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Post by listener on Jul 23, 2024 22:50:29 GMT
There are 2 more town council by-elections this Thursday in
Colchester - West Mersea - 2 x [] - resignation of Martin Parsons (co-opted)
Telford and Wrekin - Wellington (Ercall) - Lab, Con, Ind - resignation of Miles Hosken (Con).
Here is the bizarre history of town council elections in West Mersea, which was inquorate in May 2023, but has seen 5 resignations since, for all of which the local electors have called a by-election.
1. On 4 May 2023, only 2 candidates (No Description) are nominated for the 9 seats - leaving the town council inquorate
2. On 18 May 2023, the election is re-run, attracting 3 candidates (No Description) for the 7 remaining seats - but achieving a quorum
3. On 17 October 2023, the town council co-opts its last 4 members
4. 1 of the 3 councillors elected on 18 May 2023 resigned - local electors called a by-election, which is contested on 9 November 2023 and an Independent is elected
5. 1 of the 2 councillors elected on 4 May 2023 resigned - local electors called a by-election, which is uncontested on 22 February 2024 and an Independent is
elected
6. 1 of the co-opted councillors resigned - local electors called a by-election, which is contested on 25 July 2024 by 2 No Description
7. 2 more councillors (1 elected on 18 May 2023 and 1 co-opted) resigned - local electors called a by-election for the 2 seats, which is scheduled for 29 August 2024.
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Post by listener on Jul 23, 2024 22:58:46 GMT
To reply to gwynthegriff -
Under electoral law, once a by-election has been called, co-option is no longer possible. If the by-election attracts no candidates, it should be readvertised until candidates are attracted.
Clydach (Glais) was a new vacancy on 11 July, but Fairford was held over from 2 May (when 2 vacancies attracted only 1 candidate).
Some returning officers turn a blind eye and leave the parish to co-opt; others stick to the legislation and continue re-advertising until the vacancy is filled.
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J.G.Harston
Lib Dem
Leave-voting Brexit-supporting Liberal Democrat
Posts: 14,759 
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Post by J.G.Harston on Jul 24, 2024 0:26:17 GMT
To reply to gwynthegriff - Under electoral law, once a by-election has been called, co-option is no longer possible. If the by-election attracts no candidates, it should be readvertised until candidates are attracted. Clydach (Glais) was a new vacancy on 11 July, but Fairford was held over from 2 May (when 2 vacancies attracted only 1 candidate). Some returning officers turn a blind eye and leave the parish to co-opt; others stick to the legislation and continue re-advertising until the vacancy is filled. I thought the process was this (this is certainly the process we use): Advertise vacancy If by-election is called, advertise by-election If candidates nominated, have an election (or unopposed election) If no by-election called, chose to loop back to advertise again, or continue to advertise for co-option If no candidates come forward, chose to loop back to advertise for co-option again, or drop it. If interested person later expresses an interest, loop back to advertising for co-option. At subsequent AGMs, restart the process for any vacancies. |
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Post by carolus on Jul 24, 2024 14:53:27 GMT
There are 2 more town council by-elections this Thursday in Colchester - West Mersea - 2 x [] - resignation of Martin Parsons (co-opted) Telford and Wrekin - Wellington (Ercall) - Lab, Con, Ind - resignation of Miles Hosken (Con). Thanks - not sure how I managed to spot one T&W byelection but not the other! |
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Post by carolus on Jul 25, 2024 9:34:39 GMT
To reply to gwynthegriff - Under electoral law, once a by-election has been called, co-option is no longer possible. If the by-election attracts no candidates, it should be readvertised until candidates are attracted. Clydach (Glais) was a new vacancy on 11 July, but Fairford was held over from 2 May (when 2 vacancies attracted only 1 candidate). Some returning officers turn a blind eye and leave the parish to co-opt; others stick to the legislation and continue re-advertising until the vacancy is filled. I thought the process was this (this is certainly the process we use): Advertise vacancy If by-election is called, advertise by-election If candidates nominated, have an election (or unopposed election) If no by-election called, chose to loop back to advertise again, or continue to advertise for co-option If no candidates come forward, chose to loop back to advertise for co-option again, or drop it. If interested person later expresses an interest, loop back to advertising for co-option. At subsequent AGMs, restart the process for any vacancies. The electoral commission guidance is unambiguous.
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J.G.Harston
Lib Dem
Leave-voting Brexit-supporting Liberal Democrat
Posts: 14,759
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Post by J.G.Harston on Jul 25, 2024 23:44:22 GMT
I thought the process was this (this is certainly the process we use): Advertise vacancy If by-election is called, advertise by-election If candidates nominated, have an election (or unopposed election) If no by-election called, chose to loop back to advertise again, or continue to advertise for co-option If no candidates come forward, chose to loop back to advertise for co-option again, or drop it. If interested person later expresses an interest, loop back to advertising for co-option. At subsequent AGMs, restart the process for any vacancies. The electoral commission guidance is unambiguous.
So, how have we co-opted members if we aren't allowed to break out of the loop of hold election -> no candidates -> hold election -> no candidates -> ? |
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Post by listener on Jul 26, 2024 0:12:40 GMT
A Notice of Vacancy is published, inviting electors to call a by-election within a certain time period. If they do not call an election, the town/parish council fills the vacancy by co-option. If they do call an election, the District Council conducts an election and the loop, as you describe it, continues until someone is nominated to stand for election. I know it is a slightly different case, but some parishes in Durham were left inquorate after the 2021 elections. Durham County Council has been issuing Notices of Election every six weeks or so, without success. You can see the current batch of Notices here. www.durham.gov.uk/article/11547/Vacancy-election-and-referendum-notices |
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clive
Non-Aligned
Posts: 35
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Post by clive on Jul 26, 2024 2:18:19 GMT
Where the vacancies and an inquorate Council exist as a result of the normal election cycle the District Council should be very careful about avoiding a loop such as this, it may be impossible to escape. It would have been better to appoint 3 or more district Members to achieve a quorum as was done recently in Detling in Maidstone, which put the Council back on its feet and led to a healthy contested election this May. .
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Post by carolus on Jul 26, 2024 9:49:19 GMT
Telford & Wrekin, Hadley & Leegomery, Hadley Manor - Lab 297, Con 160
Telford and Wrekin, Wellington, Ercall - Lab 436, Con 295, Ind 108
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Post by November_Rain on Jul 26, 2024 15:23:32 GMT
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Post by phil156 on Jul 27, 2024 13:40:56 GMT
Bradford Bingley CROWS NEST WARD
iND 141 64%
Con 81 36%
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Post by phil156 on Jul 27, 2024 13:50:54 GMT
Wychavon - Pershore St Andrews Ward
n/d 221
Pershore Born & Brd 124
GP 93
Turnout 13.8%
Obviously the voters of St Andrews do not like their GP
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Post by phil156 on Jul 27, 2024 13:51:29 GMT
No info on Slough as yet (Saturday)
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carlton43
Reform Party
Posts: 50,887
Member is Online
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Post by carlton43 on Jul 27, 2024 14:41:03 GMT
Wychavon - Pershore St Andrews Ward n/d 221 Pershore Born & Brd 124 GP 93 Turnout 13.8% Obviously the voters of St Andrews do not like their GP Actually only one-in-seven of them. |
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Post by andrewp on Jul 27, 2024 14:57:13 GMT
No info on Slough as yet (Saturday) The 5 Labour candidates were elected in Slough as per a post from the local MP. |
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Post by phil156 on Jul 29, 2024 9:38:27 GMT
No info on Slough as yet (Saturday) The 5 Labour candidates were elected in Slough as per a post from the local MP. Yep Slough Council have put the result up now Kawaljit Kaur 425, Mandeep Khan 419, Muhammed Javed 416, Gurcharan Singh 416, Shaqila Yasmin 400, For Labour elected Jaswinder Singh 376 Labour Not elected Dennis French 399, Trev Jeynes 321, Sarfraz Khan 321, Altaf Hussain 307, Junaid Ahmed 236, Mushtaq Ahmed 236, Arshad Hussain 174, Sufyan Arif 172 & Zubair Arif 158 For Ind not elected Never knew that a proposer can propose more then one name? Hussain Ghalib proposed 5 Independents (Wonder which one he voted for??? |
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The Bishop
Labour
Down With Factionalism!
Posts: 38,889
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Post by The Bishop on Jul 29, 2024 9:55:04 GMT
There were 6 Labour candidates for 5 seats? That would be....unusual.
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Post by andrewp on Jul 29, 2024 10:32:36 GMT
There were 6 Labour candidates for 5 seats? That would be....unusual. I think they’ve got that wrong on the results. Jaswinder Singh, who got 376, was an Independent on the statement of persons nominated. |
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Post by lackeroftalent on Jul 29, 2024 11:01:56 GMT
The 5 Labour candidates were elected in Slough as per a post from the local MP. Yep Slough Council have put the result up now Kawaljit Kaur 425, Mandeep Khan 419, Muhammed Javed 416, Gurcharan Singh 416, Shaqila Yasmin 400, For Labour elected Jaswinder Singh 376 Labour Not elected Dennis French 399, Trev Jeynes 321, Sarfraz Khan 321, Altaf Hussain 307, Junaid Ahmed 236, Mushtaq Ahmed 236, Arshad Hussain 174, Sufyan Arif 172 & Zubair Arif 158 For Ind not elected Never knew that a proposer can propose more then one name? Hussain Ghalib proposed 5 Independents (Wonder which one he voted for???An individual can propose as many candidates as there are vacancies. Also, voters will have had the option to vote for upto to the number of vacancies on the ballot paper (five in this case) so likely voted for all five. |
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Post by carolus on Jul 29, 2024 14:06:32 GMT
1 August:Wrexham, Chirk, South. []* Torfaen, Blaenavon, East. ? 8 August:Amber Valley, Heanor & Loscoe, Heaton West (2). 2x Con, 2x Lab, 2x Reform UK, Green, LD Dorset, Ferndown, Ameysford. Reform UK, Independent - Ferndown People's Alliance (FPA) Swansea, Gorseinon, Penyrheol. Lab, Reform UK, Ind (Erasmus) Three Rivers, Abbots Langley, Bedmond. Con, Lab, LD, Ind Wiltshire, Chippenham, Sheldon. Lab, LD, Ind West Suffolk, Brandon, Central. West Suffolk Independents* Wiltshire, Amesbury, South. LD* Dorset, Wimborne Minster, Town (6). 4x [], 2x Ind, Town Mayor's Serjant and Crier Great Yarmouth, Rollesby. 2x [] Dorset, Lyme Regis. []* Dorset, Wimborne Minster, East. Ind* West Suffolk, Brandon, West. []* Great Yarmouth, St Margaret with Scratby, Ormesby. ? Rhonda Cynon Taf, Llanharan, Brynna. ?
14 August:South Cambridgeshire, Waterbeach (3). 4x Ind, Lab 15 August:Caerphilly, Bargoed, Bargoed (2). 2x Lab, 2x PC, Ind Carmarthenshire, Llandeilo, Castle. Con, Ind Cheshire West & Chester, Northwich, Leftwich. Con, Lab, Reform UK Wealden, Hailsham, West. Con, LD, Reform UK, Ind Maldon, Burnham on Crouch, South. Ind, [] North Devon, Mortehoe. 4x [] New Forest, Fordingbridge. []*
22 August: Cheshire East, Sandbach, Elworth. Con, Lab, LD, Reform UK, Ind Cornwall, Penzance, Newlyn & Mousehole (2). 2x MK, LD, Ind, Independent Cornish Businessman, Independent; Newlyn Commissioner; Local Businessman, Local Retired Community Spirited Independent Northumberland, Cramlington, Eastfield (2). 2x Con, 2x Lab, Ind South Kesteven, Stamford, St Marys. Green, LD
South Kesteven, Stamford, St Johns. Green*
West Lindsey, Saxilby-with-Ingleby. 2x []
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