Three sets of principal council by-elections were held this week. In Sutton (LB), the Lib Dems successfully held one of their three seats in Wallington South ward in Tom Brake’s Carshalton and Wallington constituency. In a closely fought contest, the party fended off the Conservative challenge by taking victory with 44.1%, alongside majority of 315 votes. LD candidate Steve Cook also recorded an increased vote share from 2014 of 6.9%.
Elsewhere, the Stepney Green council by-election in Tower Hamlets (LB) resulted in a Labour gain from Tower Hamlets First. The Labour candidate polled 42.1% to secure a narrow majority of 171 ahead of an independent candidate. Will Dyer won 4.7% of the vote for the Lib Dems, securing a vote share increase of 1.7% from the ward’s previous contest last year. The result brings Labour’s representation up to 23 councillors, meaning they now hold a majority on the 45 member council.
Alongside the council by-election in Stepney, there was also the by-election for the borough’s elected mayor. This saw another Labour gain as they won the post from Tower Hamlets First, with the party securing 40% of first preference votes. Lib Dem candidate Elaine Bagshaw finished 5th out of ten candidates, winning 2,152 votes.
Next week will see two sets of deferred principal council elections being contested. In Mole Valley (DC) two seats will be up for grabs in Holmwoods ward, with the Lib Dems defending one seat and UKIP the other. In Dorset, two seats will be contested in North Highcliffe and Walkford in Christchurch (DC), with the Conservatives defending both seats.
To view all recent by-election results in full, click here. For more information on forthcoming by-elections, as well contact details on how to help, click here.
* ALDC is the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors and Campaigners
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4 Comments
I have asked in another thread about Tower Hamlets and in particular about Stepney Green.
It might be a learning opportunity for all concerned to know if any thought was given to prioritising the campaign for the ward over the wider Mayoral campaign.
It is perhaps worth noting that where we are not seen as being in with a chance our base vote is still less than the Greens. However the collapse of the UKIP vote is also noticeable in all the elections so far since the GE. Possibly we are drawing with them now, in practice, although that may well change as the referendum approaches.
Like John Tilley I would be interested to know how much campaigning we did in Stepney Green in particular, although the turnout shows it was closely fought between Labour and the Independent (aka Tower Hamlets First…)
It’s going to be difficult for the lib dems until they decide who they are.
Some wrote on the other tower hamlets thread that they had a ‘Green Problem’ and needed radical policies to counter the Green Party. OK, but what would having those policies do to the lib dem voters that are basically socially liberal Tories with a bit of social conscience? How will they like those radical policies?
I myself used to be a lib dem member until they flip flopped on cannabis and other social issues. Anyway, radical green like policies eh? Good luck with that.
Thanks for the plug. It’s polling day tomorrow (Thursday 18 June) in the Holmwoods By-Election, in Dorking Surrey.
You can take a train to Dorking from Waterloo, Victoria , Clapham Junction, and Horsham, or to Dorking Deepdene from Guildford and Reigate – or take the A24 or A25.
http://www.flocktogether.org.uk/event/9793