Labour and Conservatives trade seats in this week’s council by-elections
Six council by-elections this week: four Conservative defences, one Labour defence and one independent seat. Only three Lib Dem candidates across the six seats, however.
Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire
David Lomax, a councillor on High Peak council and general election candidate last year stood for the Liberal Democrats:
Whaley Bridge (Derbyshire) result:
LAB: 50.4% (+22.8)
CON: 28.5% (-6.1)
LDEM: 19.6% (-14.0)
IND: 1.4% (+1.4)Labour GAIN from Conservative.
No Grn (-4.1) as prev.
— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) February 14, 2020
Yoxall, East Staffordshire
No Lib Dem candidate here, for the sixth contest in a row since the last time the party appeared on the ballot paper back in 2003.
Yoxall (East Staffordshire) result:
CON: 78.5% (-9.0)
LAB: 21.5% (+9.0)Conservative HOLD.
— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) February 14, 2020
Borehamwood Kenilworth, Hertsmere
Andy Lewis was the Liberal Democrat candidate:
Borehamwood Kenilworth (Hertsmere) result:
CON: 49.0% (+3.5)
LAB: 41.3% (-13.2)
LDEM: 6.6% (+6.6)
GRN: 3.2% (+3.2)Conservative GAIN from Labour.
— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) February 14, 2020
St Ives East, Huntingdonshire
Colin Saunderson stood for the Liberal Democrats:
St Ives East (Huntingdonshire) result:
CON: 46.5% (+0.7)
IND: 35.8% (+35.8)
LDEM: 9.1% (-15.7)
LAB: 8.6% (-20.8)Conservative HOLD.
— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) February 13, 2020
Cliffsend and Pegwell, Thanet
No Lib Dem candidate, repeating the pattern from the previous five times this ward has been up for election.
Cliffsend & Pegwell (Thanet) result:
CON: 50.9% (+14.2)
GRN: 28.5% (+10.4)
LAB: 10.7% (-4.4)
IND: 9.9% (-5.8)Conservative HOLD.
No For Britain (-14.4) as prev.
— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) February 14, 2020
Milford, Waverley
No Lib Dem candidate as the local party decided to back an independent candidate:
Milford (Waverley) result:
IND (Gale)*: 50.6% (+16.3)
CON: 36.7% (+17.3)
IND (Egan): 12.7% (+12.7)Independent GAIN from Independent.
No LDem (-35.2) and UKIP (-11.1) as prev.
Gale was endorsed by the Liberal Democrats.
— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) February 14, 2020
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.
Judging by these results are we seeing the collapse of the Liberal Democrats or are there special factors ?
Aren’t these poor results (so far) simply a reflection of a party seemingly without much scope for revival or influence at the moment?
Having facilitated a general election against the majority of its supporters’ wishes, the result produced an outcome most dreaded and so it is bound to be reflected in any local election results until the predicted drawbacks of leaving the EU start to bite.