (3.8%) -3.9%

Con HOLD

Soham North, East Cambridgeshire District Council

Con: 484 (50.8%) +8.6%

LDem: 369 (38.8%) -9.1%

Lab: 71 (7.5%) -2.5%

Grn: 28 (2.9%) New

Con GAIN from LDem

Exe Valley, East Devon District Council

LDem: 190 (36.9%) -19.8%

Con: 164 (31.8%) -11.5%

Lab: 161 (31.3%) New

LDem HOLD

Cuddington, Epsom & Ewell Borough Council

RA: 585 (56.0%) -9.1%

Lab: 207 (19.8%) +9.2%

Con: 135 (12.9%) +1.3%

LDem: 117 (11.2%) -1.5%

RA HOLD

Wormholt & White City, Hammersmith & Fulham London Borough Council

Lab: 1,462 (70.0%) -5.6%

Con: 431 (20.6%) +6.3%

Grn: 110 (5.3%) New

LDem: 86 (4.1%) -3.2%

Lab HOLD

Kendal North, South Lakeland District Council

LDem: 622 (46.9%) +8.7%

Grn: 527 (39.8%) +13.0%

Con: 122 (9.2%) -12.1%

Lab: 54 (4.1%) -9.6%

LDem HOLD

Abbreviations

Con = Conservative

Lab = Labour

Grn = Green

LDem = Liberal Democrat

RA = Residents Association

ANOTHER MAYORAL GAIN FOR LABOUR

Incumbent James Palmer (left) was defeated by Labour's Nik Johnson (right) in a
tight final round run-off

Labour have scored another surprise result, this time in the mayoral contest for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.  James Palmer had won the inaugural contest in 2017 with a fairly easy run-off against the Lib Dem candidate.  This time Palmer again won the first round, but was defeated on second preference votes in the run-off against the Labour candidate.

UKIP, the Greens, English Democrats did not contest this time, nor did independents.

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Mayor (Lab GAIN from Con)

James Palmer (Con) 93,942 (40.5%) +2.5%

Nik Johnson (Lab) 76,106 (32.8%) +14.2%

Aidan Van der Weyer (LDem) 61,885 (26.7%) -3.2%

Final Round

Nik Johnson (Lab) 51.3%

James Palmer (Con) 48.7%

If you are enjoying our election coverage please consider a small donation.  You can donate via PayPal here.

TAKING THE KNEE-CAP

The curious case of the racist professor rumbles on.  Last week we reported on the anti-white tweets of Cambridge University lecturer Priyamvada Gopal and the even more outrageous response of her employers.  Not only secure in her job, but now promoted, Dr Gopal's sneering arrogance has exploded in recent days.  She has also been emboldened by not one, but two public statements from the Cambridgeshire police exonerating her of any offence.  In fact the local constabulary not only announced that Gopal was innocent, but that they would be investigating "all reports of racist and threatening abuse against her".  Astonishing.

Dr Gopal has taken to threatening legal action against people circulating a doctored tweet in which a Stalin quote is attributed to her.  She bizarrely threatened legal action against a bemused Darren Grimes on Monday morning, despite the fact he'd never shared or even referenced the fake tweet.  However, it soon transpired that there was an even more provocative tweet that was definitely not fake and at the time of writing is still there for all to see.  It dates from February 2019 (see Twitter thread below).

If the shoe was on the other foot and a white professor had tweeted this about black men they would be out of a job by the end of the day.  How has our society reached a position where those in powerful positions deem it acceptable to incite racial hatred as long as it's directed against white people?

Just a reminder that the following Labour MPs follow the racist professor on Twitter:

Stella Creasy (Walthamstow)

Clive Lewis (Norwich South)

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough)

Zarah Sultana (Coventry South)

Claudia Webbe (Leicester East)

Nadia Whittome (Nottingham East)