Friday, 23 December 2022

Local Council By-Elections December 2022

This month saw 29,603 votes cast in 23 local authority contests. All percentages are rounded to the nearest single decimal place. 12 council seats changed hands. For comparison with November's results, see here.

Party
Number of Candidates
Total Vote
%
+/- 
Nov
+/- Dec 21
Avge/
Contest
+/-
Seats
Conservative
          20
 9,228
    31.2%
 +4.8
     -1.8
    461
    -3
Labour
          17
 8,428
    28.5%
  -2.1
    +3.5
    496
   +1
Lib Dem
          17
 3,960
    13.4%
 +0.9
     -3.2
    233
   +6
Green
           9
 2,084
     7.0%
  -2.1
     -3.5
    232
     0
SNP*
           2
 2,455
     8.3%
 +1.5
    +4.6
  1,228
     0
PC**
           0
  
    
 
    
    
     0
Ind***
          14
 3,307
    11.2%
  -2.0
    +2.3
    236
    -2
Other****
           3
  141
     0.5%
  -0.6
     -2.1
     47
    -2


* There were two by-elections in Scotland
** There were no by-elections in Wales
*** There were four Independent clashes
**** Others this month were Alba (81), TUSC (26), UKIP (34)

And here are the last contests of 2022. The Tories leave the month marginally weaker in local government, Labour and the Liberal Democrats marginally stronger. Though the late gain on the last day of action in Redcar shows the Tories are not down for the count quite yet. The Lib Dems will be pleased to return to winning ways with their most handsome haul of seats in months, which is cheering for them considering the run of poor numbers reported in the polls. It's also Labour's fourth month in a row that it has enjoyed a net gain of seats, so despite dropping two seats to the Tories in December the local by-election signs remain positive. Meanwhile, it's been 10 months of consecutive losses for the Tories and you'd have to go back to November last year to find them rounding a month off with a net gain. Sucks to be them.

As ever, reading by-elections come with significant health warnings and should be approached with care. But the direction of travel is clear, and as we look forward to a quiet January (only eight by-elections confirmed) we can expect more Tory pain.

1st December
Arun, Arundel & Walberton, Grn hold
King's Lynn & West Norfolk, Gaywood Clock, Lab hold
Norfolk, Gaywood North & Central, LDem gain from Con
Southampton, Bitterne, Lab gain from Con
Waverley, Chiddingfold & Dunsfold, LDem gain from Con
West Lothian, Broxburn, Uphall & Winchburgh, Lab hold

8th December
Brighton & Hove, Wish, Lab gain from Con
City of London, Aldgate, Ind hold
City of London, Farringdon Without, Ind hold
City of London, Queenhithe, Ind hold
Colchester, Highwoods, Lab gain from Oth (Highwoods Group), LDem gain from Oth (Highwoods Group)
Dumfries & Galloway, Mid Galloway & Wigtown West, Con gain from Lab
Lincolnshire, Spalding West, Ind hold
Medway, Peninsula, Ind hold
North Devon, Landkey, LDem gain from Con
South Holland, Monks House, Con gain from Ind

15th December
Amber Valley, Wingfield, Con hold
Ipswich, Priory Heath, Lab hold
Pendle, Barrowford & Pendleside, Con hold
South Kesteven, Toller, LDem gain from Ind
Test Valley, Andover Romans, LDem gain from Con
Wigan, Ashton, Lab hold

22nd December
Redcar & Cleveland, Normanby, Con gain from Lab

Image Credit

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It might be worth pointing out that one of those Tory wins from Labour - the Scottish one - was a "gain" in name only. But all parties have benefited from that sort of thing in the past.