This week with its 9 principal councils saw mostly successful defences this week across all political parties, with only 2 exchanging hands. A huge gain for the Lib Dems from the Tories thanks to our consistent performance, and another for an independent councillor from a slumping Labour. The Conservatives and Labour both held their remaining 2 seats respectively, while the Lib Dems, the Green Party, and Plaid Cymru all held theirs.

Part of the only 2 gains this week, Cllr Andy Bell managed to gain the seat in Vivary Bridge, Vivary Bridge from the Conservatives, who fell to third place this time around behind Reform. Congratulations to Andy and the team for the monumental win!

Pendle BC, Vivary Bridge
Liberal Democrat (Andy Bell): 388 (34.9%, +3.5%)
Reform: 358 (32.2%, new)
Conservative: 244 (22.0%, -16.9%)
Labour: 121 (10.9%, -11.9%)

In Eastleigh BC, Cllr Prad Bains gathered over half of the vote in the Hamble & Netley ward, holding the seat. Congrats to Prad and the local team for the fabulous win, towering over second place Reform.

Eastleigh BC, Hamble & Netley
Liberal Democrat (Prad Bains): 1224 (52.1%, -6.7%)
Reform: 542 (23.1%, new)
Conservative: 421 (17.9%, +3.0%)
Labour: 164 (7.0%, +0.5%)

Staying in the south, in London, we had Lib Dem candidates standing in all three seats there. Thank you to Bernice Roust and Jack Ballentyne for standing in Hounslow, in the Brentford East and Syon & Brentford Lock wards, and James Goldman in Finchley Church End in Barnet LBC. Labour and the Tories held their respective seats in Brentford East and Finchley Church End respectively, while the independent made the week’s other gain from Labour in Syon & Brentford Lock.

Hounslow LBC, Brentford East
Labour: 430 (48.1%, -14.7%)
Reform: 197 (22.0%, new)
Conservative: 99 (11.1%, -7.6%)
Green Party: 89 (10.0%, -8.6%)
Liberal Democrat (Bernice Roust): 79 (8.8%, new)

Houslow LBC, Syon & Brentford Lock
Independent: 615 (33.5%, +12.3%)
Labour: 603 (32.8%, -4.9%)
Green Party: 218 (11.9%, -4.3%)
Conservative: 150 (8.2%, -6.6%)
Reform: 149 (8.1%, new)
Liberal Democrat (Jack Ballentyne): 102 (5.6%, -4.5%)

Barnet LBC, Finchley Church End
Conservative: 1509 (45.2%, +4.2%)
Labour: 977 (29.3%, +3.8%)
Reform: 351 (10.5%, new)
Liberal Democrat (James Goldman): 213 (6.4%, -19.1%)
Green Party: 147 (4.4%, -3.7%)
Rejoin EU: 119 (3.6%, new)
Independent: 20 (0.6%, new)

Finally, there are also a trio of elections in Canterbury City Council, all three successful defences for the respective incumbent parties. The Conservatives held their seat in Herne & Broomfield, Labour their seat in St Stephen’s, and the Green Party in Gorrell. Thank you to Derek Maslin, Christopher Palmer, and Nick Parry for flying the Lib Dem flag in the respective wards.

Canterbury City Council, Herne & Broomfield
Conservative: 557 (40.7%, +1.0%)
Reform: 473 (34.6%, new)
Labour: 196 (14.3%, -6.3%)
Liberal Democrat (Derek Maslin): 102 (7.5%, -14.4%)
Green Party: 41 (3.0%, -5.3%)

Canterbury City Council, St Stephen’s
Labour: 628 (47.0%, -8.1%)
Reform: 245 (18.3%, new)
Liberal Democrat (Christopher Palmer): 220 (16.5%, -0.8%)
Conservative: 128 (9.6%, -3.3%)
Green Party: 116 (8.7%, -6.1%)

Canterbury City Council, Gorrell
Green Party: 1210 (49.5%, -0.1%)
Labour: 570 (23.3%, -16.6%)
Reform: 423 (17.3%, new)
Conservative: 179 (7.3%, -3.2%)
Liberal Democrat (Nick Parry): 64 (2.6%, new)

The only seat where no Lib Dem stood was the by-election in the Llanddarog ward in Carmarthernshire Council, where Plaid Cymru held the seat with more than majority vote share.

For a full summary of these results, and all other principal council by-elections, please refer to the ALDC by-elections page here.

* Matthew Ma works in the Campaigns and Communications team at ALDC