Local Council By-Elections January 2022

This month saw 14,912 votes cast over nine local authority contests. All percentages are rounded to the nearest single decimal place. Overall, three council seats changed hands. For comparison with December's results, see here.

Party	Number of Candidates	Total Vote	%	+/-  Dec	+/- Feb 20	Avge/ Contest	+/- Seats
Conservative	9	5,757	38.6%	+5.6	+0.1	640	0
Labour	8	4,616	31.0%	+6.0	+1.0	577	-1
LibDem	8	1,640	11.0%	-5.6	-4.5	205	+1
Green	8	1,038	7.0%	-3.5	+4.5	130	+1
SNP*	1	1,217	8.2%	+4.5	+8.2	1,217	0
PC**	0						0
Ind***	4	644	4.3%	-4.6	-8.3	161	0
Other****	0						-1

* There was one by-election in Scotland
** There were no by-elections in Wales
*** There were no Independent clashes
**** No Others fielded a candidate

December was the Tories' worst ever month for council seat losses for at least as long I've been tracking by-election results (nine years now!), and this month? They did alright. Dropping one to the Greens in Wychavon was a headache, but picking up another off the Yorkshire Party, who did not contest Selby, was a nice consolation for them. More encouragingly, considering what's happening, there wre pretty convincing defences elsewhere. Particularly in Dartford and Kent. Their vote took a tumble, but large majorities still separated their victorious holds from second-placed parties. Annoying for those of us wanting to see their vote slashed, but understandable given their pensioner base are even more likely to turn out for local by-elections than younger voters are. And, of course, the ever-present "local factors".

Not much else to comment on this month except to note this is the first time the Greens have managed to field as many candidates as Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Given their by-election successes this last year and how their flattering figures in the polls, I expect this serious effort to continue. Still no sign of our new left parties though.

6th January
Gedling, Cavendish, LDem gain from Lab

13th January
Wychavon, The Littletons, Grn gain from Con

20th January
Charnwood, Loughborough Shelthorpe, Lab hold x2
East Lindsey, Chapel St Leonards, Con hold
East Lothian, Preston, Seton and Gosford, Lab hold
Selby, Byram and Brotherton, Con gain from Oth

27th January
Dartford, Maypole and Leyton Cross, Con hold
Dartford, Wilmington, Sutton-at-Hone and Hawley, Con hold
Kent, Wilmington, Con hold

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