ALDC By-election Report, 15th May

By Chris Ward | Fri 16th May 2025 - 5:33 pm

This week saw 4 by-elections with 3 Liberal Democrat candidates – an improvement on last time these wards were up for election. These were two Labour defences, with one each defended by the Conservatives and the SNP.

The Lib Dems were new onto the ballot in Whetstone ward in Barnet, as Luigi Bille secured 6.1% of the vote in a crowded field. Thank you, Luigi, for entering us into the race!

Barnet London Borough Council, Whetstone
Labour: 965 (33.4%, -18.0)
Conservative: 818 (28.4%, -7.8)
Reform UK: 592 (20.5%, new)
Green Party: 208 (7.2%, -5.1)
Liberal Democrats (Luigi Bille): 176 (6.1%, new)
Rejoin EU: 65 (2.3%, new)
TUSC: 47 (1.6%, new)
Independent: 13 (0.5%, new)

Labour HOLD

Another place we were new onto the ballot was Clydebank Waterfront in West Dunbartonshire. Lib Dem candidate Cameron Stewart finished ahead of both the Conservatives and the Greens. Thank you, Cameron.

West Dunbartonshire Council, Clydebank Waterfront
SNP: 1039 (35.6%, -16.7)
Reform UK: 768 (26.3%, new)
Labour: 739 (25.3%, -12.1)
Liberal Democrats (Cameron Stewart): 138 (4.7%, new)
Conservative: 84 (2.9%, new)
Green Party: 76 (2.6%, new)
Alba: 47 (1.6%, new)
SFP: 25 (0.9%, -1.7)

SNP HOLD

Elsewhere, thanks are due to Philip Matthew for flying the Lib Dem flag in Acle ward of Broadland District Council, as Reform UK gained a seat from the Conservatives.

Broadland District Council, Acle
Reform UK: 322 (33.2%, new)
Conservative: 208 (21.4%, -25.4)
Green Party: 200 (20.6%, new)
Labour: 186 (19.2%, -23.2)
Liberal Democrats (Philip Matthew): 54 (5.6%, -5.2)

Reform UK GAIN from Conservative

Finally, there was also a by-election without a Liberal Democrat candidate, in Stoke-on-Trent. This time with Reform UK gaining from Labour.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Birches Head and Northwood
Reform UK: 1226 (58.5%, new)
Labour: 449 (21.5%, -22.4)
Independent: 346 (16.5%, -15.3)
Conservative: 73 (3.5%, -15.3)

Reform UK GAIN from Labour

Thank you to all of our candidates, agents, and campaign teams.

A full summary of these results, and all other principal council by-elections, can be found on the ALDC by-elections page here.

* Chris Ward is the Campaigns and Communications Intern for ALDC

8 Comments

Ian Patterson 16th May '25 - 7:29pm

We were thrashed by Reform in all 3 by elections we contested. Reform also came perilously close to tak8ng seat off SNP in Clydebank. In greater Glasgow area where you would think Reform wouldn’t flourish.
nigel hunter 16th May '25 - 8:31pm

The LIBDEMS must not be complacent about Reform.They are a threat to the party. The huge amount of publicity that the media gives them hampers our position, for we are ignored.
Greg Hyde 16th May '25 - 9:13pm

That Clydebank result certainly surprising. Then again I didn’t expect them to sweep through Kent , and get fairly close in the Bristol mayoral contest..Welsh Senedd elections next year will be interesting, if that support remains.
Tristan Ward 16th May '25 - 9:56pm

Meanwhile in Sevenoaks the Tory group splits making the Council no overall control:

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/maidstone/news/shattered-tories-lose-control-of-council-after-eight-membe-324448/
Peter Davies 16th May '25 - 9:59pm

With three out of four seat’s being ones where we didn’t stand last time and the fourth where the Greens put in a serious campaign and hadn’t stood before, this is not a great sample from which to judge Reform’s effect on our vote.
Big Tall Tim 16th May '25 - 11:50pm

Well said Peter. If you look in places where we campaign all year round, we perform well against Reform, unlike the Labs and Cons. None of these seats are where we have a strong history of campaigning, so we shouldn’t panic about Reform
Graham Jeffs 17th May '25 - 8:42am

It would be interesting to always have comparative total turnout figures with these results.
theakes 22nd May '25 - 12:30pm

Three seats today, all Lib Dem, see if we hold Reform off.