2013 by-election results ahead of the May election

[middleenglander]

There were 8 by-elections during January with 2 (25%) changing hands.

Party	Candidates	Defended	Retained	Gained	Lost	Won
Conservative	7	4	3	1	1	4
Labour	7	3	2	1	1	3
Lib Dems	6	1	1			1
Plaid Cymru	1
BNP	1
Green	4
UKIP	4
Independent *	7
TUSC	3
SPGB	1
Total	41	8	6	2	2	8

* Independents had 7 candidates contesting 5 seats

Conservatives gained Wirral MB, Leasowe & Moreton East from Labour on a 8% swing Labour to Conservative since May 2012
- Labour had won this ward in all but one year since 2006, the exception being 2008 when the successful by-election candidate won the seat

Labour gained Dudley MB, Wollaston & Stourbridge Town from Conservatives on a circa 2% swing Labour to Conservative since May 2012
- Conservative ward from 2006 to 2011 - Lib Dems second 2006 to 2010 - Labour gained both seats in a "double" 2012 election and now hold all 3

[middleenglander]

There were 15 by-elections during February, with 5 (33%) changing hands.

Party	Contested	Defended	Retained	Gained	Lost	Won
Conservatives	15	3			3
Labour	14	7	7	2		9
Lib Dems	12	2	2	2		4
SNP	2	1			1
BNP	1
Greens	6
UKIP	14
Resident Groups	2
English Democrats	1
Independents	5	2	1	1	1	2
No Description	1
Total	73	15	10	5	5	15

Labour gained Wirral MB, Pensby & Thingwall from the Conservatives on a swing of 5% Conservative to Labour since May 2012
- Labour won in 2012, Lib Dems in 2006, 2007 & 2008 and 1 of 2 seats in 2010 whilst Conservatives won the other seat as well as in 2011 
Labour gained South Lanarkshire UA, Rutherglen South from SNP but with a slight swing Labour to SNP since both May 2012 and 2007
- Lib Dems retained second on first preference votes with a 4% Labour to Lib Dem swing since May 2012 and 1% since 2007

Lib Dems gained North Norfolk DC, Cromer Town from the Conservatives on a swing of 21% Conservative to Lib Dem since May 2012
- Conservatives fell to 4th place following suicide / murder of previous councillor having comfortably won both seats in 2003,2007 and 2011
Lib Dems gained Chelmsford BC, Broomfields & The Walthams from an Independent who had no candidate in the by-election
- Conservatives won 2 seats in 2011 and 3 in both 2003 and 2007 although Lib Dems won a by-election in September 2007

Independent gain South Staffordshire DC, Perton East from Conservative with a swing of 17% since 2011 in a straight contest
- long serving Conservative had narrowly won the seat in 2003, 2007 and 2011 against Independents, the new councillor standing in 2011.

[middleenglander]

There were 23 by-elections during January and February 2013 with 7 (30%) changing hands.

Party	Candidates	Defended	Retained	Gained	Lost	Won
Conservatives	22	7	3	1	4	4
Labour	21	10	9	3	1	12
Lib Dems	18	3	3	2		5
SNP	2	1			1
Plaid Cymru	1
BNP	2
Greens	10
UKIP	18
Resident Groups	2
Socialist Party GB	1
TUSAC	3
English Democrats	1
Independents *	12	2	1	1	1	2
No description	1
Total	114	23	16	7	7	23

* 12 candidates contesting 10 seats.

Conservatives
- gained Wirral MB, Leasowe & Moreton East from Labour on 17th January but
- lost Wirral MB, Pensby & Thingwall to Labour on 28th February and also
- lost Dudley MB, Wollaston & Stourbridge Town to Labour on 31st January
- lost North Norfolk, Cromer Town to the Lib Dems on 21st February
- lost South Staffordshire DC, Perton East to an Independent on 14th February

Labour
- in addition to the 2 gains and 1 loss to the Conservatives
- gained South Lanarkshire UA, Rutherglen South from SNP

Lib Dems
- in addition to the 1 gain from the Conservatives
- gained Chelmsford BC, Broomfield & The Walthams from an Independent

Independents
- no other changes apart from the 1 gain from the Conservatives and 1 loss to Lib Dems

[middleenglander]

There were 14 by-elections during March with 7 (50%) changing hands.

Party	Candidates	Defended	Retained	Gained	Lost	Won
Conservatives	14	6	2		4	2
Labour	12	6	5	1	1	6
Lib Dems	10	1		3	1	3
SNP	1	1			1
BNP	4
Greens	5
UKIP	6			2
Resident Groups *	3
Lewisham PBP	1
Socialist Party (GB)	1
TUSAC	1
English Democrats	2
Independents **	3			1		1
Total	63	14	7	7	7	7

*   there were 2 Residents Groups in Havering with the 3rd in Tendring
** the 3 Independents were in Moray

Labour gained Islington LB, Junction from a Lib Dems sitting as an Independent on swings in the mid 20%'s since both 2010 and 2006
- "split" ward that elected 2 Lib Dems and 1 Labour in both 2006 and 2010

Lib Dems gained Arun DC, Aldwick East from Conservatives on a swing of 21% since 2011 and 25% since 2007
- new Lib Dem District Councillor is the sitting County Councillor for larger Division whilst UKIP was third polling nearly 30% and just 4% from winning
Lib Dems regained North Dorset DC, Lodbourne from Conservatives on a 9% swing since 2011
- but swing Lib Dems to Conservative of  15% since 2007 in this single member seat where the Lib Dem was unopposed in 2003
Lib Dems gained Dacorum BC, Adeyfield West from Labour on a 18% swing since 2011
- a 2 member ward electing 1 Conservative and 1 Labour in both 2011 and 2007 but 2 Labour in 2003 on a smaller electorate

UKIP gained Havering LB, Gooshays from the Conservatives on an 18% swing since 2010
- "split" ward electing 2 Conservatives and 1 Labour in 2010, 2 Conservatives and 1 BNP in 2006 but 3 Labour in 2002 whilst BNP won a 2008 by-election
UKIP gained Runnymede BC, Foxhills from the Conservatives on a 13% swing since 2012 and nearly 20% swing since 2011
- Conservatives had won the all recent ward elections with a large majority although UKIP had come second in both 2011 and 2012

An Independent gained Moray UA, Heldon & Laich from SNP on a swing of around 10% since since 2012
- SNP saw its first preference share drop by 10% whist 3 Independents in both by-election and 2012 incresed their share by 11%. 

[middleenglander]

There were 37 by-elections during January, February and March 2013 with 14 (38%) changing hands.

Party	Candidates	Defended	Retained	Gained	Lost	Won
Conservatives	36	13	5	1	8	6
Labour	33	16	14	4	2	18
Lib Dems	28	4	3	5	1	8
SNP	3	2			2
Plaid Cymru	1
BNP	6
Greens	15
UKIP	24			2		2
Resident Groups *	5
English Democrats	3
Socialist Party (GB)	2
TUSAC	4
Lewisham PBP	1
Independents **	15	2	1	2	1	3
No Description	1
Total	177	37	23	14	14	37

*    5 Resident groups contesting 4 seats

** 15 candidates contesting 11 seats.

Conservatives:
- gained Wirral MB, Leasowe & Moreton East from Labour on 17th January
- lost Dudley MB, Wollaston & Stourbridge Town to Labour on 31st January
- lost South Staffordshire DC, Perton East to an Independent on 14th February
- lost North Norfolk DC, Cromer Town to Lib Dems on 21st February
- lost Wirral MB, Pensby & Thingwall to Labour on 28th February
- lost Arun DC, Aldwick East to the Lib Dems on 14th March
- lost Runnymede BC, Foxhills to UKIP on 14th March
- lost Havering LB, Gooshays to UKIP on 21st March
- lost North Dorset DC, Lodbourne to Lib Dems on 21st March

Labour
- in addition to the 2 gains and 1 loss to the Conservatives
- gained South Lanarkshire UA, Rutherglen South from SNP on 14th February
- lost Dacorum BC, Adeyfield West to the Lib Dems on 21st March
- gained Islington LB, Junction from Lib Dems on 21st March

Lib Dems
- in addition to the 3 gains from the Conservatives, 1 gain from Labour and 1 loss to Labour
- gained Chelmsford BC, Broomfield & The Walthams from an Independent on 19th February

SNP
- in addition to the 1 loss to Labour
- lost Moray UA, Heldon & Laich on 7th March

Independents
- 1 gain from the Conservatives, 1 gain from SNP and 1 loss to the Lib Dems

[middleenglander]

There were 15 by-elections during April with just 1 (7%) changing hands.

Party	Candidates	Defended	Retained	Gained	Lost	Won
Conservative	15	3	2		1	2
Labour	15	9	9			9
Lib Dems	14	2	2			2
BNP	1
Greens	5
UKIP	5			1		1
Resident Groups	3
National Front	1
TUSAC	3
Elvis Party	1
Independents *	4	1	1			1
Total	67	15	14	1	1	15

* 4 candidates contesting 3 seats.

The only seat to change hands was North Lincolnshire UA, Humberston & New Waltham which UKIP gained from Conservatives
- swing Conservative to UKIP 11% since 2012 and 16% since 2011
   as former Parliamentary candidate wins long standing Conservative seat 

[middleenglander]

There were 52 by-elections in the period January to April 2013 with 15 (29%) changing hands.

Party	Candidates	Defended	Retained	Gained	Lost	Won
Conservative	51	16	7	1	9	8
Labour	48	25	23	4	2	27
Lib Dems	42	6	5	5	1	10
SNP	3	2			2
Plaid Cymru	1
BNP	7
Greens	20
UKIP	29			3		3
Resident Groups *	8
English Democrats	3
National Front	1
Socialist Party (GB)	2
TUSAC	7
Lewisham PBP	1
Elvis Party	1
Independents **	19	3	2	2	1	4
No description	1
Total	244	52	37	15	15	52

*    8 Resident groups contesting 7 seats
** 19 candidates contesting 14 seats.

Conservatives:

- gained Wirral MB, Leasowe & Moreton East from Labour on 17th January
- lost Dudley MB, Wollaston & Stourbridge Town to Labour on 31st January
- lost Wirral MB, Pensby & Thingwall to Labour on 28th February

- lost North Norfolk DC, Cromer Town to Lib Dems on 21st February
- lost Arun DC, Aldwick East to the Lib Dems on 14th March
- lost North Dorset DC, Lodbourne to Lib Dems 21st March

- lost Runnymede BC, Foxhills to UKIP on 14th March
- lost Havering LB, Gooshays to UKIP on 21st March
- lost North Lincolnshire UA, Humberston & New Waltham to UKIP on 4th April

- lost South Staffordshire DC, Perton East to an Independent on 14th February

Labour
- in addition to the 2 gains and 1 loss to the Conservatives

- gained South Lanarkshire UA, Rutherglen South from SNP on 14th February

- lost Dacorum BC, Adeyfield West to the Lib Dems on 21st March
- gained Islington LB, Junction from Lib Dems on 21st March

Lib Dems
- in addition to the 3 gains from the Conservatives, 1 gain from Labour and 1 loss to Labour
- gained Chelmsford BC, Broomfield & The Walthams from an Independent on 19th February

SNP
- in addition to the 1 loss to Labour
- lost Moray UA, Heldon & Laich to an Independent on 7th March

UKIP
- no other gains apart from the 3 from Conservatives

Independents
- 1 gain from the Conservatives, 1 gain from SNP and 1 loss to the Lib Dems