Wirral going Labour now!

Posted by David Boothroyd
View David's blog
11 years ago / March 1, 2013

The latest information about local electoral matters is as follows:

East Midlands

  • Basildon borough council: It is belatedly noted that Lynda Gordon, who was elected for the Labour Party in Lee Chapel North ward, left the party in January. She has formed an Independent Labour group which has been joined by Phil and Pat Rackley, who also left the Labour group last month.
  • Boston borough council: Vacancy in Staniland South ward after the death of Conservative councillor Paul Mould. Term ends 2015.
  • 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.
  • East Lindsey district council: Vacancy in Coningsby and Tattersall ward after the death of veteran Liberal Democrat councillor and former council chairman Ray Curtis. Term ends 2015.
  • Harborough district council: Vacancy in Thurnby and Houghton ward after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor and former council chairman Jan Tooley. Term ends 2015.
  • Lincolnshire county council: Vacancy in Lincoln Bracebridge division after the resignation of Conservative county councillor Rachel Hubbard due to ill health. As her term was due to end in May, she will not be replaced in a byelection.
  • Nottingham city council: There are two byelections on 4 April. That in Bilborough ward follows the death of Labour councillor and twice Sheriff of Nottingham, Derek Cresswell. That in Wollaton and Lenton East ward follows the resignation of Labour councillor Stuart Fox. Both terms end in 2015.
  • Wellingborough borough council: Vacancy in Earls Barton ward after the death of Labour councillor Peter Wright. Term ends 2015.

East of England

  • 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: There are three seats vacant. Bishops Stortford Meads has a seat vacant after the resignation of Conservative councillor Jill Demonti. Buntingford ward has a seat vacant after the resignation of Conservative councillor Surjit Singh Basra due to ill health. Watton-at-Stone ward has a seat vacant after the resignation of veteran Conservative councillor Nigel Poulton. All three terms end in 2015 and the byelections are expected to be held on 2 May.
  • 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: Byelection on 28 March in Parson Drove and Wisbech St Mary ward after the death of Conservative councillor Robert Scrimshaw. Term ends 2015.
  • Ipswich borough council: Vacancy in Alexandra ward after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Ken Bates. There is also an impending vacancy in Whitehouse ward where Labour councillor David Ball intends to resign as he is moving out of the borough. Both terms end in 2014 and the byelections are expected to be held on 2 May.
  • 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.
  • Luton borough council: Byelection in Wigmore ward on Wednesday 10 April after the death of veteran Liberal Democrat councillor Roy Davies (who is not to be confused with veteran Luton Labour councillor Roy Davis). 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.
  • South Cambridgeshire district council: Clayton Hudson, who was elected as a Conservative in Bourn ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor. Hudson is opposed to the decision to reappoint his ward colleague Mervyn Loynes to the planning committee after Loynes made controversial remarks about a local travellers’ camp.
  • Tendring district council: Byelection on 28 March in Harwich West ward after the death of Labour councillor Les Double. Term ends 2015.

London

  • Barking and Dagenham borough council: Vacancy in Longbridge ward after the death of the chairman of the council, Nirmal Singh Gill, who was a Labour councillor. Term ends 2014.
  • 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.
  • Havering borough council: Byelection on 21 March in Gooshays ward after the death of Conservative councillor Dennis Bull. Term ends 2014.
  • Islington borough council: There are two byelections on 21 March. That in Junction ward follows 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. That in St George’s ward follows 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: Sushila Abraham was elected councillor for Berrylands ward on 28 February, holding the seat for the Liberal Democrats.
  • Lewisham borough council: Byelection on 28 March in Evelyn ward, after the resignation of Labour councillor Joseph Folorunso who has decided to focus his attention on an orphanage he set up in Togo. Term ends 2014.

North East

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 three byelections on 4 April, all caused by the deaths of sitting Labour councillors. Prescot East ward will elect a councillor after the death of Derek McEgan; the term ends in 2016. Prescot West ward will elect a successor to Bob Whiley; the term ends in 2015. St Michael’s ward will fill a vacancy left by the death of cabinet member Ken Keith. The term there ends in 2014.
  • Oldham borough council: Byelection on 14 March in Royton South after the death of Labour councillor Phil Harrison. Term ends 2014. There is also a vacancy in Alexandra ward after the death of Labour councillor Dilys Fletcher; the term there ends in 2016.
  • Rochdale borough council: Shah Wazir, who was elected for the Liberal Democrats in Milkstone and Deeplish ward but joined the Conservatives in April 2011, has now joined the Labour Party. There is a vacancy in Norden ward after the death of Conservative councillor Ann Metcalfe. Term ends 2015.
  • St Helens borough council: Vacancy in Windle ward after the death of Labour councillor Pat Martinez-Williams. Term ends 2015.
  • Wigan borough council: Byelection on 4 April in Pemberton ward after the death of Labour councillor Barbara Bourne. Term ends 2015.
  • Wirral borough council: Philip Brightmore was elected councillor for Pensby and Thingwall ward on 28 February, gaining for the Labour Party a seat previously held by the Conservatives.
  • Wyre borough council: There are three vacancies. Park ward has a seat vacant after the resignations of Labour councillor Julie Grunshaw, and Pharos ward has a seat vacant following the resignation of her husband and fellow Labour councillor Clive Grunshaw, now Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire. Staina ward has a seat vacant 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: Jill Britcher was elected councillor for Beaver ward on 28 February, holding the seat for the Labour Party.
  • 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.
  • Surrey county council: Ian Lake (Weybridge division), who was elected as a Conservative but left the party in January, has now joined the UK Independence Party. 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.
  • Tandridge district council: Impending vacancy in Burstow, Horne and Outwood ward due to the resignation on 11 March of Conservative councillor Michael Keenan, who is opposed to the Marriage (Same Sex couples) Bill. Term ends 2015.
  • Thanet district council: Former council leader Sandy Ezekiel (Cliftonville East ward), who was elected as a Conservative but had the party whip withdrawn when charged, was today sentenced to imprisonment for 18 months after being convicted of misconduct in public office. If he declines to appeal against sentence or conviction, or his appeal is refused, he will be disqualified as a councillor.
  • 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: Lance Kennedy, who was elected for the Conservatives in Bodmin East division and serves in the council cabinet, has left the party and joined the Independent group due to his opposition to their proposed council budget for 2013/14. 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. There is also an impending vacancy in Bodmin East division as Independent councillor Collin Brewer has said he will resign after complaints over his remarks about disabled children.
  • North Dorset district council: There are two byelections on 21 March following the resignations of a married couple of Conservative councillors. Former council leader Peter Webb has vacated The Stours ward while his wife Helen Webb has vacated Lodbourne ward. Both terms end in 2015.
  • Stroud district council: Vacancy in Cam East ward after the resignation (due to ill health) of the chairman of the council, John Hudson, who was elected as a Conservative councillor but sitting as an Independent. Term ends 2014.
  • West Dorset district council: Vacancy in Cam Vale ward after the death of Conservative councillor Richard Jungius. Term ends 2015.

West Midlands

Yorkshire and the Humber

Wales

Scotland

  • Angus council: Ewan Smith, who was elected for the Scottish National Party in Arbroath West and Letham ward, has left the SNP group to sit as an Independent councillor. As a result of his shift of allegiance, the SNP administration no longer has an overall majority on the council.
  • Highland council: Vacancy in Landward Caithness ward after the resignation, on medical advice, of Independent councillor Robert Coghill. Term ends 2017. The byelection is expected to be held on 2 May.
  • 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: Kevin Doherty was elected councillor for Coatbridge West on 28 February, holding the seat for the Labour Party.
  • Scottish Borders council: Byelection on 2 May in Leaderdale and Melrose ward after the resignation of the leader of the Borders Party, Nicholas Watson. Term ends 2017.

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