Catching up with some byelection results.
Four byelections on 29 May, all in Somerset, all went with the party that had previously held the seat. The Conservatives kept control of Mendip district council by winning in Shepton East ward, while the Liberal Democrats held Street North ward. In South Somerset district council, the Liberal Democrats held Chard Crimchard ward; on Somerset county council, the Conservatives kept Shepton Mallet division.
On 5 June the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats swapped gains in the east of England, with the Liberal Democrats taking Red Lodge ward on Forest Heath district council in Suffolk, while the Conservatives took Great Dunmow North ward on Uttlesford district council. The Conservatives also did well to keep All Saints ward on Allerdale district council, which is split with Labour; and held more easily in Market Drayton division of Shropshire county council. Edwinstowe ward of Newark and Sherwood district council again returned an Independent councillor.
There were postponed elections in three wards in Wales. Bowydd and Rhiw ward of Gwynedd county council went to Llais Gwynedd (‘Voice of Gwynedd’, a group protesting against the schools policy of the Plaid Cymru administration of the council); all three seats in Bettws ward on Newport city council went to Labour, while all three seats in St Julian’s ward went to the Liberal Democrats. Newport has ended up with no overall control but the signs are that a Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition will take over.
On 12 June, the Liberal Democrats made their takeover of Brockworth in Gloucestershire complete by taking the division on the county council from the Brockworth Residents’ Group. They also defended their seat at Forest ward, Waltham Forest borough council, from a strong Labour challenge, and held on to Holywell ward, Oxford city council, despite an abysmal turnout in a student dominated ward during ‘Eights Week’. The Conservatives held on to Bexhill Collington ward on Rother district council and to Bexhill King Offa division on East Sussex county council.
There were also several polls postponed from 1 May due to the death of a candidate. In Upperby ward of Carlisle city council, there was a double vacancy due to the death of one of the sitting councillors; Labour retained both seats. Labour lost the other two wards: the Liberal Democrats gained Hope ward, Flintshire county council, while the Conservatives gained Harlow Common ward, Harlow district council.
A service provided by
Political and community consultation experts