Local Council By-Elections January 2018

This month saw 21,312 votes cast over 10 local authority (tier one and tier two) contests. All percentages are rounded to the nearest single decimal place. Four council seats changed hands in total. For comparison with December's results, see here.

Party	Number of Candidates	Total Vote	%	+/-  Dec	+/- Jan 17	Average/ Contest	+/- Seats
Conservative	10	10,564	49.6%	+23.5%	+30.7%	1,056	0
Labour	9	5,880	27.6%	-13.5%	+1.8%	653	0
LibDem	8	2,820	13.2%	-6.4%	-9.6%	353	0
UKIP	4	628	3.0%	+2.1%	-4.8%	157	0
Green	7	718	3.4%	-0.4%	+2.4%	103	0
SNP	0						0
PC**	0						0
Ind***	3	702	3.3%	-5.2%	+3.3%	55	0
Other****	0						0

* There were no by-elections in Scotland
** There were no by-elections in Wales
*** There was one Independent clash this month
**** No Others this month

We start 2018 not with a bang, but a whimper. In all fairness, this has to be the most boring month of by-elections I've covered in a long time. It started off promising with a gain from the Tories by Labour, which was clawed back in reply during the 18th's round of by-elections. Everywhere else, it was stasis. And, even worse, what action there was took place in safe Conservative seats, hence their being the runaway winners in this month's popular vote.

Any take homes? Not really, except these results might suggest Labour is starting to stand in no hope seats thanks to the expanded membership. This is about time. Somehow, by hook and by crook and with a party collapsing around their ears, the Conservatives nearly always scrape together a candidate. In other news, UKIP are still in a bad way - and news now reaches us that the entirety of its council group in Thurrock has gone indie. And yet they still manage a higher polling average than the more numerous and active Greens.

Hopefully February will prove to be a more interesting month ...


4th January
Hertsmere BC, Borehamwood Cowley Hill Lab gain from Con

11th January
Kent CC Birchington & Thanet Rural Con hold
Lancashire CC , Wyre Rural Central Con hold
Thanet BC, Thanet Villages Con hold
Wyre BC, Preesall Con hold

18th January
Bolton MB Hulton Con gain from Lab
Bournemouth UA Throop and Muscliff Ind hold
Milton Keynes UA, Newport Pagnell North & Hanslope Con hold
Rochford DC, Downhall & Rawreth Lib hold

25th January
Isle of Wight UA, Central Wight Con hold