Council By-elections

There were 4 council by-elections last night:

Harling & Heathlands Ward. Breckland DC. Con hold. Con 453 (48.5%, -21.2), UKIP 184 (19.7%, +19.7), Lab 168 (18%, -12.3), LD 129 (13.8%, +13.8). Swing of 20.5% from Con to UKIP since 2011.

Mid Forest Ward, Breckland DC. Con hold. Con 257 (63%), Lab 151 (37%). Ward was won uncontested by Tories in 2011 and in all previous elections since it was created.

Springfields & Trent Vale Ward, Stoke-on-Trent City Council. City Ind gain from Lab. City Ind 370 (34.9%, +14.2), Lab 245 (23.1%, -16.9), LD 152 (14.3%, -9.6), Con 109 (10.3%, +10.3), UKIP 105 (9.9%, -5.5), Ind 36 (3.4%, +3.4), BNP 27 (2.5%, +2.5), TUSC 14 (1.3%, +1.3), Dem Nat 2 (0.1%, +0.1). Swing of 15.6% from Lab to City Ind since 2011.

The 4th was in Farringdon Within Ward in the City of London. City elections uniquely involve a business franchise as well as residential voters, and are usually contested on a non-partisan basis. This one was won by the former Tory parliamentary candidate for Tooting, running as an Independent. He took 59% of the vote. A candidate who had been involved in the Occupy movement got 13%. The remaining 28% was shared between two more independents.

Labourlist column

My Labourlist column this week is about Nick Clegg's suggestion he could form a coalition with Labour after the General Election: http://labourlist.org/2012/07/the-remarkable-cheek-of-nick-clegg/

My week in politics ...

... is online here:

http://www.speakerschair.com/luke-akehurst-my-week-in-politics/

Council by-elections

Just three by-elections yesterday. A near miss in what had been a very safe Tory area in Norfolk shows what can be done by Labour in rural areas and small towns with strong local campaigning, and a Lib Dem hold in a Calderdale Ward where we won one of the other seats in May shows that we can't expect a walkover in the tricky 3-way politics of the Pennines, which is a very important area in General Elections.

Attleborough Queens Ward, Breckland DC. Con hold. Con 489 (51.9%), Lab 454 (48.2%).  No swing calculable as 3 Tory councillors elected unopposed in 2011. Labour vote was 13% in 2009 by-election. Detail about the campaign here: http://jermysjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/attleborough-by-election.html

Warley Ward, Calderdale MBC. LD hold. LD 1066 (41.7%, +4.3), Lab 896 (35.1%, -6), Con 454 (17.8%, -3.7), Green 140 (5.5%, +5.5). Swing of 5.2% from Lab to LD since May this year.

Milford Ward, New Forest DC. Con hold. Con 963 (80%, +1.6), Lab 240 (20%, -1.6). Swing of 1.6% from Lab to Con since 2011.

NEC Report

My latest NEC report is online here:

http://www.progressonline.org.uk/2012/07/18/report-from-the-nec/

Labourlist column

My Labourlist column this week is about the campaign to get formal recognition of the genocide suffered by the Iraqi Kurds: http://labourlist.org/2012/07/iraq-genocide-and-the-kurds/

Council by-elections

There were eight council by-elections yesterday, with strong results for Labour in Corby, Hammersmith & Fulham and Oxford.

Tenterden South Ward, Ashford DC. Con hold. Con 277 (45.9%, -12.9), Ashford Ind 179 (29.6%, -11.6), UKIP 72 (11.9%, +11.9), LD 40 (6.6%, +6.6), Lab 36 (6%, +6). Swing of 0.7% from Con to Ashford Ind since 2011.

East Ward, Corby DC. Lab hold. Lab 1063 (71.2%, +5.7), Con 252 (16.9%, -7.5), BNP 141 (9.4%, -0.7), LD 37 (2.5%, +2.5). Swing 6.6% from Con to Lab since 2011.

Town Ward, LB Hammersmith & Fulham. Con hold. Con 768 (49.4%, -10), Lab 416 (26.8%, +5.2), LD 331 (21.3%, -3.8), UKIP 39 (2.5%, +2.5). Swing of 7.6% from Con to Lab since 2010.

Horndean Downs Ward, East Hampshire DC. Con hold. Con 315 (43.4%, -21.1), LD 274 (37.8%, +13.6), Lab 73 (10.1%, -1.3), UKIP 63 (8.7%, +8.7). Swing of 17.4% from Con to LD since 2011.

Gwyngyll Division, Isle of Anglesey Council. Ind gain from PC. Ind 378 (80.3%, +20), UKIP 93 (19.7%, +19.7). Swing of 0.2% from UKIP to Ind since 2008. 

Llanbedrgoch Division, Isle of Anglesey Council. PC gain from Ind. PC 182 (40%, +16.2), Ind 92 + 92 (40.4%, -35.7), UKIP 89 (19.6%, +19.6). Swing of 26% from Ind to PC since 2008.

Cowley & Littlemore Division, Oxfordshire CC. Lab hold. Lab 1606 (64.6%, +24.4), Con 384 (15.4%, -7.3), Green 330 (13.3%, -9), LD 167 (6.7%, -8.2). Swing of 15.9% from Con to Lab since 2009.

Larkswood Ward, LB Waltham Forest. Con hold. Con 1392 (67%, +12.5), Lab 472 (22.7%, -5.3), LD 79 (3.8%, -13.7), Green 70 (3.4%, +3.4), Liberal 64 (3.1%, +3.1). Swing of 8.9% from Lab to Con since 2010.

Council by-election results

There were 9 by-elections last night with Labour gains in Essex (a first seat on Maldon District Council, gained from the Tories), Kent (a gain from the Tories in Westgate-on-Sea near to Margate, which we last won in 1999), and Liverpool in what had pre-2010 been a strong Lib Dem ward.

St Helen’s Ward, Chesterfield BC. Lab hold. Lab 579 (45.5%, -15.7), LD 412 (32.4%, -6.5), UKIP 205 (16.1%, +16.1), Green 54 (4.2%, +4.2), Con 23 (1.8%, +1.8). Swing of 4.6% from Lab to LD since 2011.

Heyhouses Ward, Fylde DC. Con hold. Con 401 (33.4%, -26.7), Ind 313 (26.1%, +26.1), LD 163 (13.6%, -26.3), Green 150 (12.5%, +12.5), UKIP 147 (12.3%, +12.3), Integrity UK W 25 (2.1%, +2.1). Swing of 26.4% from Con to Ind since 2011.

Grove Ward, RB Kingston upon Thames. LD hold. LD 720 (34.8%, -10.0), Con 687 (33.2%, +6.5), Lab 440 (21.3%, +10.3), Green 123 (5.9%, -6.7), UKIP 56 (2.7%, +2.7), BNP 23 (1.1%, +1.1), Christian Peoples Alliance 20 (1.0%,  +1.0). Swing of 8.3% from LD to Con since 2010.

Allerton & Hunts Cross Ward, Liverpool City Council. Lab gain from LD. Lab 1450 (57.4%, -4.4), LD 564 (22.3%, +4.5), Con 240 (9.5%, nc), Liberal 165 (6.5%; +1.5), Green 77 (3.0%,  -2.9), Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition 31 (1.2%; +1.2). Swing of 4.4% from Lab to LD since May this year.

Riverside Ward, Liverpool City Council. Lab hold. Lab 1424 (76.8%, -4.6), Green 163 (8.8%, +3.0), Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition 115 (6.2%, +2.9), LD 81 (4.4%,  +4.4), Con 70 (3.8%, -0.5). Swing of 3.8% from Lab to Green since May this year.

Tollesbury Ward, Maldon DC. Lab gain from Con. Lab 271 (44.9%, +9.0), Con 257 (42.6%, -5.4), Ind 75 (12.4%,  +12.4). Swing of 7.2% from Con to Lab since 2011.

West Ward, Malvern Hills DC. Green hold. Green 490 (44.2%, -4.6), Con 329 (29.7%, -11.1), Ind 130 (11.7%, +11.7), Lab 91 (8.2%, +8.2), UKIP 68 (6.1%, -4.3). Swing of 3.3% from Con to Green since 2011.

Westgate-on-Sea Ward, Thanet DC. Lab gain from Con. Lab 482 (30.9%, +8.6), Con 377 (24.2%, -7.7), Ind 316 (20.3%, -14.1), UKIP 298 (19.1%, +7.7), LD 64 (4.1%, +4.1), Ind 22 (1.4%, +1.4). Swing of 8.2% from Con to Lab since 2011.

West Malling & Leybourne Ward, Tonbridge & Malling BC. Con hold. Con 769 (48.3%, -3.5), LD 472 (29.7%, +9.1), UKIP 127 (8.0%, -4.5), Lab 123 (7.7%, -7.4), Eng Dem 57 (3.6%, +3.6), Green 43 (2.7%, +2.7).  Swing of 6.3% from Con to LD since 2011.