Liberal Democrats had another good night in yesterday’s five principal council by-elections with the bonus of a parish council gain in Seaford, Lewes, East Sussex.
Holding Long Ditton ward on Elmbridge Borough Council in Surrey following a Lib Dem resignation was a healthy result and a welcome return to being on the council to Neil Houston. Neil was born in Liverpool and brought up Norfolk served as a Lib Dem councillor in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames till 2014.
Sadly we did not stand a candidates in New Tredegar Ward of the County borough of Caerphilly in Wales nor in the Harrow Road ward of Westminster City Council in London. In both cases Labour had comfortable victories with increased votes of 82.5% and 75.4% respectively.
In North East Lincolnshire Roy Horobin stood for the Lib Dems in Croft Baker ward which we held up to 2010 and had an encouraging result, leapfrogging UKIP to come third behind Labour and the Tories.