Play your cards right

The latest updates on local electoral information are as follows.

Results

• Argyll and Bute: The byelection in Lomond North ward held on 16 December was won by Paul Collins. Conservative hold.
• Ashford: The byelection in Highfield ward held on 16 December was won by Dawnie Nilsson. Green Party gain from Conservative.
• Bridgend: The byelection in Caerau division held on 16 December was won by Chris Davies. Independent gain from Labour.
• Horsham: The byelection in Roffey South ward held on 16 December was won by Sam Raby. Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative.
• Lichfield: The byelection in Armitage with Handsacre ward held on 16 December was won by Richard Cross. Conservative hold.
• Medway: The byelection in Rochester East ward held on 16 December was won by Lauren Edwards. Labour hold.
• Middlesbrough: The byelection in North Ormesby ward held on 16 December was won by Nicky Gascoigne. Labour gain from Middlesbrough Independent Group.
• Northumberland: The byelection in Hexham East division held on 16 December was won by Suzanne Fairless-Aitken. Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative. The result means the Conservatives will not regain an overall majority on the council.
• Telford and Wrekin: The byelection in Dawley and Aqueduct ward held on 16 December was won by Bob Wennington. Labour hold.
• Walsall: The byelection in Pleck ward held on 16 December was won by Simran Cheema. Although Labour held the seat, the successful candidate was discovered after nomination to be disqualified, as she was still employed by the council on the date of nomination; she will not therefore be able to take up her seat which will remain vacant until next May’s council elections.
• West Berkshire: The byelection in Tilehurst South and Holybrook ward held on 16 December was won by Akinbiyi Oloko. Conservative hold.
• West Lindsey: The byelection in Nettleham ward held on 16 December was won by Jaime Oliver. Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative (the outgoing councillor having been sitting as an Independent).

Changes of allegiance

• Bristol: The two councillors for Knowle ward have left the Liberal Democrats to set up the Knowle Community Party. They are Christopher Davies and Gary Hopkins.
• Broxbourne: Carol Crump, who was elected for the Conservatives in Cheshunt South and Theobalds ward, has been suspended from the party and deprived of the whip for nine months, over controversial Facebook posts.
• Ceredigion: Lloyd Edwards, who was elected for the Liberal Democrats in Aberystwyth Penparcau division, has left the party following complaints about some of his remarks. He is sitting as an ungrouped councillor.
• Luton: Jeff Petts, who was elected for the Conservatives in Icknield ward, has joined the Liberal Democrats.
• Powys: Iain McIntosh, who was elected for the Conservatives in Yscir division, has left the party.
• Wakefield: Ian Womersley, who was elected as an Independent in Hemsworth ward, has joined the Labour Party.

New vacancies

• Cotswold: Campden and Vale ward, after the disqualification of Conservative councillor and former council leader Mark Annett. Term ends 2023.
• Dartford: Wilmington, Sutton-at-Hone and Hawley ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Lucas Reynolds. Term ends 2023.
• Tewkesbury: Brockworth East ward, after the resignation of Independent councillor Louise Gerrard. Term ends 2023.

Dates for byelections

• Cotswold: The byelection due in Campden and Vale ward will be held on 3 February.
• Dartford: The byelection due in Maypole and Leyton Cross ward will be held on 27 January.
• Dartford: The byelection due in Wilmington, Sutton-at-Hone and Hawley ward will be held on 27 January.
• Kent: The byelection due in Wilmington division will be held on 27 January.

Other updates

• Bristol: The council will hold a referendum in May 2022 on whether to retain the directly-elected Mayor system. Bristol voted in favour of a directly elected Mayor in a 2012 referendum ordered by the Coalition Government; the law allows a new referendum to be held after a decade.
• Moray: When the council ended up tied on the Conservatives’ motion to take control of the council from the Scottish National Party, the party leaders decided to resolve the tie by cutting a deck of cards. The Scottish National Party drew the higher card (the jack of spades) and have accordingly retained control.
• Stratford-on-Avon: At separate meetings on Monday, both Warwick district council and Stratford-on-Avon district council voted to merge with each other. They have jointly applied to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to bring about the merger.

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