Tag Archives: local government by-elections
Lib Dems GAIN two Council seats from Labour
About 20.5 years ago, I was part of the campaign which beat Labour to win the Holmebrook ward in Chesterfield in a council by-election. A certain Keith Falconer won. Later on, his wife Glenys Falconer also represented the ward. In fact, since I wrote this, I have learned that it is the third time Keith has won this seat in a by-election. The first was in 1986, before my time in the East Midlands. He then represented the ward for 22 of the 25 years until 2011. He fell victim to an utterly unprincipled and nasty Labour campaign in 1995.
Anyway, that campaign was a really good springboard for the General Election. If I remember rightly, there was a newspaper which screamed “Poll sensation for Tony Rogers” on its front page.
20 years on, the Liberal Democrats have taken a fair few knocks in the Derbyshire town. They may be down but they sure as hell aren’t out – and they are still capable of an audacious result.
Holmebrook (Chesterfield) result:
LDEM: 50.0% (+21.5)
LAB: 42.6% (-8.5)
CON: 6.1% (-7.2)
IND: 1.4% (+1.4)No Peace Party as prev.
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) September 21, 2017
And the winner? A certain Cllr Keith Falconer.
ALDC celebrate in suitable style.
Holmebrook (Chesterfield) result:
LDEM: 50.0% (+21.5)
LAB: 42.6% (-8.5)
CON: 6.1% (-7.2)
IND: 1.4% (+1.4)No Peace Party as prev.
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) September 21, 2017
Now I know my dear friend Paul Holmes will come on here and say “We never talked about any of that Brexit rubbish.” And I might just let him gloat for a bit. But, seriously, I am thrilled to bits for all my old friends in Chesterfield who were part of this. I wonder if they are off drinking in the Tullamore like they used to after a good by-election win.
However, I do think that the Brexit stuff is responsible for Vince’s rather good poll figure. The man’s almost in positive figures, for goodness sake.
Two holds, a gain and a near miss: a roundup of last night’s by-elections
Three by-elections took place for Aylesbury Vale District Council last night. We successfully defended two seats and missed out on another by only fifteen votes:
Well done Waheed Khan Raja (Liberal Democrat) has held Southcourt Ward on Aylesbury Town Council, with 478 votes (38.6%). @AylesburyLibDem pic.twitter.com/7s6rsl4PNb
— ALDC (@ALDC) August 17, 2017
Sally-Anne Jarvis (Liberal Democrat) has held the Southcourt District Ward by-election, with 456 votes (36.8%). @AylesburyLibDem pic.twitter.com/HPpKFKyKaF
— ALDC (@ALDC) August 17, 2017
Near miss for Lib Dem Jason Bingley in Aylesbury Riverside Ward: only 15 votes away from gaining the seat from the Tories 🙂
— ALDC (@ALDC) August 17, 2017
And there was good news from Epping where Cherry McCredie gained a Town Council seat from the Conservatives by some margin:
Lib Dem GAIN from UKIP in Aylesbury, hold in Bath and leapfrog Labour into second in safest Tory ward in Calderdale
Yes, you read that headline right. This is not a drill. We actually took a seat off UKIP in Aylesbur. Congratulations to Cllr Susan Morgan and her team for a cracking result.
Lib Dem GAIN from UKIP in Aylesbury.
Cllr Susan Morgan is tonight’s Market Square Hero 😀
LD 785
Lab 151
Con 147
Ukip 111
Green 43 pic.twitter.com/Pmk3DwBq0J— ALDC (@ALDC) April 6, 2017
It was one of these eye-watering vote share increases.
Elmhurst (Aylesbury Vale) result:
LDEM: 63.5% (+37.9)
LAB: 12.2% (-10.0)
CON: 11.9% (-9.3)
UKIP: 9.0% (-14.4)
GRN: 3.5% (-4.2)— Britain Elects (@britainelects) April 6, 2017
Fantastic.
In Walcot ward of Bath and North East Somerset Council, Richard Samuel handsomely increased the Lib Dem vote share to hold the seat.
Walcot (Bath & North East Somerset) result:
LDEM: 48.6% (+11.2)
GRN: 22.2% (+0.4)
CON: 22.0% (-0.5)
LAB: 7.2% (-7.4)— Britain Elects (@britainelects) April 6, 2017
Also up for a very large gin and tonic the next time we meet up is erstwhile Conference trouble maker Alisdair Calder McGregor who leapt into second place in the safest Tory ward in Calderdale. He was the only candidate whose party’s vote share actually went up.
ALDC’s by-election review 23 March 2017
Last night there were three principal council by-elections. One of them produced an interesting ‘null and void’ declaration while in West Somerset there was an outstanding Liberal Democrat gain from the Conservatives in an election for the district council.
First to Blackburn UA. Higher Croft ward saw a by-election in December 2016, had one yesterday and is now set for a third in usual circumstances. Last night the Labour candidate won but the result was immediately declared null and void because he was employed by an external organisation on which Blackburn UA had places on the governing board of trustees.
The situation which occurred here is a classic nomination mistake and emphases the importance of checking work restrictions. Whether a teacher in an academy or someone working in a local museum can stand comes down to whether a local authority has any involvement in running the organisation and/or a role in making appointments. If you are in doubt talk to ALDC and ask the prospective candidate to check with their employers HR department.
Over to West Somerset District Council where, until last night, there were no Liberal Democrat councillors. We hadn’t stood in the lovely Exmoor town of Dunster last time but a great campaign was fought by the local team and newbie Peter Pilkington was elected.
West Somerset DC, Dunster and Timberscombe
Liberal Democrats 174
Con 115
Green 38
Lab 23
Yet another Liberal Democrat GAIN from the Conservatives
Congratulations to Peter Pilkington, elected to West Somerset District Council with an amazing gain from the Conservatives last night. In a ward that we didn’t stand in last time.
Dunster & Timberscombe (West Somerset) result:
LDEM: 49.7% (+49.7)
CON: 32.9% (-26.7)
GRN: 10.9% (-29.6)
LAB: 6.6% (+6.6)— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 23, 2017
There was another good increase in vote share from a standing start in Herefordshire:
Leominster South (Herefordshire) result:
GRN: 40.8% (+10.1)
IOC: 18.3% (+18.3)
CON: 17.8% (-8.7)
IND: 14.9% (+14.9)
LDEM: 8.2% (+8.2)— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 23, 2017
Good vote share gains for the Liberal Democrats in last night’s by-elections
No seats changed hands in last night’s by-elections but there were some solid rises in vote share for the Liberal Democrat candidates.
The Conservatives may have held on to Walton-le-Dale East ward in South Ribbble but it was Liberal Democrat candidate Alison Hesketh-Holt who was the real winner, gaining 14.6% of the vote. We didn’t stand last time the seat was fought.
Walton le Dale East (South Ribble) result:
CON: 49.4% (-5.1)
LAB: 36.0% (-9.4)
LDEM: 14.6% (+14.6)— Britain Elects (@britainelects) 16 March 2017
An even bigger vote, 15.1% was similarly won by Andrew Thorpe in the Saham Toney ward of Breckland Council.
Saham Toney (Breckland):
CON: 48.1% (-2.7)
LDEM: 15.1% (+15.1)
IND: 14.9% (+14.9)
UKIP: 11.5% (-20.1)
LAB: 10.3% (+10.3)
No Grn as prev.— Britain Elects (@britainelects) 16 March 2017
And Chris Boyle got us an 11.5% rise in the South Heaton ward in Newcastle – another strong performance in that area.
Yet another Lib Dem GAIN from the Conservatives
Good news – coming to you a little later than usual due to me drinking wine with my friends in the bar at the Scottish Conference hotel – from Oxfordshire.
Hailey, Minster Lovell & Leafield (W. Oxfordshire):
LD: 46.7% (+34.0)
CON: 41.5% (+3.8)
LAB: 5.8% (-4.5)
GRN: 3.1% (-2.8)
UKIP: 2.9% (+2.9)— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 9, 2017
Well done to Kieran Mullins and his team for that amazing swing.
The rest of the by-elections were a clean sweep for the Tories – but there were some healthy vote share increases for us.
Red Horse (Stratford on Avon) result:
CON: 53.4% (-9.0)
LDEM: 29.8% (+20.3)
UKIP: 10.3% (-4.8)
GRN: 6.5% (+6.5)
No Labour as previous.— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 9, 2017
Philip Vial was our candidate here.
Joanna Burrows fought the Exton Ward in Rutland:
Exton (Rutland) result:
CON: 59.5% (+6.5)
LDEM: 30.8% (+11.6)
UKIP: 9.8% (-5.0)
No Ind as previous.— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 9, 2017
Derwent ward in Derby was a Conservative gain from UKIP so I suspect that tactical voting was in play here, affecting our Simon Ferrigno’s vote.
Lib Dems GAIN a council seat and have a strong hold in Redcar
It’s that time on Thursday night again and I can tell you that we have gained a council seat – this time, on Wells City Council, from the Independent. Congratulations to Rob Ayres and his team.
Liberal Democrats gain St Cuthbert's ward, Wells City Council from Independent. Great work! Full results to follow. pic.twitter.com/3lxZ4yOD2J
— ALDC (@ALDC) March 2, 2017
Another Thursday another TWO Lib Dem GAINS from the Conservatives
There were only three Council by-elections tonight, all Conservative defences.
The Lib Dems have two new councillors as we gained in Devon and Northamptonshire.
Charterlands (South Hams) result:
LDEM: 46.1% (+46.1)
CON: 39.3% (-25.0)
LAB: 10.7% (+10.7)
GRN: 3.9% (-15.6)
No Ind unlike previous.— Britain Elects (@britainelects) February 23, 2017
A ward we didn’t even stand in last time is now represented by Lib Dem Cllr Elizabeth Huntley.
Just like in Kettering.
Barton (Kettering) result:
LDEM: 57.0% (+57.0)
CON: 29.8% (-19.3)
UKIP: 9.4% (-14.1)
GRN: 3.7% (-3.5)
No Labour unlike previous.— Britain Elects (@britainelects) February 23, 2017
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