Local Council by-elections 21st March 2024

[Tony Otim]

CAMBRIDGESHIRE CC; Yaxley & Farcet (Con died)
Candidates:
GULSON, Kev (Conservative)
HOWELL, Sally Ann (Independent)
ILETT, Richard (Labour)
WESTERMAN, Ellisa (Green)
WOOD, Andrew Richard (Liberal Democrat)

2021: Con 1296; LD 578; Lab 403
2017: Con 1118; Lab 558; UKIP 457

Andrew Wood (LD) stood here in 2021. Kev Gulson (Con) (2018-present) and Sally Ann Howell (Ind) (2022 – present) are both sitting councillors for Yaxley ward (Huntingdonshire DC) which has the same boundaries as this division. Andrew Wood (LD) and Richard Illett (Lab) also contested that ward in 2022.

Current Council: Con 22; LD 22; Lab 9; Ind 3; Non-aligned Ind 3; St Neots Ind 1; 1 vacancy (which means the Conservatives need to hold this to remain the largest party, although the council is run by a LD-Lab-Ind administration in any case)



FLINTSHIRE UA; Brynford & Halkyn (Con disqualified)
Candidates:
CASE, David (Liberal Democrat)
DICKIN, John (Independent)
JOHNSON, Joe (Independent)
LISTER, Fran (Labour)
MacNAUGHTON, Karl (Green)
PHELAN, Alexandra (Conservative)

2022: Lab 659; Con 500, 316; Ind 499

In 2022, John Dickin (Ind) stood in Hope ward and a Joe Johnson stood for Labour in Holywell East ward, where he was sitting councillor since 2012 on the previous boundaries (this Joe Johnson doesn’t list Labour as a previous membership on the SOPN, but if he left more than 12 months ago wouldn’t have to, and I’m guessing it’s the same person standing as an indy here).

Current Council: Lab 31; Ind 26; LD 4; Eagle 3; Con 1; Non-aligned 1; 1 vacancy



KNOWSLEY MBC; Whitefield (Ind disqualified)
Candidates:
JOHNS, Brian (Independent)
OWENS, Robert Adrian (Labour)

2023: Lab 1062; Ind 916; Freedom All 45
2022: Ind 1193; Lab 1027
2021: Ind 1011; Lab 975; For Britain 73; LD 63
2019: Lab 1400; Con 240
2018: Lab 1579; LD 164
2016: Lab 1089, 1063, 886; 1st for Kirkby 691; Ind 626

Vacancy is for the 2022-26 term. Brian Johns (Ind) stood here in 2016. Robert Owens (Lab) contested Prescot South last May. The Independent defeated last May was the sitting councillor elected as Labour.

Current Council: Lab 31; Grn 7; Ind 3; LD 3; 1 vacancy



NORTH KESTEVEN DC; Heckington Rural (Con resigned)
Candidates:
COLLARD, Christine (Conservative)
DARMON, Dave (Lincolnshire Independents)
HISLOP, Susan Elizabeth (Liberal Democrat)
PEACOCK, Jennie (Labour)

2023: Con 702, 702; Lab 456

Jennie Peacock was the Labour candidate here last May and also contested Heckington division at county level in 2021. Dave Darmon stood as an Independent (not Lincs Ind) in Sleaford Castle ward last year.

Current Council: Con 23; Lincs Ind 10; Grp of Unaligned Ind 4; Unaligned 3 (incl 1 LD); Lab 2; 1 vacancy

[Davıd Boothroyd]

There will be no poll in the City of London's Aldermanic election for Tower ward, as only the incumbent Alderman was nominated. Accordingly Nicholas Lyons, who has been Alderman since 2017 and was Lord Mayor of London in 2022-23, will be returned unopposed at the wardmote on 20 March.

[minionofmidas]

Just disqualify half the entire Tory group, will you Flintshire...

[maxque]

Mar 3, 2024 22:23:06 GMT minionofmidas said:

Just disqualify half the entire Tory group, will you Flintshire...

According to the council website, she had attended 2 meetings only since winning re-election in 2022, the last of them in February 2023 and only sent apologies once since last summer for her missed meetings.

[hempie]

Yaxley & Farcet leaflet count received so far - 2 Lib Dem and 1 Conservative.
The Conservative leaflet arrived this morning and has several typos, including referring on the front page to Conservative district councillor Eric Butler as Eric Baker!. They also include a photo of a community project that their candidate leads which includes me in the photo - I do not endorse his candidature and was not aware he was going to use the photo (I am pretty sure none of the other volunteers shown are Conservatives either).

I will update on activity as and when I am aware of it.

[timrollpickering]

Mar 3, 2024 17:51:20 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

There will be no poll in the City of London's Aldermanic election for Tower ward, as only the incumbent Alderman was nominated. Accordingly Nicholas Lyons, who has been Alderman since 2017 and was Lord Mayor of London in 2022-23, will be returned unopposed at the wardmote on 20 March.

For completion's sake:

CITY OF LONDON; Tower Alderman (Independent, incumbent seeking re-election)

Candidates:

LYONS, NICHOLAS STEPHEN LELAND (Independent)

2024 (Alderman): Independent (incumbent) unopposed
2022 (council): Independent 219, 184, 183, 176, 142
2017 (Alderman): Independent [Nicholas Lyons] 91, 61, 52, 37, 6, 3
2017 (council): Independent unopposed, unopposed, unopposed, unopposed
2016 (council by-election): Independent 172, 46
2013 (council): Independent 154, 142, 134, 125, Labour 22
2012 (Alderman): Independent (incumbent) unopposed

Diamond Geezer's guide to the ward

Two of Lyons's five nominators are sitting councillors for the ward, Marianne Fredericks and Jason Groves.

[hempie]

Cambridgeshire, Yaxley & Farcet will be counting on Thursday night at the Austin Hall in Yaxley.

[hempie]

An update on the Yaxley & Farcet by-election.
So far I have received 3 leaflets from the Lib Dems and 2 from the Conservatives, nothing from anyone else (Independent, Labour, Green). The Lib Dems also delivered a personalised leaflet to postal voters.
The three Lib Dem leaflets are all very similar - concentrating on the message that they came 2nd last time the County seat was fought and claiming that they are the only real alternative to the Conservatives. A very negative leaflet campaign IMHO. The candidate will have had some good local exposure last week when he was on a Look East feature on the problem of local flooding (surplus water being diverted from a Peterborough new build estate into Yaxley - a big issue locally). I think there has been a reasonable amount of canvassing done and a telling/GOTV operation is planned.
The second Conservative leaflet I thought was pretty good - it mainly consists of a number of quotes from local residents saying how the candidate has supported them and how committed he is to the local area. As with the first leaflet a number of typos including misspelling two of the resident names. There is very little that mentions that he is a Conservative. At least he has run a largely positive campaign.
Personally I cannot see either the Labour or Green candidates polling well.
The main issue for me is how well the Independent polls. So far I have seen very little from her apart from a couple of social media posts which do not seem to have garnered much support. However, at the last District Council elections she won a seat from a long-standing Conservative. She is very well known locally having been involved in the past with local scout/guide activities and community projects. I have been told that at the district election two years ago it was obvious that most of her votes came from people who did not use their three permitted votes but solely voted for her. If she can mobilise them to vote on Thursday she could again do very well. She is, I think, vice chair of the Independent group on Huntingdonshire DC which has introduced a very unpopular green bin collection charge but whether local electors are aware of that I don't know. Apparently she did not vote either way on the introduction.

[hempie]

Just as I posted the update the Independent candidate's leaflet came through my letterbox.
It is a pretty impressive A3 folded leaflet that emphasises her local work and commitment to the communities of Yaxley and Farcet (where she lives). She makes the point that she beat both a Conservative and Lib Dem candidate at the last District council elections and reminds people to not fall for the Lib Dem spin that only they can defeat the Conservatives.
If people bother to read it and go out on Thursday to vote I think this may well swing the election decisively in her favour.

[hempie]

Latest leaflet count for Yaxley & Farcet:
Apparently there is a Labour leaflet being delivered. I haven't seen it at home as yet but a friend told me that they delivered it to him at 10.30 last night (he was not impressed!).
The Independent leaflet delivery seems to be a bit patchy so far - several people I have spoken to hadn't seen it as yet.
The Conservative second leaflet delivery is still ongoing, possibly struggling to get them all delivered.
The Lib Dems are delivering their fourth (and I think final) leaflet this afternoon to about half of the district.
No sign of the Greens at all.

[kevinf]

Mar 20, 2024 12:30:30 GMT hempie said:

Latest leaflet count for Yaxley & Farcet:
Apparently there is a Labour leaflet being delivered. I haven't seen it at home as yet but a friend told me that they delivered it to him at 10.30 last night (he was not impressed!).
The Independent leaflet delivery seems to be a bit patchy so far - several people I have spoken to hadn't seen it as yet.
The Conservative second leaflet delivery is still ongoing, possibly struggling to get them all delivered.
The Lib Dems are delivering their fourth (and I think final) leaflet this afternoon to about half of the district.
No sign of the Greens at all.

Thanks. It’s great to get a detailed on-the-ground report.

[phil156]

They all counting on Thursday night

[Chris from Brum]

Andrew Teale has been on the case.

medium.com/britainelects/previewing-the-four-local-by-elections-of-21st-march-2024-e5028e072101

[hempie]

Just back from casting my vote in Yaxley. Only the Lib Dems are running a telling operation (at all 3 polling stations). From a stint I did earlier there seemed to be a positive reaction for him from a good number of voters. Local MP Shailesh Vara was spotted this afternoon helping the local Conservative candidate who was still delivering his second leaflet this morning. I haven't seen or heard anything from or about the other 3 candidates today but the Independent has had strong loyalty from her supporters in the past.
Sadly, I will not be at the count tonight so will not be able to update everyone later.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Heckington Rural turnout 31%.

[hempie]

Just had a message to say that the Lib Dems have won in Yaxley and Farcet, no figures as yet.

[carolus]

[gramps191919]

Lab Gain from Con

FLINTSHIRE UA; Brynford & Halkyn
🔶 LIBDEM, CASE, David, 98,
1️⃣ IND1, 53,
2️⃣ IND2, 36,
🔴 LAB, 329,
🟢 GRN, 95,
🔵 CON, 287,

Thanks to David Case and his team for flying the flag l🔶

[olympian95]

Tory hold in Heckington

[ricmk]

Three cheers for First Past the Post.

So far:

Con - 757 - 0 seats
LD - 607 = 1 seat
Lab - 504 = 1 seat