Local Council by-elections 13th July 2023

[Tony Otim]

NEWHAM LBC; Boleyn (Lab resigned)
Candidates:
DUROJAIYE, Lawrencia (Conservative)
HUDSON-SMALL, Joe (Green)
MIRZA, Mehmood (Independent)
OXLEY, Daniel Charles (Reform UK)
PATEL, Sofia (Labour)
TERRAR, David Graham (Liberal Democrat)

2022: Lab 1756, 1487, 1450; Con 538, 406, 367; Grn 524, 494; 377; CPA 152

Lawrencia Durojaiye was the third Conservative candidate here last year. Also last May Joe Hudson-Small stood for the Greens in Green Street East, Mehmood Mirza stood in Plashet, Daniel Oxley for Reform in Royal Albert and David Terrar for the Lib Dems in Forest Gate South.


NEWHAM LBC; Wall End (Lab resigned)
Candidates:
CHEEMA, Tassadduq Hussain (Green)
GARFIELD, Stephanie Louise (Labour)
KANNAN, Durai (Conservative)
PATTIE, Claire Louise (Liberal Democrat)
SANDGROUND, David Kenton (Reform UK)

2022: Lab 2118, 1929, 1882; Ind 957; Con 648, 461, 412; Grn 392, 336, 300; CPA 142, 139, 99: RefUK 103

David Sandground was the Reform candidate here last May. Also last May, Tassadduq Cheema stood for the Greens in Green Street East;

The absence of the CPA in both these contests is perhaps noteworthy for those following the fortunes of small parties.

Current Council: Lab 61; Grn 2; Ind 1; 2 vacancies



NORFOLK CC; West Depwade (Con died)
Candidates:
HOLDEN, Tony (Conservatives)
REEKIE, Pam (Labour)
ROWETT, Catherine Joanna (Green)
SPRATT, Beverley (Independent)
SPRATT, Ian Victor (Liberal Democrat)

2021: Con 1632; Ind 888; Lab 478; LD 394; Grn 349
2017: Con 2413; LD 705; Lab 575
2013: Con 1531; UKIP 829; LD 508; Lab 446
2009: Con 2618; LD 1136; Lab 305
2005: Con 3072; LD 2722

Beverley Spratt was Conservative councillor for the division from 2005-2021 and stood unsuccessfully as an independent in 2021. Both Pamela Reekie and Ian Spratt stood for their respective parties in both 2013 and 2017. Ian Spratt was also elected district councillor for Mulbarton & Stoke Holy Cross (South Norfolk) (partially in this division) in May this year, whilst Pamela Reekie stood unsuccessfully in Beck Vale, Dickleburgh & Scole (also partially in this division), although the Conservatives would almost certainly have carried the division this May.

Current Council: Con 54; Lab 12; LD 10; Grn 3; Ind 2; None 1; Non-aligned 1; 1 vacancy



ROTHERHAM MBC; Dinnington (Ind elected as Con disqualified)
Candidates:
HALL, Julz (Conservative)
HARRISON, Tony (Reform UK)
KEY, Peter Robert (Yorkshire Party)
MARTIN, Paul Neville (Green)
MEARS, Matt (Liberal Democrat)
SMITH, Dave (Independent)
VJESTICA, John (Labour)

2021: Con 1137, 916, 841; Lab 799, 738, 712; Ind 601, 389; Grn 316, 308; LD 284

Dave Smith was the top-placed Indy in 2021 and contested the ward on old boundaries at every election since 2011. John Vjestica was the second Labour candidate in 2021 and also stood unsuccessfully here in 2016. Both Peter Key (Yorkshire) and Paul Martin (Green) stood for their parties in the Keppel by-election in January this year.

Current Council: Lab 34; Con 14; Ind 4; LD 4; Ind Con 2; 1 vacancy

[yellowperil]

Do we know the family connection, if any, between the pair of Spratts?

It does put me in mind of Jack Spratt and his wife. Can these two lick the platter clean?

[stodge]

I live in Wall End in Newham.

Labour have leafleted twice and canvassed our street - we've had a leaflet from the Liberal Democrat candidate.

My understanding is the Greens are putting their effort into Boleyn and might spring a surprise. The complication here might be Mirza who stood as an Independent candidate for the Mayor of Newham in 2022. He came fourth with 8.5% and his slate of anti-Labour left-wing candidates mostly failed though in Wall End (oddly enough) the candidate got 957 votes and was well ahead of the Greens and Conservatives.

The CPA are pretty much moribund now - even in their former area of strength in the Alan Craig days (Canning Town), they finished bottom or near bottom of the poll in 2022.

[timrollpickering]

CITY OF LONDON; Castle Baynard, Alderman (Independent retirement)

Candidates:

ARTESI, Desiree Allison Ann (Independent)
BRIDGELAND, Sally (Independent)
GOODCHILD, Edward David John (Independent)
GREKOS, Martha (Independent)
SALUJA, Sushil Kumar (Independent)
SHAH, Waheeda Akhtar (Independent)
WONG, Wincie (Independent)

2023 (council) by: Ind 93, Edward Goodchild 47, 32, 21
2022 (council): Ind Martha Grekos 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 Group] 39
2011 (Alderman): Ind (incumbent) unopposed

Diamond Geezer's guide to the ward

Martha Grekos was elected as a councillor at the top of the poll in 2022 as the only challenger to the Castle Baynard Independents Party slate. She stood down earlier this year citing a "toxic" environment with "a lot of harassment, bullying and intimidation" towards her with the unsuccessful CBIP candidate winning the by-election (albeit without the party label; these things work differently in the City). Edward Goodchild stood in the by-election and was runner up with 47 votes; he had previous stood for Alderman in Wallbrook in 2022. Sushil Saluja has been nominated by one of the sitting councillors elected for the Castle Baynard Independents Party and apparently has the backing of outgoing Alderman Ian Luder.

[zoe]

Jun 22, 2023 16:18:41 GMT timrollpickering said:

CITY OF LONDON; Castle Baynard, Alderman (Independent retirement)

Candidates:


WONG, Wincie (Independent)

But does she have a spider?

[batman]

With regard to Wall End ward, I am a former Chair of its branch Labour Party (about 32 years ago). The Labour candidate Stephanie Garfield is married to Labour councillor Josh Garfield and her mother-in-law Judith is on Redbridge council, as well as being the narrowly defeated candidate in Havering & Redbridge in the last GLA elections. Wall End is quite a bit safer for Labour than it was 30-odd years ago, and there was quite a decent Conservative vote in some more middle-class roads.

[batman]

Jun 22, 2023 16:22:56 GMT zoe said:

Jun 22, 2023 16:18:41 GMT timrollpickering said:

CITY OF LONDON; Castle Baynard, Alderman (Independent retirement)

Candidates:


WONG, Wincie (Independent)

But does she have a spider?

not yet but maybe if Paul Ince somehow becomes involved it could happen.

[batman]

I noticed that the Labour candidate in Norfolk is called Pam Reekie. Oddly I knew someone whose maiden name was Pamela Reekie very well, she was Secretary of our CLP in the 1990s & a very durable Labour campaigner indeed; she died well into her 90s not very long ago. She has quite a lot of family, but I wasn't aware of any in Norfolk.

[stodge]

After the initial rush, it's quietened down here in Wall End. There is a Conservative leaflet out there which claims they have the "local" candidate - that may work in rural Shropshire but probably doesn't have the same cadence in East London.

I still think Boleyn will be the more interesting contest.

[Sibboleth]

Jul 1, 2023 17:46:24 GMT stodge said:

...that may work in rural Shropshire...

Only if they are actually local.

[European Lefty]

Jul 1, 2023 18:20:30 GMT Sibboleth said:

Jul 1, 2023 17:46:24 GMT stodge said:

...that may work in rural Shropshire...

Only if they are actually local.

And even then only the right definition of "local"

[Sibboleth]

Jul 1, 2023 20:48:15 GMT European Lefty said:

Jul 1, 2023 18:20:30 GMT Sibboleth said:

Only if they are actually local.

And even then only the right definition of "local"

And even then only if they are liked.

[wallington]

Greens are holding a national action day in West Depwade this weekend, so they're probably doing a lot in the ward, dont be surprised if they poll strongly here next week.

[stodge]

Jul 7, 2023 16:04:47 GMT wallington said:

Greens are holding a national action day in West Depwade this weekend, so they're probably doing a lot in the ward, dont be surprised if they poll strongly here next week.

They are working Boleyn hard - they had a big event last evening with Jenny Jones and another big event is planned for Sunday.

They've done little or nothing in Wall End.

The Conservative leaflet in Wall End finally reached Stodge Towers - it's a load of guff of course, CCTV on street corners apparently and our brave local Tory Councillor (if elected) setting goals for the local Police.

Labour will presumably win big on a small turnout - Boleyn harder to call - could the Greens surprise? Unlikely but I think a strong second is probable.

[wallington]

Jul 7, 2023 20:26:45 GMT stodge said:

Jul 7, 2023 16:04:47 GMT wallington said:

Greens are holding a national action day in West Depwade this weekend, so they're probably doing a lot in the ward, dont be surprised if they poll strongly here next week.

They are working Boleyn hard - they had a big event last evening with Jenny Jones and another big event is planned for Sunday.

They've done little or nothing in Wall End.

The Conservative leaflet in Wall End finally reached Stodge Towers - it's a load of guff of course, CCTV on street corners apparently and our brave local Tory Councillor (if elected) setting goals for the local Police.

Labour will presumably win big on a small turnout - Boleyn harder to call - could the Greens surprise? Unlikely but I think a strong second is probable.

Yup, I wouldn't say a Green gain in Boleyn was impossible, I was there a few days back, Labour are probably the favourites, big gap to catch up, but a strong second is nailed on at worst.

[Chris from Brum]

Is Boleyn ward the location of WHU's former stadium that we all knew as Upton Park?

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Jul 7, 2023 21:24:06 GMT Chris from Brum said:

Is Boleyn ward the location of WHU's former stadium that we all knew as Upton Park?

Not any more as it's been demolished, but it was in the ward when it was still in existence.

[Tony Otim]

Jul 7, 2023 16:04:47 GMT wallington said:

Greens are holding a national action day in West Depwade this weekend, so they're probably doing a lot in the ward, dont be surprised if they poll strongly here next week.

I would guess that they'll be concentrating all their efforts in the parts of the division in the proposed Waverley Valley constituency...

[Pete Whitehead]

Jul 8, 2023 8:43:57 GMT Tony Otim said:

Jul 7, 2023 16:04:47 GMT wallington said:

Greens are holding a national action day in West Depwade this weekend, so they're probably doing a lot in the ward, dont be surprised if they poll strongly here next week.

I would guess that they'll be concentrating all their efforts in the parts of the division in the proposed Waverley Valley constituency...

Waveney (but you knew that)

[Tony Otim]

Jul 8, 2023 9:49:52 GMT Pete Whitehead said:

Jul 8, 2023 8:43:57 GMT Tony Otim said:

I would guess that they'll be concentrating all their efforts in the parts of the division in the proposed Waverley Valley constituency...

Waveney (but you knew that)

I did.. it was my thumbs that forgot...