Local Council By-Elections May 2023

This month saw 96,635 votes cast in 39 local authority contests. All percentages are rounded to the nearest single decimal place. 11 council seats changed hands. For comparison with April's results, see here.

Party	Number of Candidates	Total Vote	%	+/-  Apr	+/- May 22	Avge/ Contest	+/- Seats
Conservative	35	28,573	29.6%	+1.4	-1.5	816	-5
Labour	37	30,767	31.8%	-18.0	-10.0	832	-2
Lib Dem	32	19,689	20.4%	+6.9	+5.6	615	+4
Green	23	9,906	10.3%	+7.5	+3.2	431	+3
SNP*	0						0
PC**	0						0
Ind***	13	7,351	7.8%	+3.3	+2.7	565	0
Other****	4	349	0.4%	-0.1	+0.2	87	0

* There were no by-elections in Scotland
** There were no by-elections in Wales
*** There were four Independent clashes this month
**** Others were Communist Party of Britain (150), Liberal (10), Reform UK (75), UKIP (114)

By-elections-wise, not actually a catastrophe for the Tories. Yes, they lost out on the popular vote and dropped another five councillors, but compared to the massacre at the local elections these set of results aren't too bad. Labour however underperformed on the same showing, leaving May with two fewer by-election seats - the first time Labour have ended the month down for about 18 months. Does it indicate anything? Probably not, it being more a case of just how the by-elections fell. But what if it did?

If this is the start of something, it is likely to only impact by-elections only. The Liberal Democrats and Greens matched their local election tallies, and are doing well mostly at the Tories' expense. What is possible is by-elections might increasingly become occasions for both parties to increase their councillor count with Labour doing less well. Partly because there's little enthusiasm for Labour, but also - as we'll see in something I've got on the back burner about the Greens - there remain plenty of annoyed former Tory voters who won't be voting Labour as a protest, never mind in a general election.

4th May
Brentwood, South Weald, LDem gain from Con
Cambridge, Castle, LDem gain from Lab
Cambridge, Coleridge, Lab hold
Cambridgeshire, Arbury, Lab hold
Cambridgeshire, Soham South and Haddenham, Con hold
Cannock Chase, Cannock East, Lab gain from Con
Cannock Chase, Hednesford South, Grn gain from Ind
Dudley, St. Thomas’s, Lab hold
Durham, Chester-le-Street East, Lab gain from Con
Essex, Laindon Park and Fryern, Lab hold
Gloucestershire, Highnam, Con hold
Hampshire, Purbrook and Stakes South, Con hold
Kent, Sheppey, Con hold
Kingston upon Hull, Central, Lab hold
Kirklees, Ashbrow, Lab hold
Knowsley, Prescot North, LDem hold
Lincolnshire, Eagle and Hykeham West, Con hold
Manchester, Ardwick, Lab hold
Milton Keynes, Central Milton Keynes, Lab hold
Newcastle upon Tyne, North Jesmond, LDem gain from Lab
Norfolk, Swaffham, Con hold
North Tyneside, Camperdown, Lab hold
Nottinghamshire, Kirkby South, Ind hold
Pendle, Vivary Bridge, Con hold
Peterborough, Park, Con gain from Lab
Preston, Preston Rural East, Con hold
Reading, Park, Grn hold
Sheffield, Manor Castle, Lab hold
Suffolk, Felixstowe Coastal, LDem gain from Con
Suffolk, Priory Heath, Lab hold
Surrey, Walton South and Oatlands, LDem gain from Con
Three Rivers, Chorleywood South and Maple Cross, LDem hold
Westmorland and Furness, Old Barrow and Hindpool, Lab hold
West Oxfordshire, Ducklington, Con hold
West Sussex, East Grinstead Meridian, Con hold
Worcestershire, Malvern Chase, Grn gain from LDem
Worthing, Central, Lab hold

17th May
Stroud, Painswick & Upton, Grn gain from Con

22nd May
Isles of Scilly, St Mary's, Ind hold

25th May
North Yorkshire, Eastfield, Ind gain from Lab