Five principal council by-elections took place yesterday. In Craven (DC), an Independent candidate made a gain from the Conservatives in Embsay with Eastby ward. In a head-to-head contest with the Conservatives, the Independent polled 79.9% in what was the fourth by-election loss for the Tories in March.
There was also success for the Richmondshire Independents in the Richmond Central by-election in Richmondshire (DC). The Independents made a gain from the local Liberal Democrats in receiving 35% of the vote to finish 31 votes ahead of Lib Dem candidate Philip Knowles.
Elshewhere, the SNP collected 49.5% of the first preference votes in securing a hold in Maryfield ward in Dundee (UA). Christopher McIntyre came in fifth place for the Liberal Democrats with 3% of the first preferences. There was also a comfortable hold for Labour in Caerphilly (UA) as they polled 55.7% in Moriah ward.
In Essex (CC), the Holland-on-Sea Residents Association gained a seat from Tendring First in Clacton East division with an 820 vote majority.
Three principal council contests will be taking place next week. Matthew Kidner and George Hayton will be the Liberal Democrat candidates in by-elections in Caerphilly and Perth & Kinross (UA). Elsewhere, the Conservatives will be defending a seat in East Yorkshire (UA), with no Lib Dem candidate standing.
For a detailed list of this week’s results please click here. If you would like more information on all the forthcoming by-elections and details on who to contact to help, click here.
A big thank you as always to those who come every week to 23 New Mount Street in Manchester to make calls at ALDC’s By-election HQ, funded through fighting fund donations. If you can help us fight in even more wards, please donate here.
* ALDC is the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors and Campaigners
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5 Comments
Impossible to spin these results, especially the Scottish.
Tories are haemorrhaging votes at the moment. We need to make sure those votes come to us not to indeps/residents.
The Essex contest took place in what we knew was just about the worst possible place for us for getting a decent vote. We did all we could given we have crucial elections nearby in Colchester Borough and got just 2%. However, in a former Tory seat the Tories came a poor third behind UKIP (who thought they had a good chance of taking the seat and do hold some of the district wards in the division) and the Holland Residents, who are pretty rightwing but overtly non-party-political, who outpolled them almost 2-1 on a 29.7% turnout. The former local party Tendring First didn’t even contest. Perhaps the most significant points here are that we’re still relatively in the doldrums where we aren’t strong, that the Tories are struggling against any strong opponent and UKIP are not benefitting much from the Euro-referendum even in a very anti-European area.
That is, the Holland Residents outpolled UKIP 2-1 – and the Tories 3-1.
Does look like local people voting against politicians of whatever party.