The latest updates on local electoral information are as follows.
Changes of allegiance
- Babergh: John Hinton, who was elected for the Conservatives in Dodnash ward, has left the party over his opposition to a housing scheme in East Bergholt.
- Harrogate: Five councillors have left the Liberal Democrats to form the Harrogate Independents group. They are John Fox and Jennifer Travena (Granby ward), Andrew Goss and Bob O’Neill (Woodfield ward), with Val Rodgers (Bilton ward).
- Newcastle-under-Lyme: Wenslie Naylon, who was elected for the Green Party in Keele ward, has joined the Borough Independent Group.
- Peterborough: Gul Nawaz, who was re-elected for the Conservative Party in Ravensthorpe ward last week, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor As a result of his shift the Conservatives no longer have an overall majority on the council.
New vacancies
- Bexley: St Michaels ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Joe Pollard. Term ends 2018.
- Mole Valley: Leatherhead North ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Santiago Mondejar. Term ends 2019.
Date for byelection
- Kings Lynn and West Norfolk: The byelection due in Valley Hill ward will be held on 16 June.
Other news
- Clackmannanshire: After the Labour opposition forced through a series of unwelcome constitutional changes, the Scottish National Party administration has resigned. The council currently has no political leadership, pending a special meeting to elect a new one.
- Colchester: Coalition talks are close to reaching agreement for a continuation of the Liberal Democrat/Labour/Highwoods Independent coalition administration. The parties have been in control since 2008.
- Milton Keynes: The Labour and Liberal Democrat groups have signed a deal under which the Liberal Democrats have agreed to support a minority Labour administration into power.
- Norfolk: At the annual meeting, the abstention of the four Green Party councillors meant that a Conservative minority leadership took control of the county council – ousting the Labour/UK Independence Party/Liberal Democrat unofficial coalition which had been in power since 2013.
- Southend: The Conservative and UK Independence Party groups have agreed a pact under which the UKIP councillors will support a minority Conservative administration, in return for some policy concessions.
- West Dorset: A referendum on 5 May (not counted until Monday) decided to return to the committee system for council decision-making. The change will be made in 2017.
- Worcester: The Labour group has put down a motion to remove the Conservative leadership of the council who lost their majority last week. The Conservative leader has floated the idea of an all-party administration.
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