This week has seen eight principal council by-elections across the country with Lib Dem candidates contesting six of them.

The team in North Norfolk have faced another by-election, this time in Glaven Valley with our great candidate Karen Ward. This was a Lib Dem defence and the team managed the following result:

LD Karen Ward 429 (55.3%; +8.4%)
Conservative 281 (36.2%; +3.8%)
UKIP 32 (4.1%; -6.8%)
Labour 23 (3.0%; -2.8%)
Green 11 (1.4%; -2.5%)
Lib Dem HOLD

Karen was promising to work to protect our villages and countryside from inappropriate development, back more affordable housing, and work with the local Lib Dem Team to improve road safety which were highlighted in the last Focus leaflet of the campaign.

In Stow, our amazing by-election candidate Dr Dilys Neill joined the party after the EU referendum result, having got involved as a deliverer for Stronger In.

Stow has previously been relatively safe for the Tories but following boundary changes last year we surprised ourselves and the Tories by coming within 170 votes of winning – on the same day as the general election.

The final result was:

LD Dilys Neill 555 (64.9%; +21.0%)
Conservative 300 (35.1%; -21.0%)
Turnout: 40.5%
Lib Dem GAIN from Conservatives

Dilys used to work as a GP in Stow before moving to Gloucester Hospital, where she specialised in treating children with cancer (Paediatric Oncologist). She is a governor at Stow Primary School and a lay preacher at the local church (St Edward’s Church).

Dilys actually lives five minutes’ drive outside the ward, in Broadwell, but most reasonable people think of Broadwell as being part of Stow.

The team campaigned on parking and congestion, the poor state of our roads and pavements and the fighting to improved bus services.

Another target for the Lib Dems this week was within Dacorum BC, at Adeyfield West.

Again this was a Conservative seat and our great candidate was Adrian England. It was at an earlier by- election in March 2013 that Liberal Democrat Ron Tindall was first elected, taking the seat from Labour.

This is a ward where political support is split three ways between the three main parties. Labour were just 20 votes behind Ron in 2015.

The Liberal Democrats fielded Adrian England as their candidate. Adrian moved to Adeyfield 20 years ago and has lived in the area ever since, he currently lives in Windmill Road, Hemel Hempstead.

The result was:

LD Adrian England 520 (49.5%. +24.2%)
Conservative 233 (22.2% -4.6%)
Labour 166 (15.8% -8.7%)
UKIP 115 (10.%. -12.7%)
Green 17 (1.6%. +1.7%)
Lib Dem GAIN from Conservatives

On Derby UA, Allestree ward the Conservatives held the seat against Deena Smith and the team who came second:

Conservative 2006 (54.6%; -6.1%)
LD Deena Smith 1053 (28.7%; +17.2%)
Labour 409 (11.1%; -5.8%)
Green 115 (3.1%; +3.1%)
UKIP 91 (2.5%; -8.5%)
A great +17.2% swing to us!

On Blackpool UA, Tyldesley ward Paul Hindley and the Team came fourth as Labour held their seat:

Labour 535 (48.3%; +10.0%)
Conservative 297 (26.8%; -2.4%)
UKIP 238 (21.5%; -0.5%)
LD Paul Hindley 37 (3.3%; -2.3%)
(Independent (0.0%; -4.8%))
Majority 241
Turnout 23.25%

In Wellingborough BC, Finedon ward John Barnes Wheaver came fourth as the Conservatives held the seat:

Conservative 758 (62.3%; +15.5%)
Labour 235 (19.3%; -7.7%)
UKIP 137 (11.3%; -14.9%)
LD John Barnes Wheaver 86 (7.1%; +7.1%)
Majority: 523
Turnout: 35.74%

And finally, in Hythe & Dibden TC, Furzedown Ward Mark Clarke held the seat with an impressive increase in the Lib Dem vote share:

LD Mark Clark 210 (62.1%; +10.8%)
Conservative 128 (37.9%; -10.7)
Majority: 82
Turnout: 21.2%

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