Local Council By-Elections August 2018

This month saw 20,964 votes cast over 14 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 July's results, see here.

Party	Number of Candidates	Total Vote	%	+/-  July	+/- Aug 17	Average/ Contest	+/- Seats
Conservative	14	6,931	33.1%	-3.1%	-5.4%	495	-1
Labour	13	6,203	30.0%	-1.6%	-10.9%	477	-1
LibDem	11	5,145	25.0%	+10.0%	+11.9%	468	+1
UKIP	3	298	1.4%	+0.0%	-1.6%	99	0
Green	5	427	2.0%	-0.6%	-0.9%	85	0
SNP	0						0
PC**	1	73	0.3%	-2.0%	+0.3%	73	0
Ind***	7	1,887	9.0%	+2.0%	+7.1%	270	+1
Other****	0						0

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

August is often a boring month for by-elections. People jet off, have the kids during the school holidays and on the whole even less bothered about turning up for a local election. And the August of 2018 was no break from the norm. The overall vote of the main parties is a bit depressed while the Liberal Democrats hit the heights - in percentage terms - not seen for a very long time. If only local elections were real life, eh fellas?

And so Conservatives and Labour are down one councillor apiece, and the LibDems and Indies are up one. Amazing. Further down the division there's no sign of the UKIP revival, but if it's real it will take a couple more months to filter through in terms of more seats being contested. Apart from that, there's not much else to say. Hopefully September will prove to be a more interesting time in which yours truly can blush with pride as I write about a clutch of Labour gains.


2nd August
Fylde BC, Ansdell Con hold
Kings Lynn and West Norfolk BC, Snettisham Con hold
Peterborough UA, Orton Longueville Con hold

9th August
Cornwall UA, Newquay Treviglas Con gain from LDem

16th August
Bury MB, East Lab hold
Neath Port Talbot UA, Gwynfi Ind gain from Lab
North Yorkshire CC, Knaresborough LDem gain from Con

23rd August
Cornwall UA, Bude LDem hold
East Hertfordsahire DC, Watton-at-Stone LDem gain from Con
Knowsley MB, Halewood South Lab hold
North Warwickshire BC, Newton Regis & Warton Con hold
Rushcliffe BC, Gotham Con hold
Wirral MB, Bromborough Lab hold

30th August
Sevenoaks DC, Farningham, Horton Kirby & South Darenth Con hold