COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 18.12.25

There were five vacancies to fill in the final round of by-elections this year, with Labour defending a Lancashire seat.  They slumped to third as Reform surged into first place with more than twice the amount of Labour votes.  It was another good night for Reform, who obliterated the defending Conservatives in Suffolk, finishing with almost four times the number of Tory votes.  They also held in Cornwall.

Among the diabolical results for Labour was a tally of just nine votes in Cornwall.  They finished last or second to last in all but one of the five seats.

There are no further council by-elections scheduled until January 15.

Greenlands, Blackpool Council

Ref: 587 (44.4%) +38.4%

Con: 299 (22.6%) -17.2%

Lab: 289 (21.9%) -22.7%

Grn: 79 (6.0%) -2.5%

LDm: 45 (3.4%) New

Ind: 22 (1.7%) New

Ref GAIN from Lab

St Columb Minor & Colan, Cornwall Council

Ref: 408 (31.7%) -4.2%

Ind: 325 (25.3%) New

LDm: 296 (23.0%) +14.6%

Grn: 173 (13.4%) New

Con: 73 (5.7%) -11.2%

Lab: 9 (0.7%) -7.8%

Ind: 3 (0.2%) New

Ref HOLD

Market Harborough-Logan, Harborough District Council

Con: 461 (34.7%) +5.8%

Grn: 358 (26.9%) +18.8%

LDm: 268 (20.2%) -29.6%%

Ref: 195 (14.7%) New

Lab: 43 (3.2%) -9.9%

SDP: 4 (0.3%) New

Con GAIN from LDm

Broad Oak, South Ribble Borough Council

LDm: 810 (65.9%) +0.4%

Ref: 263 (21.4%) New

Con: 95 (7.7%) -9.5%

Lab: 62 (5.0%) -12.2%

LDm HOLD

Pakefield, Suffolk County Council

Ref: 1,286 (49.2%) New

Grn: 508 (19.4%) +9.1%

Con: 357 (13.6%) -43.3% 

Lab: 328 (12.5%) -13.6%

LDm: 137 (5.2%) -1.5%

Ref GAIN from Con

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 16.10.25

Ten seats were up for grabs this week, with vacancies in Surrey accounting for more than half of them.  There were two Labour defences, both in the crumbling red wall of the north west of England.  They lost both, one each to the Lib Dems and the Tories.

The Lib Dems and Reform pushed Labour into third place in Preston, the party suffering a cratering 35.7 per cent drop in vote share.  There was a significant swing from Labour to Reform in this seat.  A 19 per cent drop in Trafford was enough to gift the seat to the Tories, who won despite a drop in their own vote share.

Labour finished last in an astonishing five seats, including a humiliating tally of 17 votes in Babergh, Suffolk.

North of the border, the outgoing Ayrshire councillor was elected for the SNP, but left the party a year into his term and served as an independent up to his death.  We had this down as an SNP defence.  They lost to an independent.

Elsewhere, it was very much a Lib Dem affair, with the party successfully defending three seats and making four gains - one each at the expense of Labour, the Greens, Tories and a local residents' group.  However, they did not have it all their own way and lost a seat to Reform in Babergh.  There was a significant swing from the Lib Dems to Reform here.

One other party of interest was the Green Party, whose results on the night did not reflect current polling, in which one poll this week had them tied in second place with Labour.  They were not just beaten in their one defence - they were totally demolished and finished a humiliating fifth place.  They made no impression elsewhere, a distant second in Reigate their best result.

Copdock & Washbrook, Babergh District Council

Ref: 323 (32.0%) New

LDm: 292 (28.9%) -27.5%

Grn: 238 (23.6%) +9.5%

Con: 140 (13.9%) -15.7%

Lab: 17 (1.7%) New

Ref GAIN from LDm

Ashton, Preston City Council

LDm: 659 (35.5%) +14.0%

Ref: 548 (29.5%) New

Lab: 429 (23.1%) -35.7%

Ind: 101 (5.4%) New

Con: 61 (3.3%) -16.4%

Ind: 60 (3.2%) New

LDm GAIN from Lab

Meadvale & St John's, Reigate & Banstead Borough Council

LDm: 1,009 (48.3%) +11.7%

Grn: 368 (17.6%) -0.5%

Con: 251 (12.0%) -16.9%

Ref: 242 (11.6%) New

Ind: 218 (10.4%) New

LDm HOLD

Ayr North, South Ayrshire Council

(first preference votes)

Ind: 850 (25.1%) New

SNP: 790 (23.3%) -22.5%

Lab: 691 (20.4%) -3.7%

Ref: 584 (17.3%) New

Con: 195 (5.8%) -14.8%

Ind: 151 (4.5%) New

LDm: 73 (2.2%) +0.5%

Ind: 51 (1.5%) New

Ind GAIN from SNP (elected at stage 8)

Staines, Spelthorne Borough Council

LDm: 804 (38.0%) New

Ref: 499 (23.6%) +21.6%

Ind: 261 (12.3%) New

Con: 231 (10.9%) -21.9%

Grn: 163 (7.7%) -36.3%

Lab: 158 (7.5%) New

LDm GAIN from Grn

Camberley West, Surrey County Council

LDm: 1,617 (49.5%) +16.6%

Ref: 845 (25.9%) New

Con: 666 (20.4%) -28.8%

Lab: 140 (4.3%) -11.4%

LDm GAIN from Con

Caterham Valley, Surrey County Council

LDm: 1,182 (48.1%) +0.6%

Ref: 601 (24.5%) New

Con: 320 (13.0%) -23.5%

Grn: 135 (5.5%) New

Ind: 131 (5.3%) New

Lab: 89 (3.6%) -6.9%

LDm HOLD

Guildford South East, Surrey County Council

LDm: 1,426 (41.3%) +18.0%

Con: 788 (22.8%) -8.1%

Ind: 565 (16.3%) -21.4%

Ref: 416 (12.0%) New

Grn: 172 (5.0%) New

Lab: 89 (2.6%) -5.6%

LDm GAIN from Ind

Whyteleafe, Tandridge District Council

LDm: 259 (44.9%) +14.2%

Ref: 154 (26.7%) New

Con: 57 (9.9%) +0.4%

Lab: 56 (9.7%) -1.7%

Grn: 51 (8.8%) +3.6%

LDm HOLD

Broadheath, Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council

Con: 1,614 (36.8%) -4.4%

Lab: 978 (22.3%) -19.0%

LDm:: 841 (19.2%) +14.9%

Ref: 723 (16.5%) +11.2%

Grn: 204 (4.7%) -1.9%

Ind: 22 (0.5%) -0.8%

Con GAIN from Lab

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 11.09.25

Six by-elections were held on Thursday, half of which were Labour defences.  In a humiliating night, Labour lost all three to Reform in spectacular fashion.  Labour slipped to third in Bedfordshire, while they crashed to fourth in both Suffolk and Glamorgan.  Another gain for Reform bodes well for their Senedd hopes next year.

It was a mixed night for the Tories as they lost two seats - one to the Lib Dems and one to Reform - but picked up a gain from a residents' group in Cheshire.

Talbot & Branksome Woods, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council

LDm: 910 (32.4%) -2.1%

Ref: 791 (28.2%) New

Con: 770 (27.4%) -4.9%

Lab: 170 (6.1%) -5.7%

Grn: 165 (5.9%) -6.6%

LDm GAIN from Con

Stotfold, Central Bedfordshire Council

Ref: 823 (30.8%) New

Con: 559 (20.9%) +1.3%

Lab: 532 (19.9%) -4.2%

Grn: 416 (15.6%) New

LDm: 339 (12.7%) +0.2%

Ref GAIN from Lab

Wilmslow Lacey Green, Cheshire East Council

Con:370 (29.8%) -8.4%

Lab: 300 (24.2%) New

Ref: 288 (23.2%) New

Ind: 215 (17.3%) -30.2%

Grn: 67 (5.4%) New

Con GAIN from Ind

Illtyd, Vale of Glamorgan Council

Ref: 729 (31.3%) New

Pld: 657 (28.2%) +10.1%

Con: 445 (19.1%) -10.2%

Lab: 414 (17.8%) -22.7%

Grn: 85 (3.6%) -8.6%

Ref GAIN from Lab

Pelsall, Walsall Council

Ref: 1,231 (45.0%) +31.3%

Con: 1,176 (43.1%) -24.1%

Grn: 127 (4.7%) New

Lab: 125 (4.6%) -14.5%

LDm: 72 (2.7%) New

Ref GAIN from Con

Newmarket East, West Suffolk Council

Ref: 343 (29.7%) New

Con: 288 (25.0%) +4.1%

LDm: 199 (17.2%) -3.1%

Lab: 176 (15.3%) -8.3%

Grn: 148 (12.8%) New

Ref GAIN from Lab

Abbreviations

LDm = Liberal Democrat

Ref = Reform UK

Con = Conservative

Lab = Labour

Grn = Green

Pld = Plaid Cymru

Ind = Independents and residents' groups

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 03.07.25

Nine by-elections were held this week, including two on Wednesday.  Labour were defending both of the Wednesday contests and fell to Reform in one, while holding off a Reform surge in the other.

On Thursday there was a gain each for the Lib Dems, Reform and Tories, plus an independent.  Reform were defending seats for the first time and lost both.  It seems that voters are not too happy when they are asked to go to the polls again just two months after they elected these councillors.  In one of those seats Reform slipped to third place behind Labour, who saw a marginal increase in vote share.  Reform  lost their other seat to the Conservatives by the narrowest margin of just eight votes.

In a somewhat merry-go-round of gains and losses, the Tories lost a seat to Reform in Suffolk, while Reform narrowly missed out on a gain in mid Wales.  The Lib Dems held them off by just six votes.

Killingworth, North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council

(held on Wednesday)

Ref: 771 (38.5%) New

Lab: 639 (31.9%) -22.7%

Con: 441 (21.4%) -3.5%

Grn: 85 (4.2%) -16.3%

LDm: 81 (4.0%) New

Ref GAIN from Lab

Longbenton & Benton, North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council

(held on Wednesday)

Lab: 739 (39.6%) -16.8%

Ref: 602 (32.3%) +19.3%

Grn: 259 (13.9%) -7.8%

LDm: 183 (9.8%) New

Con: 83 (4.4%) New

Lab HOLD

Mendip, Bath and North East Somerset Council

LDm: 496 (57.1%) -18.2%

Ref: 191 (22.0%) New

Con: 84 (9.7%) +6.7%

Grn: 57 (6.6%) +2.0%

Lab: 40 (4.6%) +0.9%

LDm HOLD

Benfieldside, Durham County Council

LDm: 824 (28.3%) +17.3%

Lab: 800 (27.4%) +0.8%

Ref: 747 (25.6%) -6.6%

Ind: 459 (15.7%) -8.0%

Con: 76 (1.6%) -5.0%

Grn: 40 (1.4%) New

LDm GAIN from Ref

Calverton, Gedling Borough Council

Ind: 1,245 (66.3%) New

Ref: 337 (17.9%) New

Lab: 150 (8.0%) -20.6%

Con: 117 (6.2%) -44.1%

Grn: 21 (1.1%) New

LDm: 8 (0.4%) New

Ind GAIN from Con

Fulham Town, Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council

Con: 647 (43.3%) -1.7%

LDm: 345 (23.1%) -4.5%

Lab: 251 (16.8%) -10.6%

Ref: 187 (12.5%) New

Grn: 63 (4.2%) New

Con HOLD

Newark West, Nottinghamshire County Council

Con: 680 (34.7%) +4.8%

Ref: 672 (34.3%) -1.6%

Lab: 316 (16.1%) -3.9%

Grn: 190 (9.7%) +2.1%

LDm: 90 (4.6%) -1.9%

SDP: 11 (0.6%) New

Con GAIN from Ref

Llanidloes, Powys County Council

LDm: 557 (35.5%) +5.2%

Ref: 551 (35.1%) New

Pld: 225 (14.3%) +1.9%

Con: 118 (7.5%) -7.7%

Lab: 112 (7.1%) -4.8%

Ind: 6 (0.4%) New

LDm HOLD

Tower, Suffolk County Council

Ref: 1,332 (28.8%) New

Grn: 1,155 (25.0%) -4.5%

Con: 808 (17.5%) -16.2%

Lab: 667 (14.4%) -6.4%

Ind: 407 (8.8%) New

LDm: 269 (5.6%) +1.6%

Ref GAIN from Con

Abbreviations

Ref = Reform UK

Lab = Labour

Con = Conservative

Grn = Green

LDm = Liberal Democrat

SDP = Social Democratic Party

Pld = Plaid Cymru

Ind = Independent

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 12.06.25

Seven council seats are up for grabs this week, with polling day falling on a Wednesday in Gloucestershire.  The other four contests took place on the traditional Thursday, including double vacancies in both Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire.

Labour were defending two seats this week, losing both of them.  They lost to the Greens in Gloucestershire, slumping to a humiliating fourth place with a big swing to Reform.  They also lost a seat to Reform in Nottinghamshire, where two seats had been vacant.

Elsewhere, Reform continued to perform exceptionally well, taking seats from an independent group in Leeds and the other Nottinghamshire seat from the Tories.  They would probably have also won two new seats in Northamptonshire, except for some bizarre reason they fielded too many candidates.  Three Reform candidates appeared on the ballot paper, but there were only two vacancies!

Severn, Stroud District Council

(held on Wednesday)

Grn: 439 (27.8%) +10.0%

Con: 425 (26.9%) -6.6%

Ref: 421 (26.7%) New

Lab: 177 (11.2%) -21.3%

LDm: 112 (7.1%) -9.1%

UKIP: 5 (0.3%) New

Grn GAIN from Lab

Morley South, Leeds City Council

Ref: 2,119 (36.8%) +29.8%

Ind: 1,415  (25.2%) -12.9%

LDm: 1,009 (17,5%) +15.9%

Lab: 634 (11.0%) -20.3%

Grn: 314 (5.4%) -3.5%

Con: 230 (4.0%) -5.6%

Ref GAIN from Ind

Haughley, Stowupland & Wetherden, Mid Suffolk District Council

Grn: 901 (64.1%) -11.4%

Con: 444 (31.6%) +7.1%

LDm: 61 (4.3%) New

Grn HOLD

Higham Ferrers, North Northamptonshire Council

(two seats, new boundaries)

Ref: 656, 556 & 335 (27.5%)

Con: 559 & 511 (23.4%)

Grn: 529 & 449 (22.2%)

Lab: 264 & 256 (11.1%)

Ind: 215 & 187 (9.0%)

LDm: 165 (6.9%)

Ref WIN x 1

Con WIN x 1

Mansfield North, Nottinghamshire County Council

(two seats)

Ref: 3,077 & 2,998 (59.3%) +57.5%

Lab: 1,259 & 1,211 (24.3%) -5.7%

Con: 500 & 426 (9.6%) -37.7%

Grn: 292 (5.6%) +2.8%

TUS: 62 & 39 (1.2%) +0.4%

Ref GAIN x 2 (1 from Con, 1 from Lab)

Abbreviations

Grn = Green

Con = Conservative

Ref = Reform UK

Lab = Labour

LDm = Liberal Democrat

UKIP = United Kingdom Independence Party

TUS = Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Ind = Independent

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 24.04.25

The four by-elections held on Thursday were the last to be held before next week's watered down local elections in England.  Barely ten per cent of England's council seats will be up for grabs next Thursday, with nine councils having their scheduled elections postponed.  However, there will be six regional mayors elected, plus the hotly anticipated Westminster by-election for Runcorn and Helsby.

Three of the four vacancies on Thursday were held by incumbents, while Reform won a seat at the first time of asking in West Sussex.

Marine, Arun District Council

Ref: 306 (26.0%) New

LDm: 296 (25.2%) -2.8%

Lab: 236 (20.1%) -1.1%

Con: 192 (16.3%) -1.3%

Grn: 115 (9.8%) New

Ind: 31 (2.6%) New

Ref GAIN from Ind

Glenrothes Central & Thornton, Fife Council

(first preference votes)

SNP: 1,439 (47.6%) -1.1%

Lab: 649 (21.5%) -6.4%

Ref: 541 (17.9%) New

LDm: 207 (6.9%) +2.9%

Con: 185 (6.1%) -5.9%

SNP HOLD (elected at stage 4)

St John's, Suffolk County Council

Lab: 600 (28.0%) -19.7%

Grn: 458 (21.4%) +13.6%

Ref: 442 (20.6%) New

LDm: 323 (15.1%) +9.8%

Con: 318 (14.9%) -24.4%

Lab HOLD

Thatcham North East, West Berkshire Council

LDm: 690 (41.1%) -14.8%

Con: 428 (25.5%) +0.1%

Ref: 367 (21.9%) New

Grn: 127 (7.6%) -11.0%

Lab: 65 (3.9%) New

LDm HOLD

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 27.02.25

This week was very much an East Anglian affair, with three of the five contests taking place in Norfolk and Suffolk.  These are the kind of places that Reform UK are looking to do well and they did score a very impressive gain in Norfolk, securing over half of the vote at the first time of asking.  They appear to have picked votes up from both Tories and Labour in Breckland.

Reform were debutants in both Suffolk seats and Westminster also, finishing third in all three.  The Westminster contest was a technical Tory gain, with Labour having previously finished second to take one of the two seats available.

Once again, the Labour vote was down in all four of the seats it contested.

Bedingfeld, Breckland District Council

Ref: 414 (54.3%) New

Con: 209 (27.4%) -25.2%

Lab: 99 (13.0%) -14.1%

Grn: 41 (5.4%) New

Ref GAIN from Con

Rushmere St Andrews, East Suffolk District Council

Con: 377 (29.8%) -17.0%

Grn: 373 (29.5%) +8.9%

Ref: 347 (27.5%) New

Lab: 166 (13.1%) -19.4%

Con HOLD

Woodbridge, East Suffolk District Council

LDm: 1,023 (53.6%) +25.5%

Con: 391 (20.5%) +1.0%

Ref: 274 (14.4%) New

Lab: 219 (11.5%) -8.5%

LDm HOLD

Vincent Square, Westminster City Council

Con: 978 (45.4%) +0.5%

Lab: 700 (32.5%) -10.6%

Ref: 206 (9.6%) New

LDm: 156 (7.2%) -4.8%

Grn: 101 (4.7%) New

CPA: 14 (0.6%) New

Con GAIN from Lab

Eamont & Shap, Westmorland and Furness Council

LDm: 789 (67.2%) +1.5%

Con: 241 (20.5%) -13.8%

Ind: 76 (6.5%) New

Grn: 68 (5.8%) New

LDm HOLD

Abbreviations

Ref = Reform UK

Con = Conservative

Lab = Labour

Grn = Green

LDm = Liberal Democrat

CPA = Christian Peoples Alliance

Ind = Independents and local groups

SAME OLD FROM NEW MP JESS

Labour's Jess Asato and just three of the rape gangs she would rather we ignore

One of Labour's new intake of MPs recently debated the scourge of Pakistani grooming gangs with prominent Brexiteer Ben Habib.  Jess Asato, elected last July for Lowestoft in Suffolk, flatly denied there is a problem and used some vague and selective police statistics to divert attention.

It's the go-to argument for establishment lefties when it comes to the rape gangs - deflect from the issue and blame whitey.  We hear it time and again from politically correct journalists and Labour politicians - 'most child abusers and paedophiles in this country are actually white'.  No shit.  We still live in a majority white country (although it may not feel like it).  The same daft displacement tactic could be applied to most criminal acts, but in this case it is specifically designed to excuse rape gangs of an overwhelmingly Pakistani background.

In any case, these men are not simply 'child abusers' or paedophiles, for whom the term can apply to someone looking at child porn on their laptop (eh, Huw Edwards?).  This word play is used to deflect from and lessen the seriousness of the rape gangs, who we have become conditioned to refer to by that deliberately vague and gentler sounding term 'grooming gangs'.  These men are not merely combing the hair of their victims.

They are child rapists.

Furthermore, they are rapists who target children based on skin colour.  Imagine if the reverse were happening, and gangs of white men were picking up young Muslim girls for their sexual gratification?  The practice would be exposed to 24/7 rolling media coverage, universally condemned and those responsible locked up for decades.  Not to mention, our towns and cities would be in flames and there would be blood in the streets.

However, it is not simply fear of Muslims that motivates our media, police and politicians when covering for mass rape.  It is ideology.

Jess Asato is not an MP who relies on Muslim votes.  Ethnic Pakistanis make up barely 0.1 per cent of Lowestoft's overall population.  And yet when faced with the question of Pakistani rape gangs she falls over herself to defend them.  In doing so, she contradicts her ideological motive.  The core purpose of the left's argument is to detract from identifying Pakistani rape gangs based on ethnicity, as it is potentially deemed 'racist', but they nearly always point the finger at white sex offenders to achieve this.  In their leftist mindset it is acceptable to identify criminals based on skin colour, so long as they are white and it is being used to excuse and lessen the actions of others.

Of course the ultimate goal of covering for Pakistani rape gangs is to continue to perpetuate the myth that mass immigration and multi-culturalism have provided nothing but good for this country.  'Diversity is strength' is the mantra they repeat to themselves, and anything that contradicts it must be hidden from sight.  In essence, the establishment routinely sacrifices ethnic Brits on the altar of diversity, it simply doesn't matter whether they are white girls being raped over and over again by Pakistani gangs or white girls being blown to pieces at an Ariana Grande concert.

Listen to the following clip where Asato is asked whether we should 'face up' to the problem of Pakistani grooming gangs...

From the moment she is asked the question, there is instant denial and she points to a police statistic she claims represents the 'first three quarters of 2024' and shows that 85 per cent of 'group-based child abusers' were white.  Again, we are not talking about 'child abusers', we are talking about gang rape of minors.  It is also duly noted that she conveniently reeled off a statistic confined to last year, as opposed to previous years when hundreds of men of Pakistani heritage were being convicted from Bradford in the north to Oxford in the south and countless towns and cities in between.

Asato's response is symptomatic of the far left ideology that has taken over the British establishment.  Her party will never accept there is a problem, less so do anything about it.

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 26.09.24

Rhyl Trellewelyn, Denbighshire County Council

Con: 188 (51.4%) +33.8%

Lab: 127 (34.7%) -5.5%

Plaid: 36 (8.7%) -3.9%

LDm: 19 (5.2%) New

Con GAIN from Lab

Stretton, East Staffordshire Borough Council

Con: 1,012 (70.8%) +25.3%

Lab: 304 (21.3%) -9.8%

Grn: 113 (7.9%) New

Con HOLD

Credenhill, Herefordshire Council

Ind: 201 (33.8%) New

Ind: 150 (25.3%) New

Con: 108 (18.2%) -20.5%

Ref: 89 (15.0%) New

LDm: 27 (4.5%) -12.7%

Lab: 19 (3.2%) New

Ind GAIN from Ind

Cromarty Firth, Highland Council (two seats)

(first preference votes)

LDm: 481 (20.3%) -7.6%

SNP: 403 (17.0%) -2.2%

Ind: 326 (13.7%) New

Ind: 323 (13.6%) New

Ind: 285 (12.0%) New

Ind: 162 (6.8%) New

Ind: 97 (4.1%) New

Grn: 89 (3.7%) +0.9%

Lab: 77 (3.2%) -0.9%

Con: 57 (2.4%) -4.3%

Ref (2): 52 & 23 (3.2%) New

LDm HOLD (elected at stage 11)

Ind GAIN from Ind (elected at stage 11)

Inverness Central, Highland Council

(first preference votes)

SNP: 551 (31.8%) -9.5%

Lab: 479 (27.7%) +3.6%

LDm: 286 (16.5%) +10.1%

Grn: 158 (9.1%) +1.7%

Con: 150 (8.7%) -4.1%

Ref:  (5.4%) New

Lab HOLD (elected at stage 6)

Barnfield, Luton Borough Council

LDm: 1,169 (63.5%) +11.4%

Lab: 321 (17.4%) 18.8%

Con: 209 (11.4%) -0.3%

Grn: 110 (6.0% New

Ind: 32 (1.7%) New

LDm HOLD

Wigmore, Luton Borough Council

LDm: 749 (54.6%) -28.2%

Ind: 209 (15.2%) New

Con: 151 (11.0%) New

Lab: 137 (10.0%) -7.1%

Grn: 125 (9.1%) New

LDm HOLD

Perth City North, Perth & Kinross Council

(first preference votes)

SNP: 917 (44.7%) +10.5%

Lab: 313 (15.3%) -0.1%

Con: 296 (14.4%) -5.1%

Ref: 209 (10.2%) New

Alb: 133 (6.5%) +4.3%

LDm: 95 (4.6%) +0.4%

Grn: 87 (4.2%) +0.8%

SNP GAIN from Lab (elected at stage 5)

Strathallan, Perth & Kinross Council

(first preference votes)

Con: 1,045 (32.1%) -14.6%

LDm: 978 (30.0%) +18.6%

SNP: 568 (17.4%) -17.5%

Lab: 366 (11.2%) New

Ref: 194 (6.0%) New

Grn: 107 (3.3%) -3.7%

LDm GAIN from Con (elected at stage 6)

Thurston, Mid Suffolk District Council (held on Tuesday)

Con: 579 (49.2%) +18.9%

Grn: 518 (44.0%) -10.6%

Lab: 79 (6.7%) -0.2%

Con GAIN from Grn

Godalming Binscombe and Charterhouse, Waverley Borough Council (held on Tuesday)

Con: 725 (40.6%) +19.7%

LDm: 714 (40.0%) +10.7%

Grn: 195 (10.9%) -16.3%

Lab: 151 (8.5%) -14.1%

Con GAIN from Lab

Abbreviations

Con = Conservative

Lab = Labour

Plaid = Plaid Cymru

LDm = Liberal Democrat

Grn = Green

Ref = Reform UK

SNP = Scottish National Party

Alb = Alba

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 17.11.22

There were eight by-elections this week with action in England, Scotland and Wales.  It was a Tory wipeout with the Conservatives losing both seats they were defending, both in Lancashire and both to Labour.  In Blackburn they lost by a margin of just seven votes, while it was a more comprehensive defeat in Blackpool.

It was a good night all round for Labour.  In addition to the two gains, they managed to hold all four seats they were defending.  There was also an impressive hold for the Greens in Suffolk, while Shetland was an independent affair.

Absentees this week were independents in Bolsover and Shetland, the Lib Dems in Bolsover and Propel in Rhondda.

Darwen South, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Lab: 569 (44.9%) +6.6%

Con: 562 (44.3%) -1.8%

LDem: 137 (10.8%) -4.9%

Lab GAIN from Con

Greenlands, Blackpool Council

Lab: 550 (48.0%) -0.1%

Con: 518 (45.2%) -6.6%

LDem: 77 (6.7%) New

Lab GAIN from Con

Pinxton, Bolsover District Council

Lab: 376 (63.3%) +24.3%

Con: 218 (36.7%) +36.7%

Lab HOLD

Linn, Glasgow City Council

(first preference votes)

Lab: 2,227 (43.4%) +11.4%

SNP: 1,702 (33.2%) -0.2%

Grn: 409 (8.0%) +1.9%

Con: 327 (6.4%) -5.1%

LDem: 294 (5.7%) -0.6%

Alba: 90 (1.8%) +0.5%

SSP: 46 (0.9%) New

UKIP: 19 (0.4%) New

Frdm: 19 (0.4%) New

Lab HOLD (elected at stage 8)

Hollinwood, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council

Lab: 718 (44.8%) -14.1%

Con: 639 (39.8%) +21.6%

Ind: 152 (9.5%) New

NHP: 59 (3.7%) -6.5%

LDem: 36 (2.2%) -6.6%

Lab HOLD

Abercynon, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council

Lab: 520 (80.0%) +18.7%

Con: 56 (8.6%) -1.7%

Plaid: 56 (8.6%) -7.0%

Grn: 18 (2.8%) New

Lab HOLD

Shetland West, Shetland Islands Council

(first preference votes)

Ind: 375 (76.4%) +59.5%

Grn: 67 (13.6%) +4.5%

SNP: 49 (10.0%) +2.2%

Ind GAIN from Ind (elected at stage 1)

Beccles, Suffolk County Council

Grn: 2,114 (70.8%) +17.8%

Con: 624 (20.9%) -15.2%

Lab: 260 (8.4%) +0.9%

Grn HOLD

Abbreviations

Lab = Labour

Con = Conservatives

LDem = Liberal Democrats

SNP = Scottish National Party

Grn = Green

Alba = Alba

SSP = Scottish Socialist Party

UKIP = United Kingdom Independence Party

Frdm = Freedom Alliance

NHP = National Housing Party

Plaid = Plaid Cymru

Ind = Independents

DYSLEXIC DAVE INVENTS NEW AIRPORT

This is the sleepy village of Stanstead in Suffolk.  The population is just over 300, spread across 140 homes and definitely no airport nearby.  Yes, hot on the heels of his 'Tabilan' tweet, the grammatically challenged Dave Lammy has struck again.  The man who would be our foreign secretary managed to misspell the name of the airport he was using to attack the government...

We used to refer to Lammy as 'Daft Dave', but it's becoming increasingly apparent that he's more like a 'Dyslexic Dave'.  Some of those in the comments sensed an anti-Brexit message in Lammy's tweet.  One of them was his former Labour colleague Kate Hoey, now Baroness Hoey of course and an independent...

Kate's response was by far the most popular response to Lammy, with more than four thousand 'likes'.  It still remains to be explained by Dave and his Europhile posse how Brexit has somehow managed to create travel chaos across much of Europe and spiralling inflation across the West?

It's not Brexit, dummy.

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 17.02.22

Nine seats up for grabs this week - two Conservative defences, one defence each for Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens, plus four open contests triggered by independents.  

Overall the Tories are up two seats, Labour up one, while the Lib Dems and the Greens broke even.  The Tories took two of the independent seats, Labour took a third.  The Tories lost a seat to an impressive Lib Dem surge in Northamptonshire, but gained a seat from the Lib Dems with a stunning victory of their own in Leicestershire (Oadby and Wigston).

The Green Party did not contest Stainburn and Clifton this time round.  UKIP were absent from Park.  Labour stood down in Wigston Meadowcourt, presumably to give the Lib Dems a free run.  This backfired and the Tories took the seat, despite the Labour absence.

Stainburn & Clifton, Allerdale Borough Council

Lab: 354 (54.6%) +25.1%

Con: 294 (45.4%) +28.2%

Lab GAIN from Ind

Southmead, Bristol City Council

Lab: 780 (41.2%) -1.9%

Grn: 729 (38.5%) +19.7%

Con: 279 (14.8%) -13.4%

LDem: 82 (4.3%) -5.7%

TUSC: 22 (1.2%) New

Lab HOLD

Thurston, Mid Suffolk District Council

Grn: 845 (64.4%) +25.2%

Con: 399 (30.4%) -3.5%

LDem: 37 (2.8%) -8.2%

Lab: 32 (2.4%) -4.8%

Grn HOLD

Collingham, Newark & Sherwood District Council

Con: 982 (56.3%) +26.5%

LDem: 594 (34.1%) +18.8%

Lab: 168 (9.6%) New

Con GAIN from Ind

Park, North East Lincolnshire Council

Con: 715 (38.8%) +1.8%

Lab: 578 (31.4%) +13.8%

LDem: 478 (26.0%) -2.0%

TUSC: 70 (3.8%) New

Con HOLD

Oundle, North Northamptonshire Council

LDem: 1,683 (47.2%) +22.6%

Con: 1,423 (39.9%) -3.5%

Lab: 337 (9.4%) -4.9%

Grn: 124 (3.5%) -9.8%

LDem GAIN from Con

Collingham Nottinghamshire County Council

Ind: 2,009 (63.8%) New

Con: 898 (28.5%) -11.7%

Lab: 224 (7.7%) New

Ind GAIN from Ind

Wigston Meadowcourt, Oadby and Wigston Borough Council

Con: 833 (63.4%) +29.3%

LDem: 377 (27.1%) -24.6%

Grn: 133 (9.5%) New

Con GAIN from LDem

Tavistock North, West Devon Borough Council

Con: 379 (39.3%) +24.4%

LDem: 337 (35.0%) +16.3%

Grn: 163 (16.9%) New

Lab: 85 (8.8%) -9.3%

Con GAIN from Ind

Abbreviations

Lab = Labour

Con = Conservative

Grn = Green

LDem = Liberal Democrats

TUSC = Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Ind = Independents

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 25.11.21

It was a busy day for by-elections in England this week with twelve in total, plus an election for the North Yorkshire police and crime commissioner.  The North Yorks PCC vacancy came about after the Tory incumbent resigned following an outcry over remarks he made about the Sarah Everard case.  The Conservatives eased to victory in the contest to replace him, albeit on a disgracefully low turnout of just 13.9 per cent.  The Tory candidate trounced Labour in the run-off, the result of which was almost identical to May's result.

Labour were defending six seats on Thursday and they held four - including a paper thin victory in Wandsworth where they clung on by just one vote.  Earlier this year Labour had a 936 vote majority in that same seat.  The Labour vote also collapsed in two Midlands seats where they lost to the  Conservatives in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Nuneaton.  However, the two Labour losses were compensated for by two Labour gains, both from independents in Allerdale and Wigan.

The Conservatives were defending three seats on Thursday and held two.  In Kent they lost a seat to the Tunbridge Wells Alliance, but this was more than compensated by the two Midland gains over Labour.

The Lib Dems were defending one seat, in the Wirral, which they held easily.

The Lib Dems and Greens did not contest Speldhurst and Bidborough this time.  UKIP did not contest Oxton.

Maryport South, Allerdale Borough Council

Lab: 273 (52.9%) +10.2%

Ind: 149 (28.9%) -10.5%

Con: 94 (18.2%) +11.4%

Lab GAIN from Ind

Lee Chapel North, Basildon Borough Council

Lab: 451 (39.8%) -12.8%

Con: 396 (34.8%) +8.4%

BCRP: 135 (11.9%) New

RefUK: 98 (8.6%) New

LDem: 55 (4.9%) -16.2%

Lab HOLD

Halton Castle, Halton Borough Council

Lab: 373 (60.3%) +9.7%

Grn: 117 (19.0%) New

Ind: 69 (11.1%) -8.0%

Con: 45 (7.3%) -11.3%

LDem: 15 (2.4%) -9.3%

Lab HOLD

Raskelf & White Horse, Hambleton District Council

Con: 288 (55.7%) -2.9%

LDem: 127 (24.6%) New

Grn: 102 (19.7%) -21.7%

Con HOLD

Carnforth & Millhead, Lancaster City Council

Lab: 538 (57.7%) +20.2%

Con: 315 (33.8%) +1.8%

Grn: 54 (5.8%) -5.2%

LDem: 25 (2.7%) New

Lab HOLD

Knutton, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council

Con: 188 (51.1%) +25.8%

Lab: 180 (48.9%) -25.8%

Con GAIN from Lab

Barpool, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council

Con: 508 (55.3%) +14.4%

Lab: 215 (23.4%) -26.7%

Grn: 196 (21.3%) +12.2%

Con GAIN from Lab

Speldhurst & Bidborough, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council

TWA: 788 (49.8%) +27.4%

Con: 730 (46.1%) +4.2%

Lab: 65 (4.1%) -4.0%

TWA GAIN from Con

Bedford, Wandsworth London Borough Council

Lab: 906 (40.2%) -9.8%

Con: 905 (40.2%) +5.7%

Grn: 306 (13.6%) +4.3%

LDem: 135 (6.0%) -0.2%

Lab HOLD

Horringer, West Suffolk Council

Con: 257 (47.7%) -21.2%

Lab: 204 (37.8%) +6.7%

LDem: 78 (14.5%) New

Con HOLD

Bryn, Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

Lab: 429 (31.2%) +8.2%

Ind: 412 (30.0%) New

Ind: 353 (25.7%) New

Con: 142 (10.3%) +2.1%

LDem: 38 (2.8%) +1.1%

Lab GAIN from Ind

Oxton, Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

LDem: 1,666 (68.3%) +8.4%

Lab: 460 (18.8%) -10.7%

Con: 168 (6.9%) +1.9%

Grn: 147 (6.0%) New

LDem HOLD

North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner

(First preference votes)

Con: 34,385 (40.1%) -6.9%

Lab: 18,094 (21.1%) -5.0%

Ind: 14,988 (17.5%) New

LDem: 9,499 (11.1%) -1.5%

WEP: 8,837 (10.3%) New

Final Round

Con: 60.8%

Lab: 39.2%

Con HOLD

Abbreviations

Lab = Labour

Con = Conservative

BCRP = Basildon Community Residents Party

RefUK = Reform UK

LDem = Liberal Democrat

Grn = Green

TWA = Tunbridge Wells Alliance

WEP = Women's Equality Party

Ind = Independents

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 30.09.21

There have been eight council by-elections this week, including a couple that were held on Tuesday in Norfolk.  Three seats were up for grabs on Broadland Council, all of which were Conservative defences.  In Brundall ward the Tories were humiliated by the Green Party who took both seats there.  They held their other seat.

Brundall, Broadland District Council (two seats)

Grn: 594 - ELECTED

Grn: 530 - ELECTED

Con: 480

Con: 453

LDem: 425

LDem: 303

Lab: 161

Lab: 137

Grn GAIN (two) from Con

Old Catton & Sprowston West, Broadland District Council

Con: 721 (50.0%) +3.5%

Lab: 332 (23.0%) +4.8%

LDem: 278 (19.3%) -0.4%

Grn: 110 (7.6%) -8.0%

Con HOLD

In Thursday's action the Tories were again defending three seats and lost two of them - another to the Greens and one to the Lib Dems.  They held off a strong independent challenge in Staffordshire and gained an independent seat in Suffolk, so it was a mixed week of results in all.

Elswhere the Lib Dems and Labour held seats they were defending in Kent and Sunderland.

Horndean Downs, East Hampshire District Council

Grn: 320 (49.2%) +33.3%

Con: 291 (44.7%) -8.0%

Ind: 40 (6.1%) -12.6%

Grn GAIN from Con

Tutbury & Outwoods, East Staffordshire Borough Council

Con: 549 (44.3%) -13.4%

Ind: 464 (37.5%) New

Lab: 186 (15.0%) -27.2%

Grn: 39 (3.2%) New

Con HOLD

Penrith West, Eden District Council

LDem: 173 (43.5%) +2.8%

Con: 87 (21.9%) -1.0%

Ind: 51 (12.8%) New

Lab: 41 (10.1%) -12.1%

PCF: 28 (7.0%) New

Grn: 19 (4.8%) New

LDem GAIN from Con

Hetton, Sunderland City Council

Lab: 661 (31.6%) -1.7%

LDem: 634 (30.3%) New

Ind: 386 (18.5%) -3.1%

Con: 303 (14.5%) +8.8%

Ind:67 (3.2%) New

Grn: 41 (2.0%) -1.8%

Lab HOLD

Priory, Swale Borough Council

LDem: 215 (38.1%) -13.7%

Con: 173 (30.6%) +1.5%

Grn: 128 (22.7%) +15.2%

Lab: 49 (8.7%) -3.0%

LDem HOLD

The Rows, West Suffolk Council

Con: 428 (65.2%) +26.5%

Lab: 126 (19.2%) New

LDem: 102 (15.5%) New

Con GAIN from Ind

Abbreviations

Grn = Green

Con = Conservative

LDem = Liberal Democrat

Lab = Labour

Ind = Independents

PCF = Putting Cumbria First

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 12.08.21

Six by-elections this week - three in England and three in Scotland.  Labour were defending one seat  - in Tower Hamlets - and were crushed by local party Aspire.  Aspire is the successor party of Tower Hamlets First, the party that was banned in 2015 due to its involvement in electoral fraud.  The driving force behind both parties is Lutfur Rahman, a former Labour councillor.

Elsewhere in England there was a narrow hold for the Tories in Suffolk, fending off a surge from the Lib Dems who took full advantage of the absence of Green and independent candidates.  The Lib Dems had a good night both north and south of the border, with an easy hold in Cumbria and two gains in the Highlands.  The Highland results followed several rounds of counting due to the STV (single transferable vote) method in which second preference votes are counted until a candidate receives more than 50 per cent of the vote.

In North Ayrshire there was no need for further counting as the Conservatives stunned the incumbent SNP on first preference votes.  The Sturgeon and her separatist fanatics won't be happy with this week's results.

Orwell & Villages, East Suffolk District Council

Con: 873 (45.9%) +10.9%

LDem: 800 (42.0%) New

Lab: 230 (12.1%) -1.5%

Con HOLD

Inverness West, The Highland Council

(First preference votes)

SNP: 718 (33.7%) +4.4%

LDem: 678 (31.8%) +4.2%

Con: 293 (13.7%) +1.8%

Ind: 230 (10.8%) New

Grn: 159 (7.5%) New

ISP: 42 (2%) New

SLP: 11 (0.5%) New

LDem GAIN from Ind (elected at stage 7)

Wick & East Caithness, The Highland Council

(First preference votes)

LDem: 657 (27.3%) +23.6%

Ind: 622 (25.8%) +18.8%

SNP: 593 (24.6%) +12.9%

Con: 523 (21.7%) +7.8%

SLP: 16 (0.7%) New

LDem GAIN from Ind (elected at stage 5)

Dalry & West Kilbride, North Ayrshire Council

Con: 2,016 (53.5%) +31.3%

SNP: 1,292 (34.3%) +10.5%

Lab: 305 (8.1%) -0.3%

LDem: 58 (1.5%) New

SLab: 57 (1.5%) New

Ind: 42 (1.1%) +0.6%

Con GAIN from SNP

Grange, South Lakeland District Council

LDem: 1,336 (66.2%) +6.0%

Con: 541 (26.8%) +0.4%

Grn: 85 (4.2%) -2.7%

Labour: 56 (2.8%) -3.8%

LDem HOLD

Weavers, Tower Hamlets London Borough Council

Asp: 1,204 (46.5%) +31.4%

Lab: 742 (28.6%) -21.8%

Con: 360 (13.9%) +7.6%

Grn: 205 (7.9%) -1.8%

LDem: 50 (1.9%) -5.7%

TUSC: 30 (1.2%) New

Asp GAIN from Lab

Abbreviations

Con = Conservative

LDem = Liberal Democrat

Lab = Labour

SNP = Scottish National Party

Grn = Green

ISP = Independence for Scotland

SLP = Scottish Libertarian Party

SLab = Socialist Labour

Asp = Aspire

TUSC = Trade Union and Socialist Coalition

Ind = Independents

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 08.07.21

Six council by-elections this week with seven seats up for grabs on district councils.  Remarkably, all but one seat was lost by the sitting party.

The Conservatives gained two, held one and lost one.  In the Feniton ward of East Devon there was no independent candidate this time and the Tories swept to victory there.  In East Suffolk the Tories were defending two seats and clung on to one of them by just two votes after a stunning result for the Green Party.  It was a good night for the Greens as they took another seat from the Tories in Mid Sussex.

In May the Tories took control of Harlow Council from Labour and gained another Labour seat there last night.

In other results Labour lost a seat to an independent candidate in Huntingtonshire and gained a seat in East Devon from the Lib Dems.  Full results below.

Feniton, East Devon District Council

Con: 239 (53.5%) +40.9%

Lab: 126 (28.2%) +23.4%

LDem: 82 (18.3%) New

Con GAIN from Ind

Honiton St Michael's, East Devon District Council

Lab: 807 (58.0%) New

Con: 522 (37.5%) -15.5%

LDem: 63 (4.5%) -42.5%

Lab GAIN from LDem

Aldeburgh and Leiston, East Suffolk District Council (two seats)

Grn: 1,110

Con: 1,103

Grn: 1,101

Con: 1,006

Lab: 355

Lab: 311

CPB: 61

Grn GAIN from Con (one seat)

Con HOLD (one seat)

Mark Hall, Harlow District Council

Con: 549 (46.4%) +23.2%

Lab: 493 (41.7%) -0.9%

Grn: 86 (7.3%) New

LDem: 55 (4.6%) -5.0%

Con GAIN from Lab

St Neots East, Huntingdonshire District Council

Ind: 249 (42.5%) New

Grn: 196 (33.4%) New

LDem: 68 (11.6%) -15.9%

Con: 47 (8.0%) -24.0%

Lab: 26 (4.4%) -36.0%

Ind GAIN from Lab

Ardingly and Balcombe, Mid Sussex District Council

Grn: 452 (36.9%) +13.6%

Con: 409 (33.4%) -5.6%

LDem: 340 (27.8%) +1.0%

Ind: 23 (1.9%) New

Grn GAIN from Con

Abbreviations

Con = Conservative

Lab = Labour

LDem = Liberal Democrat

Grn = Green Party

CPB = Communist Party of Britain

Ind = Independents