Madeley makes Lib Dems day

The latest information about local council electoral matters is as follows:

East Midlands

• Broxtowe borough council: Byelection on 15 March in Toton and Chilwell Meadows ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Craig Cox. Term ends 2015.
• Daventry district council: Under the Daventry (Electoral Changes) Order 2012, there will be a full council election on new boundaries in May. The boundary changes are controversial and were opposed by the council and all three political parties represented on it, largely because the Local Government Boundary Commission had rejected local representations about the overall size of the council.
• Newark and Sherwood district council: Vacancy in Lowdham ward after the death of the Chairman of the council, Keith Sheppard, who was a Conservative councillor. Term ends 2015.
• North West Leicestershire district council: Byelection on 16 February in Ibstock and Heather ward after the resignation of Labour councillor Stacey Harris. Term ends 2015. The election petition against Conservative council leader Richard Blunt in Appleby ward has been withdrawn.
• Northamptonshire county council: Byelection on 9 February in Towcester division after to the resignation of Conservative councillor Rosemary Bromwich, who has moved to Cornwall. Term ends 2013.
• Nottinghamshire county council: Byelection on 15 March in Chilwell and Toton division after the death of Conservative councillor and former Council Chairman Tom Pettengell. Term ends 2013.
• Oadby and Wigston borough council: Byelection on 16 February in Oadby Woodlands ward after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Malcolm Brown. Term ends 2015.
• South Northamptonshire district council: Byelection on 9 February in Towcester Brook ward after the death of Conservative councillor Diana Dallyn. Term ends 2015.
• West Lindsey district council: Geoff Wiseman, who was elected as a Conservative in Middle Rasen ward, has left the party, complaining that they failed to support him during a Standards Committee inquiry which resulted in his suspension for four months.

East of England

• Braintree district council: There are three byelections on 15 March, all caused by the resignations of Conservative councillors who have moved out of the area. Braintree East ward will be electing a replacement for David Messer, Braintree South ward will replace Stephen Sandbrook, and Great Notley and Braintree West ward will replace Claire Sandbrook. All terms end in 2015.
• Broxbourne borough council: Under the Broxbourne (Electoral Changes) Order 2012, there will be an all-out election on new boundaries in May.
• Harlow borough council: Vacancy in Mark Hall ward after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Nick Macy who was the sole member of his party remaining on the council. As his term was due to end in May, there will be no byelection for a replacement.
• Hertfordshire county council: Vacancy in Waltham Cross division after the death of Conservative councillor Terry Price. Term ends 2013.
• Hertsmere borough council: Vacancy in Potters Bar Furzefield ward after the death of Conservative councillor Ron Morris. Term ends 2015.
• Ipswich borough council: Vacancy in Bixley ward after the death of leading Conservative councillor Russell Harsant. Term ends 2014.
• Norwich city council: Steven Altman, Green Party councillor for Wensum ward, has been sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment for arson. As this is over three months, he will be disqualified as a councillor on 26 February if he does not appeal against the sentence.
• Peterborough city council: Michael Fletcher, who was elected for the Conservatives in Bretton South ward, has left the party to join the Peterborough Independent Forum. He is opposed to the council leadership’s decision to increase the council tax in the coming year.
• Suffolk county council: Byelection on 9 February in Kesgrave and Rushmere St Andrew division after the death of Conservative councillor John Klaschka. There is also a vacancy in Bixley division after the death of leading Conservative councillor Russell Harsant. Both terms end in 2013.
• Suffolk Coastal district council: Byelection on 9 February in Kesgrave East ward after the death of Conservative councillor John Klaschka. Term ends 2015.
• Tendring district council: Vacancy in St Bartholomews ward after the death of former council chairman Mary Bragg who sat as an Independent but was sponsored by the Holland-on-Sea Residents’ Association. Term ends 2015.
• Thurrock council: Vacancy in Corringham and Fobbing ward after the resignation of Independent Conservative councillor and former Mayor Ian Harrison. As his term was due to end in May, he will not be replaced in a byelection. His resignation means that the Labour group now has exactly half of the members of the council.

London

• Brent borough council: Vacancy in Dollis Hill ward after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Dr Alec Castle. Term ends 2014.
• Greenwich borough council: The council has received the Royal Charter formally conferring its new title and arms as the ‘Royal Borough of Greenwich’. The decision to confer Royal Borough status was announced in January 2010.
• Sutton borough council: Byelection on 16 February in Worcester Park ward, after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Jennifer Campbell-Klomps who is emigrating. Term ends 2014.

North East

• South Tyneside borough council: Vacancy in Simonside and Rekendyke ward after the death of Labour councillor Joan Meeks. Term ends 2014. Her replacement is likely to be elected in a double vacancy election in May.

North West

• Bury borough council: Vacancy in East ward after the death of Labour councillor and former Mayor John Byrne. As his term was due to end in May, there will be no byelection for his replacement. His death removes the Labour group overall majority.
• Carlisle city council: Vacancy in Castle ward after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Jim Tootle. As his term was due to end in May, there will be no byelection.
• Cumbria county council: Byelection on 1 March in Castle division after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Jim Tootle. Term ends 2013.
• South Lakeland district council: Byelection on 9 February in Windermere Town ward after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Sandra Britton. The term ends in 2015. There is also a vacancy in Ulverston North ward after the death of Conservative councillor and former council leader Colin Hodgson. Term ends May.

South East

• Adur district council: Vacancy in Eastbrook ward following the disqualification of Liberal Democrat councillor Gavin Ayling, who failed to attend any meetings of the council in six months. The term ends in May.
• Fareham borough council: Vacancy in Portchester East ward after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Brown, who faced disqualification after he did not attend any meetings of the council in six months. As his term was due to end in May, he will not be replaced in a byelection.
• Hampshire county council: Byelection on 9 February in Winchester Southern Parishes division after the death of Conservative councillor and Vice-Chairman of the council Frederick Allgood who was also a former Mayor of Winchester. Term ends 2013.
• Havant borough council: Vacancy in Purbrook ward after the death of Conservative councillor David Farrow. As his term was due to end in May, he will not be replaced in a byelection.
• Horsham district council: Byelection on 16 February in Itchingfield, Slinfold and Warnham ward after the resignation of council leader Robert Nye, who was a Conservative councillor. Term ends 2015.
• Oxfordshire county council: Vacancy in Watlington division after the death of Conservative councillor Roger Belson. Term ends 2013.
• Portsmouth city council: Vacancy in Paulsgrove ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Mike Blake. As he resigned within six months of his term ending in May, no byelection will be held.
• Rushmoor district council: Under the Rushmoor (Electoral Changes) Order 2012, there will be a full council election on new boundaries in May.
• Sevenoaks district council: Vacancy in Crockenhill and Well Hill ward after the death of Independent councillor Colin Dibsdall. Term ends 2015.
• Slough borough council: Byelection on 8 March in Baylis and Stoke ward after the disqualification of Labour councillor Azhar Qureshi who did not attend any meeting of the council in six months. Term ends 2014.
• Swale borough council: Byelection on 8 March in Kemsley ward after the death of veteran Conservative councillor and former Mayor Brenda Simpson. Term ends 2015.
• Worthing borough council: Vacancy in Offington ward after the death of Conservative councillor Reg Green. Term ends 2014. The byelection is expected to be held as a double vacancy election in May.

South West

• Stroud district council: Vacancy in Severn ward after the death of Conservative councillor Norman Smith. As his term was due to end in May he will not be replaced until then.
• Swindon council: Vacancy in Moredon ward after the death of Labour councillor Jenny Millin. As her term was due to end in May, there will be no byelection for a replacement.

West Midlands

• Newcastle under Lyme borough council: Simon White was elected councillor for Madeley ward on 2 February. He wins for the Liberal Democrats a seat previously held by the Labour Party.
• Shropshire council: Byelection on 1 March in Abbey division after the resignation of Conservative councillor Josephine Jones. Term ends 2013.
• Stafford borough council: Byelection on 8 March in Rowley ward after the death of Conservative councillor David Allan. Term ends 2015.
• Staffordshire county council: Byelection on 9 February in Leek South division after the death of UK Independence Party councillor Steve Povey. Term ends 2013.
• Staffordshire Moorlands district council: Byelection on 9 February in Leek North ward after the death of UK Independence Party councillor Steve Povey. Term ends 2015.
• Tamworth borough council: Vacancy in Mercian ward after the death of Conservative councillor and former Mayor Sam Munn. Term ends in May.

Yorkshire and the Humber

• Bradford city council: Vacancy in Keighley West ward after the resignation of Robert Payne. Originally elected as a Conservative, he was sitting as an Independent after being convicted of fraud, and was recently imprisoned for cruelty to cats. His term was due to end in May so there will be no byelection for his replacement.
• Rotherham borough council: Vacancy in Brinsworth and Catcliffe ward after the disqualification of John Gamble, who had originally been elected for the British National Party but left the party and later joined the England First Party and then the National Front. Former councillor Gamble did not attend any meetings of the council in six months, but as his term was due to end in May there will be no byelection for his replacement.
• Scarborough borough council: Vacancy in Hertford ward after the resignation of Green Party councillor Nick Harvey. Term ends 2015.
• Wakefield borough council: Vacancy in Hemsworth ward after the resignation of Independent councillor Ian Womersley. His term was due to end in May so there will be no byelection.

Wales

• Carmarthenshire county council: Vacancy in Tycroes division after the death of Labour councillor and former chairman Dewi Enoch. As his term was due to end in May there will be no byelection.
• Newport city council: There are two seats vacant. Alway division has a vacancy after the death of veteran Labour councillor Ken Powell. Allt-yr-yn division has a vacancy after the death of veteran Conservative councillor Les Knight. Both terms were due to end in May; no byelection can be called in Allt-yr-yn and although a byelection could be called in Alway, it is expected that the seat will be left vacant.
• Pembrokeshire county council: Vacancy in Pembroke Dock Central division after the resignation of Labour group deputy leader Kate Becton, following a conviction for drink driving. As her term was due to end in May, there will be no byelection for a replacement.
• Swansea city and county council: Vacancy in Castle division after the death of Labour councillor Barbara Hynes. Although a byelection could be called, the term will end in May and so it is expected that the seat will be left vacant.

Scotland

• Argyll and Bute council: Vacancy in Oban South and The Isles ward after the death of Scottish National Party councillor Donald McIntosh. As it is less than six months until the end of his term, no byelection can be called.
• East Ayrshire council: There are two vacancies. A seat in Ballochmyle ward is vacant after the death of Labour councillor Jimmy Kelly, and a seat in Doon Valley ward is vacant after the resignation of Scottish National Party councillor Drew Filson. As both vacancies occurred within six months of the full council elections, there will be no byelections.
• Glasgow city council: Irfan Rabbani, who was elected for the Labour Party in Pollokshields ward, has joined the Scottish National Party.
• Orkney Islands Council: Vacancy in Stomness and South Isles ward after the death of Independent councillor John Eccles. As his term was due to end in May there will be no byelection.
• Renfrewshire council: Vacancy in Renfrew North ward after the resignation of Scottish National Party councillor Derek Mackay, now Member of the Scottish Parliament for Renfrewshire North and West, who has been named as Minister Designate for Local Government and Planning in the Scottish Government. As his term was due to end in May there will be no byelection for a replacement.

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