Party | Number of Candidates | Total Vote | % | +/- March | +/- Apr 18 | Average/ Contest | +/- Seats |
Conservative | 6 | 2,180 | 14.6% | -9.6% | -24.3% | 363 | 0 |
Labour | 6 | 3,466 | 23.2% | -8.6% | +13.2% | 578 | -1 |
LibDem | 5 | 2,741 | 18.4% | +1.0% | -5.8% | 548 | 0 |
UKIP | 3 | 182 | 1.2% | -1.2% | +0.5% | 61 | 0 |
Green | 5 | 2,316 | 15.5% | +7.6% | +8.9% | 463 | 0 |
SNP | 1 | 2,596 | 17.4% | +13.2% | +4.6% | 2,596 | +1 |
PC** | 0 | 0 | |||||
Ind*** | 5 | 1,321 | 8.8% | +2.1% | 264 | 0 | |
Other**** | 4 | 135 | 0.9% | -2.8% | +0.9% | 34 | 0 |
* There was one by-election in Scotland
** There were two by-elections in Wales
*** There were two Independent clashes this month
**** Others this month consisted of Women's Equality Party (53), Socialist Labour Party (56), For Britain (14), Libertarian Party (12)
That has got to smart. Okay, only six contests but over 14,000 votes were cast. And, well, the Conservatives came fifth. If memory serves their placement has never been so far down the score board. Okay, they kept hold of their one defence in safe 'n' leafy Norfolk whereas Labour is down a councillor to the Scottish Nationalists, but to turn in a tally behind all their mainstream opponents save UKIP isn't great. Is this anything to write home about?
Perhaps not. Labour defences and half of the by-elections taking place in Scotland and Wales usually spell doom to the hopes of a decent Tory effort. And with so few contests happening in April, the second order election flattening effect comes into play. Which is what we're seeing in the polls now in advance of the European elections. Then again, this is the third month on the trot we've registered a poor Conservative performance. Can we start putting the flags out then? Not so fast! There are two possibilities. We are seeing the disintegration we're witnessing in the polls of the Tory vote playing out at local level - as long predicted by this blog (plug, plug). Or, as the big parties do every year, the Tories have tried holding back as many by-election defences as possible for local election polling day. This allows for a concentrating of resources and, parties hope, more of their supporters turning out. However, there are a smaller number of by-elections than usual taking place on 2nd May this year - just 40. We will have to see how the Tories do then before we can draw any conclusions about the durability of their vote.
Still, it's always worth noting that despite the Brexit nonsense and the disappointment - for some - of our not leaving the EU, UKIP in local elections are well behind their national figures. True, they don't have as many activists any more and so don't stand as widely as they used to, but the votes they get are derisory. And this is in the absence of any presence of the Brexit Party. A sign perhaps that the hard leave vote is itself demobilising?
4th April
Norfolk CC, Wroxham, Con hold
11th April
Burnley BC, Rosehill with Burnley Wood, LDem hold
Edinburgh UA, Leith Walk, SNP gain from Lab
Lambeth LBC, Thornton, Lab hold
Merthyr Tydfil, Cyfarthfa, Ind hold
25th April
Shropshire UA, Belle Vue, Lab hold
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