Local Council by-elections 15th December 2022

[Tony Otim]

AMBER VALLEY DC; Wingfield (Con died)
Candidates:
HARPER, Dawn Margaret (Conservative)
LOWICK, Sally Elizabeth (Green)
SMITH, Kate (Liberal Democrat)
WATSON, Dean (Labour)

2019: Con 602; Lab 168; Grn 66; LD 39
2015: Con 920; Lab 302; UKIP 109; Grn 49; LD 40
2011: Con 761; Lab 261; LD 61
2007: Con 728; Lab 120; LD 64
2003: Con 635; Lab 187

For the new boundaries next year, this ward will be combined with the single member Crich ward to form a new 2-member Crich & South Wingfield ward.

Current council: Con 28; Lab 10; Grn 3; Ind 2; Soc 1; 1 vacancy



IPSWICH DC; Priory Heath (Lab resigned)
Candidates:
DOWNES, Roxanne Debra (Labour)
McNIE, Gregor (Conservative)
POWELL, Trevor Arthur (Liberal Democrat)

2022: Lab 1033; Con 635; Grn 155; LD 105
2021: Lab 1062; Con 891; Grn 187; LD 86
2019: Lab 925; Con 538; Ind 252; Grn 153; LD 108
2018: Lab 1013; Con 661; Grn 99; LD 96
2016: Lab 1026; Con 558; LD 148
2015: Lab 1627; Con 1329; UKIP 569; Grn 172; LD 160
2014: Lab 908; UKIP 546; Con 490; LD 121
2012: Lab 1047; Con 375; Grn 119; LD 107
2011: Lab 1290; Con 605; LD 244
2010: Lab 1525; Con 1211; LD 823
2008: Lab 881; Con 692; LD 169; INd 137
2007: Lab 852; Con 789; LD 234
2006: Lab 704; Con 626; LD 308; Ind 125
2004: Lab 731; Con 644; LD 359
2003: Lab 509; Con 446; LD 286; Ind 88
2002: Lab 603, 601, 588; Con 412, 369, 359; LD 231, 220, 194

Vacancy is for the 2021-24 term.

Current Council: Lab 31; Con 11; LD 3; Ind 2; 1 vacancy



PENDLE DC: Barrowford & Pendleside (Con died)
Candidates:
GALLEAR, David Harry (Conservative)
NIKE, Susan Frances (Labour)
VICKERMAN, Allan (Liberal Democrat)

2022: Con 1366, 1290; Lab 958, 815
2021: Con 1668, 1516, 1173; Lab 615, 462, 409; Ind 500; LD 178, 130, 96

Susan Nike was the top Labour candidate in May and last year and had previously contested the old Barrowford ward on a number of occasions, as well as the old Higham and Pendleside ward in 2019. Allan Vickerman was Lib Dem councillor for Barrowford ward from 2002-2006.

Current Council: Con 15; Lab 10; LD 5; Ind 2; 1 vacancy



SOUTH KESTEVEN DC; Toller (Ind resigned)
Candidates:
TURNER, Murray Frank (Liberal Democrat)
VAUGHAN, Tony (Conservative)

2019: Ind 388; Con 366
2015: Con 943; LD 448

Current Council: Con 38; Ind 7; Alliance SK 3; Lab 2; LD 2; Ind (unaligned) 2; 2 vacancies



TEST VALLEY DC; Andover Romans (Con resigned)
Candidates:
BROOKS, Katie Louise (Conservative)
SANGSTER, Jason Lloyd (Liberal Democrats)

2019: Con 623, 604, 575; LD 398, 348, 316; Andover All 377, 374, 331; Lab 215

Current Council: Con 24; LD 12; Ind 4; Lib 1; And All 1; 1 vacancy



WIGAN MBC; Ashton (Lab died)
Candidates:
BULLEN, Andrew John (Labour)
MARTIN, Paul (Conservative)
MATTHEWS, Geoffrey Stephen (Liberal Democrat)

2022: Lab 1281; Con 557; Ind 470; LD 92
2021: Lab 1572; Con 860;LD 125
2019: Lab 1038; Ind Network 1003; UKIP 306; Con 212; LD 101
2018: Lab 1112; Ind 793; UKIP 109; LD 41; Con 36
2016: Lab 1204; Ind 616; UKIP 426; Con 253; LD 89
2015: Lab 2738; UKIP 950; Con 833; Community Action 749; Ind 318
2014: Lab 1144; UKIP 591; INd 403; Comm Action 395; Con 170
2012: Lab 1400; Ind 585, 402; Con 189; BNP 118
2011: Lab 1595; Ind 710; Comm Action 626; Con 344
2010: Lab 2208; Comm Action 1980; Ind 574; Con 571; BNP 352
2008: Comm Action 1766; Lab 1111; Con 248; BNP 179
2007: Comm Action 1423; Lab 1258; Con 256; BNP 195
2006: Lab 1261; Comm Action 1200; Con 320
2004: Comm Action 2366, 2302, 2229; Lab 1302, 1029, 1012; Con 402

Vacancy would be for the 2022-26 term, but new boundaries come in at all-ours next year. This ward will be re-named Ashton-in-Makerfield South and loses some ground to Golborne & Lowton West to the East. Both Conservative and Lib Dem candidates stood here in May and the Lib Dem also in 2021, 2019 & 2018

Current Council: Lab 60; Con 7; Ind Network 4; Ind 3; 1 vacancy

[lackeroftalent]

Nov 21, 2022 10:53:44 GMT Tony Otim said:

AMBER VALLEY DC

Current council: Con 28; Lab 10; Grn 1; Ind 2; Soc 1; 1 vacancy

Could I just ask you check this figure. We worked hard for our three councillors. 

Out of interest 1 Indy was elected as Conservative.

The socialist councillor was elected as Labour before leaving the party.

The second indy is former Labour group leader Ben Bellamy. This is very recent and I believe is a suspension.

[Tony Otim]

Nov 21, 2022 11:35:26 GMT lackeroftalent said:

Nov 21, 2022 10:53:44 GMT Tony Otim said:

AMBER VALLEY DC

Current council: Con 28; Lab 10; Grn 1; Ind 2; Soc 1; 1 vacancy

Could I just ask you check this figure. We worked hard for our three councillors. 

Out of interest 1 Indy was elected as Conservative.

The socialist councillor was elected as Labour before leaving the party.

The second indy is former Labour group leader Ben Bellamy. This is very recent and I believe is a suspension.

Don't know what happened there! Now corrected!

[froome]

I see that the Wigan Ward is one that Community Action held in their heyday. Have they completely disappeared?

[phil156]

For once they are all counting on the Thursday night

[Chris from Brum]

Regardless of the results, a full house of Lib Dem candidates will please Mark Pack.

[phil156]

Nov 21, 2022 19:54:19 GMT froome said:

I see that the Wigan Ward is one that Community Action held in their heyday. Have they completely disappeared?

  It was de registered in 2016'they did have 18'wards once but various defections etc just made it vanish along with infighting 

[gwynthegriff]

Dec 14, 2022 20:37:04 GMT phil156 said:

Nov 21, 2022 19:54:19 GMT froome said:

I see that the Wigan Ward is one that Community Action held in their heyday. Have they completely disappeared?

  It was de registered in 2016'they did have 18'wards once but various defections etc just made it vanish along with infighting 

If there's one thing worse than the infighting in political parties it's the infighting in "independent" groups who have foresworn the infighting within political parties.

[Deleted]

Dec 14, 2022 12:04:48 GMT phil156 said:

For once they are all counting on the Thursday night

That means I should actually get to see all the results! 

[jamesdoyle]

Andrew speaks: medium.com/britainelects/previewing-the-stretford-and-urmston-by-election-and-the-six-local-by-elections-of-15th-december-dcbba7361f44

[carolus]

There's an LDR reporter at the Wigan count:

[Deleted]

Dec 15, 2022 22:35:35 GMT carolus said:

There's an LDR reporter at the Wigan count:

I'm a nerd who loves by-elections and even I wouldn't spend a freezing cold Thursday night in Wigan.

[carolus]

Turnout in Wigan a mighty... 5.34%

[andrewteale]

WIGAN, Ashton - Lab hold
Lab 294 C 146 LD 28

[lackeroftalent]

Amber Valley Wingfield

Con 242
LDm 114
Lab 53
Grn 32

[andrewp]

Dec 15, 2022 22:43:30 GMT carolus said:

Turnout in Wigan a mighty... 5.34%

I wonder how close that is to the lowest turnout ever for a principal authority election.

[andrewteale]

SOUTH KESTEVEN, Toller - LD gain from Ind
LD 256 C 170

[Deleted]

Dec 15, 2022 23:02:58 GMT andrewp said:

Dec 15, 2022 22:43:30 GMT carolus said:

Turnout in Wigan a mighty... 5.34%

I wonder how close that is to the lowest turnout ever for a principal authority election.

[andrewteale]

Our elections have a hard reliance on Royal Mail. If the postal votes all disappear in the system and the weather is dodgy, you are going to get serious turnout problems.

If the Ashton seat wasn't disappearing in five months' time, this might make an interesting Election Court case.

[andrewteale]

PENDLE, Barrowford and Pendleside - C hold
C 699 Lab 436 LD 84