Conservatives hang by 9 votes after 2 recounts after huge swing to Lib Dems

Not quite all the council by-elections are being held off until general election polling day. So we’ve had several this week.

There was first an unusual Tuesday by-election, in Wales:

Thank you to Richard Amy for being the Liberal Democrat candidate and getting the party on the ballot paper this time round.

Then four principal authority council by-elections came on Thursday.

One was in Torbay, long a Conservative/Lib Dem battleground at both council and Parliamentary level and the story of seat that could go Lib Dem if the Conservatives slump in the south west at the general election.

The by-election was in a seat with a previously huge Conservative majority. But after 2 recounts, they held on to the seat by just 9 votes:

Commiserations and congratulations to Peter Fenton, the Lib Dem candidate, on getting so close with a huge 19% swing, but not quite getting there.

Paul Bryant was the Liberal Democrat; thank you.

Thank you to Lib Dem candidate Alan Kelly for getting the party on the ballot paper this time.

Robin Abram was the Lib Dem candidate, getting the party on the ballot paper after the previous no-show.

For what all this means for the running total of council by-election results since the last May elections, see my council by-elections scorecard here.

These by-election results round-ups cover principal authority by-elections as it’s only those for which comprehensive results are available.

What do the polls say?

The results above may tell us what voters are deciding on ballot papers, but not everywhere voted. So what’s the overall picture in the polls? Find out each week with my newsletter, The Week in Polls.

What’s happening in the Lib Dems?

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