White City still red

The latest information about local electoral matters is as follows:

East Midlands

• Derbyshire county council: Vacancy in Buxton West division after the disqualification of Conservative county councillor Robin Baldry, who has been given a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to theft of subsistence allowances. As his term was due to end in May, he will not be replaced in a byelection.
• Nottingham city council: Vacancy in Bilborough ward after the death of Labour councillor and twice Sheriff of Nottingham, Derek Cresswell. Term ends 2015.
• West Lindsey district council: Byelection on 14 February in Gainsborough East ward after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Mel Starkey. Term ends 2015.

East of England

• Basildon borough council: Two councillors have left the Labour group following disagreements with the leadership. They are Phil Rackley (St Martin’s ward) and his wife Pat Rackley (Lee Chapel North ward).
• Brentwood district council: Four former Conservative councillors who left the party to sit as Independent Conservatives in December 2012 have now formed themselves into the Brentwood First group. They are William Lloyd (Warley ward), Russell Quirk (Hutton North ward), Phil Baker (Shenfield ward) and Nigel Clarke (Brentwood West ward).
• Chelmsford city council: Byelection on Tuesday 19 February in Broomfield and The Walthams ward after the death of the longest serving councillor, Delmas Ashford. Ashford was an Independent councillor for most of his career, except for 1999-2011 when he was a Conservative. Term ends 2015.
• Dacorum borough council: Byelection in Adeyfield West ward on 21 March after the resignation of Labour councillor Keith White, who has moved out of the district. Term ends 2015.
• East Hertfordshire district council: Vacancy in Buntingford ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Surjit Singh Basra due to ill health. Term ends 2015.
• Essex county council: Vacancy in Rochford South division after the death of Conservative councillor Roy Pearson. As his term was due to end in May, there will be no byelection for his replacement.
• Fenland district council: Vacancy in Parson Drove and Wisbech St Mary ward after the death of Conservative councillor Robert Scrimshaw. Term ends 2015.
• King’s Lynn and West Norfolk borough council: Vacancy in Snettisham ward after the death of Conservative councillor and former Mayor David Johnson. Term ends 2015.
• Norfolk county council: Vacancy in North Coast division after the resignation of Stephen Bett, who has been elected Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk. He was elected as a Conservative but was sitting as an Independent at the time of his resignation. No byelection can be held because full council elections are due in May.
• North Norfolk district council: Byelection on 21 February in Cromer Town ward after the death of Conservative councillor Keith Johnson, who had been Leader of the Council since May. The circumstances of his death have made national headlines. Term ends 2015.
• Tendring district council: Vacancy in Harwich West ward after the death of Labour councillor Les Double. Term ends 2015.

London

• Camden borough council: Byelection on 14 March in Gospel Oak ward after the resignation of Labour councillor Sean Birch. Term ends 2014.
• City of London Corporation: Vacancy in Dowgate ward following the resignation of Common Councilman Robin Sherlock, Deputy for the ward since 2002. As full council elections are due in March, he will not be replaced in a byelection.
• Enfield borough council: Chris Joannides, who was elected for the Conservaives in Grange ward, has been suspended from the group after posting controversial comments on his facebook site.
• Hammersmith and Fulham borough council: Max Schmid was elected councillor for Wormholt and White City ward on 7 February, holding the seat for the Labour Party.
• Harrow borough council: Byelection on 21 February in West Harrow ward after the resignation of Brian Gate, who had been elected for the Labour Party but was suspended from the party after his arrest in October 2012. Gate has accepted a caution for possessing indecent images of children. Term ends 2014.
• Havering borough council: Vacancy in Gooshays ward after the death of Conservative councillor Dennis Bull. Term ends 2014.
• Islington borough council: There are two seats vacant. Junction ward has a vacancy after the resignation of Arthur Graves, who was elected as a Liberal Democrat but had resigned the whip in April 2012; he is emigrating to Australia. St George’s ward has a vacancy after the resignation of Labour councillor Jessica Asato following her selection as Parliamentary candidate for Norwich North. Both terms end in 2014.
• Royal Borough of Kingston-on-Thames: Byelection on 28 February in Berrylands ward after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Frances Moseley. Term ends 2014.

North East

• Darlington council: Vacancy in Lascelles ward after the death of Labour councillor Jacqui Maddison. Term ends 2015.
• Durham council: Vacancy in Aycliffe West division after the death of Labour councillor Enid Paylor. As her term was due to end in May, she will not be replaced in a byelection.
• Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council: Mick Moore of the Thornaby Independent Association was elected councillor for Village ward on 7 February, holding the seat for the association.
• Sunderland city council: Vacancy in Houghton ward after the death of Labour councillor Kath Rolph. Term ends 2015.

North West

• Cumbria county council: Vacancy in Distington and Moresby division after the death of Labour county councillor Cam Ross. As his term was due to end in May, he will not be replaced in a byelection.
• Knowsley borough council: There are two vacancies, both caused by the deaths of sitting councillors. Prescot East ward has a vacancy after the death of Labour councillor Derek McEgan; the term ends in 2016. St Michael’s ward has a vacancy after the death of Labour councillor and cabinet member Ken Keith. The term there ends in 2014.
• Oldham borough council: Vacancy in Royton South after the death of Labour councillor Phil Harrison. Term ends 2014.
• Wigan borough council: Vacancy in Pemberton ward after the death of Labour councillor Barbara Bourne. Term ends 2015.
• Wirral borough council: Byelection on 28 February in Pensby and Thingwall ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Don McCubbin. Term ends 2015.
• Wyre borough council: Vacancy in Staina ward after the death of Conservative councillor and current Deputy Mayor, Ian Perkin. Term ends 2015.

South East

• Arun district council: Byelection on 14 March in Aldwick East ward after the death of Conservative councillor Robin Brown. There is also a vacancy in Angmering ward after the death of Conservative councillor Julie Hazlehurst. Both terms end in 2015.
• Ashford borough council: Byelection on 28 February in Beaver ward after the resignation of Labour councillor Rebecca Rutter. Term ends 2015.
• Canterbury city council: Vacancy in Seasalter ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Cyril Windsor, who is emigrating to Australia. Term ends 2015.
• Dover district council: Vacancy in Maxton, Elms Vale and Priory ward after the death of Labour councillor and former Mayor Diane Smallwood. Term ends 2015.
• Kent county council: Vacancy in Gravesham East division following the resignation of Conservative councillor Bryan Sweetland, who was elected county councillor for Gravesham Rural division on 20 December 2012. The Gravesham East division will not be filled in a byelection as the full council election is less than six months away.
• Reigate and Banstead borough council: Vacancy in South Park and Woodhatch ward after the death of Conservative councillor Frances King. Term ends 2014.
• Runnymede borough council: Byelection on 14 March in Foxhills ward after the death of Conservative councillor Frances Barden. Term ends 2015.
• Spelthorne borough council: A new Spelthorne Independent Group has been formed by six councillors who were elected as Conservatives. They are former council leader Frank Ayers (Ashford Common ward), Alan Patterson (Staines ward), Christine Bannister (Staines ward), Gerald Forsbrey (Ashford Town ward), Denise Grant (Ashford Town ward) and Marion Bushnell (Ashford Common ward). The existing Independent councillor, Caroline Spencer (Ashford Town ward), has also joined the group, making its total membership seven.
• Surrey county council: Vacancy in Earlswood and Reigate South division after the death of Conservative councillor Frances King. There will be no byelection as her term would have ended in May.
• Wycombe borough council: Vacancy in Disraeli ward after the resignation of Labour councillor and outgoing group leader Victoria Groulef, who has been selected as Parliamentary candidate for Reading West. Term ends 2015.

South West

• Cornwall council: There are two vacancies. Ludgvan division is vacant after the resignation of Independent councillor Irene Bailey due to ill health; Rame division is vacant after the resignation of Conservative councillor George Trubody, due to his non-council career. As there are full council elections due in May, there will not be byelections for replacements.
• Forest of Dean district council: Tim Gwilliam was elected councillor for Berry Hill ward on 7 February, retaining the seat for the Labour Party.
• West Dorset district council: Vacancy in Cam Vale ward after the death of Conservative councillor Richard Jungius. Term ends 2015.

West Midlands

• Sandwell borough council: Jayne Wilkinson, who was elected for the Labour Party in Tividale ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent Rate Payer councillor, after an apparent dispute over use of social media.
• South Staffordshire district council: Byelection on 14 February in Perton East ward after the death of Conservative councillor David Billson, who was deputy leader of the council. Term ends 2015.
• Staffordshire county council: There are two vacancies, both caused by the deaths of Conservative councillors. Perton division is vacant after the death David Billson, while Stonydelph division is vacant after the death of Brian Beale. Neither seat will have a byelection as the full council elections are due in May.
• Tamworth borough council: Vacancy in Wilnecote ward after the death of Conservative councillor and former Mayor Brian Beale. Term ends 2015.
• Telford and Wrekin council: Byelection on 14 February in Dawley Magna ward after the death of Labour councillor Brian Duce. Term ends 2015.

Yorkshire and the Humber

• Doncaster borough council: Peter Davies, who was elected Mayor as the candidate of the English Democrats, has left the party over concerns that it is dominated by political extremists.
• East Riding of Yorkshire council: Impending vacancy in Howdenshire ward due to the resignation (with effect from the end of March) of Conservative councillor Paul Robinson, who has been appointed Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside. Term ends 2015.
• Hambleton district council: Vacancy in Whitestonecliffe ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Nigel Clack. Term ends 2015.
• Leeds city council: Vacancy in Cross Gates and Whinmoor ward after the death of Labour councillor Suzi Armitage. Term ends 2016.
• North East Lincolnshire council: Vacancy in Humberston and New Waltham ward after the death of Conservative councillor and former Mayor John Colebrook. Term ends 2014.
• Wakefield council: Byelection on 21 February in Castleford Central and Glasshoughton ward after the resignation of Labour councillor Mark Burns-Williamson, now Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire. Term ends 2016.

Wales

• Caerphilly county borough council: Vacancy in Risca East division after the death of Labour councillor Stan Jenkins. Term ends 2017.

Scotland

• Moray council: Byelection on 7 March 2013 in Heldon and Laich ward after the resignation of Scottish National Party councillor Carolle Ralph, who has stepped down after becoming the victim of a hate-mail campaign. Term ends 2017.
• North Lanarkshire council: Byelection on 28 February in Coatbridge West ward after the death of Labour councillor Tom Maginnis. Term ends 2017.
• Scottish Borders council: Impending vacancy in Leaderdale and Melrose ward due to the resignation of the leader of the Borders Party, Nicholas Watson, which will take effect on 22 February. Term ends 2017. The byelection will take place on 3 May.
• South Lanarkshire council: Byelection on 14 February in Rutherglen South ward after the death of Scottish National Party councillor Anne Higgins. Term ends 2017. Her death means that Labour now has exactly half of the seats and would gain overall control of the council if a Labour councillor was elected in the byelection.

---

---