Two Lib Dem losses in this week’s council by-elections
A bumper set of nine council by-elections this week, including two Liberal Democrat defences.
A small Lib Dem vote increase in the first result to come in:
Ketton (Rutland) result:
CON: 68.8% (+12.7)
LDEM: 31.2% (+4.2)Conservative HOLD.
No UKIP as prev.— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) July 20, 2017
But that is followed by a Lib Dem seat loss in the council’s other by-election, in a ward where the party had made a dramatic breakthrough with a by-election win in 2014 and then won again in both 2015 and a 2016 by-election caused by a Lib Dem resignation. A second by-election in the ward in just over a year caused by a Lib Dem resignation didn’t go so well:
Whissendine (Rutland) result:
IND (I. Arnold): 54.1% (+54.1)
CON: 26.0% (-0.8)
IND: 11.7% (+11.7)
LDEM: 8.2% (-56.9)Ind GAIN from LDem.
— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) July 20, 2017
A further Lib Dem seat loss up in Cubmria, where the party didn’t even put up a candidate this time (here’s why that matters):
Alston Moor (Eden) result:
LAB: 55.8% (+55.8)
CON: 34.7% (-10.7)
IND: 7.8% (+7.8)
GRN: 1.8% (+1.8)Lab GAIN from LDem.
No LDem candidate.— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) July 20, 2017
Mixed results elsewhere too in areas where the party has been weak for some time:
Leek East (Staffordshire Moorlands) result:
LAB: 45.0% (+25.6)
CON: 28.9% (+1.1)
IND: 19.5% (+19.5)
LDEM: 6.6% (+0.7)No UKIP/Oth as prev.
— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) July 20, 2017
New Romney (Shepway) result:
CON: 35.2% (+6.2)
LAB: 32.5% (+21.5)
IND: 27.5% (+27.5)
LDEM: 4.8% (-3.7)Con HOLD.
No UKIP and Grn as prev.— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) July 20, 2017
But signs of progress too:
St Helier (Merton) result:
LAB: 74.1% (+3.1)
CON: 15.6% (+1.7)
LDEM: 4.8% (+1.9)
GRN: 3.0% (+0.3)
UKIP: 2.5% (-7.0)[Corrected % chgs]
— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) July 20, 2017
Worth noting that the Merton team made canny use of a by-election where the chances of winning were very slim to experiment with different campaign techniques and see what works best. A great example of how every by-election is an opportunity.
Billingham North (Stockton):
LAB 40.5% (+5.3)
CON 38.7% (+19.0)
IND 11.0% (+11.0)
LD 5.3% (+5.3)
NEP 4.5% (+4.5)No UKIP/Oth as prev
— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) July 21, 2017
The final two results to come in are also more promising, with Lib Dem candidates where there weren’t ones before:
St Michaels (Knowsley) result:
LAB: 86.6% (+12.2)
LDEM: 7.0% (+7.0)
GRN: 6.4% (+6.4)Lab HOLD.
No Con and UKIP as prev.— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) July 21, 2017
Chiddingly & East Hoathly (Wealden) result:
CON: 53.4% (-11.2)
LAB: 28.3% (+9.4)
LDEM: 18.3% (+18.3)Con HOLD.
No UKIP as prev.— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) July 21, 2017
These by-election results round-ups cover principal authority by-elections. See my post The danger in celebrating parish and town council wins for your own party for the reasons to avoid straying too often into covering town, parish or community council by-elections.
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