Local council by-elections 31st October 2024

[Tony Otim]

Who's in for a fright this Halloween.

CHARNWOOD DC; Sileby & Seagrave (Grn resigned)
Candidates:
BELLAMY, Steve (Green)
DUFFY, Alistair Paul (Liberal Democrat)
GERRARD, Sue (Conservative)
KHAN, Kaisra Manzur (Labour)
MORRIS, Pete (Reform UK)

2023: Grn 1169, 1132, 1128; Con 569, 514, 463; Lab 361, 343, 314; LD 76

Peter Morris was the Reform candidate for Melton & Syston (which contains most of this ward) at the General Election. He stood in Loughton Ashby in 2023 and in Sileby & The Wolds division (which contains this ward) in 2021. Sue Gerrard was the third Conservative here in 2023 and Kaisra Khan the second Labour candidate, whilst Steve Bellamy (Grn) stood in Quorn & Mountsorrel Castle.

Current Council: Con 23; Lab 20; Grn 7; Ind 1; 1 vacancy



HAMPSHIRE CC; Bishops Waltham (Con resigned)
Candidates:
BOLTON, Neil (Conservative)
ELLIS, Alex (Green)
HAINES, Steve (Labour)
WILLIAMS, Jonathan (Liberal Democrat)

2021: Con 3474; LD 1442; Grn 809; Lab 384
2017: Con 3657; LD 1301; Grn 425; Lab 398

Steve Haines has been the Labour candidate here in the last 2 elections and contested Bishops Waltham ward (Winchester DC) in May and in all recent elections since 2016. Jonathan Williams (LD) is sitting cllr for Bishops Waltham ward, taking a seat off the Conservatives in 2023. Neil Bolton (Con) is sitting Cllr for Upper Meon Valley ward (half in this division), elected in 2022, although the Lib Dems gained the other seat in 2023. The Lib Dems would have comfortably carried the division in 2023 – winning all 3 wards in or partially in the division (2 weren’t up in 2024, but they increased their lead in Bishops Walton ward in May).

Current Council: Con 51; LD 18; Lab 3; Ind 2; Grn 1; Unaffiliated 1; Whitehill & Bordon Comm Party 1; 1 vacancy



ROCHDALE MBC; North Middleton (Middleton Ind disqualified for non-attendance)
Candidates:
DONALDSON, Iain (Liberal Democrats)
MAJID, Sajid (Conservative)
MARTIN, Donna (Labour)
O’MARA, Keeley (Middleton Independents Party)

2024: Lab 1294; Midd Ind 1163; Con 177; LD 46
2023: Lab 1236; Midd Ind 1008; Con 228
2022: Midd Ind 1140, 1059, 1059; Lab 1118, 1029, 886; Con 381; Grn 282

Iain Donaldson was the Lib Dem candidate for the Rochdale by-election in February and stood in Hopwood Hall ward in May. Keely O’Mara was the defeated Middleton Indy in May and the one who missed out on a seat in 2022 by drawing of lots.

Current Council: Lab 44; Con 8; LD 3; Workers Party 2; Ind 1; Middleton Ind 1; 1 vacancy



SALFORD MBC; Eccles (Lab resigned)
Candidates:
GRIFFITHS, Sally (TUSC)
LAING, Sara (Green)
McKINLAY, Ian Alexander (Liberal Democrat)
MUIR, Lisa (Labour)
WHITEHOUSE, Daniel Andrew (Conservative)

2024: Lab 2121; Con 565; Grn 479; TUSC 198
2023: Lab 2022; Con 482; Grn 373; TUSC 93; LD 92
2022: Lab 1964; Con 731; Grn 265; LD 205; TUSC 99
2021: Lab 2132, 1834, 1451; Con 819, 754, 507; Grn 819; LD 379; WEP 342; TUSC 173

Vacancy is for the 2024-28 term. Sally Griffiths was the TUSC candidate here and also for Mayor in May, contested Worsley & Eccles at the General Election and has stood here and in every election since 2019 . Sara Laing (Green) stood in Worsley & Westwood Park, Ian McKinlay (LD) in Claremont and Dan Whitehouse (Con) in Weaste & Seedley in May.

Current Council: Lab 49 + mayor; Con 7; LD 2; Ind 1; 1 vacancy



STOCKPORT MBC; Bramhall South & Woodhall (Lib Dem resigned)
Candidates:
CROSSEN, Peter (Conservative)
DEARDEN, Andrew James (Green)
KASHYAP, Sandeep Singh (Liberal Democrat)
KELLY, John Howard (Reform UK)
THOMAS, Jake Stewart (Labour)

2024: LD 2185; Con 2104; Lab 344; Grn 231
2023: LD 2342, 2228, 2188; Con 2025, 1828, 1789; Grn 437; Lab 254, 230, 207

Vacancy is for the 2023-27 term. John Kelly was the Reform candidate for Hazel Grove at the General Election (this ward is in Cheadle constituency). Peter Crossen was the Conservative candidate here in May, whilst Andrew Dearden (Grn) stood here this year and last year.

Current Council: LD 28; Lab 23; Edgeley Comm Ass 3; Grn 3; Ind Ratepayers 3; 3 vacancies (so a chance for the Tories to get back on to the council).



WESTMORLAND & FURNESS; Kirkby Stephen & Tebay (Con resigned)
Candidates:
WAITE, Adrian Harvey Martin (Liberal Democrat)
BELL, Pat (Conservative)

2022: Con 861, 266; LD 697, 557; Ind 496

Adrian Waite was the unsuccessful Lib Dem in 2022. Pat Bell (Con) stood in Sedbergh & Kirkby Lonsdale.

Current Council: LD 35; Lab 15; Con 10; Ind 2; Grn 1; 2 vacancies



WOLVERHAMPTON MBC; Bilston North (Lab died)
Candidates:
DONALD, Julian Martin (Liberal Democrat)
GUY, Luke Matthew (Labour)
RANDLE, Andrew (Conservative)
SINGH, Hardev (Green)
STANLEY, Anita (Reform UK)

2024: Lab 1763; Con 710
2023: Lab 1449, 1171, 1152; Con 572, 521, 424; Grn 274

Vacancy is for the 2023-26 term. This May, Julian Donald (LD) stood in Tettenhall Regis and Hardev Singh (Grn) in Wednesfield South. Andy Randle (Con) had stood in Wednesfield South last year.

Current Council: Lab 45; Con 11; Ind 3; 1 vacancy

[evergreenadam]

Polling Day will be the day after Budget 2024.

[thirdchill]

Oct 27, 2024 7:17:13 GMT evergreenadam said:

Polling Day will be the day after Budget 2024.

Though postal votes will have already been cast by the time of the budget (postal votes will form a higher percentage of votes cast in low turnout local by-elections).

[minionofmidas]

I sense a story regarding the 2nd Tory and/or the Independent in Westmorland at the last election.

[The Bishop]

Ah yes, well spotted. That is indeed an unusually large vote difference for two candidates from the same party.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Phil Dew (the top-polling Tory) had been Eden district councillor for Kirkby Stephen ward, but only from 2019. His family are quite well known in the area, one of the reasons being quite tragic: www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/19706510.grieving-husband-thanks-charity-chance-say-goodbye/

It's possible his strong electoral performance in 2022 may have been a sympathy vote. There doesn't seem any reason why Ray Briggs should have been specifically unpopular.

[andrewp]

In addition to the above the Indy was a sitting Eden councillor for Kirby Stephen, where as the 2nd Tory had represented an Eden ward a little way away. Quite possibly the sort of area where Tory voters would vote for a more local Independent,

[Chris from Brum]

Here's Andrew:

andrewspreviews.substack.com/p/previewing-the-seven-council-by-elections?publication_id=3184791&utm_campaign=email-post-title&r=4hpsqe&utm_medium=email

[sanders]

What's the deal with Bilston North? Go back a few election cycles. It was a marginal seat then.

[Chris from Brum]

"Shut up Eccles".

[phil156]

They are counting tonight except Hampshire which is tomorrow morning

[Davıd Boothroyd]

11:30 pm and not one result, nor even a turnout figure.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Bilston North turnout 19.36%

[swanarcadian]

Oct 31, 2024 23:31:15 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

11:30 pm and not one result, nor even a turnout figure.

Quite a contrast to last week’s very speedy result from Town, Monmouthshire.

[CatholicLeft]

Oct 31, 2024 23:39:26 GMT swanarcadian said:

Oct 31, 2024 23:31:15 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

11:30 pm and not one result, nor even a turnout figure.

Quite a contrast to last week’s very speedy result from Town, Monmouthshire.

Hmmm - was the Georgian Election  Commission overseeing that one?

[Davıd Boothroyd]

ROCHDALE North Middleton

Keeley O'Mara (Middleton Independents Party) 812 (52%)
Donna Martin (Labour) 572 (36%)
Sajid Majid (The Conservative Party) 108 (7%)
Iain Donaldson (Liberal Democrats) 80 (5%)

Number of ballot papers rejected: 5

[carlton43]

Oct 31, 2024 23:36:35 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

Bilston North turnout 19.36%

The Democracy venerated by so many on this Forum is alive, well and fully appreciated by nearly a whole 5th of the electorate.

If we made voting more difficult and more expensive it would be better valued.

[CatholicLeft]

Oct 31, 2024 23:45:21 GMT carlton43 said:

Oct 31, 2024 23:36:35 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

Bilston North turnout 19.36%

The Democracy venerated by so many on this Forum is alive, well and fully appreciated by nearly a whole 5th of the electorate.

If we made voting more difficult and more expensive it would be better valued.

If we said that anybody who showed special civic responsibility gained an extra 400 points on their supermarket cards, or online vouchers, it could boost voting without being considered treating.

[iainbhx]

Oct 31, 2024 23:36:35 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

Bilston North turnout 19.36%

That's fairly decent for a by-election in Bilston.

[cathyc]

So we have "pay to vote" versus "get paid to vote".