Local Council by-election 23rd March 2023

[Tony Otim]

NORTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE UA; Rushden South (Con died)
Candidates:
ASHTON, Chris (Labour)
AVERY, Cassandra Blythe (Liberal Democrat)
COLEMAN, Melanie Anne (Conservative)
MERLANE, Dave (Breakthrough)
MORRIS, Will (Green)

2021: Con 1894, 1810, 1680; Lab 849, 714; Grn 575; LD 514

Will Morris (Green) is the only candidate who stood in 2021, in Irchester ward. I can’t remember a Breakthrough candidate in a local by-election before...

Current Council: Con 56; Lab 15; Grn 3; Ind 2; LD 1; 1 vacancy

[batman]

Labour has underperformed in Rushden for a long while, it's a town dominated by pretty humble terraced houses - though adjoining Higham Ferrers is rather more visibly middle-class. I wonder if this underperformance will continue.

[East Anglian Lefty]

The Lib Dems have done OK in parish elections in Rushden recently.

[markgoodair]

Feb 24, 2023 18:37:28 GMT Tony Otim said:

NORTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE UA; Rushden South (Con died)
Candidates:
ASHTON, Chris (Labour)
AVERY, Cassandra Blythe (Liberal Democrat)
COLEMAN, Melanie Anne (Conservative)
MERLANE, Dave (Breakthrough)
MORRIS, Will (Green)

2021: Con 1894, 1810, 1680; Lab 849, 714; Grn 575; LD 514

Will Morris (Green) is the only candidate who stood in 2021, in Irchester ward. I can’t remember a Breakthrough candidate in a local by-election before...

Current Council: Con 56; Lab 15; Grn 3; Ind 2; LD 1; 1 vacancy

Who or what is Breakthrough ?

[batman]

it's basically a Corbynite party, though not currently including Jeremy Corbyn himself. It's a sort of Southern version of the Northern Independence Party in some respects.

[lackeroftalent]

Feb 26, 2023 18:28:31 GMT markgoodair said:

Feb 24, 2023 18:37:28 GMT Tony Otim said:

NORTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE UA; Rushden South (Con died)
Candidates:
ASHTON, Chris (Labour)
AVERY, Cassandra Blythe (Liberal Democrat)
COLEMAN, Melanie Anne (Conservative)
MERLANE, Dave (Breakthrough)
MORRIS, Will (Green)

2021: Con 1894, 1810, 1680; Lab 849, 714; Grn 575; LD 514

Will Morris (Green) is the only candidate who stood in 2021, in Irchester ward. I can’t remember a Breakthrough candidate in a local by-election before...

Current Council: Con 56; Lab 15; Grn 3; Ind 2; LD 1; 1 vacancy

Who or what is Breakthrough ?

One of those Labour breakaway real socialist outfits.

[iainbhx]

Feb 26, 2023 18:39:13 GMT batman said:

it's basically a Corbynite party, though not currently including Jeremy Corbyn himself. It's a sort of Southern version of the Northern Independence Party in some respects.

Ooooh, that phrasing. Beautifully done.

[batman]

Well you know Iain, I rule nothing out. I think it's unlikely he'd join another already existing party. He'll either stay in the Labour Party, become an independent or start his own. But you never know.

[European Lefty]

Feb 26, 2023 20:10:30 GMT batman said:

Well you know Iain, I rule nothing out. I think it's unlikely he'd join another already existing party. He'll either stay in the Labour Party, become an independent or start his own. But you never know.

I keep waiting for his "peace and whatever whatever" to become a party

[batman]

It's a Metallica album isn't it

[timrollpickering]

There are also two by-elections in the City of London. Nominations close Tuesday.

CITY OF LONDON; Castle Baynard (Independent resignation)

2022 (council): Ind 271, Castle Baynard Independents Party 237, 224, 218, 215, 211, 206, 205, 177
2018 (council) by: Lab 77, Ind 59, 37, 36, 28, 23, 12, 5
2017 (council): Ind 225, 225, 213, 213, 208, 200, 195, 187, 119
2017 (Alderman): Ind (incumbent) unopposed
2014 (council) by: Ind 161, 40
2013 (council): Ind 225, 213, 209, 208, 206, 197, 193, 190, Lab 50, Ind [City Reform Grou] 39
2011 (Alderman): Ind (incumbent) unopposed

Diamond Geezer's guide to the ward

CITY OF LONDON; Cripplegate (Independent elected as Alderman)

2022 (Alderman): Ind 584, 141
2022 (council): Ind 686, Lab 617, 616, Ind 587, 581, Lab 549, Ind 393, 378, 252, 222
2017 (council): Ind 558, 449, Lab409, Ind 407, Lab401, Ind 386, 375, 323, 311, 307, 181
2014 (Alderman): Ind (incumbent) unopposed
2013 (council): Ind 373, 367, 365, 364, 332, 311, 304, 291, Lab 244, Ind 234

Diamond Geezer's guide to the ward

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Both of these wards have substantial residential population; Cripplegate is one of the two Barbican wards.

[minionofmidas]

Feb 26, 2023 21:50:03 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

Both of these wards have substantial residential population; Cripplegate is one of the two Barbican wards.

substantial is pushing it in Castle Baynard, but unlike some of the other 'nonresidential' wards it has a couple hundred residents.

www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/london/wards/E09000001__city_of_london/

[batman]

If Labour wins in Rushden will the winner spectacularly dive over the line?

[john07]

Feb 26, 2023 20:10:30 GMT batman said:

Well you know Iain, I rule nothing out. I think it's unlikely he'd join another already existing party. He'll either stay in the Labour Party, become an independent or start his own. But you never know.

I suppose he could team up with his, even more nutty, brother Piers?

[batman]

Piers is actually more than nutty. To me he is a common criminal.

[European Lefty]

Feb 27, 2023 8:15:31 GMT batman said:

If Labour wins in Rushden will the winner spectacularly dive over the line?

"Jump up and fall over like a prat" would be a more accurate description....

[timrollpickering]

Feb 26, 2023 21:42:17 GMT timrollpickering said:

There are also two by-elections in the City of London. Nominations close Tuesday.

SOPNs now out

CITY OF LONDON; Castle Baynard (Independent resignation)

Candidates:
EVERETT, Kevin Malcolm (Independent)
GOODCHILD, Edward David John (Independent)
HUDSON, Michael (Independent)
LONGMAN, Scott Marcus (Independent)

2022 (council): Ind 271, Castle Baynard Independents Party 237, 224, 218, 215, 211, 206, 205, Michael Hudson 177
2018 (council) by: Lab 77, Ind 59, 37, 36, 28, 23, 12, 5
2017 (council): Ind 225, 225, 213, 213, 208, 200, Michael Hudson 195, 187, 119
2017 (Alderman): Ind (incumbent) unopposed
2014 (council) by: Ind 161, 40
2013 (council): Ind 225, 213, 209, 208, 206, Michael Hudson 197, 193, 190, Lab 50, Ind [City Reform Group] 39
2011 (Alderman): Ind (incumbent) unopposed

Diamond Geezer's guide to the ward

Michael Hudson was elected for this ward in 2013 (197) and 2017 (195) as an Independent but was the losing candidate in 2022 for the Castle Baynard Independents with 177. Kevin Everett was councillor for Candlewick 2013-2022, defeated for re-election. Edward Goodchild stood for Alderman in Walbrook in 2022. Scott Longman stood for Bridge in a by-election in November 2022.

CITY OF LONDON; Cripplegate (Independent elected as Alderman)

Candidates:
FRAMPTON, Dawn Margaret (Independent)
MEYRINGER, Lionel (Independent)
MYLNE, Angus Spencer Athol (Independent)

2022 (Alderman): Ind 584, 141
2022 (council): Ind 686, Lab 617, 616, Ind 587, 581, Lab 549, Ind 393, 378, 252, 222
2017 (council): Ind 558, 449, Lab 409, Ind 407, Lab 401, Ind 386, 375, 323, 311, 307, 181
2014 (Alderman): Ind (incumbent) unopposed
2013 (council): Ind 373, 367, 365, 364, 332, 311, 304, 291, Lab 244, Ind 234

Diamond Geezer's guide to the ward

All three candidates appear to be first timers.

[aargauer]

Feb 27, 2023 22:20:45 GMT batman said:

Piers is actually more than nutty. To me he is a common criminal.

I agree with absolutely nothing that comes out of his mouth but was thankful he protested against the right of self assembly during covid times when nobody else was.

[skyep]

any idea why there are no labour candidates in the city of london elections, given that they won seats in one of them last year, and gained a seat in the other in a 2018 by-election?