Local Council By-Elections November 2023

This month saw 36,965 votes cast in 26 local authority contests. All percentages are rounded to the nearest single decimal place. 10 council seats changed hands. For comparison with October's results, see here.

Party	Number of Candidates	Total Vote	%	+/- Oct	+/- Nov 22	Avge/ Contest	+/- Seats
Conservative	23	7,178	19.4%	-3.6	-7.0	312	-1
Labour	20	10,115	27.4%	-1.2	-3.2	506	+2
Lib Dem	21	6,741	18.2%	-1.9	+5.7	321	+5
Green	16	3,886	10.5%	-6.4	+1.4	243	- 1
SNP*	2	1,205	3.3%	+3.3	-3.5	603	-1
PC**	1	201	0.5%	+0.5	+0.4	201	0
Ind***	32	5,387	14.7%	+11.6	+1.5	168	-3
Other****	13	2,252	6.1%	-2.2	+5.0	173	-1

* There was one by-election in Scotland
** There were three by-elections in Wales
*** There were eight Independent clashes
**** Others this month consisted of Alba (66), British Unionist Party (96), Farnworth and Kearsley First (1,081), Freedom Alliance (7), Molesley Residents' Association (523), Monster Raving Loony (20), Reform (58, 82, 121, 101), UKIP (24) Yorkshire Party (38, 35)

A low, low score for the Tories. A not terribly convincing percentage for Labour. And council seats changing hands as if they were going out of fashion. Yes, November was a curious month in council by-election land. But it's seats that matter the most and the Tories emerge just one down while Labour are up and the Liberal Democrats are racing ahead. A bit of a rare occasion to see the Greens come out with a net loss as well.

Distorting the percentages is the frankly ridiculous vote for the Independents. 32 candidates for 26 seats? We have to remember there were three contested City of London elections, where the convention is that parties (except Labour) tend not to enter the fray for boring reasons. But of interest among the results was the Green result in Camden - Keir Starmer's back yard. This seat, formerly held by Sian Berry who's now their candidate replacing Caroline Lucas, went from a marginal to a safe seat. A mix of local and national reasons is the word from the doors. As I've long argued, this is where the electoral discomfort will come from when Starmer enters office.

Next month is probably going to be a quiet one for Labour as the 15 seats that are up are nearly all Tory and Lib Dem defences.

2nd November
Argyll & Bute, South Kintyre, Ind hold
Buckinghamshire, Buckingham East, LDem gain from Con
City of London, Cripplegate, Lab gain from Ind
City of London, Langbourn, Ind hold
Elmbridge, Molesey East, LDem gain from Oth
Melton, Asfordby, Lab gain from Grn
Rotherham, Kilnhurst & Swinton East, Lab hold
Trafford, Bucklow St Martin's, Lab hold

9th November
Lewisham, Deptford, Lab hold
Lincolnshire, Grantham North, Con hold
Powys, Crickhowell with Cwmdu & Tretower, LDem hold x2
South Holland, Spalding St Paul's, Con gain from Ind
South Kesteven, Grantham St Wulfram's, Con hold

16th November
Bolton, Kearsley, Oth hold
Bolton, Westhoughton North & Hunger Hill, LDem gain from Con
Ceredigion, Aberystwyth Penparcau, PC hold
Doncaster, Rossington & Bawtry, Lab
North Lanarkshire, Motherwell South East & Ravenscraig, Lab gain from SNP
North Somerset, Wrington, Grn gain from Ind

22nd November
Powys, Talybont-on-Usk, LDem hold

23rd November
Cambridge, Queen Edith's, LDem gain from Ind
Newham, Plaistow North, Ind gain from Lab

30th November
Camden, Highgate, Grn hold
City of London, Farringdon Without, Oth hold (uncontested)
City of London, Portsoken, Ind hold
Durham, Dawdon, Lab hold
North Yorkshire, Sowerby & Topcliffe, LDem gain from Grn