By-election roundup for 10 December 2009

We’ll update this post as new info comes in.

Bearsden South's new Councillor Ashay Ghai with Jo Swinson MP

East Dunbartonshire Council, Bearsden South

Lib Dem gain from Conservatives
The results of this STV election in full:

Stage 1:
LD 1110
Con 1261
SNP 783
Lab 626

Stage 2:
LD 1381
Con 1306
SNP 972

Stage 3:
LD 1770
Con 1499

Scottish Lib Dems Director of Campaigns Andrew Reeves said,

It’s a bad day for the Labour government coming fourth and a bad day for the Scottish government coming third. David Cameron continues to have no mandate in Scotland, losing this seat to the Liberal Democrats.

It’s a great day for Ashay Ghai and Jo Swinson!

Jo Swinson MP said,

I’m delighted Ashay Ghai has won this by-election. There is no sign of a David Cameron bounce in Scotland.

This is a tremendous boost to the Liberal Democrats as we head towards a general election.

West Devon Borough Council, Tavistock South

Lib Dem gain from Conservatives
LD Kirstie Clish-Green 523
Con 450
Ind 170
Turnout 33%

From Torridge and West Devon PPC Adam Symons:

A big thank you to everyone who helped yesterday. The Tavistock South seat is one we have not held for 16 years!!

We were told when the election was called that it was a safe Conservative seat and we could not win it.

Kirstie will be a great councillor who will work to represent the communities views. This a great result for Lib Dems, thanks to a well organised campaign and to all those people who helped out – and encouragement to everyone else to join in for the General Election.

Rushmoor Borough Council, Heron Wood

Labour gain from Lib Dems
Lab 437
LD 354
Con 259
Turnout 22%

Bedford Borough Council, Kingsbrook

Lib Dem hold
LD Andy Gerard 660
Lab 370
Con 150
Turnout 18.4%
More here.

Westminster City Council, Queen’s Park

Labour hold
Lab 814
Con 211
LD Mark Blackburn 123
Turnout 16.46%

Hythe Town Council, Hythe West

Con hold (despite large swing to the Lib Dems).
Con 556
LD Neil Matthews 466

From campaign manager Tim Prater on Shepway Liberal Democrats website:

It’s never good to lose, but the result shows how competitive Hythe West has become – we’ve seen a big swing from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats since 2007. Commiserations to Neil Matthews for not being elected last night despite a sterling campaign by the Hythe West team, and congratulations to new Hythe West Councillor Rosemary Griffiths.

In 2009, of 13 contested elections – all of which were previously held by the Conservatives – between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in Shepway, the Liberal Democrats have won five. Going into the New Year, we’re confident and upbeat about our prospects across the area. Thank you to all those who have voted for the Liberal Democrats through the year.

Have you got any results that we’ve missed? Please post them up in the comments below.

Also look out for by-election analysis and full results over on the ALDC website.

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This entry was posted in Council by-elections.
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9 Comments

  • Helen Duffett 11th Dec '09 - 12:04pm

    Cheers Tim; now edited. That narrows the gap even further!

  • Dave Hennigan 11th Dec '09 - 12:26pm
  • Very interesting set of byelections yesterday – ended up Lib Dems +1 Cons –4 Labour +4 (gasp!) and BNP –1 (hooray!).

    The BNP lost a seat in Nuneaton which they were defending; they also lost a Town Council seat they were defending in Loughton. Their two other candidates polled miserably (6% in Hastings; and 15% in a straight fight with Labour in a Cumbrian Town Council byelection).

    D’you know – I think BNP failure gives me as much pleasure as Lib Dem success.

  • Well done Ashay! That makes it four ex-SYLD conveners as councillors now!

  • Actually, that’s the second STV election now which we’ve won through picking up second preferences (Rosemary Bruce’s in Aberdeenshire being the first.)

  • ian roebuck 11th Dec '09 - 8:09pm

    Not as successful in Weymouth & Portland, though it was a ward we haven’t fought (except as part of a county division) in the recent past. The lack of base data, and established rivals, couldn’t be overcome despite an intensive campaign (five leaflets plus good morning plus letters) and incredible commitment from candidate and team.

    Result does, however, deprive the Tories of the overall majority they gained through defections last year

    Lab 579 (previous leader of Labour group, lives and campaigns in ward, whom we had defeated in a different ward in 2008)
    Con 486
    LD 268
    Citizen’s Party 111 (a certain Richard Denton White whose name may be familiar to some here – and they will know which party he most slagged off in his literature)

    Labour gain from Tory

    (2008 result, in a straight fight – Cons 1036 Lab 589)

    The sight of a Tory PPC in a top GE target seat (from Labour) arriving at count to join in celebrating an expected successful hold and instead finding their share of the vote had gone down 30% did somewhat sugar the pill

One Trackback

  • By Bearsden South By-Election on Mon 8th March 2010 at 9:27 pm.

    […] can see further coverage on Lib Dem Voice, and in the Bearsden […]

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