Two more join Peterborough Independents

Posted by David Boothroyd
View David's blog
13 years ago / February 24, 2012

The latest information about local council electoral matters is as follows:

East Midlands

East of England

  • Braintree district council: There are three byelections on 15 March, all caused by the resignations of Conservative councillors who have moved out of the area. Braintree East ward will be electing a replacement for David Messer, Braintree South ward will replace Stephen Sandbrook, and Great Notley and Braintree West ward will replace Claire Sandbrook. All terms end in 2015.
  • Harlow borough council: Vacancy in Mark Hall ward after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Nick Macy who was the sole member of his party remaining on the council. As his term was due to end in May, there will be no byelection for a replacement.
  • Hertfordshire county council: Byelection on 22 March in Waltham Cross division after the death of Conservative councillor Terry Price. Term ends 2013.
  • Hertsmere borough council: Vacancy in Potters Bar Furzefield ward after the death of Conservative councillor Ron Morris. Term ends 2015.
  • Ipswich borough council: Vacancy in Bixley ward after the death of leading Conservative councillor Russell Harsant. Term ends 2014.
  • Peterborough city council: Fran Benton, who was elected as a Conservative in Fletton and Woodston ward, left the Conservative Party to join Peterborough Independent Forum in a speech at the council meeting on Wednesday. She had been deselected and criticised the Conservatives for failing to support her over the trauma she suffered after being kidnapped and raped. Before the meeting, Pat Nash (Bretton North ward) had also left the Conservatives to join the Peterborough Independent Forum.
  • Suffolk county council: Vacancy in Bixley division after the death of leading Conservative councillor Russell Harsant. Term ends 2013.
  • Tendring district council: Byelection on 22 March in St Bartholomews ward after the death of former council chairman Mary Bragg who sat as an Independent but was sponsored by the Holland-on-Sea Residents’ Association. Term ends 2015.
  • Thurrock council: Vacancy in Corringham and Fobbing ward after the resignation of Independent Conservative councillor and former Mayor Ian Harrison. As his term was due to end in May, he will not be replaced in a byelection. His resignation means that the Labour group now has exactly half of the members of the council.

London

  • Barking and Dagenham borough council: Vacancy in Goresbrook ward after the resignation of Labour councillor Louise Couling. She had been absent from council meetings since January 2011 due to ill health but resigned before the meeting on Wednesday 22 February, at which the council was due to consider whether to grant a further leave of absence. Term ends 2014.
  • Barnet borough council: Vacancy in East Finchley ward after the resignation of Labour councillor Andrew McNeil for family reasons. Term ends 2014.
  • Brent borough council: Byelection on 22 March in Dollis Hill ward after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Dr Alec Castle. Term ends 2014.
  • Camden borough council: Impending vacancy in Camden Town and Primrose Hill ward due to the resignation of Labour councillor Thomas Neumark, who is moving to the USA. Term ends 2014. The byelection is expected to be held in May together with the GLA elections.
  • Hackney borough council: Impending vacancy in Hackney Central ward due to the resignation of Labour councillor Alan Laing. Term ends 2014.
  • Wandsworth borough council: Byelection on 29 March in Southfields ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Lucy Allan, who claims she was not supported after recovering from illness. Term ends 2014.

North East

  • Darlington borough council: There are two vacancies. Harrowgate Hill ward has a seat vacant after the disqualification of Mark Burton, who was sentenced to 22 months’ imprisonment for sexual offences. He was originally elected as Labour but was removed from the group when he was charged. Hurworth ward has a seat vacant after the disqualification of Liberal Democrat councillor Martin Swainston, who did not attend any meetings of the council in six months. Both terms end in 2015.
  • Northumberland council: Vince Coils, who was elected for the Labour Party in Croft division, is now sitting as a non-aligned councillor. It should also be noted that two councillors elected as Independents, aligned themselves with the Conservative group as from April last year. They are Gordon Castle (Alnwick division) and Jeff Watson (Amble West with Warkworth division).
  • South Tyneside borough council: There are two vacancies. Harton ward has a seat vacant after the death of the council’s longest serving member, Progressive councillor Jim Capstick As his term was due to expire in May, there will be no byelection. Simonside and Rekendyke ward has a vacancy after the death of Labour councillor Joan Meeks. Term ends 2014. Her replacement is likely to be elected in a double vacancy election in May.

North West

South East

  • Adur district council: Vacancy in Eastbrook ward following the disqualification of Liberal Democrat councillor Gavin Ayling, who failed to attend any meetings of the council in six months. The term ends in May.
  • Fareham borough council: Byelection on 15 March in Portchester East ward after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Brown, who faced disqualification after he did not attend any meetings of the council in six months. Term ends 2014.
  • Havant borough council: Vacancy in Purbrook ward after the death of Conservative councillor David Farrow. As his term was due to end in May, he will not be replaced in a byelection.
  • Oxfordshire county council: Vacancy in Watlington division after the death of Conservative councillor Roger Belson. Term ends 2013.
  • Portsmouth city council: Vacancy in Paulsgrove ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Mike Blake. As he resigned within six months of his term ending in May, no byelection will be held.
  • Sevenoaks district council: There are two byelections on 29 March. That in Crockenhill and Well Hill ward follows the death of Independent councillor Colin Dibsdall. That in Cowden and Hever ward is caused by the resignation of Conservative councillor Gerry Ryan. Both terms end in 2015.
  • Slough borough council: Byelection on 8 March in Baylis and Stoke ward after the disqualification of Labour councillor Azhar Qureshi who did not attend any meeting of the council in six months. Term ends 2014.
  • Swale borough council: Byelection on 8 March in Kemsley ward after the death of veteran Conservative councillor and former Mayor Brenda Simpson. Term ends 2015.
  • Worthing borough council: Vacancy in Offington ward after the death of Conservative councillor Reg Green. Term ends 2014. The byelection is expected to be held as a double vacancy election in May.

South West

  • Stroud district council: Vacancy in Severn ward after the death of Conservative councillor Norman Smith. As his term was due to end in May he will not be replaced until then.
  • Swindon council: Vacancy in Moredon ward after the death of Labour councillor Jenny Millin. As her term was due to end in May, there will be no byelection for a replacement.
  • West Devon district council: Byelection on 22 March in Tavistock North ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Darren Lake. Term ends 2015.

West Midlands

  • Dudley borough council: There are two vacancies. Kingswinford North and Wall Heath ward has a seat vacant after the resignation of Paul Woodall who was elected as a Conservative but sitting as an Independent; he has pleaded guilty to assault. Woolaston and Stourbridge Town ward has a vacancy after the death of Conservative councillor Margaret Cowell. The terms end in 2014 (Kingswinford North) and 2015 (Woolaston).
  • Shropshire council: Byelection on 1 March in Abbey division after the resignation of Conservative councillor Josephine Jones. Term ends 2013.
  • Stafford borough council: Byelection on 8 March in Rowley ward after the death of Conservative councillor David Allan. Term ends 2015.
  • Tamworth borough council: Vacancy in Mercian ward after the death of Conservative councillor and former Mayor Sam Munn. Term ends in May.

Yorkshire and the Humber

  • Bradford city council: Vacancy in Keighley West ward after the resignation of Robert Payne. Originally elected as a Conservative, he was sitting as an Independent after being convicted of fraud, and was recently imprisoned for cruelty to cats. His term was due to end in May so there will be no byelection for his replacement.
  • Rotherham borough council: Vacancy in Brinsworth and Catcliffe ward after the disqualification of John Gamble, who had originally been elected for the British National Party but left the party and later joined the England First Party and then the National Front. Former councillor Gamble did not attend any meetings of the council in six months, but as his term was due to end in May there will be no byelection for his replacement.
  • Scarborough borough council: Byelection on 15 March in Hertford ward after the resignation of Green Party councillor Nick Harvey. Term ends 2015.
  • City of Wakefield council: Vacancy in Hemsworth ward after the resignation of Independent councillor Ian Womersley. His term was due to end in May so there will be no byelection.

Wales

  • Carmarthenshire county council: Vacancy in Tycroes division after the death of Labour councillor and former chairman Dewi Enoch. As his term was due to end in May there will be no byelection.
  • Newport city council: There are two seats vacant. Alway division has a vacancy after the death of veteran Labour councillor Ken Powell. Allt-yr-yn division has a vacancy after the death of veteran Conservative councillor Les Knight. Both terms were due to end in May; no byelection can be called in Allt-yr-yn and although a byelection could be called in Alway, it is expected that the seat will be left vacant.
  • Pembrokeshire county council: Vacancy in Pembroke Dock Central division after the resignation of Labour group deputy leader Kate Becton, following a conviction for drink driving. As her term was due to end in May, there will be no byelection for a replacement.
  • Swansea city and county council: Vacancy in Castle division after the death of Labour councillor Barbara Hynes. Although a byelection could be called, the term will end in May and so it is expected that the seat will be left vacant.

Scotland

  • Argyll and Bute council: Vacancy in Oban South and The Isles ward after the death of Scottish National Party councillor Donald McIntosh. As it is less than six months until the end of his term, no byelection can be called.
  • East Ayrshire council: There are two vacancies. A seat in Ballochmyle ward is vacant after the death of Labour councillor Jimmy Kelly, and a seat in Doon Valley ward is vacant after the disqualification of Scottish National Party councillor Drew Filson. As both vacancies occurred within six months of the full council elections, there will be no byelections.
  • Orkney Islands Council: Vacancy in Stomness and South Isles ward after the death of Independent councillor John Eccles. As his term was due to end in May there will be no byelection.
  • Renfrewshire council: Vacancy in Renfrew North ward after the resignation of Scottish National Party councillor Derek Mackay, now Member of the Scottish Parliament for Renfrewshire North and West, who has been named as Minister Designate for Local Government and Planning in the Scottish Government. As his term was due to end in May there will be no byelection for a replacement.
  • West Dunbartonshire council: Vacancy in Dumbarton ward after the resignation of Labour councillor Geoff Calvert. As the full council election will be held in May, no byelection will be held.

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