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Post by listener on Apr 10, 2022 19:56:08 GMT
Some more by-elections on 5 May
Cherwell - Heyford Park Maidstone - Bearsted Milton Keynes - 8 seats in 3 parishes (5 wards) Swindon - Nythe, Eldene and Liden (Nythe ward) West Oxfordshire - Chipping Norton (2 seats) West Oxfordshire - Stonesfield West Oxfordshire - Witney (West)
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Post by carolus on Apr 10, 2022 21:42:58 GMT
Some more by-elections on 5 May Cherwell - Heyford Park Maidstone - Bearsted Milton Keynes - 8 seats in 3 parishes (5 wards) Swindon - Nythe, Eldene and Liden (Nythe ward) West Oxfordshire - Chipping Norton (2 seats) West Oxfordshire - Stonesfield West Oxfordshire - Witney (West) Thanks - now added to the original post.
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Harry Hayfield
Green
Cavalier Gentleman (as in 17th century Cavalier)
Posts: 2,758
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Post by Harry Hayfield on Apr 14, 2022 6:38:49 GMT
Having tallied all the nominations for our community councils here in Ceredigion, there are going to have to be either a lot of by-elections or co-options like never seen before. Of the seats up for nomination (some 500+), nearly a fifth will remain empty on local election day.
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J.G.Harston
Lib Dem
Leave-voting Brexit-supporting Liberal Democrat
Posts: 13,612
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Post by J.G.Harston on Apr 14, 2022 10:45:12 GMT
Having tallied all the nominations for our community councils here in Ceredigion, there are going to have to be either a lot of by-elections or co-options like never seen before. Of the seats up for nomination (some 500+), nearly a fifth will remain empty on local election day. Vacancies on normal election day are filled by co-option, not election. Though, if the one fifth being vacant is general across all councils, they are quorate so can function. I think we have three that will be inquorate after election day - two because they will have zero councillors.
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Post by mattb on Apr 14, 2022 11:33:48 GMT
Vacancies on normal election day are filled by co-option, not election. Not necessarily.
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Post by froome on Apr 14, 2022 12:15:51 GMT
Having tallied all the nominations for our community councils here in Ceredigion, there are going to have to be either a lot of by-elections or co-options like never seen before. Of the seats up for nomination (some 500+), nearly a fifth will remain empty on local election day. Vacancies on normal election day are filled by co-option, not election. Though, if the one fifth being vacant is general across all councils, they are quorate so can function. I think we have three that will be inquorate after election day - two because they will have zero councillors. How does a council with zero councillors co-opt? Does the clerk make the decision?
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Post by gwynthegriff on Apr 14, 2022 12:41:35 GMT
Vacancies on normal election day are filled by co-option, not election. Though, if the one fifth being vacant is general across all councils, they are quorate so can function. I think we have three that will be inquorate after election day - two because they will have zero councillors. How does a council with zero councillors co-opt? Does the clerk make the decision? The District Council (RPA 1985 Section 21). For God's sake don't let the Clerk choose the councillors! Though Jackie Weaver might quite like the idea . . .
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Post by gwynthegriff on Apr 14, 2022 12:50:19 GMT
Vacancies on normal election day are filled by co-option, not election. Not necessarily. Indeed. If the Council fails to meet the fairly tight timescale to co-opt (35 working days) then it reverts to the normal vacancy procedure which may result in a by-election (or co-option if no by-election is called).
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J.G.Harston
Lib Dem
Leave-voting Brexit-supporting Liberal Democrat
Posts: 13,612
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Post by J.G.Harston on Apr 14, 2022 21:37:36 GMT
Vacancies on normal election day are filled by co-option, not election. Not necessarily. No, yes neccessarily. A vacancy at a normal parish council election is not a "normal" vacancy, and the parish council may not seek an election to fill it, it may only co-opt.
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peterl
Green
Monarchic Technocratic Localist
Posts: 8,047
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Post by peterl on Apr 14, 2022 23:07:21 GMT
Welwyn Hatfield, Hatfield, Briars
Lib Dem 251 Lab 200 Con 151 Abolish Hatfield Town Council 53
Turnout 21.9%
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Post by middleenglander on Apr 14, 2022 23:22:20 GMT
Welwyn Hatfield, Hatfield, Briars Lib Dem 251 Lab 200 Con 151 Abolish Hatfield Town Council 53 Turnout 21.9% Looks like a Liberal Democrat gain from Labour where there were only 3 candidates in 2019 - Labour 363 / 336 and 1 Liberal Democrat 364
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Post by listener on Apr 15, 2022 1:10:56 GMT
After a normal election of parish councillors, the parish council may co-opt councillors into the unfilled vacancies, provided sufficient councillors have been elected to form a quorum. The Local Government Act 1972 (Schedule 12, article 12) defines a parish council quorum as one-third of the membership or a minimum of 3, whichever is the higher. Parish councils have a minimum of five members.
If there are insufficient members elected to form a quorum, then the district council must hold fresh elections to fill the remaining vacancies. The quorum is calculated against the total membership of the council or the grouped council - and not against members elected from an individual parish ward or an individual parish in a group.
Here are a couple of examples from this year's parish elections in Scarborough.
Whitby Town Council elects 19 town councillors across 7 wards, so the quorum is 7. 15 town councillors have been returned unopposed from 6 wards. This is sufficient for a quorum, so the 15 councillors will co-opt the remaining 4 vacancies, including the single seat in Town South ward, where there were no candidates.
Mickleby grouped parish council elects 9 parish councillors across 3 parishes, so the quorum is 3. 5 parish councillors have been returned unopposed in 2 parishes. This is sufficient for a quorum, so the 5 councillors will co-opt the remaining 4 vacancies, including the two seats in Ellerby parish, which had no nominations.
Following the nominations last week, there are no parish councils in Scarborough which are inquorate.
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Post by listener on Apr 15, 2022 12:45:48 GMT
Picking up Harry Hayfield's post above about the level of nominations across Ceredigion, the degree of contestation would seem to be fairly typical of far-flung rural communities across England and Wales.
After a normal election of community councillors in Wales, the community council may co-opt councillors into the unfilled vacancies, provided sufficient councillors have been elected to form a quorum. The Local Government Act 1972 (Schedule 12, article 28) defines a community council quorum as one-third of the membership or a minimum of 3, whichever is the higher. Community councils have a minimum of five members.
There are 540 community council seats in Ceredigion. The 51 community councils are divided into 87 community wards, each one giving rise to an individual election. There are 8 contested elections (the 3 wards in Cardigan, 4 of the 5 wards in Aberystwyth and Haminiog ward of Llanrhystud, where Harry Hayfield is 1 of 9 candidates contesting 8 seats).
The remaining 79 wards are uncontested, including 2 with no nominations at all. There are no communities left inquorate, however, and there is no requirement for Ceredigion to hold fresh elections anywhere. Only 2 communities have fewer than 50% of the council nominated, 4 for 12 seats in Faenor and 4 for 10 seats in Llanfair Clydogau. There are 102 unfilled seats across Ceredigion, which will be filled by co-option.
I have compared this level of nominations with the position in 2012 and 2017. The degree of contestation in Ceredigion is declining marginally across the three election years, with the number of seats requiring co-option rising.
In 2012, with 86 separate wards (before Faenor community was split into 2 wards), there were 15 contested wards (including all wards of Cardigan and Aberystwyth) and 71 uncontested wards. All wards attracted at least 1 nomination and no community recorded 50% nominations or less. No communities were left inquorate and there were 54 unfilled seats to be filled by co-option.
In 2017, with 87 separate wards, there were 13 contested wards (including 2 of 3 wards in Cardigan and 4 of 5 wards in Aberystwyth) and 74 uncontested wards. Only 1 ward attracted no nominations and only one community (Faenor) attracted nominations as low as 50% of the seats available. No communities were left inquorate and there were 77 unfilled seats to be filled by co-option.
What of Harry Hayfield himself? In 2012 he was returned unopposed in Llansantffraed. In 2017 he lost his seat in Llansantffraed, coming 12th of 14 candidates for the 10 seats. The SOPNs show that he has a new address and is now seeking election to Llanrhystud Community Council, in the only contested ward outside Cardigan and Aberystwyth.
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Post by listener on Apr 15, 2022 13:13:26 GMT
Yesterday's by-election in the Briars ward of Hatfield Town Council, caused by the disqualification of Lee Newman (Lab) for non-attendance, is a Lib Dem gain from Labour.
The town council elected on 2 May 2019 was Con 6, Lab 6, Lib Dem 3.
On 6 May 2021, the Conservatives gained a seat in Central ward, following the resignation of Bhumi Zhaveri (Lab).
There appears to be a vacancy in East ward, where the Deputy Mayor, Mark Bolitho (Con), last attended a town council meeting on 3 November 2021 and no longer appears in the list of members.
So the current council make-up is Con 6, Lab 4, Lib Dem 4, Vacant 1. The town mayor is Richard Griffiths (Lib Dem) from South ward.
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Post by carolus on Apr 15, 2022 14:07:36 GMT
Yesterday's by-election in the Briars ward of Hatfield Town Council, caused by the disqualification of Lee Newman (Lab) for non-attendance, is a Lib Dem gain from Labour. The town council elected on 2 May 2019 was Con 6, Lab 6, Lib Dem 3. On 6 May 2021, the Conservatives gained a seat in Central ward, following the resignation of Bhumi Zhaveri (Lab). There appears to be a vacancy in East ward, where the Deputy Mayor, Mark Bolitho (Con), last attended a town council meeting on 3 November 2021 and no longer appears in the list of members. So the current council make-up is Con 6, Lab 4, Lib Dem 4, Vacant 1. The town mayor is Richard Griffiths (Lib Dem) from South ward. I think there was also a byelection in January this year, which was an LD gain from Lab in South West ward.
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Post by listener on Apr 15, 2022 14:22:20 GMT
You are absolutely correct - caused by the disqualification of Lenny Brandon (Lab) for non-attendance. He had been the Leader of the Town Council, until Welwyn Hatfield's standards sub-committee determined he had breached the councillors' code of conduct, after hearing allegations that he had bullied a senior employee of the town council. They recommended "appropriate training" for him, but he rejected their findings.
So that makes the town council composition Con 6, Lib Dem 5, Lab 3, Vacant 1
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Post by Pete Whitehead on Apr 15, 2022 14:34:07 GMT
Yesterday's by-election in the Briars ward of Hatfield Town Council, caused by the disqualification of Lee Newman (Lab) for non-attendance, is a Lib Dem gain from Labour. The town council elected on 2 May 2019 was Con 6, Lab 6, Lib Dem 3. On 6 May 2021, the Conservatives gained a seat in Central ward, following the resignation of Bhumi Zhaveri (Lab). There appears to be a vacancy in East ward, where the Deputy Mayor, Mark Bolitho (Con), last attended a town council meeting on 3 November 2021 and no longer appears in the list of members. So the current council make-up is Con 6, Lab 4, Lib Dem 4, Vacant 1. The town mayor is Richard Griffiths (Lib Dem) from South ward. I think there was also a byelection in January this year, which was an LD gain from Lab in South West ward. Briars and South West are two halves of the South West borough ward which has usually been fairly safe for Labour but which the Conservatives won last year with the result Con 526 Lab 515 LD 510 I guess the Lib Dems will fancy their chances here in May although they are somewhat on the defensive in other parts of the borough. Melvyn Jones who contested both the Briars and South West town council elections on a platform of Abolishing Hatfield Town council is contesting the borough ward with the even more noble objective of Abollising the TV license.
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Post by tonyhill on Apr 15, 2022 16:27:34 GMT
Not quite sure why he thinks getting elected to the Borough Council is going to advance that objective.
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Post by carolus on Apr 15, 2022 22:23:36 GMT
21 April Cheshire East, Sandbach, Town. Lab, LD, Ind. South Oxfordshire, Goring-on-Thames. Ind, Good Governance for Goring, [].
Cotswold, Ampney Crucis. [], [].
Cheshire East, Middlewich, Cledford (2). Ind*, Ind*
28 April Durham, Brandon & Byshottles, North. Lab, LD. East Suffolk, Lowestoft, Harbour & Normanston. Lab, Ind.
West Berkshire, Theale. [], [].
Cornwall, St Cleer. []* East Suffolk, Iken. []* West Berkshire, Hampstead Marshall (2). []*, []* West Suffolk, Clare (3). []*, []*
5 May Allerdale, Workington, Stainburn. Con, Lab. Allerdale, Workington, St Michael's. Con, Lab, Ind. Bolton, Westhougton, Daisy Hill. Con, Lab, LD, Reform UK & Bolton For Change, Westhoughton First Independents. Dover, Walmer, Lower Walmer. Con, LD. Elmbridge, Claygate. LD, For: Parking Against: Dishonesty, Secrecy, Vanity. Knowsley, Whiston, South. Green, Lab. Leeds, Horsforth, Victoria. Con, Lab, LD, Yorkshire Party. Leeds, Otley, Ashfield. Con, Green, Lab, LD. Sevenoaks, Sevenoaks, Eastern. Con, LD. Swindon, Nythe, Eldene & Liden, Nythe. Con, Lab. Three Rivers, Abbotts Langley, Primrose Hill. Lab, LD, Ind. West Oxfordshire, Chipping Norton (2). 2x Lab, Con, Ind. West Oxfordshire, Witney, West. Con, Green, Lab, LD. Wyre Forest, Bewdley, Wribbenhall. Con, Green, Lab.
Bradford, Menston. [], [], []. Dover, Shepherdswell with Coldred, Shepherdswell. [], []. Maidstone, Bearstead. [], [] Preston, Broughton-in-Amounderness. [], [].
Allerdale, Keswick, East. Lab* Cherwell, Heyford Park. []* Dover, Goodnestone. Ex-Amazon Director, Business Consultant* Durham, West Auckland, West Auckland 1. []* Kings Lynn & West Norfolk, Downham Market, Old Town (4). []*, []*, []* Kings Lynn & West Norfolk, Downham Market, North (2). []*, []* Kings Lynn & West Norfolk, Downham Market, South (2). []* Milton Keynes, Bletchley & Fenny Stratford, Manor North & Eaton Leys. []* West Oxfordshire, Stonesfield. []*
There are then a few about which I am uncertain: Rutland, Uppingham (2). A single candidate has been elected, but they haven't published the description. Kings Lynn & West Norfolk, Downham Market, East. There is meant to be an here, but they haven't published any SOPNs or Notices of uncontested elections. This may be that they received no nominations for the seats. Malvern Hills Trust, Chase. [], []. I'm using "appears on the council's page of upcoming elections" as sufficient grounds to include this, although it's not really a parish or town council
12 May Mid Devon, Tiverton, Lowman. Con, Lab, Local Independents for Tiverton. Shropshire, Whitchurch, West. LD, [].
Stroud, Rodborough, West. [], Retired Public Sector Accountant.
Cornwall, Looe, East. Con* Harborough, Broughton Astley, Broughton North. Con*
East Lindsey, Ingoldmells. []* Hinckley & Bosworth, Sutton Cheney, Dadlington (2). Ind*, []*
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peterl
Green
Monarchic Technocratic Localist
Posts: 8,047
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Post by peterl on Apr 20, 2022 19:31:02 GMT
Dorset - 26th May - Lyme Regis Town Council, Shaftesbury Town Council (East Ward). Lyme Regis is another attempt to fill the vacancy that attracted no nominations before.
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