Quarter One By-Election Results

Overall, 54,576 votes were cast over 26 local authority (tier one and tier two) contests. All percentages are rounded to the nearest single decimal place. For comparison you can view Quarter Four's results here.

Party	Number of Candidates	Total Vote	%	+/-  Q4	+/- Q1 2018	Average	+/- Seats
Conservative	24	14,082	25.8%	-6.6%	-12.5%	587	0
Labour	25	14,788	27.1%	-4.3%	-2.8%	592	-2
LibDem	21	11,731	21.5%	+1.5%	+6.0%	559	+1
UKIP	12	1,106	2.0%	+0.2%	+0.7%	92	0
Green	12	2,418	4.4%	+0.0%	+0.8%	202	+1
SNP*	1	865	1.6%	-1.8%	-2.4%	865	0
PC	1	831	1.5%	+1.5%	+1.5%	831	+1
Ind***	17	5,779	10.6%	+4.9%	-4.8%	339	-2
Other****	13	2,976	5.5%	+3.7%	+3.9%	229	+1

* There was one by-election in Scotland
** There were two by-elections in Wales
*** There were two Independent clashes
**** Others this quarter consisted of the SDP (0 and 14 votes), North East Party (74), For Britain (20 and 89), Socialist Alternative (368), Integrity Southampton (178), Christian People's Alliance (17), Women's Equality Party (46, 65), Aspire (1,012, 1,002), and House Party (89)

An interesting spread of results that reveal precisely nothing. Labour and the Tories are out in front, but both are depressed - as is usually the case in by-election results - by the disproportionate success of Independent candidates and, to a lesser extent, the others. You know none of these would get anywhere under the conditions of a general election. However, the LibDems are doing very well indeed, in terms of candidates fielded, vote tally achieved and vote averages. Can this be maintained next quarter where, if anything, the Brexit nonsense if going to get even more intense? And what if TInG, or Change UK, or CUK, or whatever you want to call them get involved at local election level? There is, after all, a small activist base and some sitting councillors who've left Labour and declared for them. They won't want to be idle during the coming local elections. 

Whatever happens, I guess we'll soon see!