The Conservatives held on to four seats with relative comfort in byelections on 4 December, but were unable to make a potential two seat gain in Waltham Forest which might have put them in a strong position in the borough. Their holds were in Bingley ward of Bradford city council, Three Colnes ward of Braintree district council, Birch and Winstree ward, Colchester borough council, and Avon and Swift ward of Rugby borough council.
The Liberal Democrats kept both seats which were up for election in an unusual double byelection for Hale End and Highams Park ward in Waltham Forest borough council, but their majority was reduced to 72 votes.
Three councillors shifting parties this week almost cancel each other out. On Merthyr Tydfil county borough council, Brent Carter (elected as a Liberal Democrat in Plymouth ward) has joined the Labour Party. However, on Bradford city council, Munir Ahmed (elected for the Labour Party in City ward), has joined the Conservative Party group, making it the largest on the council.
On Croydon borough council, the revalation that cabinet member for Education Maria Gatland was the Provisional IRA attempted gunrunner Maria McGuire, led to her sacking from the cabinet and the Conservative group – despite the fact that she had renounced all terrorist links and written a tell-all book in 1973. Cllr Gatland continues to represent Croham ward.
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