Local Council by-elections 10th March 2022

[ricmk]

There was a discussion over whether Labour not standing in Hitchin was a nominations issue. Turns out they released a statement some time ago that they had chosen not to stand due to the circumstances of the election.

hitchin.nub.news/n/candidates-revealed-to-fight-hitchin-south-by-election-with-labour-standing-aside-in-honour-of-late-paul-clark

A cynical person might note they only released that statement after nominations closed. But none of them on here.

of course finding that is substituting for any real news about how the count is going, but hope it's something of interest while we're waiting.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Hitchin South turnout 31% (3,363 BPs issued)

[Davıd Boothroyd]

RUTLAND Ryhall and Casterton

WILSON, Richard Peter (Green Party) 281
FOSTER, Richard (Conservative) 268

BPs rejected 2

[listener]

A more likely reason for Labour deliberately standing down candidates in Lib Dem seats where the Conservatives are the challenger is that Labour has formed the administration in North Hertfordshire since 2019 and runs the council, but only because the Lib Dems keep them in power.

[phil156]

Surprised we haven't heard off Herefordshire yet Hertfordshire I can understand

[ricmk]

2 big Lib Dem wins in Hitchin

[mattb]

Hertfordshire
Hitchin South
LD 2401 71.7% +34.0%
Con 690 20.6% -16.3%
Green 223 6.7% -2.2%
CPA 35 1.0% -0.4%
Lab n/a -15.0%
LD hold

[mattb]

North Herts
Hitchin Highbury
LD 1238 67.0% +18.2%
Con 450 24.3% -3.3%
Green 134 7.2% -1.1%
CPA 27 1.5% +0.3%
Lab n/a -14.2%
LD hold

[Rutlander]

Following the Green gain in Rutland, a report - as yet unconfirmed - that existing Green councillor Miranda Jones from Uppingham has resigned (moving away).

[Pete Whitehead]

It's bizarre that the county division was more strongly Lib Dem than the district ward. Nobody predicted that understandably. It implies that the (normally safe Conservative) Priory ward was more strongly Lib Dem than Highbury. Either that or a very large amount of split ticket voting with significant numbers voting Conservative in the district election and Lib Dem for the county

[iang]

Maybe they thought the district seat was safe and the county seat vulnerable (justified on the figures) and poured a lot more effort into the "other" parts of the county seat

[andrewp]

Apparently, Clare Davies won in Bromyard. Can’t find the figures yet

[Chris from Brum]

Green vote down in both Hitchin seats, even with Labour not standing.

[ricmk]

Mar 11, 2022 8:21:38 GMT iang said:

Maybe they thought the district seat was safe and the county seat vulnerable (justified on the figures) and poured a lot more effort into the "other" parts of the county seat

Going there reluctantly, but the name of the county candidate was Keith Hoskins, and the district candidate was Raj Bhakar.  Might have something to do with it sadly?  

[Davıd Boothroyd]

HEREFORDSHIRE Bromyard West

Davies, Catherine Clare (Independent) 315 - True Independent
Ferguson, Nicholas David (Independent) 152 - Independents for Herefordshire
Franklin, Mark (Local Conservatives) 100

[Defenestrated Fipplebox]

Mar 11, 2022 8:36:22 GMT andrewp said:

Apparently, Clare Davies won in Bromyard. Can’t find the figures yet

Davies 315
Ferguson 152
Conservative 100

Pdf accessible from this page


Edit: The usual suspect posted the result before me, will leave my post up for the pdf link. 

[timmullen1]

Mar 11, 2022 9:13:59 GMT ricmk said:

Mar 11, 2022 8:21:38 GMT iang said:

Maybe they thought the district seat was safe and the county seat vulnerable (justified on the figures) and poured a lot more effort into the "other" parts of the county seat

Going there reluctantly, but the name of the county candidate was Keith Hoskins, and the district candidate was Raj Bhakar.  Might have something to do with it sadly?  

Equally possible, IIRC from Andrew’s Preview, that Mr Hoskins, as an existing District Councillor for Hitchin Highbury, had some name recognition, whereas Ms Bhakar, as an apparent first time candidate, didn’t.

[middleenglander]

Herefordshire: Bromyard West - True Independent gain from Its Our County

Party	2022 votes	2022 share	since 2019	since 2015
True Independent Davies	315	55.6%	from nowhere	from nowhere
Independent for Herefordshire Ferguson	152	26.8%	from nowhere	from nowhere
Conservative	100	17.6%	-22.2%	-27.7%
Its Our County			-60.1%	-54.7%
Total votes	567		86%	47%

Swing:  not meaningful

Council now:  18 Independents for Herefordshire, 14 Conservative, 7 Liberal Democrat, 7 Green, 6 True Independent, 1 Ungrouped

Hertfordshire: Hitchen South - Liberal Democrat hold

Party	2022 votes	2022 share	since 2021	since 2017
Liberal Democrat	2,401	71.7%	+34.0%	+32.8%
Conservative	690	20.6%	-16.3%	-20.8%
Green	223	6.7%	-2.2%	+0.6%
Christian People's Alliance	35	1.0%	-0.0%	from nowhere
Labour			-15.0%	-13.6%
TUSC			-0.4%
Total votes	3,349		65%	74%

Swing:  if particularly meaningful 25 1/4% since May and 26 3/4% since 2017

Council now:  46 Conservative, 23 liberal Democrat, 7 Labour, 1 Green, 1 Independent

North Hertfordshire: Hitchen Highbury - Liberal Democrat hold

Party	2022 votes	2022 share	since 2021	since 2019	since 2018	since 2016
Liberal Democrat	1,238	67.0%	+18.5%	+4.3%	+19.3%	+21.8%
Conservative	450	24.3%	-3.7%	+3.5%	-5.8%	-8.7%
Green	134	7.2%	-1.0%	+0.2%	+1.7%	+1.3%
Christian People's Alliance	27	1.5%	+0.3%	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere
Labour			-14.1%	-9.5%	-16.7%	-15.8%
Total votes	1,849		63%	72%	70%	73%

Swing:  if particularly meaningful Conservative to Liberal Democrat 11% since May, 0 1/2% since 2019, 12 1/2% since 2018 and 15 3/4% since 2016

Council now:  23 Conservative, 14 Labour, 11 Liberal Democrat, 1 vacancy

Rutland: Ryhall & Casterton - Green gain from Conservative

Party	2022 votes	2022 share	since 2019 B	2019 result	since 2015 "top"	since 2015 "average"
Green	281	51.2%	+32.1%		from nowhere	from nowhere
Conservative	268	48.8%	-7.5%	unopposed	-5.2%	-2.7%
Liberal Democrat			-24.6%
Independent Parsons				unopposed	-46.0%	-48.5%
Total votes	549		87%		34%	36%

Swing:  Conservative to Green 19 3/4% since 2019 by-election

Council now 12 Conservative, 5 Independent, 4 Liberal Democrat, 3 non-aligned Independent, 2 Green, 1 Labour

[Tony Otim]

Mar 11, 2022 8:49:40 GMT Chris from Brum said:

Green vote down in both Hitchin seats, even with Labour not standing.

Yeah - suggests a lack of effort on our part and a very active Lib Dem campaign. Very good results for your side.

[Tony Otim]

With regard to Herefordshire, it should be noted that both Independents are just Independent on both SOPN and published results from the council.