In Scotland, we won another council seat after ranked preferences were accounted for. Well done to Kevin McKay and the team for securing another Liberal Democrat councillor in Edinburgh.
City of Edinburgh Council, Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart
1st Preferences:
Labour: 1,293 (20.8%, -1.7)
Liberal Democrats (Kevin McKay): 1,269 (20.4%, +13.3)
Scottish Greens: 1,133 (18.2%, -1.7)
SNP: 905 (14.5%, -8.2)
Conservative: 857 (13.8%, -12.8)
Reform UK: 489 (7.9%, new)
Independent: 111 (0.6%, new)
Independent: 99 (0.6%, new)
SFP: 34 (0.5%, -0.2)
LBT: 25 (0.4%, -0.1)
Independent: 25 (0.4%, new)
Independent: 9 (0.1%, new)
Liberal Democrat GAIN from Labour
We secured an overwhelming victory, with almost 65% of votes, for a seat on Mid Devon District Council. Well done to Tim Stanford and the team for ensuring that this council seat remains with the Liberal Democrats.
Mid Devon DC, Crediton Lawrence
Liberal Democrats (Tim Stanford): 540 (64.9%, +12.8)
Reform UK: 226 (27.2%, new)
Labour: 66 (7.9%, -18.3)
Liberal Democrat HOLD
Despite our vote share percentage decreasing by over 10%, we still managed to hold our seat on Rother District Council. Well done to Nicola Mclaren and the team for their efforts in ensuring this council seat remains Liberal Democrat.
Rother District Council, Catsfield & Crowhurst
Liberal Democrats (Nicola Mclaren): 267 (36.6%, -11.9)
Reform UK: 200 (27.4%, new)
Conservative: 162 (22.2%, -10.9)
Labour: 101 (13.8%, -4.7)
Liberal Democrat HOLD
It was a hard-fought campaign in Sheffield, but Labour’s efforts meant that we came second behind Reform UK. Well done to Stuart Shepherd and the team for their work in helping the Liberal Democrats finish in second place, up from fourth place in 2024.
Sheffield City Council, Stocksbridge and Upper Don
Reform UK, 1,789 (32.9%, new)
Liberal Democrats (Stuart Shepherd): 1,597 (29.3%, +12.1)
Labour: 1,324 (24.4%, =25.2)
Conservative: 332 (6.1%, -21.6)
Green Party: 294 (5.4%, -7.1)
Yorkshire Party: 58 (1.1%, new)
TUSC: 43 (0.8%, -1.2)
Reform UK GAIN from Labour
A two-horse race in Basildon saw Reform UK win against the Conservatives, with us coming third place. Thank you to Stewart Mott and the team for representing the Liberal Democrats.
Basildon BC, Wickford Park
Reform UK: 922 (40.6%, new)
Conservative: 840 (37.0%, +6.1)
Liberal Democrats (Stewart Mott): 171 (7.5%, -6.8)
Wickford Independents: 148 (6.45%, -25.4)
Labour: 146 (6.4%, -16.4)
Green Party: 43 (1.9%, new)
Reform UK GAIN from Wickford Independents
The Green Party won their first council seat in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, in a closely-fought election with Labour. Thank you to Kirstie Shedden and the team for flying the Liberal Democrat flag.
Greenwich LBC, Shooter’s Hill
Green Party: 869 (34.8%, +24.4)
Labour: 756 (30.1%, -27.7)
Reform UK: 402 (16.0%, +6.1)
Conservative: 288 (11.5%, -1.7)
Liberal Democrats (Kirstie Shedden): 128 (5.1%, -3.7)
Independent: 57 (2.3%, new)
Independent: 9 (0.4%, new)
Green Party GAIN from Labour
Labour held onto their council seat in Stevenage, closely followed by Reform UK. Thank you to Jill Brinkworth and the team for representing the Liberal Democrats at this by-election.
Stevenage BC, Bedwell
Labour: 506 (43.2%, -2.5)
Reform UK: 404 (34.5%, new)
Conservative: 105 (9.0%, -9.9)
Green Party: 79 (6.7%, -7.8)
Liberal Democrats (Jill Brinkworth): 78 (6.7%, -8.6)
Labour HOLD
There were also three by-elections this week without a Liberal Democrat candidate. Here are the results:
Rossendale BC, Whitworth
Reform UK: 733 (47.5%, new)
Conservative: 449 (29.1%, +5.4)
Labour: 251 (16.3%, -0.5)
Green Party: 110 (7.1%, -1.7)
Reform UK GAIN from Community First
Chorley BC, Buckshaw and Whittle
Conservative: 576 (35.5%, -6.3)
Reform UK: 530 (32.7%, new)
Labour: 412 (25.4%, -22.4)
Green Party: 103 (6.4%, -3.9)
Conservative GAIN from Labour
South Staffordshire DC, Great Wyrley Landywood
Conservative: 358 (48.7%, +9.1)
Reform UK: 292 (39.7%, new)
Labour: 55 (7.5%, -30.3)
Green Party: 30 (4.1%, new)
Conservative HOLD
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.
* Liam Yip is the Campaigns and Communications Intern at ALDC
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4 Comments
Congratulations to Kevin McKay. Surely Scottish Liberal Democrats? Genuinely curious. I live in the ward, hence the interest.
For those interested in more than one week’s results here is my monthly data for the last fifty local by-elections up to the end of June. In terms of percentage share Reform are in first place for the first time.
Percentage Vote Share:
Reform UK 28.60%, Liberal Democrats 24.79%, Conservatives 17.21%, Labour 16.76%, Greens 8.77%, Others 3.87%
The Con/Lab combined vote share of 33.97% is the lowest ever. (The previous low point was 37.0% last month).
Gains and losses are:
Reform: Net gain of twenty one: 21 gains, 0 held, 0 lost
Lib Dems: Net gain of three: 4 gains, 14 held, 1 lost
Greens: Net gain of two: 2 gains, 1 held, 0 lost
Conservatives: Net loss of four: 2 gains, 2 held, 6 lost
Independents: Net loss of six: 0 gains, 0 held, 6 lost
Labour: Net loss of fifteen: 0 gains, 6 held, 15 lost
Others: Net loss of one: 0 gains, 0 held, 1 lost
Seats Won:
Reform won 21 seats, Liberal Democrats 18, Labour 6, Conservatives 4, Greens 3
(This does not total 50 as there was a double vacancy in two wards).
Other Info:
For the first time Reform contested the most elections (94%) just ahead of Conservatives and Labour (both on 92%).
Of the fifteen Labour losses, no fewer than five resulted in Labour being pushed into third place, and in one case into fourth place.
This data is for the most recent 50 by-elections in England & Wales (1st May to 26th June). Parish/Town councils are not included.
Tim Stanford was also elected to the Lawrence Ward on Crediton Town Council. The full result was LD 458, Ind 352.
The Crediton Courier website reported his district council win as follows: “It has been an exciting evening of counting for the Crediton Lawrence ward of Mid Devon District Council seat and it has proved to be a close contest…”
Close is not a word I would use about getting 64.9% of the vote.
Regarding the local newspaper’s comment in Crediton, this is typical and frustrating. Why is it that journalists across the country, including national media, are so reluctant to praise Liberal Democrats or even report anything we say?