By-election result summary - January to April 2017

[middleenglander]

There were 4 by-elections during January 2017 with 2 (50%) changing hands. The results can be summarised by:

Party	Contested	Defended	Retained	Gained	Lost	Won	retention rate
Conservative	4	2	1		1	1	50%
Labour	4	1			1		0%
Liberal Democrat	2			2		2
SNP	1	1	1			1	100%
Green	3
UKIP	3
Libertarian	1
Total votes	18	4	2	2	2	4	50%

Liberal Democrats gained Sunderland, Sandhill from Labour with a 45% vote share and on a swing of around 36% since 2012 to 2016
- 3 member Metropolitan ward won by Labour every year since 2004 where the previous highest Liberal Democrat share was 20.4% in 2010

Liberal Democrats regained Three Rivers, Gade Valley from a Conservative on a swing of 2¾% since 2016, 23½% since 2015 and ~ 9% since 2014
- 3 member ward electing 3 Liberal Democrats in 2014 all out elections, a Conservative narrowly winning on 2015 General Election turnout, but Liberal Democrat in 2016

Elsewhere Conservatives retained Bromsgrove, Norton although there was a 12% swing to Labour since 2015 in this single member ward of 2,018 electors whilst
SNP retained East Ayrshire, Kilmarnock East & Hurlford on a swing from Labour of 9¼% since 2012 and 12½% since 2007 with Conservative share  at 20.1% against 7.4% and 7.7% previously.

[Terry Weldon]

Thanks. January was a quiet month: not too much to be read into just 4. A similar exercise for the end of February could be illuminating, with many more scheduled.

[Deleted]

middleenglander thanks for your informative and useful summaries. Can I make one suggestion (consider it a friendly amendment )? As 'Lost' links to 'Defended' and 'Retained', swap this column with 'Gained', which doesn't.

[middleenglander]

There were 19 by-elections for 20 seats during February 2017 with 13 (65%) changing hands. The results can be summarised by:

Party	Contested	Defended	Retained	Gained	Lost	Won	retention rate
Conservative	20	9	2		7	2	22%
Labour	17	4	3	2	1	5	75%
Liberal Democrat	16	3	1	6	2	7	33%
Green	13			1		1
UKIP	13	2		1	2	1	0%
Resident Groups *	4	1	1	3		4	100%
Independent **	3	1			1		0%
Total	86	20	7	13	13	20	35%
* - Bollington First	1			1		1
* - Fylde Ratepayers	1	1	1			1	100%
* - Residents for Uttlesford	2	2		2

** there were 3 Independents contesting 1 seat.

Conservatives lost 5 seats to a Liberal Democrat (Cotswold: Fairford North, Kettering: Barton, North Norfolk: Waterside, South Hams: Charterlands and Wokingham: Emmbrook) and 1 each to Labour (Basingstoke & Deane: Winklebury) and Bollington First (Cheshire East: Bollington)
Labour gained a seat from both Conservatives and UKIP (Rotherham: Dinnington) whilst losing a seat to Liberal Democrats (Rotherham: Brinsworth & Catcliffe)
Liberal Democrats gained 5 seats from Conservatives and 1 from Labour whilst losing 2 seats to Residents for Uttlesford (Uttlesford: Elsenham & Henham)
Greens gained 1 seat from UKIP in Forest of Dean: Lydbrook & Ruardene
UKIP gained 1 seat from an Independent in Tendring: Great & Little Oakley but lost 1 seat to both Labour and a Green
Residents for Uttlesford gained 2 seats from Liberal Democrats and Bollington First 1 from Conservative
Independents lost 1 seat to UKIP

Three of the seats to change hands were single member wards with electorates around 2,000:
* Liberal Democrat gained Cotswold: Fairford (electorate 1,926) from Conservative with a 68% share and 38% majority over Conservative on a 30% swing since 2015 (a new seat)
* Liberal Democrat gained South Hams: Charterlands (electorate 2,217) from Conservative with a 46% share and 6.8% majority over Conservative having not contested the seat in 2015 (a new seat)
* UKIP gained Tendring: Great & Little Oakley (electorate 1,673) from an Independent who was elected as Tendring First in 2011 although the seat had been Conservative in 2003 & 2007
   - UKIP share was 37% with a 7.7% majority over the Conservative who was the UKIP candidate in 2015

Four of the seats to change hands were "split" wards when last contested:
* Bollington First gained Cheshire East: Bollington from Conservatives with a 51% share and 33% majority over Conservative on a swing of circa 14% since 2015 and 17% since 2011
   - Bollington First headed the 2015 poll with a Conservative second whilst 2011 had 2 Conservatives elected narrowly ahead of both Bollington First and Labour
* Green gained Forest of Deane, Lydbrook & Ruardene from UKIP with a 35% share and 11% majority over Conservative as UKIP came 4th out of 5 candidates
   - 3 member ward electing Independent / Labour / UKIP in 2015 and Independent / 2 Labour in 2011, 2007 and 2003
* Liberal Democrat gained Rotherham: Brinsworth & Catcliffe from Labour with a 66% share and 49% majority over Labour on a swing of 35% plus since 2016
   3 member ward electing 2 Labour and 1 UKIP in 2016 although ward was mainly Labour with UKIP recently a close second but BNP won in 2008
* Labour gained Rotherham: Dinnington from UKIP with a 36% share and 20% majority over UKIP on a circa 10% swing since 2016
   3 member ward electing 2 Labour and 1 UKIP in 2016 although ward was mainly Labour but UKIP did win in 2014

A further seat changing has had a recent history of being a "split" ward:
* Liberal Democrat gained North Norfolk: Waterside from Conservative with a 55% share and 20% majority over Conservative on 17½% swing since 2015, 7½% since 2012 by-election and 10% since 2011
   2 member ward electing 2 Conservatives in 2015, Liberal Democrat hold in 2012 by-election, 1 Conservative / 1 Liberal Democrat in 2011 and 2 Liberal Democrats in 2007 as well as 2003

The remaining 5 seats in 4 wards that changed hands can be summarised by:
* Labour gained Basingstoke & Deane: Winklebury from Conservative with a 62% share and 26% majority over Conservative on swings of 21% since 2015, ~ 15% since 2014 & 2011 and 23% since 2010
   2 member ward electing "annually" where Conservative won every elections since re-warding in 2008 and before although Labour came close in 2011 & 2014 as well as winning both seats in 2002
* Liberal Democrat gained Kettering: Barton from Conservative with a 57% share and 27% majority having not contested the seat in any recent election
   2 member ward electing 2 Conservatives in 2015, 2011 and 2007 as well as on previous boundaries in 2003
* Residents gained 2 seats from Liberal Democrats at Uttlesford: Elsenham & Denham with an average share of 60% and 37% majority over Liberal Democrat on a 28% swing since 2015
   2 member seat that returned 2 Liberal Democrats in 2015 whilst 2 Liberal Democrats were returned on the previous boundaries in 2011, 2007 and 2003
* Liberal Democrat gained Wokingham, Emmbrook from Conservative with a 60% share and 26% majority on swings of 13% to 17% 2014 to 2016 but 35% since 2012
   3 member ward electing "annually" where Conservatives won each year since 2004 although majorities have been close / very close including 11 & 13 since new Councillor was a candidate

[middleenglander]

There were 18 by-elections during March with 6 (33%) changing hands. The results, including Blackburn with Darwen: Higher Croft, where the winning Labour candidate was immediately disqualified, can be summarised by:

Party	Contested	Defended	Retained	Gained	Lost	Won	retention rate
Conservative	18	10	8	3	2	11	80%
Labour	15	5	3		2	3	60%
Liberal Democrat	16	1	1	2		3	100%
Green	8			1		1
UKIP	15	1			1		0%
Independent ^	5	1			1		0%
Its Our County	1
No Description	1
Total	79	18	12	6	6	18	67%

^ 5 Independents contested 4 by-elections

Conservatives gained 3 seats, 2 from Labour and 1 from UKIP, whilst losing 2 to Liberal Democrats:
* gained Broxbourne: Waltham Cross from Labour with a 41% share and 0.2% majority on a ~ 5½% swing since 2016, 2½% since 2015 and around 5% since 2014 and 2012
   3 member ward electing annually won previously by Labour each year since ward was created in 2012 and since 2002 on its old boundaries except 2004 when a Conservative won
* gained Derby: Derwent from UKIP with a 37% share and 9% majority on a 4% swing since 2016 when a Conservative won and, less meaningful, around 15% since 2015 and 2014 when coming third
   3 member ward electing annually won by Labour 2002 to 2012 with Conservative second except 2012 when Liberal Democrat was runner-up whilst UKIP won in 2014 and Labour 2015
* gained Salford: Kersal from Labour with a 42% share and ~ 15% majority on a swing with the same candidate of ~ 11½% since 2016 and ~ 10% since 2015 but over 25% since 2014 and 2012
   3 seat metropolitan ward previously won by Labour each year since 2004 although a Conservative came within 1½% of winning in 2007 but fell back in 2008 when Labour had a 12% majority
* lost West Oxfordshire: Hailey, Minster Lovell & Leafield to a Liberal Democrat who polled nearly 47% share and a 5% majority on a swing of 25% or more since 2015, 2012 and 2011
   2 member ward electing annually won previously since 2002 by Conservatives, but only 4% majority over an Independent in 2016; Liberal Democrats polled 35% in straight fight in 2002 and 2003
* lost West Somerset: Dunster & Timberscombe to Liberal Democrat polling nearly 50% share and 18% majority having not contested this or previous seat in 2015, 2011, 2007 or 2003
   single member ward with a 949 electorate where resigning councillor, critical of Government spending cuts, had represented previous seat from 2003 to 2011 and current seat since 2015    

Elsewhere Greens gained Herefordshire: Leominister South from an Independent with a nearly 41% share and majority of ~ 18% over Its Our County with Conservative third
 single member ward created in 2015 when Green came second whilst winning Leominster East and Leominster West; previously 2 member ward where Conservative lost to Green in 2014 by-election

[middleenglander]

There were 41 by-elections for 42 seats during the January to March 2017 period with 21 (50%) changing hands. The results can be summarised by:

Party	Contested	Defended	Retained	Gained	Lost	Won	retention rate
Conservative	42	21	11	3	10	14	52%
Labour	36	10	6	2	4	8	60%
Liberal Democrat	34	4	2	10	2	12	50%
SNP	1	1	1			1	100%
Green	24			2		2
UKIP	31	3		1	3	1	0%
Resident Groups ^	5	1	1	3		4	100%
Independent ^^	8	2			2		0%
Libertarian	1
No Description	1
Total	183	42	21	21	21	42	50%

 ^  Bollington First (1 seat contested), Fylde Ratepayers (1), Its Our County (1) and Residents for Uttlesford (2)
^^ 8 Independents contested 5 by-elections

Conservatives contested 100% of the 42 seats, Labour 86%, Liberal Democrats 81% whilst Greens contested 57% and UKIP 74%.

Conservatives gained 3 seats, Broxbourne: Waltham Cross and Salford: Kersal from Labour along with Derby: Derwent from UKIP whilst
- losing 8 to Liberal Democrats, Cotswold: Fairford North, South Hams: Charterlands and West Somerset: Dunster & Timberscombe being small single member wards together with
  Kettering: Barton, North Norfolk: Waterside, Three Rivers: Gade Valley, West Oxfordshire: Hailey, Minster Lovell & Leafield as well as Wokingham: Emmbrook and
- losing Basingstoke & Deane: Winklebury to Labour and Cheshire East: Bollington to Bollington First

Labour gained Basingstoke & Deane, Winklebury from Conservative and Rotherham: Dinnington from UKIP whilst
- losing Broxbourne: Waltham Cross and Salford: Kersall to Conservative along with Rotherham: Brinsworth & Catcliffe and Sunderland: Sandhill to Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrats gained 8 seats from Conservatives and 2 from Labour whilst losing 2 seats to Residents for Uttlesford in Uttlesford: Elsenham & Henham

Greens gained Forest of Dean: Lydbrook & Ruardene from UKIP and Herefordshire: Leominster South from an Independent

UKIP gained Tendring: Great & Little Oakley, a small single member ward, from an Independent whilst
- losing a seat to each Conservative in Derby: Derwent, Labour in Rotherham: Dinnington and Green in Forest of Dean: Lydbrook & Ruardene

Residents gained 2 seats in Uttleford: Elsenham & Henham from Liberal Democrats and a seat as Bollington First from Conservatives in Cheshire East: Bollington

Independents lost both their seats being defended, Herefordshire: Leominster South to a Green and Tendring: Great & Little Oakley to UKIP

[middleenglander]

There were 8 by-elections during April 2017, with 4 (50%) changing hands. The results can be summarised by:

Party	Contested	Defended	Retained	Gained	Lost	Won	retention rate
Conservative	8	2	2	3		5	100%
Labour	7	3	1		2	1	33%
Liberal Democrat	6	1	1	1		2	100%
Green	6
UKIP	3	2			2		0%
Independent	2
Total	32	8	4	4	4	8	50%

Conservative gained 2 seats from Labour and 1 from UKIP
* Harrow, Kenton East from Labour on a swing of ~ 9% since both 2014 and 2010
   3 member London Borough ward returning a full Labour slate in each year since 2002 and reportedly 40 years since a Conservative was elected.
* Middlesbrough, Coulby Newham from Labour on a 13% swing since May 2016 by-election and a 7% / 5% swing since 2015
   2 member ward returning Labour in 2016 by-election and 2 Labour in 2015; 2 Labour / 1 Resident in 2011 on slightly different boundaries and 3 Labour in 2007 & 2003
* Tendring, St James from UKIP sitting as Coastal Independent with a swing of ~ 13% since 2015 but a 1% Conservative to UKIP swing since 2013 by-election
   2 member ward returning Conservative at each election since 2003 apart from 2015 when 1 UKIP / 1 Conservative were elected with UKIP being a former Conservative councillor

Liberal Democrats gained Aylesbury Vale, Elmhurst on a swing, if meaningful, of ~ 26% since 2015
- new ward created in 2015 that returned 1 Liberal Democrat / 1 UKIP but with Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and UKIP each polling between 21% and 26%.

[middleenglander]

There have been 49 by-elections for 50 seats during the January to April 2017 period with 25 (50%) changing hands. The results can be summarised by:

Party	Contested	Defended	Retained	Gained	Lost	Won	retention rate
Conservative	50	23	13	6	10	19	57%
Labour	43	13	7	2	6	9	54%
Liberal Democrat	40	5	3	11	2	14	60%
SNP	1	1	1			1	100%
Green	30			2		2
UKIP	34	5		1	5	1	0%
Resident Groups ^	5	1	1	3		4	100%
Independent ^^	10	2			2		0%
Libertarian	1
No Description	1
Total	215	50	25	25	25	50	50%

 ^  Bollington First (1 seat contested), Fylde Ratepayers (1), Its Our County (1) and Residents for Uttlesford (2)
^^ 10 Independents contested 7 by-elections

Conservatives contested 100% of the 50 seats, Labour 86%, Liberal Democrats 80% whilst Greens contested 60% and UKIP 68%.

Conservatives gained 6 seats,
- Broxbourne: Waltham Cross, Harrow: Kenton East, Middlesbrough: Coulby Newham and Salford: Kersal from Labour 
  along with Derby: Derwent and Tendring: St James from UKIP  but the latter sitting as Coastal Independent whilst
- losing 8 to Liberal Democrats, Cotswold: Fairford North, South Hams: Charterlands and West Somerset: Dunster & Timberscombe being small single member wards together with
  Kettering: Barton, North Norfolk: Waterside, Three Rivers: Gade Valley, West Oxfordshire: Hailey, Minster Lovell & Leafield as well as Wokingham: Emmbrook and
- losing Basingstoke & Deane: Winklebury to Labour and Cheshire East: Bollington to Bollington First

Labour gained 2 seats in Basingstoke & Deane, Winklebury from Conservative and Rotherham: Dinnington from UKIP whilst
- losing 4 to Conservatives in Broxbourne: Waltham Cross, Harrow: Kenton East, Middlesbrough: Coulby Newham and Salford: Kersall
  along with 2 to Liberal Democrats in Rotherham: Brinsworth & Catcliffe and Sunderland: Sandhill

Liberal Democrats gained 8 seats from Conservatives, 2 from Labour along with Aylesbury Vale: Elmhurst from UKIP
- whilst losing 2 seats to Residents for Uttlesford in Uttlesford: Elsenham & Henham

Greens gained Forest of Dean: Lydbrook & Ruardene from UKIP and Herefordshire: Leominster South from an Independent

UKIP gained Tendring: Great & Little Oakley, a small single member ward, from an Independent whilst
- losing a 2 seats to Conservative in Derby: Derwent and Tendring: St James although sitting as Coastal Independent together with  
  one to each to Labour in Rotherham: Dinnington., Liberal Democrat in Aylesbury Vale: Elmhurst and Green in Forest of Dean: Lydbrook & Ruardene

Residents gained 2 seats in Uttleford: Elsenham & Henham from Liberal Democrats and a seat as Bollington First from Conservatives in Cheshire East: Bollington

Independents lost both their seats being defended, Herefordshire: Leominster South to a Green and Tendring: Great & Little Oakley to UKIP