Council By-Elections November 2024

This month saw 94,276  votes cast in 45 local authority contests. All percentages are rounded to the nearest single decimal place. 17 council seats changed hands. For comparison with October's results, see here.

Party	Number of Candidates	Total Vote	%	+/- Oct	+/- Nov 23	Avge/ Contest	+/- Seats
Conservative	45	21,280	22.6%	-4.8	+3.2	473	+7
Labour	43	23,298	24.7%	+2.3	-2.7	542	-2
Lib Dem	40	17,325	18.4%	-2.8	+0.2	433	0
Reform*	31	9,561	10.1%	+4.7	+9.1	308	+3
Green	37	6,102	6.5%	-4.5	-4.0	165	-1
SNP**	15	11,841	12.6%	+8.6	+9.3	789	-4
PC***	0						0
Ind****	20	3,199	3.4%	-1.5	-11.3	160	-1
Other*****	21	1,670	1.8%	-0.5	-3.3	80	-2

* Reform's comparison results are based on recomputing their tallies from last year's Others
** There were 15 by-elections in Scotland
*** There were no by-elections in Wales
**** There were three Independent clashes this month
***** Others this month were Alba (239, 118), Communist Party of Britain (23), Heritage Party (61, 20, 11), Scottish Family Party (83, 71, 53, 51, 25), Scottish Libertarian (15, 9), SDP (33), Socialist Party of Great Britain (22), Swanscombe & Greenhithe Residents' Association (395, 252), TUSC (68, 56, 25), Workers' Party (40). The comparison figures from last year have been recomputed minus Reform's contribution.

Last month was Labour's worts performance in council by-elections since May 2021, so those who care about such things will be glad to see its performance has improved. Still losing a couple of councillors, but if Labour can stay at this level the position isn't as worrisome as last month's results suggested. The Tories, of course, were the runaway winners but polling lower than Labour and losing out on the vote average suggests their position is far from peachy. Especially when older voters are more likely to turn out for these contests. Still, partisans of the Tories will take heart from these small wins so soon after the catastrophe that befell their party.

The Liberal Democrats are holding steady after October's wobbly performance, but Reform are continuing to surge. 10% off 31 candidates is their best performance and largest intervention so far, and likely will be until next May's by-elections coincide with the locals. As they go up, so the Greens' vote share is pushed down. Not a great month after strong performances, but the real test will be if they can continue to do well out of discontent with the Tories now Reform are available as a strong alternative. Also, an unprecedented 15 by-elections in Scotland distort the overall result and see the SNP come in strongly, despite losing four seats to the Tories. If July's result wasn't emphatic enough, the party's performance since illustrates the problems they've got holding together their coalition.

December is going to be a much quieter affair, but as opinion polls these days more closely resemble monthly round ups of council by-elections I don't see any reason to believe the festive outcome is going to be much different to this one.

7th November
Aberdeenshire, Central Buchan, Con gain from SNP
Aberdeenshire, Fraserburgh & District, Con gain from SNP
Aberdeenshire, Mearns, Con gain from SNP
Blackpool, Bispham, Lab gain from Con
Bracknell Forest, Great Hollands, Lab hold
Herefordshire, Bishops Frome & Cradley, Grn hold
Inverclyde, Inverclyde West, Lab hold
Moray, Elgin City South, Con gain from SNP
Wyre, Marsh Mill, Ref gain from Con

14th November
Derbyshire Dales, Calver & Longstone, Con gain from Grn
East Ayrshire, Doon Valley, Lab hold
East Ayrshire, Kilmarnock West and Crosshouse, Lab hold
Edinburgh, Colinton/Fairmilehead, LDem gain from Lab
Greenwich, Shooters Hill, Lab hold
Milton Keynes, Bradwell, LDem hold
Milton Keynes, Broughton, LDem hold
Redbridge, Wanstead Park, Lab hold
Telford & Wrekin, Hadley & Leegomery, Lab hold
Telford & Wrekin, The Nedge, Lab hold
West Lothian, Whitburn & Blackburn, Lab hold
West Oxfordshire, Chipping Norton, LDem gain from Lab

21st November
Dacorum, Bennetts End, Lab gain from Ind
Dacorum, Hemel Hempstead Town, Con gain from LDem
Dartford, Greenhithe & Knockhall, Ref gain from Oth
Glasgow, Drumchapel Anniesland, Lab hold
Glasgow, Maryhill, Lab hold
Glasgow, North East, Lab hold
Gosport, Harbourside & Town, Con gain from Lab
Highland, Fort William & Ardnamuchan, LDem hold
Horsham, Denne, Con gain from LDem
Kent, Swanscombe & Greenhithe, Ref gain from Oth
Rutland, Oakham North East, LDem hold
Sefton, Litherlan, Lab hold
Somerset, Blackmoor Vale, Con gain from LDem
Somerset, Rowbarton & Staplegrove, LDem hold
Swale, Murston, Ind hold

28th November
Barking and Dagenham, Northbury, Lab hold
Barking & Dagenham, Village, Lab hold x2
Enfield, Jubilee, Lab hold
Fife, West Fife & Coastal Villages, Lab hold
Islington, Junction, Lab hold
Sheffield, Woodhouse, LDem gain from Lab
South Gloucestershire, Frampton Cotterell, LDem hold
West Dunbartonshire, Kilpatrick, Lab hold
York, Haxby & Wigginton, LDem hold

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