Local Council By-Elections March 2018

This month saw 36,473 votes cast over 26 local authority (tier one and tier two) contests. All percentages are rounded to the nearest single decimal place. 12 council seats changed hands in total. For comparison with February's results, see here.

Party	Number of Candidates	Total Vote	%	+/-  Feb	+/- Mar 17	Average/ Contest	+/- Seats
Conservative	23	12,551	34.4%	-2.1%	-1.7%	546	-4
Labour	23	12,829	35.2%	+8.0%	+7.3%	558	+1
LibDem	18	3,701	10.1%	-10.0%	-4.3%	206	+2
UKIP	5	432	1.2%	+0.4%	-9.5%	86	-1
Green	13	1,027	2.8%	-1.4%	-2.5%	79	0
SNP	2	2,432	6.7%	+2.9%	+6.7%	1,216	+1
PC**	0						0
Ind***	16	2,256	6.2%	-0.4%	+1.1%	141	0
Other****	2	1,245	3.4%	+2.5%	+2.8%	623	+1

* There were two by-elections in Scotland
** There were no by-elections in Wales
*** There were two independent clashes this month
**** Others this March consisted of Elvis Bus Pass (41), Farnworth and Keasley First (1,204)

A bit of a messier month than the net gains/losses suggest. The story of March though is one of polarisation, albeit a polarisation that sees the LibDems doing better than their national polling has it, and UKIP and the Greens more or less reflecting those rankings. The SNP, however, have done very well to climb over six per cent in a somewhat fraught political juncture - if memory serves they haven't done as well as this since riding high after the independence referendum and the 2015 general election.

In all, little evidence national politics has filtered down to local level. Given the week of hell Labour has had, there was no discernible impact on the huge win it had in Knowsley on the 29th.

Unfortunately, council by-election fans, April is usually local election quiet time as the parties tend to roll over vacancies for the main campaigning in May. There are four booked in for next Thursday which, if last April was anything to go by, could be half the month's quota.

1st March
Basingstoke & Deane BC, Kempshott Con hold
Clackmannanshire UA, Clackmannanshire North SNP hold
East Devon DC, Exmouth Town Lib hold
Solihull MB, Blythe Con hold

8th March
Bolton MB, Farnworth Oth gain from Lab
Dacorum BC, Northchurch Lib gain from Con
East Hampshire DC Petersfield, Bell Hill Ind gain from Con
Harlow DC Little Parndon & Hare Street Lab hold
Medway UA, Rochester West Lab gain from Con
Nottingham City Council, Wollaton West Lab gain from Con
Rutland UA, Oakham SE Ind gain from Con
Tameside, Droylesden East Lab hold

15th March
Redcar & Cleveland UA, Longbeck Con gain from Ind
South Kesteven DC, Stamford St George's Con hold
South Kesteven DC, Stamford St John's Con hold

22nd March
Aylesbury Vale DC, Central and Walton Lib gain from Con
Bassetlaw DC, Worksop SE Lab hold
Cheshire East DC Bunbury Con hold
Chiltern DC Ridgeway Con gain from Ind
City of London Billingsgate Ind hold
City of London Bishopsgate Ind hold
Midlothian UA Penicuik SNP gain from Lab
Staffordshire Moorlands DC, Leek West Lab gain from Con
Thurrock BC, Ockenden Con gain from UKIP

29th March
Knowsley MB, Page Moss Lab hold