A round up of council by elections in May & June

Collated By MiddleEnglander

There were 9 by-elections during June 2017 following the General Election with 2 (22%) changing hands. The results can be summarised by:

Party	Candidates	Defended	Retained	Gained	Lost	Won	retention rate
Conservative	7	4	3	1	1	4	75%
Labour	8	3	3			3	100%
Liberal Democrat	5	1	1			1	100%
Plaid Cymru	1
Green	4
UKIP	1
Independent ^	4	1			1		0%
Our West Lancashire	1			1		1
Seaham Community	1
Total	32	9	7	2	2	9	78%

^ 4 candidates contested 2 by-elections

Conservatives gained a seat from Independents in Wales but lost one to a "Resident Group" in Lancashire.
Gained Powys, Yscir in a by-election following no candidates being nominated in the May election
- single member ward represented by same Independent for over 20 years, sometimes elected unopposed although narrowly over a Liberal Democrat in 2012
- 6 by-election candidates including 3 Independents, Plaid Cymru & Green; first time contesting Conservatives win with 29.8% share, 3.8% over an Independent.
Lost West Lancashire, Derby to Our West Lancashire, a dissident former Conservative grouping, with 6.6% majority over Labour second and Conservative third
- 3 member ward won by Conservatives from 2002 to 2014, frequently with 50+% share, but Labour won narrowly in 2015 following intervention of OWL
- in 2016 a previous Conservative Councillor, who had served continuously since 2002, was re-elected as OWL with a 5% majority over Labour    
- new Councillor came third in May with 21.4% share in the larger West Lancashire East Division won by the Conservative who resigned causing the by-election
- Labour has polled in a narrow range of 33.6% to 36.8% in each of the 6 elections since 2011 and has only polled over 40% once back in 2003.

There were 33 by-elections for 34 seats held on 8 June with 7 (21%) changing hands. The results can be summarised by:

Party	Candidates	Defended	Retained	Gained	Lost	Won	retention rate
Conservative	33	20	14		6	14	70%
Labour	29	13	13	4		17	100%
Liberal Democrat	28			2		2
Green	20
UKIP	8	1			1		0%
Independent ^	3			1		1
Lincolnshire Independent	1
No Description	2
Other ^^	2
Total	126	34	27	7	7	34	79%

 ^  3 Independents contested 2 seats
^^ End Austerity and Republic

Labour gained 4 seats from the Conservatives
Ashford: Victoria on a swing of ~ 5% since 2015
- 2 member ward electing 1 Labour / 1 Conservative in 2015, 1 Liberal Democrat / 1 Conservative in 2011 and 2 Liberal Democrats in both 2007 & 2003
Canterbury: Westgate on a swing of ~ 13% from Conservative and ~12% from Liberal Democrat since 2015
- 2 member ward electing 1 Conservative / 1 Liberal Democrat in 2015 but 3 member ward of same name elected 3 Liberal Democrats in 2011, 2007 & 2003
Peterborough: East on a swing of ~13½% since 2016
- 3 member ward electing 2 Conservative / 1 Labour in 2016 when ward was created
Welwyn & Hatfield: Hatfield Villages with a majority of 7 votes on a swing of ~ 4¼% since 2016
- 3 member ward electing 3 Conservatives in 2016 but previous ward of same name elected Conservatives each year since 2008

Liberal Democrats gained 1 seat from Conservatives and 1 from UKIP
Mid Sussex: Hassocks where a 2 vacancy contest saw 1 Conservative / 1 Liberal Democrat elected on a swing of ~5% since 2015 and ~ ¾% since 2011
- 3 member ward electing 3 Conservatives in 2015, 2 Conservative / 1 Liberal Democrat in 2011 & 2007 but 3 Conservatives in 2003
- the new Liberal Democrat Councillor was elected for the party in 2007 and 2011 but did not stand in 2015
Torridge: Hartland & Bradworthy from UKIP who did not contest the seat; Liberal Democrat polled 57½% in straight fight with Green
- 2 member ward with Independent / UKIP in 2015, 2 Liberal Democrat in 2011, Liberal Democrat / Independent in 2007 & 2 Independent unopposed in 2003

Independent gained Bromsgrove, Alvechurch Village from Conservative in a normally Conservative area where Independent gained County seat last month
- single member ward created in 2015 when Conservative polled 46% against Green and UKIP opponents.


With all the results now known of the 33 by-elections for 34 seats held on 8 June along with the 3 elections deferred from 4 May, the position is: 

Conservative held seats - 20 defended 
with 14 retained and 6 lost - 4 to Labour, 1 to Liberal Democrats and 1 to IndependentsAshford BC, Bockhanger - hold
Ashford BC, Victoria - Labour gain
Broadland DC, Cotishall - hold
Bromsgrove DC, Alvechurch Village - Independent gain
Broxtowe BC, Toton & Chilwell Meadows - hold
Calderdale MB, Raistrick - hold
Canterbury BC, Westgate - Labour gain
Copeland BC, Newtown - hold
Crawley BC, Pound Hill South & Worth - hold
Dacorum BC, Bovingdon. Flauden & Chipperfield - hold
Hammersmith & Fulham LB, Sands End - hold
Lewes DC, Seaford West - hold
Mid Sussex DC, Hassocks (2 vacancies) - 1 Conservative hold, 1 Liberal Democrat gain
North Kesteven DC, Ashby de la Launde & Cranwell - hold
North Kesteven DC, Heighington & Washborough - hold
Peterborough UA, East - Labour gain
Welwyn & Hatfield BC, Hatfield Villages - Labour gainWest Berkshire UA, Thatcham South & Cookham - hold
West Lancashire BC, Aughton Park - hold

Labour held seats - 13 defended, all retained
Blackburn with Darwen UA, Higher Croft - hold
Bury MB, Radcliffe East - hold
Calderdale MB, Todmorden - hold
Hammersmith & Fulham LB, Avonmore & Brook Green - hold
Leicester UA, Castle - hold
Liverpool MB, Kirkdale - hold
Luton UA, Sundon Park - hold
North Lincolnshire, Brumby - hold
Oldham MB, Royton North - hold
Salford MB, Claremont - hold
Stockport MB, Brinnington & Central - hold
York UA, Hull Road - hold
York UA, Micklegate - hold

UKIP held seat - 1
Torridge DC, Hartland & Bradworthy - Liberal Democrat gain from UKIP who did not defend the seat

Deferred elections on 8 June - 3Ceridigion UA, Llandyfriog - Plaid Cymru hold, returned unopposed
Cornwall UA, Bodmin St Petroc - Liberal Democrat hold
Merthyr Tydfil UA, Cyfarthfa - 1 Independent, 1 Merthyr Independent, 1 Labour elected

There were 6 by-elections in the final 3 weeks of May with 1 (17%) changing hands. The results can be summarised by:

Party	Contested	Defended	Retained	Gained	Lost	Won	retention rate
Conservative	6	1	1	1		2	100%
Labour	5	3	3			3	100%
Liberal Democrat	5
Green	2
UKIP	4
Independent	1	2	1		1	1	50%
No Description	1
Total	24	6	5	1	1	6	83%

Conservative gained Richmondshire, Reeth & Arkengarthdale from Independent in an unopposed election
- single member ward previously returned Independents, unopposed in 2003 & 2007 and with 75% + share of the vote in 2011, 2014 by-election as well as 2015