Local council by-elections 4th November 2021

[Tony Otim]

GLOUCESTER DC; Longlevens (Con resigned)
Candidates:
CARTER, Claire (Green)
EVANS, Julie (Conservative)
HARRISON, Alfie (Labour)
SAWYER, Sarah Dawn (Liberal Democrat)

2021: Con 1645, 1312, 1129; LD 1523, 1250, 1147; Libertarian 204
Nov 16by: Con 1066; LD 852; Lab 223; UKIP 167
2016: Con 1657, 1636, 1410; Lab 696; UKIP 541; LD 515; Grn 494

Sarah Sawyer (Lib Dem) was the candidate who came 4th with 1250 votes in May. She was also the runner-up in Longlevens division (Glos CC) in May. Julie Evans was the unsuccessful Conservative with 1129 votes in May.

Current Council: Con 25; LD 10; Lab 3; 1 vacancy



HUNTINGDONSHIRE DC; Huntingdon East (Lib Dem died)
Candidates:
KING, Jonas (Conservative)
SHELLENS, Michael Frederick (Liberal Democrat)

2018: LD 896, 749; Con 744, 626; Lab 264, 256

Jonas King gained Huntingdon North & Hartford division (Cambs CC) from the Lib Dems in May. Michael Shellens was the former Lib Dem councillor for the division but did not re-stand in May. This ward is split between that division and another one. Michael Shellens had previously been district councillor for Huntingdon East on the old boundaries from 2008-2018 (he did not re-stand in 2018).

Current Council: Con 30; Huntingdon Ind Grp 10; LD 6; Lab 3; Ind 2; 1 vacant



RUTLAND UA; Oakham North West (Ind resigned)
Candidates:
BOTTOMLEY, Daniel Stephen (Conservative)
TOSELAND, Leah (Labour)

2019: 1x Con, 1 x Ind unopp

Current Council: Con 14; Ind 5; LD 4; Non-aligned 2; Grn 1; 1 vacancy



SALFORD MBC; Blackfriars & Trinity (Lab died)
Candidates:
ALLEN, Joseph Ross (Liberal Democrat)
BATES, Christopher (Conservative)
JONES, David (Green)
WAIN, Roseanna (Labour)

2021: Lab 1226, 1205, 946; Grn 606, 349, 276; Con 177, 137; LD 142, 96, 61; Ind 118

Current Council: Lab 51; Con 7; LD 1; 1 vacancy



WEST LANCASHIRE DC; North Meols (Con died)
Candidates:
HOWARD, John (Conservative)
SAVAGE, Liz (Labour)

2019: Con 595, Lab 459; UKIP 152
2018: Lab 625; Con 503
2015: Con 1026; Lab 586; UKIP 420
2014: Con 439; UKIP 364; Lab 277
2011: Con 785; Lab 422
2010: Con 1192; Lab 638
2007: Con 567; LD 254; Lab 137
2006: Con 620; Ind 243; Lab 126; Grn 108
2003: Con 386; Ind 286; Lab 117
2002: Con 549, 548; Ind 383; Lab 304

Current Council: Lab 26; Con 19; OWL 7; Ind 1; 1 vacancy



WEST SUSSEX CC; Bourne (Con resigned)
Candidates:
BUTCHER, Alan (Labour)
HAYES, Bob (Conservative)
KERRY-BEDELL, Andrew John (Liberal Democrat)
STEWART, Ann Elizabeth (Green)

2021: Con 1869; LD 1064; Grn 400; Lab 336
Nov 19by: Con 1368; LD 1009; Grn 250; Lab 161; Patria 12
2017: Con 1357; UKIP 865; LD 659; Lab 264; Grn 234

Andrew Kerry-Bedell stood here for the Lib Dems in May and the 2019 by-election. Ann Stewart stood for the Greens in May and 2017 and also stood unsuccessfully in Westbourne ward (Chichester DC, in this division in 2019). Robert Hayes (assuming it is the same person) stood unsuccessfully for the Conservatives in Southbourne ward (Chichester DC, in this division) in 2019. He had previously been district councillor for Southbourne on the old boundaries from 2007 – 2019.

Current Council: Con 47; LD 10; Lab 9; Grn 1; Ind 1; Local Alliance 1; 1 vacancy

[andrewp]

This is quite an interesting set. A variety of different types of contests.

[East Anglian Lefty]

Interesting that there's no Labour candidate in Huntingdon East. The ward is primarily composed of Hartford, which is an area with vanishingly little Labour potential, but given that the Cons gained Huntingdon North & Hartford due to a split vote* it does eliminate the chances of that occurring again.

*I haven't seen box counts, but I strongly suspect Labour had a very strong lead in the Huntingdon North part of the division, and it's not impossible that the LDs were narrowly ahead in the Hartford part.

[middleenglander]

Oct 11, 2021 10:29:50 GMT andrewp said:

This is quite an interesting set. A variety of different types of contests.

Three straight fights - 2 Conservative / Labour, 1 Conservative / Liberal Democrat
Three 4 way contests - Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat / Green

[CatholicLeft]

Liz Savage standing in North Meols show how seriously Labour are taking the campaign. The Labour candidate for Southport for the last three General Elections, she has seen the party vote quadruple and make them my favourites to gain the seat at the next GE.

[andrew111]

Oct 11, 2021 18:37:51 GMT CatholicLeft said:

Liz Savage standing in North Meols show how seriously Labour are taking the campaign. The Labour candidate for Southport for the last three General Elections, she has seen the party vote quadruple and make them my favourites to gain the seat at the next GE.

Why would she want to be a councillor in the South Ribble constituency if she wants to win Southport?

[maxque]

Oct 11, 2021 19:44:42 GMT andrew111 said:

Oct 11, 2021 18:37:51 GMT CatholicLeft said:

Liz Savage standing in North Meols show how seriously Labour are taking the campaign. The Labour candidate for Southport for the last three General Elections, she has seen the party vote quadruple and make them my favourites to gain the seat at the next GE.

Why would she want to be a councillor in the South Ribble constituency if she wants to win Southport?

New proposed boundaries would move it there (removing Ainsdale in Sefton and adding North Meols, Rufford, Tarleton and Hesketh-with-Becconsall from West Lancashire district).

[andrew111]

Oct 11, 2021 20:18:19 GMT maxque said:

Oct 11, 2021 19:44:42 GMT andrew111 said:

Why would she want to be a councillor in the South Ribble constituency if she wants to win Southport?

New proposed boundaries would move it there (removing Ainsdale in Sefton and adding North Meols, Rufford, Tarleton and Hesketh-with-Becconsall from West Lancashire district).

Fair enough, but there are a few assumptions lined up there compared to becoming a councillor in Southport proper, which surely could have happened some time since 2015?

[CatholicLeft]

Oct 11, 2021 19:44:42 GMT andrew111 said:

Oct 11, 2021 18:37:51 GMT CatholicLeft said:

Liz Savage standing in North Meols show how seriously Labour are taking the campaign. The Labour candidate for Southport for the last three General Elections, she has seen the party vote quadruple and make them my favourites to gain the seat at the next GE.

Why would she want to be a councillor in the South Ribble constituency if she wants to win Southport?

North Meols is very much a historical part of Southport and most locals would not think of West Lancashire as anything other than an modern administrative inconvenience.

[maxque]

Oct 11, 2021 20:27:41 GMT andrew111 said:

Oct 11, 2021 20:18:19 GMT maxque said:

New proposed boundaries would move it there (removing Ainsdale in Sefton and adding North Meols, Rufford, Tarleton and Hesketh-with-Becconsall from West Lancashire district).

Fair enough, but there are a few assumptions lined up there compared to becoming a councillor in Southport proper, which surely could have happened some time since 2015?

She was a councillor in West Lancashire until 2019 (in Skems).

[CatholicLeft]

Oct 11, 2021 20:38:39 GMT maxque said:

Oct 11, 2021 20:27:41 GMT andrew111 said:

Fair enough, but there are a few assumptions lined up there compared to becoming a councillor in Southport proper, which surely could have happened some time since 2015?

She was a councillor in West Lancashire until 2019 (in Skems).

25 years ago, she was a councillor in Potters Bar.

[evergreenadam]

Oct 11, 2021 11:02:58 GMT East Anglian Lefty said:

Interesting that there's no Labour candidate in Huntingdon East. The ward is primarily composed of Hartford, which is an area with vanishingly little Labour potential, but given that the Cons gained Huntingdon North & Hartford due to a split vote* it does eliminate the chances of that occurring again.

*I haven't seen box counts, but I strongly suspect Labour had a very strong lead in the Huntingdon North part of the division, and it's not impossible that the LDs were narrowly ahead in the Hartford part.

Odd that there is no LD candidate in Oakham given their recent success there. I can’t imagine that Lab will win that straight fight.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Only seats Labour has ever held on Rutland council were Luffenham (1976-1983) and Exton (1996-2003), both of which seem to have been held on a personal vote.

[Rutlander]

In Rutland, Uppingham also had a Labour cllr (Peter Rees); this also was probably 1996-2003

[finsobruce]

The Labour candidate has been heavily involved in the campaign to get the council to re-open Rutland's only public swimming pool. How well known this makes her, I don't know.

[Rutlander]

Oct 11, 2021 22:52:44 GMT finsobruce said:

The Labour candidate has been heavily involved in the campaign to get the council to re-open Rutland's only public swimming pool. How well known this makes her, I don't know.

Not very (I had to Google her name)

[ollietheginge]

Interesting to note that in the Salford by-election, the Labour candidate stood in Kersal and Broughton Park: www.salford.gov.uk/your-council/elections-and-voting/elections/election-results/. Doesn't look like the other candidates have a particularly notable history - surprised the Greens didn't choose the candidate who came second in 2021.

[Deleted]

Longlevens is an area that really ought to be better for Labour that it's, but I suppose that's currently true of most of Gloucester

[andrew111]

Oct 17, 2021 20:59:46 GMT @europeanlefty said:

Longlevens is an area that really ought to be better for Labour that it's, but I suppose that's currently true of most of Gloucester

Well, you were second in 2016, but got displaced by us in the by-election the same year.

I don't know anything about Gloucester but from the results in looks like a ward where the ABL vote is too large for you to ever win, but evidently the Lib Dems can at least get one councillor elected.

[Tony Otim]

Oct 17, 2021 20:48:35 GMT ollietheginge said:

Interesting to note that in the Salford by-election, the Labour candidate stood in Kersal and Broughton Park: www.salford.gov.uk/your-council/elections-and-voting/elections/election-results/. Doesn't look like the other candidates have a particularly notable history - surprised the Greens didn't choose the candidate who came second in 2021.

The top Green candidate from earlier this year was also the candidate from the simultaneous mayoral election. owainsutton had said in the Green room that's she's moved away now, i think.