By-elections 7th May 2015

[casualobserver]

I imagine that there will be several dozen by-elections timed to co-incide with the other elections taking place on May 7th. In Councils which elect by thirds, it allows by-elections to take place at the same time as the ordinary council elections. Even where no council elections are due on that date, we can be sure that a raft of by-elections will be slated for 7th May. The excuse for by elections on 7th May is "saving money" but in practice it just reflects local parties' calculations of maximum political advantage. Parties either believe that a high turnout will help them in a by-election or that the GE on the same day will help mask local issues which are electorally inconvenient.

How many such by-elections appear to be likely, and what is the latest date by which we should have a full list? It seems to me that these by-elections will be all but lost in the public consciousness given the GE, the scheduled metropolitan Borough/UA/District /Mayoral Local elections (outside London) and the number of Parish elections also taking place then.

[middleenglander]

I make it there were 48 by-elections on 5th May 2011, the same stage of the local council elections cycle as the coming May. 21 were single elections and 27 were "double" elections. There were 64 vacancies then identified as subject to the "six month" rule although accurate identification can sometimes be problematic.

[Harry Hayfield]

Cockett on Swansea (Lab Defence) has already been pencilled in for General Election Day (as the sitting Labour councillor will resign on March 20th to allow for the by-election to be held on election day)

[Deleted]

Current known vacancies where by-election not yet called - 5+1+9
Denbighshire UA, Rhyl South West - Labour died 4th January
Fife UA, Glenrothes West & Kinglassie - Labour died 16th January
Gwynedd UA, Cadnant - Plaid Cymru died 29th January
Newcastle-under-Lyme BC, Clayton - Conservative died 20th January
Vale of Glamorgan UA, Llantwit Major - Llantwit Major First Independent died 4th January

Swansea UA, Cockett - Labour due to resign 20th March so by-election coincides with General Election

* Fenland DC, Manea - Independent disqualified 8th November
* Herefordshire UA, Mortimer - Conservative died 6th November
* High Peak DC, Limestone Peak - Conservative died around 15th September
* Lichfield DC, St John's - Conservative died 14th September
* Rushcliffe DC, Manvers - Conservative died 26th September
* South Oxfordshire DC, Goring- Conservative died 21st September
* South Ribble BC, Bamber Bridge West - Labour died 1st November
* St Edmunsbury BC, Haverhill East - Conservative sitting as UKIP died 2nd October
* Waveney DC, St Margaret's - Labour died 8th November

* seats that will be contested again in May 2015; it is highly likely they will be left unfilled particularly as a number are subject to re-warding.

Vacancies covered by the "6 month" rule - 22
Bedford UA, Great Barford - Conservative died 6th December
Bracknell Forest UA, Winkfield & Cranborne - Conservative died 18th November
Canterbury BC, Heron - Liberal Democrat died 8th January
Charnwood BC, Thurmaston - Labour died around 10th November
Chelmsford BC, The Lawns - Conservative died December
Darlington UA, Park East - Labour died around 1st January
Dartford BC, Brent - Conservative resigned around 15th December
Eastleigh BC, Hedge End Wildern - Liberal Democrat resigned 2nd December
East Staffordshire DC, Yoxall - Conservative died around 22nd December
Maidstone BC, Leeds - Conservative died 27th January
Milton Keynes UA, Monkston - Liberal Democrat resigned 17th November
Pendle BC, Clover Hill - Labour resigned around 3rd December
Rotherham MB, Silverwood - Labour resigned around 26th November
Rushcliffe DC, Thoroton - Conservative died 16th November
Sevenoaks DC, Cowden & Hever - Conservative sitting as UKIP resigned towards end of December
Shepway DC, Hythe East - Conservative died 7th December
Stroud DC, Nailsworth - Conservative died close to rule becoming applicable
Torbay UA, Blatchcombe - Conservative died around 4th December
Waverley BC, Cranleigh East - Conservative died 29th November
Wealden DC, Buxsted & Maresfield - Conservative resigned 26th November
Wychavon DC, Badsey - Conservative died 15th November
Wychavon DC, Elmley Castle & Somerville - Conservative resigned around 16th December

Read more: vote-2012.proboards.com/thread/4149/local-council-elections-june-april?page=31#ixzz3QURGD4VK