Local Council By-Elections May 2018

This month saw 117,437 votes cast over 63 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 April's results, see here.

Party	Number of Candidates	Total Vote	%	+/-  Apr	+/- May 17	Average/ Contest	+/- Seats
Conservative	63	46,074	39.2%	+0.3%	-1.8%	731	-2
Labour	57	44,326	37.7%	+27.7%	+10.0%	778	+3
LibDem	44	17,826	15.2%	-9.0%	-3.9%	405	0
UKIP	6	683	0.6%	-0.1%	-3.3%	114	-2
Green	20	5,825	5.0%	-1.6%	+0.9%	291	0
SNP	0						0
PC**	0						0
Ind***	6	1,694	1.4%	-5.3%	-1.6%	282	+2
Other****	2	1,009	0.9%	+0.9%	-0.3%	505	-1

* There were no by-elections in Scotland
** There were no by-elections in Wales
*** There was only one Independent Clash
**** Others this month were Loughton Residents (655) and Farnham Residents (354)

May is always a messy, busy month for council by-elections. What with so many being held over until local election polling day and the, of course, trying to discern the by-elections from the normal run elections. But here they are and what do we find? The continuing story of the last 12 months: polarisation. UKIP have crashed and burned, but at least in the locals neither the Liberal Democrats or the Greens are squeezed as much as national polling would suggest.

There are those who say with x, y, and z going on that Labour should be miles ahead in the polls. Either those people haven't bothered looking under the hood or are idiots. Yet there is something interesting that comes up time and again from these local election round ups. Despite Labour voters traditionally not turning out as much as Conservative ones, and the latter somehow find someone to stand almost every time despite the shrinking activist base, Labour usually do better on the vote average tally. The Tories have to stand in more places each time to 'win' the by-election popular vote. That's a thought worth pondering.


3rd May
Aylesbury Vale DC, Quainton LDem gain from Con
Braintree DC, Bocking North Lab gain from Con
Braintree DC, Hatfield Peveral & Terling Con hold
Cambridge BC, East Chesterton Lab hold
Cheltenham BC, Leckhampton Con hold
Cherwell DC, Cropredy, Sibfords & Wroxton Con hold
Cheshire West & Chester, Ellesmere Port Town Lab hold
Daventry DC, Walgrave Con hold
Epping Forest DC, Loughton Broadway Oth hold
Epping Forest DC, Moreton & Fyfield Con hold (unopposed)
Epping Forest DC, Waltham Abbey Honey Lane Con hold
Gateshead MB, Ryton, Crookhill & Stella Lab hold
Gosport BC, Leeslands LDem hold
Great Yarmouth MB, Central & Northgate Lab hold
Halton BC, Halton View Lab hold
Havant BC, Hayling West Con hold
Hertfordshire CC, St Albans North Lab gain from LDem
Kirklees MB, Birstall & Birkinshaw Con hold
Leicestershire CC, Stoney Stanton & Croft Con hold
Liverpool MB, Knotty Ash Lab hold
Milton Keynes BC, Newport Pagnell South LDem hold
North East Lincolnshire UA, Immingham Lab hold
North Hertfordshire DC, Letchworth Grange Lab hold
Oldham MB, Chadderton Central Lab hold
Oldham MB, Hollinwood Lab hold
Preston BC, Greyfriars Con hold
Reading BC, Church Lab hold
Reading BC, Katesgrove Lab hold
Reading BC, Kentwood Con hold
Reigate & Banstead BC, Horley West Con hold
Rochford DC, Hockley Con gain from Oth
Runnymede BC, Chertsey South & Row Town Con hold
Runnymede BC, Foxhills Ind gain from Con
Rushmoor BC, West Heath Con gain from UKIP
Sandwell MB, Greets Green & Lyng Lab hold
Sandwell MB, St Pauls Lab hold
Sefton MB, Ford Lab hold
South Holland DC, Donington, Quadring and Gosberton Con hold
St Edmunsbury BC, Haverhill East Con hold
St Edmunsbury BC, Haverhill North Con hold
Swale BC, Sheppey East Con hold
Torridge DC, Bideford East Con gain from UKIP
Trafford MB, Altrincham Grn gain from Con
Walsall MB, Paddock Con hold
Warwickshire CC, Leamington Willes Lab hold
Welwyn & Hatfield BC, Hatfield Villages Con hold
Welwyn & Hatfield BC, Northaw & Cuffley Con Hold
Welwyn-Hatfield BC, Welham Green & Hatfield South LDem hold
West Oxfordshire DC, Freeland & Handborough Con hold
Weymouth & Portland BC, Weymouth West Con hold
Wirral MB, Hoylake & Meols Con hold
Wolverhampton MB, Graisley Lab hold
Worcester MB, Warndon Lab hold

17th May
Lancaster BC, Skerton West Lab hold
Lancaster BC, University & Scotforth Rural Lab hold and Lab gain from Grn
Suffolk Coastal DC, Leiston Con hold

24th May
Bristol UA, Westbury-on-Trym Con gain from LDem
Broadland, Aylsham LDem gain from Con
Horsham DC, Cowfold, Shermanbury & West Grinstead Con hold
North Kesteven DC, Kirkby La Thorpe & South Kye Ind gain from Con
Stockport MB, Edgeley & Cheadle Heath Lab hold
Tamworth BC, Glascote Lab hold
Waverley BC, Farnham Castle Oth hold