Town Council by-elections - 10 January 2013

[listener]

Here is some background to the by-election in the Tudhoe ward of Spennymoor Town Council in Durham.

Spennymoor Town Council comprises 22 members, elected from six wards as follows – Byers Green (1), Low Spennymoor and Tudhoe Grange (6), Merrington (1), Middlestone (4), Spennymoor (6) and Tudhoe (4).

The town council was elected on 3 May 2007 under the old Sedgefield Borough Council. Following the reorganization of County Durham as a unitary authority in 2009, the town and parish council elections due in 2011 were cancelled and the term of office of the existing town and parish councilors was extended to 2013.

The council strength on 3 May 2007: Lab 16, Lib Dem 6
6 Labour candidates in 3 wards were elected unopposed

14 December 2012: Lab 14, Lib Dem 7, Vacant 1

There were three town council by-elections in 2010.

Colin Nelson (Lab) held a seat in Middlestone ward on 9 September 2010, following the resignation of Gary Heslop (Lab), due to ill health. Cllr Heslop was two months into his term as town mayor, when he resigned.

Ben Ord (Lib Dem) gained a seat in Spennymoor ward on 9 September 2010, following the death of Eddie Plews (Lab).

Andrew Smith (Lab) held a seat in Low Spennymoor and Tudhoe Grange ward on 16 December 2010, following the death of Fred Walker (Lab).

The by-election in Tudhoe ward on 10 January 2013 is caused by the death of Jim Smith (Lab).

The candidates are Lab and BNP.

On 3 May 2007, Tudhoe ward returned 4 Labour unopposed to the town council.

The result in the Tudhoe ward of Sedgefield Borough Council on 3 May 2007 was
Lab 588/577, Con 352, BNP 325

The result in the Tudhoe division of Durham County Council on 1 May 2008 was
Lab 1105/1062, BNP 933/842, Lib Dem 771/752, Con 425/255

[listener]

I should have added that the Leader of Spennymoor Town Council is Labour.

Tudhoe ward of Sedgefield Borough Council was coterminous with the town council ward.
The Tudhoe division of Durham County Council comprises two town council wards - Low Spennymoor and Tudhoe Grange - and Tudhoe.

[listener]

Here is some background to the by-election in the Stratton-Whiteway ward of Cirencester Town Council in the District of Cotswold (Gloucestershire).

Cirencester Town Council comprises 15 members, elected from five wards as follows – Cirencester Beeches (3), Cirencester Chesterton (3), Cirencester Park (3), Cirencester Stratton-Whiteway (3) and Cirencester Watermoor (3).

The five town wards are coterminous with the district wards of the same name.

The council strengths were as follows:

Elections on 3 May 2007: Lib Dem 7, Con 4, Stratton Resident 1, Vacant 3
Four of the five wards were uncontested and there was a shortfall of three candidates, who were subsequently co-opted by the Town Council.

Elections on 5 May 2011: Lib Dem 12, Con 2, Non Political Description 1
Two of the five wards were uncontested.

13 January 2013: Lib Dem 12, Con 2, Non Political Description 1

The current town mayor and deputy mayor are Lib Dem.

The result in Cirencester Stratton-Whiteway ward on 3 May 2007 was:
Elected – Stratton Resident 1 and two vacancies

The result in Cirencester Stratton-Whiteway ward on 5 May 2011 was:
Elected – Lib Dem 2, Non Political Description 1 unopposed
The candidate with the non-political description had been returned unopposed in 2007 as a Stratton Resident.

The by-election on 10 January was caused by the resignation of Siobhan Brasier (Lib Dem), a university student who was struggling to juggle her council responsibilities with her psychology studies in Cardiff.

The result was Lib Dem 419, UKIP 135, Green Party 78
Lib Dem hold



(The result in Cirencester Stratton-Whiteway ward of Cotswold District Council on 3 May 2007 was:
Lib Dem 654, Con 589/493
Elected: Lib Dem 1, Con 1

The result in Cirencester Stratton-Whiteway ward of Cotswold District Council on 5 May 2011 was:
Lib Dem 816/757, Con 502/428, Green Party 182, Lab 173
Elected: Lib Dem 2)

[listener]

The result of the by-election in the Tudhoe ward of Spennymoor Town Council was
Lab 366, BNP 130 - Lab hold