Local Council By-Elections July 2018

This month saw 32,303 votes cast over 24 local authority (tier one and tier two) contests. All percentages are rounded to the nearest single decimal place. Seven council seats changed hands in total. For comparison with June's results, see here.

Party	Number of Candidates	Total Vote	%	+/-  June	+/- July 17	Average/ Contest	+/- Seats
Conservative	24	11,706	36.2%	+9.8%	+3.5%	488	-1
Labour	20	10,216	31.6%	-5.7%	-5.9%	511	-1
LibDem	18	4,849	15.0%	-7.8%	-0.7%	269	+1
UKIP	6	437	1.4%	+0.1%	+0.6%	73	-1
Green	10	838	2.6%	-2.0%	+1.4%	84	0
SNP	0						0
PC**	1	747	2.3%	+2.3%	+2.3%	747	0
Ind***	10	2,275	7.0%	+1.0%	-0.8%	228	+2
Other****	7	1,235	3.8%	+2.1%	+3.5%	176	0

* There were no by-elections in Scotland
** There were two by-elections in Wales
*** This month saw three Independent clashes
**** Others this month consisted of Active for Plymouth (123), BNP (25), Democrats and Veterans (338), English Democrats (72), For Britain (63), Our West Lancashire (567), Yorkshire Party (47)

Another month passes into the annals of  local election history, and what does it tell us? Not a great deal. The Tories, despite their organisation falling to bits are still able to stretch every sinew to get candidates onto local polls. Labour, despite its membership advantage languishes behind - and yet manages to still beat the Tories on average votes. And the Liberal Democrats continue to significantly out perform their polling numbers.

Disappointingly for UKIP, the recent shot in the polling arm they've received thanks to the soft Brexit perception of Theresa May's Chequers Deal hasn't worked its way through yet. More interesting, however, is the recrudescence of the far right in the Others section. The BNP, English Democrats and For Britain have managed their usual tallies but the debut of the Democrats and Veterans is certainly a respectable vote for such a new outfit, reminding us there is a constituency for this sort of stuff even though UKIP remain severely weakened. A warning for the future, perhaps?


5th July
Bath and Northeast Somerset UA, Kingsmead LDem gain from Con
Lichfield DC, Curborough Lab gain from Con
Shropshire DC, Shifnal South and Cosford Con hold

12th July
Barnsley BC, Old Town Lab hold
City of London, Aldgate Ind hold
Darlington BC, Cockerton Lab hold
East Dorset DC, Verwood East Con hold
Elmbridge BC, Oxshott and Stoke d’Abernon Con hold
Hartlepool UA, Rural West Con hold
Lewes DC, Chailey & Wivelsfield Con hold
Norfolk CC, Yare & All Saints Con hold
Rutland UA, Oakham South West Ind gain from Con
Waveney DC, Pakefield Con gain from Lab
Waveney DC, Southwold & Reydon LDem gain from Con

19th July
Bury BC, Besses Lab hold
Carmarthanshire UA, Saron PC hold
Milton Keynes UA, Bletchley East Lab hold
Northamptonshire CC, St George Lab hold
Oxford UA, Headington LDem hold
West Lancashire CC, Hesketh with Becconsall Con hold

26th July
Merthyr Tydfil UA, Gurnos Ind gain from Lab
New Forest DC, Fawley, Blackfield & Langley Con hold
North East Lincolnshire UA, Freshney Lab hold
Plymouth UA, Stoke Lab hold
Thanet DC, Birchington South Con gain from UKIP
Torridge DC, Hartland & Bradworthy Con gain from LDem
West Lancashire BC, Knowsley Lab hold