A British National Party candidate won a seat on Sevenoaks district council in the Swanley St Mary’s byelection on 19 February, gaining the ward from Labour. This win is said to be the BNP’s first in the south east region.
The other byelections last night were all held. The Liberal Democrats held both seats in Downham ward of Lewisham borough council, and improved their majority in Bilton ward of Harrogate borough council; Labour also held Thringstone ward on North West Leicestershire district council.
There are two significant defections this week. Santokh Dhillon, elected for the Labour Party in Heathrow Villages ward of Hillingdon borough council, has joined the Conservative Party citing long-term disillusion. Meanwhile, Jean Macleod of Allerdale district council‘s St Michael’s ward, who was leader of the Independent group, has resigned from the council’s ruling group ‘The Alliance’ to sit as an Independent opposition councillor.
Readers who use Twitter may be interested in this list of tweeting councillors.
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