This month saw 30,896 votes cast in 20 local authority contests. All percentages are rounded to the nearest single decimal place. 11 council seats changed hands. For comparison with November's results, see here.
Party
|
Number of Candidates
|
Total Vote
|
%
|
+/- Nov
|
+/- Dec 24
|
Avge/
Contest |
+/-
Seats |
Conservative
|
20
| 6,013 |
19.5%
| +2.2 |
-2.6
|
301
|
-3
|
Labour
|
17
| 2,913 |
9.4%
| -1.5 |
-15.0
| 171
|
-4
|
Lib Dem
|
17
| 6,367
|
20.6%
| +7.8 |
+3.9
|
375
|
+1
|
Reform
|
19
| 9,570
|
31.0%
| +3.4 |
+15.3
|
504
| +7
|
Green
|
15
| 2,535
|
8.2%
| -5.0
|
+1.1
|
169
|
0
|
SNP*
|
2
| 1,693 |
5.5%
| +0.4 |
-0.9
| 847
|
-1
|
PC**
|
1
| 956 |
3.1%
| +1.5 |
+2.8
| 956
|
0
|
Ind***
|
10
| 1,413 |
4.6%
|
-1.0
|
141
|
-1
| |
Other****
|
2
|
1.3%
| -0.5 |
-0.3
|
196
|
+1 |
* There were two by-elections in Scotland
** There was one by-election in Wales
*** There were two Independent clashes
**** Others this month were Broxtowe Alliance (388), SDP (4)
Congratulations to the Labour Party. I thought last month was the pits, but December's results haven't met even my low expectatons. Vote tallies for by-elections indicate nothing apart from the a party's standing among the hardest of hardcore voters. And, demographically speaking, skew toward the elderly and the right. But even so, never before has Labour done as bad as this. Not even during the bleakest moments of the Corbyn years when the party was assailed by the media, and its coalition split by Brexit. Labour's run is worse than it ever was for the Tories got hammered in the wake of Liz Truss, which leaves one question. Can their support drop even further?
Meanwhile, Reform continue to benefit from a political environment Labour and the Tories think are to their advantage. The Conservative vote is proving more resilient, but you might expect that in a set of contests with an over-representation of right wing voters. A shame for them the same cannot be said for their seat retention. And so, as mainstream politics edges further to the right, Nigel Farage's followers are there to profit from it.
The Liberal Democrats managed to turn in a creditable performance, whereas this month the Green surge was but a rumour. And note the large vote for Plaid Cymru. Yes, it was a seat they already held but their share of the poll, when Welsh by-elections come around, have been scooting upwards.
In all, the last round of 2025's by-elections were great for Reform, very encouraging for the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru, and catastrophic for Labour. If Labour doesn't get rid of its leader and change direction, words much to this effect will appear here this time next year.
2 December
Derbyshire, Long Eaton North, Ref hold
4 December
Broxtowe, Stapleford South East, Oth gain from Lab
East Devon, Exmouth Halsdon, LDem hold
Middlesbrough, Nunthorpe, Ref gain from LDem
Torridge, Winkleigh, LDem gain from Con
Watford, Tudor, LDem hold
11 December
Caerphilly, Penyrheol, PC hold
Darlington, Red Hall & Lingfield, Ref gain from Lab
East Devon, Seaton, LDem gain from Con
Highland, Fort William & Ardnamurchan, LDem gain from SNP
Lichfield, Armitage & Handsacre, Con hold
South Kesteven, Aveland, Ref gain from Con
South Kesteven, Belmont, Ref gain from Ind
Stockton-on-Tees, Eaglescliffe West, Con hold
West Lothian, Whitburn & Blackburn, Ref gain from Lab
18 December
Blackpool, Greenlands, Ref gain from Lab
Cornwall, St Columb Minor & Colan, Ref hold
Harborough, Market Harborough Logan, Con gain from LDem
South Ribble, Broad Oak, LDem hold
Suffolk, Pakefield, Ref gain from Con
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