We have brilliant news to start our day today.
I do love it when GB News blazes that Reform are all out to win three by-elections and then we win two of them, gaining seats from Labour in, wait for it, Neath Port Talbot, and Lincoln.
The most remarkable gain was in Wales, in the Ystalyfera & Cwmllynfell Ward
Susan Grounds – Lib Dem – 383 34%
Plaid Cymru – 340 30.2%
Reform – 150 13.3%
Lab – 143 12.7%
Ind – 98 – 8.7%
Con 12 – 1%
We had never stood a candidate in this ward until this by-election. What a result! A great tribute to the work and profile of Welsh parliamentarians and a dedicated campaign team.
Thirty years or so ago, I spent a bit of time campaigning in Park ward in Lincoln. We did have a councillor there for a while back then. So it was great to see us gain a seat from Labour there last night.
Sarah Uldall, Lib Dem 366 35.7%
Lab – 280 27.3%
Reform – 180 17.5%
Con – 87 8.5%
Green – 87 8.5%
TUSC 25 2.4%
Congratulations to our new councillors.
Sadly, Reform did win the other seat they were bragging about, taking a seat from us in the Sutton South East ward of St Helen’s Council. It’s a ward where they have won before, but it is never good losing to people who are more interested in creating division than actually solving problems. The by-election was caused by the death of popular local Lib Dem Councillor Brian Spencer who had 40 years of local service.
Labour should be very worried at the way their vote has just melted away.
There will be more in the ALDC report later.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social
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8 Comments
The St Helen’s loss represents a serious collapse in the Lib Dem vote – surely with more to it than losing the personal vote of a long serving councillor! Meanwhile the two very welcome gains follow the trend in a number of other by-elections in which Lib Dems gained twice as many votes (or more) as Reform.
I have never seen a Conservative candidate get just 12 votes in any sort of election. This must be some sort of record.
St Helens. The loss indicates something needs to be done to solve the problems in the area. Reform exploits the divisions, unhappiness of regions. Research should be done to identify those problems.
Our vote in St Helens did not merely fall it plunged 35%. Can someone from the NW explain this?
The previous result in St Helens (2022) probably somewhat flattered us as there was one Lib Dem up against two Labour in a two seat ward. The numbers then were LD 816; Lab 589, 560; Con 250
I can be a bit negative, as you all know, however total votes cast in the three elections appears to be:-
Lib Dem
Sorry it jumped too soon:-
Lib Dem 896
Labour 787
Reform 777
Con 145
Green 87
Suggest Reform will romp in at Runcorn but that they will a lose of lot of its impact in the face of a shortfall in the Local Elections, where we may seize the narrative.
Possibly significant is the growing signs of a North-South divide in LibDem performances? But at least the Welsh result gives us grounds for optimism!