Have a happy Halliday!

The latest updates on local electoral information are as follows.

Results

• Gwynedd: When nominations closed for the byelection in Morfa Nefyn division, only one candidate had been nominated and Gareth Tudor Morris Jones has therefore been elected unopposed; no poll will take place on 23 May. Plaid Cymru hold.
• Shropshire: The byelection in Belle Vue division held on 25 April was won by Kate Halliday. Labour hold.

Changes of allegiance

• East Devon: Ian Thomas, who was elected for the Conservative Party in Trinity ward and is the leader of the council, has left the party and resigned as Leader of the Conservative group. He will remain council leader as an Independent councillor (and, confusingly, will be on the ballot on 2 May as a Conservative).
• Glasgow: Russell Robertson, who was elected for the Scottish National Party in East Centre ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor.
• Hartlepool: Stephen Akers-Belcher, who was elected for the Labour Party in Manor House ward, has joined the Socialist Labour Party. He had been suspended from membership last week over claims he distributed leaflets for his deselected ward colleague.

New vacancies

• Allerdale: Keswick ward, after the death of Independent councillor Martin Pugmire. His term was to have ended next month and he was not seeking re-election.
• Broxtowe: Stapleford South East ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Chris Rice who was standing for re-election.
• Isle of Wight: Whippingham and Osborne division, after the resignation of Labour councillor Julia Baker-Smith who is moving to Manchester. She was elected as an Independent but joined Labour in June 2018. Term ends 2021.
• Neath Port Talbot: Pelenna division, after the death of Independent councillor Martin Ellis. Term ends 2022.
• North Devon: Chittlehampton ward, after the death of Independent councillor Walter White. His term would have ended next month but he was standing for re-election.
• South Staffordshire: Wombourne South West ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Mary Bond, who was standing for re-election on 2 May.

Dates for byelections

• Gosport: The byelection due in Brockhurst ward will be held on 30 May.

Postponed polls

• Broxtowe: The election in Stapleford South East ward has been postponed from 2 May, following the death of Chris Rice who had been nominated as a Conservative Party candidate.
• North Devon: The election in Chittlehampton ward has been postponed from 2 May, following the death of Walter White, who had been nominated as an Independent candidate.
• South Staffordshire: The election in Wombourne South West ward has been postponed from 2 May to 6 June, following the death of Mary Bond, who had been nominated as a Conservative Party candidate.

---

---