Party | Number of Candidates | Total Vote | % | +/- Nov | +/- Dec 16 | Average/ Contest | +/- Seats |
Conservative | 11 | 4,038 | 26.1% | -10.4% | -3.1% | 367 | -1 |
Labour | 12 | 6,353 | 41.1% | +16.9% | +23.9% | 529 | -1 |
LibDem | 10 | 3,022 | 19.6% | -5.4% | -0.8% | 302 | +1 |
UKIP | 2 | 139 | 0.9% | -0.9% | -6.3% | 70 | 0 |
Green | 8 | 585 | 3.8% | -0.5% | +2.3% | 73 | 0 |
SNP | 0 | 0 | |||||
PC** | 0 | 0 | |||||
Ind*** | 8 | 1,311 | 8.5% | -6.4% | 164 | +1 | |
Other**** | 0 | 0 |
* There were no by-elections in Scotland
** There were no by-elections in Wales
*** There were two Independent clashes this month
**** No Others this month
It's December, it's near Christmas, it's been snowing, and that can only mean something of a thin month as far as by-elections are concerned. While Labour power to a commanding lead in terms of the popular vote, seven of the contests took place in seats held by the party. Though, of course, the 41% mark is more or less where we're knocking about in a good selection of the national polls ... Also, unusually, despite being about five times larger than the Tories December is one of those rare months the latter was out-organised, albeit thanks to Labour fielding a candidate in a City of London by-election. For their part, the Tories respect the "neutrality" of the corporation. Remember, this is the one municipal authority in the land that allows businesses to vote. Fun fact, institutional voters outnumber actual humans in the overall electorate.
Whatever. Not much movement in terms of seats. The Tories picked up a seat from Labour in nearby Newcastle-under-Lyme, while dropping one each to the LibDems and an Independent. In all the year finishes with the LibDems back on a mini-by-election roll, though we'll see if that persists into 2018. And the Tories fall back from a very healthy November to a weak December, though this seems to have more to do with the vagaries of the contests than anything more substantial vis a vis national politics.
7th December
North Devon Newport Lib gain from Con
Enfield, Enfield Highway Lab hold
13th and 14th December
Barnsley, Rockingham Lab hold
City of London, Portsoken Ind gain from Ind
Exeter, Newtown St Leonards Lab hold
Newcastle-under-Lyme, Bradwell Lab hold
Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newchapel Con gain from Lab
Salford, Langworthy Lab hold
Torbay, Watcombe Lib hold
Torridge, Westward Ind gain from Con
Welwyn Hatfield, Handside Lib hold
Wigan, Shevington Lab hold
Disappointing result in Newcastle-under-Lyme (Newchapel, btw, not Whitechapel). But, according to Britain Elects, it was a knife-edge win last time - 50.5 plays 49.5, or thereabouts, in a two-party race - and the Tories came through this time because a Lib Dem candidate took slightly more votes from us than from them. The incumbent Labour councillor falling out with the local party and resigning won't have helped, either.
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