Twelve principal authority by-elections across England, Wales and Scotland took place on Thursday 2nd July, carrying on a trend of unusually high numbers of by-elections over the past few weeks.

Reform UK were defending three seats. The Liberal Democrats, Labour and Independents/Localists were defending two each. Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives were defending one each.

Wales

Three by-elections took place in the county of Powys, with one in Torfaen. All four by-elections were triggered by a councillor winning a seat on the Senedd, and unlike in England, Welsh law dictates that you cannot hold both a council and Senedd seat.

Torfaen CBC, Llantarnam

The previous councillor in the Llantarnam ward in Torfaen won a by-election in 2023 as an Independent (he had previously been a Conservative councillor) before moving over to Reform UK. Three Independents had swept the ward in 2022, with Labour winning the two seats available at the election in 2017. While a technical gain from Independent, as the post had been occupied by Reform UK before the by-election, this can also be looked at as a Reform UK hold. This was not a Liberal Democrat target, standing for the first time here.

Thanks to Brendan Roberts for putting a Liberal Democrat choice on the ballot paper.

Reform UK: 505 (42.7%, new)
Labour: 362 (30.6%, +3.4%)
Plaid Cymru: 190 (16.1%, -1.6%)
Conservative: 58 (4.9%, new)
Green Party: 49 (4.1%, -6.8)
Lib Dem: 18 (1.5%, new)

Reform UK GAIN from Independent

Powys CC, Glantwymyn

This race was an unusual one as Plaid Cymru ran unopposed in the Glantwymyn council election back in 2022. It was contested this time again by Plaid Cymru, as well as Reform UK, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. Unsurprisingly, Plaid Cymru held onto this seat with over 80% of the vote, given they have been the only party active here.

A huge thanks to Angela Strandrin for standing!

Plaid Cymru: 513 (81.8%, -18.2%)
Reform UK: 63 (10%, new)
Conservative: 28 (4.8%, new)
Lib Dem: 23 (3.7%, new)

Plaid Cymru HOLD

Powys CC, Yscir with Honddu Isaf & Llandew

Yscir with Honddu Isaf & Llandew had previously been held by the Conservatives who had beaten the Liberal Democrats in a two-horse race back in 2022 by a 16-point margin. No other parties stood. The Conservative councillor then defected to Reform UK before getting elected to the Senedd.

While our vote share fell from 2022 due to four other parties standing this time, we successfully fended off a strong Reform UK challenge while the Conservative vote collapsed, gaining the seat by a five-point margin. This race was supported by a grant from ALDC’s Fighting Fund.

Huge congratulations to Cllr Colin Millichap and the team in Powys on his win!

Lib Dem: 297 (39.6%, -19.7%)
Reform UK: 259 (34.5%, new)
Plaid Cymru: 98 (13.1%, new)
Conservative: 68 (9.1%, -31.6%)
Green Party: 15 (2%, new)
Labour: 14 (1.9%, new)

Turnout: 51.1%

Liberal Democrat GAIN from Conservative

Powys CC, Llanyre & Nantmel

Back in 2022, an Independent won against the Liberal Democrats in a straight fight in the ward of Llanyre with Nantmel by 54% to our 46% vote share. That Independent later joined Reform UK and was elected to the Senedd in May.

While we retained our second-place position, this by-election also had the Conservatives, an Independent and the Green Party standing, resulting in a drop in our vote share.

Thank you to Tim Wilson for standing, and we’re still set up to be a main challenger at the next local elections in 2027.

Reform UK: 359 (41.6%, new)
Lib Dem: 226 (26.2%, -20%)
Conservative: 210 (24.3%, new)
Independent: 51 (5.9%, -47.9%)
Green Party: 18 (2.1%, new)

Turnout: 49.6%

Reform UK GAIN from Independent

Scotland

Aberdeenshire Council, Peterhead South/Cruden

Just the one race last week in Scotland in the Aberdeenshire seat of Peterhead South and Cruden, where the Conservatives were defending the seat following the sad passing of the incumbent councillor. The Liberal Democrats held one seat in this three-member ward from the 2022 elections along with one SNP councillor and the former Conservative councillor.

It’s important to remember Scottish local elections are run on an STV voting system, with the Liberal Democrat winning on the fourth round of voting back in 2022.

This time it was an SNP gain from the Conservatives, while the Lib Dems finished in sixth on first preferences in a much more crowded field.

Thank you to Tony Ware for standing here.

First preference votes:

SNP: 742 (36.5%, -10%)
Reform UK: 465 (22.9%, new)
Conservative: 432 (21.3%, -20%)
Independent: 150 (7.4%, new)
Independent: 132 (6.5%, new)
Lib Dem: 56 (2.8%, -9.4%)
SFP: 54 (2.7%, new)

SNP GAIN from Conservative

England

Cotswold DC, St Michaels

In the Cotswolds, the Liberal Democrats were defending a seat in the St. Michaels division of Cotswold District Council following the resignation of Lib Dem Councillor and former LGA leader of the Lib Dem group Joe Harris, who was also the leader on the council.

The Liberal Democrats took control of the Council back in 2019 from the Conservatives, with Joe holding the St. Michael’s seat since 2015. In the last election in 2023, we held the ward with a massive majority against the Conservatives who were the only other challenger.

This time, as a growing theme in these reports, we held the seat with a reduced share of the vote with all five major English parties standing this time. Despite the fall in vote share, we won a vast majority of votes on 58%. The key stat is the 39.4% gap between us and the second placed Conservative candidate, which has grown from the 36.8% gap from the last election in 2023.

Congratulations to the new Liberal Democrat Cllr Naomi Bloomer on a race well fought!

Lib Dem: 344 (58.4%, -10%)
Conservative: 112 (19%, -12.5%)
Reform UK: 91 (15.5%, new)
Green Party: 27 (4.6%, new)
Labour: 15 (2.6%, new)

Turnout: 32.2%

Liberal Democrat HOLD

Gloucestershire CC, Cirencester Park

This race on Gloucestershire County Council was also triggered by the resignation of Joe Harris. The last time this division was contested was much more recent in 2025 when Reform UK had their breakthrough year in the county elections.

All five major English parties had stood back then, which gives us a clearer reflection of the vote change difference compared to this time when the same parties stood again. Not only did we hold onto the ward, but we increased our vote share from 2025 by 6.6%, while Reform UK’s fell!

A huge congratulations to Cllr Andrea Pellegram on a fantastic result!

Lib Dem: 1369 (58.7%, +6.6%)
Conservative: 429 (18.4%, +2.9%)
Reform UK: 366 (15.7%, -5.7%)
Green Party: 111 (4.8%, -1.1%)
Labour: 59 (2.5%, -2.6%)

Turnout: 28.5%

Liberal Democrat HOLD

Dorset Council, St Leonards & St Ives

The by-election in St. Leonards & St. Ives was caused by the sad passing of the former Conservative councillor, who had won the ward along with their Conservative colleague back in 2024 in a straight race against two Liberal Democrat candidates. They had also won the ward back in 2019 at the first set of elections of this new unitary council. The Conservatives had initially won control of the council in 2019 before the Liberal Democrats won full control by one seat in 2023.

Again, this two-party context is important in dissecting the result in this ward. This time, the election was also contested by the Green Party and Reform UK. Unfortunately, we fell to third behind Reform UK but continue to have a strong presence.

Thank you to Andrew Barham for making sure a Lib Dem was on the ballot paper.

Conservative: 928 (37.9%, -25%)
Reform UK: 823 (33.6%, new)
Lib Dem: 629 (25.7%, -11.4%)
Green Party: 68 (7.8%, +2.8%)

Turnout: 37.5%

Conservative HOLD

Telford & Wrekin Council, Malinslee & Dawley Bank

In Telford & Wrekin, Labour were seeking to defend their very strong 2023 result. They have held this ward for at least the past four cycles, though boundary changes complicate the situation. The election was triggered by the resignation of one of their former councillors in this two-member ward.

Labour held on here despite a hugely diminished vote share and a strong challenge from Reform UK who stood for the first time. While the Liberal Democrats had finished last, we have never delivered a strong result here in previous elections.

Thank you to Patrick Jerome for flying the Lib Dem flag!

Labour: 590 (42.9%, -32.2%)
Reform: 569 (41.4%, new)
Conservative: 104 (7.6%, -10.3%)
Green Party: 76 (5.5%, new)
Lib Dem: 35 (2.5%, -4.4%)

Turnout: 24.3%

Labour HOLD

Harborough DC, Lutterworth East

The situation in the Harborough seat of Lutterworth East is extremely complicated, with the close-run nature of the by-election result reflecting a similarly chaotic picture the last time the two-member ward was contested in 2023. Then, Labour topped the poll, with a Lib Dem getting elected in second place. However, a Conservative finished third, a second Labour candidate in fourth, a second Lib Dem candidate in fifth, and a single Green Party and Reform UK candidate finished sixth and seventh, respectively. This is a true crowded-field, multi-party contest at work – years before it had properly taken off.

The by-election was called owing to the sad death of the incumbent Labour councillor. The by-election was closely contested between four of the five major parties, finishing within 10% of each other, while the Green Party trailed behind. Reform UK went from last to first, but with just a mere 28% of the vote.

Thank you to Stephen Walkley for standing!

Reform UK: 403 (28.2%, +21.4%)
Conservative: 386 (27%, +4.4%)
Labour: 271 (19%, -13.4%)
Lib Dem: 270 (18.9%, -11.6%)
Green Party: 97 (6.8%, -0.9%)

Turnout: 36%

Reform UK GAIN from Labour

Bolton MBC, Horwich North

In the Horwich North division of Bolton, the Horwich and Blackrod First localist party were seeking to hold onto their seat following the resignation of their incumbent councillor in this three-member ward elected by thirds.

This ward has typically been a Localist-Labour fight in previous elections at the height of Labour’s popularity, despite Reform UK breaking through and putting up a strong fight at the most recent election in May 2026, when Labour fell to fourth behind Reform UK and the Green Party. In this by-election, the Localists recovered ground against Reform UK to pull off another convincing win.

Thank you to Scott James Turner-Pearce for flying the Lib Dem flag!

Horwich & Blackrod First: 1186 (50%, +10.8%)
Reform UK: 541 (22.8%, -2.8%)
Labour: 343 (14.5%, +3.4%)
Green Party: 189 (8%, -4.1%)
Conservative: 71 (3%, -2.3%)
Lib Dem: 27 (1.1%, -0.4%)
Independent: 13 (0.6%, new)

Horwich & Blackrod First HOLD

Cheshire West & Chester Council, Weaver & Cuddington

Finally, we’re in Cheshire where the Conservatives were seeking to defend the Weaver & Cuddington seat following the resignation of their incumbent councillor.

This is a very interesting three-member seat in which an Independent won top spot in the 2023 elections by a landslide number of votes – double what the second-placed Conservative achieved, with another Conservative finishing third. Labour stood two candidates, who finished either side of the final Conservative candidate, with the Lib Dems standing one candidate in last place.

The by-election resulted in a very strong Independent win from the Conservatives, while we unfortunately finished last again.

Thank you to Lizzie Jewkes for making sure a Lib Dem was on the ballot paper!

Independent: 1365 (35.7%, new)
Conservative: 974 (25.5%, +3.7%)
Reform UK: 778 (20.3%, new)
Labour: 564 (14.7%, -5%)
Lib Dem (Lizzie Jewkes): 142 (3.7%, -11.9%)

Turnout: 34.2%

Independent GAIN from Conservative

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

* ALDC is the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors and Campaigners