Welcome to my day: 22 March (with added by-election news)

By Mark Valladares | Fri 22nd March 2013 - 7:52 am

We wake up to two very good by-election gains in Adeyfield West ward on Dacorum Borough Council (think Hemel Hempstead) and Lodbourne ward on North Dorset District Council. First, Dacorum…

Adeyfield West, Hemel Hemstead by-election result: Lib Dem Ron Tindall 363, Lab 278, Con 229, UKIP 193, ED 51. Lib Dems go from 3rd to 1st!

— Sara Bedford (@sarabedford) March 21, 2013

Meanwhile, in North Dorset;

Lib Dem Richard Arnold gains a seat from the Tories in North Dorset, Richard Arnold 187, Tory 134, Labour 69 #teamWells

— Alvin Horsfall (@AlvinHorsfall) March 21, 2013

To balance that, there was a very disappointing loss in St George’s ward, Islington, where the final result was;

Labour 1,343 votes

Greens 381 votes

Liberal Democrats 276 votes

Conservatives 120 votes

BNP 31 votes

Socialist Party of Great Britain 18 votes

It’s another example of our continuing struggles against Labour. But if we’re struggling in some places, there’s more awful news for the Conservatives from Havering…

#UKIP has reportedly gained a council seat in #Havering LB: UKIP 831, LAB 569, CON 280, HAROLD HILL RA 227, BNP 202, RA-LONDON 24 #Gooshays

— Jonathan Fryer (@jonathanfryer) March 21, 2013

So, what have we got for you today?

IPPR publish a report on integration today, and we have coverage of that courtesy of Myriam Cherti. And, naturally, we have more commentary on George Osborne’s budget, as Prateek Buch, formerly of this parish, has some constructive criticism to offer. There will also be our regular reports from the House of Lords and Europe, and we hope to publish a tale of how our signature policy came to pass.

9 Comments

Martin Trevett 22nd Mar '13 - 8:48am

Another gain in Hertfordshire in on Chorleywood Parish Council in Three Rivers District where Frank Mahon-Daly gain an Independent seat with the Conservatives trailing a poor 3rd
Chorleywood Parish Council Chenies Ward

Frank Mahon-Daly 202 Lib Dem
Independent 128
Conservative 66

almost 26% turn out
theakes 22nd Mar '13 - 11:58am

Another Parish gain from Conservative , over 40% of vote on high turnout agin over 40%, Upwey near Chester, helps to make up for the two ghastly results from my old birthplace of Islington
Tim Hill 22nd Mar '13 - 12:04pm

We seem to be struggling more against Labour in what one might call “champagne socialist” areas than we are in “old albour” areas ? Is that just a gut feeling or is it borne out by facts ?
Tim Hill 22nd Mar '13 - 12:05pm

Great results last night elsewhere though
theakes 22nd Mar '13 - 12:06pm

Also Maghull Town Council, between Aintree and Ormskirk, part of Sefton

Labour 514 elected – Labour hold
Labour 509 elected – Labour hold
Labour 499 elected – Labour hold
Lib Dem (Bruce Hubbard) 410
Lib Dem (Wyn Maher) 391
Lib Dem (Jen Robertson) 398
Green 66

Turnout 20.51%, Swing – Labour to Lib Dems 3.2%
Stewart 22nd Mar '13 - 12:24pm

I think the Islington result detailed above is for Junction ward, not St George’s. Not that the latter was much better..

Walter George Barfoot – British National Party – 20
Kat Fletcher – Labour Party – 1,698
Julian Gregory – Liberal Democrat Party – 371
Jon Robert Nott – Green Party – 206
Evan James Williams – Conservative Party – 87
There were 9 rejected ballots.

Tim Hill -neither of the Islington wards are ‘Champagne Socialist’ areas; there’s an all-too-common misconception that Islington is home to latte-supping trendies when the reality is that most of the borough is pretty poor. Junction ward is centred on Archway (poor), while St George’s is based around Tufnell Park (mixed).

These are the kind of areas that will hammer the Lib Dems, I think – a combination of quite tribal Labour voters and left-wing liberals.
David White 23rd Mar '13 - 1:07pm

Excellent news from both Dacorum BC and Chorleywood PC. I say this because, until I returned to Hull in November 2011, I was an Abbots Langley PC LibDem councillor. In case you don’t know, the northern end of Abbots Langley adjoins Dacorum BC, at Pimlico (no passports necessary!) I’m delighted to be able to add that Abbots Langley PC is 100% LibDem – and long may it remain so!
Chris 23rd Mar '13 - 2:19pm

Those Islington results are pretty remarkable.

According to the figures on the ALDC site, Junction went from Lab 40.4% LD 37.7% to Lab 61.9% LD 12.7% (with the Greens moving into second place) and St George’s from Lab 32.8% LD 43.5% to Lab 71.3% LD 15.6%.
Michael Main 23rd Mar '13 - 4:51pm

I think that Theakes is meaning Upton by Chester where our candidate, Jean Evans, achieved 44% of the vote