Local Council By-elections 28th March 2024

[Tony Otim]

NEATH PORT TALBOT UA; Neath East (Lab died)
Candidates:
FINN, Keith (Independent)
HARRIS, Sylwia (Independent)
HEARD, Lauren (Labour)
LLOYD, Megan Poppy (Plaid Cymru)

2022: PC 482, 418, 371; Lab 463, 427, 418; Ind 452

In 2022 Keith Finn (Ind) stood for Labour in Dyffryn and Megan Lloyd for Plaid in Neath South.

Current Council: Lab 26; Ind 19; PC 11; LD 2; Grn 1; 1 vacancy



ORKNEY UA; Stromness & South Isles (Ind resigned)
Candidates:
PARK, Janette Anne (Independent)
THOMSON, Magnus (Independent)

2022: Ind 353, 281, 175, 115, 69 (Thomson); Grn 157

Magnus Thomson was the last placed candidate in 2022. He was also councillor for the ward on previous boundaries (although boundaries for this ward were unchanged) from 2017, having been elected unopposed at that election.



SOMERSET UA; Somerton (Lib Dem died)
Candidates:
CHAMBERS, Gregory Lawrence (Labour)
GEEN, Matthew Francis (Green)
HALL, David (Conservative)
PAGE, Stephen Richard John (Liberal Democrat)

2022: LD 1906, 1761; Con 1436, 1205; Lab 288; UKIP 97

David Hall was the top Conservative candidate here last time, whilst Matthew Geen (Grn) stood in Curry Rivel & Langport division, Gregory Chambers (Lab) in Martock and Stephen Page (LD) in Castle Cary, but contested Somerton division at County level back in 2017.

Current Council: LD 61; Con 35; Grn 5; Lab 5; Ind 3; 1 vacancy

[phil156]

They are all counting on Thursday at 2200hrs surprised at Orkney that is if we see the result from there like Knowsley last week

[andrewteale]

Mar 27, 2024 9:25:40 GMT phil156 said:

They are all counting on Thursday at 2200hrs surprised at Orkney that is if we see the result from there like Knowsley last week

Getting staff in on Good Friday for a count was never going to be easy.
There is no polling station on the Orkney South Isles so I expect everyone living on Hoy, Graemsay and Flotta has a postal vote.

[Chris from Brum]

As you say in your weekly preview, Andrew.

medium.com/britainelects/previewing-the-three-local-by-elections-of-28th-march-2024-5db99d1c5896

[andrewp]

Some thoughts on Somerton today.

Somerton is one of the places in the middle of the county where Somerset elections are decided. It was held by the Liberals/ LDs at county level continuously from 1981-2009 and then was won by the Tories from 2009-17. . The Lib Dems gained it back in 2022 in the first unitary election. In an even Con/ LD year, should we ever have one of those, it would probably be a bit better for the Conservatives now than it would have been in an even Con/LD year in the 1980s.

It’s been reported on here several times that the councillor who died, Dean Ruddle, had been elected as a Tory, as an Independent and as a Lib Dem. He ran about 150 votes ahead of his running mate in 2022. The LD candidate is a former district councillor for Somerton. The Tory candidate is a former deputy leader of the county council, who contested this ward in 2022 and outpolled the other Tory candidate by over 200 votes.

I would expect a comfortable Lib Dem hold but the loss of Ruddle’s personal vote + the fact that the Greens are standing this time may limit or cancel out the swing to the Lib Dems that one would probably expect from the 2022 result.

[johnloony]

I don’t have a postcard available, but in answer to andrewteale’s question about the name of the ward: i have asked several people (including the local councillors and the Boundary Commission), but none of them seem to know why it’s called “Neath East” because the original decision is buried in the depths of history, before the modern version of the Boundary Commission existed.

But my own theory is that it is because the ward is on the east bank of the river Neath. Nothing to do with where the actual town is.

[minionofmidas]

Mar 28, 2024 16:35:28 GMT johnloony said:

I don’t have a postcard available, but in answer to andrewteale’s question about the name of the ward: i have asked several people (including the local councillors and the Boundary Commission), but none of them seem to know why it’s called “Neath East” because the original decision is buried in the depths of history, before the modern version of the Boundary Commission existed.

But my own theory is that it is because the ward is on the east bank of the river Neath. Nothing to do with where the actual town is.

think someone just confused east and west, happens all the time

[mercian]

Perhaps they had the map upside down?

[maxque]

Mar 28, 2024 22:51:14 GMT mercian said:

Perhaps they had the map upside down?

Well, in that case, North and South would be reversed, which they are not.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

On the map of 1919, the town of Neath is split into only two wards - 'Castle or North ward' and 'Malyn or South ward'.

By 1937 there had been a boundary change but there were still just two wards called 'Neath North ward' and 'Neath South ward'. This seems to have been the arrangement until reform.

In the Borough of Neath, at first the wards were mainly known by numbers. Not until a ward boundary change in 1983 was the Neath East ward, that we know and love, created.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

ORKNEY Stromness and South Isles

PARK, Janette Anne (Independent) 757
THOMSON, Magnus (Independent) 125

1 BP rejected as unmarked or void for uncertainty
Turnout 39.8%

[iainbhx]

Cllr Boothroyd types faster than I do.

[listener]

Interesting result in Orkney.

According to Andrew, Janette Park is honorary curator of Stromness Museum and partner in a local butcher's, whereas Magnus Thomson, despite have served as a councillor in the past, lives on Hoy.

Stromness comprises the larger part of the electorate and is a close knit community. Hoy has a smaller electorate, which is scattered across the island.

[andrewteale]

Mar 28, 2024 23:41:00 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

On the map of 1919, the town of Neath is split into only two wards - 'Castle or North ward' and 'Malyn or South ward'.

By 1937 there had been a boundary change but there were still just two wards called 'Neath North ward' and 'Neath South ward'. This seems to have been the arrangement until reform.

In the Borough of Neath, at first the wards were mainly known by numbers. Not until a ward boundary change in 1983 was the Neath East ward, that we know and love, created.

Strange that 🏴‍☠️ Neath West 🏴‍☠️ hasn't commented.

[andrewp]

I hear that Somerton is an LD hold.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

NEATH PORT TALBOT Neath South West^W^W East

Lauren Heard (Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru) 409 (44%)
Keith Finn (Independent / Annibynnol) 247 (26%)
Megan Poppy Lloyd (Plaid Cymru- The Party of Wales) 157 (17%)
Sylwia Harris (Independent / Annibynnol) 121 (13%)

[andrewp]

An LD councillor has posted that the percentages in Somerton are LD 50 Con 36 Lab 7 Green 6

[andrewp]

Somerton

LD 1212
Con 878
Lab 174
Green 154

[andrewp]

Percentage wise in Somerton thats

LD 50.1% (-1)
Con 36.3% (-2.2)
Lab 7.2% (-0.5)
Green 6,4% (new)
No UKIP as before

The LDs can be pleased to hold a marginal ward with more or less the same share, , with a Green candidate this time. The Tories can be reasonably relieved with not losing much ground from 2022.

[YL]

Mar 28, 2024 17:11:20 GMT minionofmidas said:

Mar 28, 2024 16:35:28 GMT johnloony said:

I don’t have a postcard available, but in answer to andrewteale’s question about the name of the ward: i have asked several people (including the local councillors and the Boundary Commission), but none of them seem to know why it’s called “Neath East” because the original decision is buried in the depths of history, before the modern version of the Boundary Commission existed.

But my own theory is that it is because the ward is on the east bank of the river Neath. Nothing to do with where the actual town is.

think someone just confused east and west, happens all the time

It does, but the fact that this one has lasted over 40 years through a couple of reviews is strange. Nobody seems bothered enough by it being wrong to try to change it.