Local Council By-Elections July 2022

This month saw 34,735 votes cast in 22 local authority contests. All percentages are rounded to the nearest single decimal place. Five council seats changed hands. For comparison with June's results, see here.

Party	Number of Candidates	Total Vote	%	+/-  Jun	+/- July 21	Avge/ Contest	+/- Seats
Conservative	21	10,167	29.3%	+4.0	-7.8	484	-3
Labour	22	13,762	39.6%	+9.7	+11.5	626	+1
LibDem	17	5,374	15.5%	-8.8	+1.2	316	+2
Green	10	1,990	5.7%	-1.1	-8.0	199	+1
SNP*	0						0
PC**	0						0
Ind***	6	1,812	5.2%	-6.1	-0.2	302	-1
Other****	10	1,630	4.7%	+3.9	+3.5	163	0

* There were no by-elections in Scotland
** There were no by-elections in Wales
*** There were no independent clashes
**** Others running this month were Abolish the BBC Television Licence (61), Alliance for Democracy and Freedom (91), Coventry Citizens (746), National Housing Party No More Refugees (1), Reform UK (36, 37), Residents' Association of Epsom and Ewell (549), TUSC (46), UKIP (36), Women's Equality Party (27)

After the disasters of the last few months, things have calmed down a lot since Boris Johnson's resignation. At the beginning of July the Tories didn't have the funnest of times, but things have stabilised with no seats lost for a fortnight. Digging into the votes is a less reassuring picture for them, however. The observations made about the local election votes in May still holds. Meanwhile, Labour continues to do well. Admittedly, the healthy vote is mainly down to the preponderance of Labour defences (12 to the Tories' seven) but a win is a win. And the Liberal Democrats and Greens are nibbling away at the Tories as well - a process I can't see reversing any time soon.

Looking forward to August, we have a very quiet time ahead with only a handful of vacancies. Don't expect any seismic shifts. But come September and the increasingly likely installation of Liz Truss, we'll see if she can reverse Tory fortunes on the local government front.

7th July
Camden, Hampstead Town, LDem gain from Lab
Chesterfield, Hollingwood & Inkersall, Lab gain from Ind
Epsom & Ewell, West Ewell. Death of Clive Smitheram, Oth hold
Hackney, De Beauvoir, Lab hold
Milton Keynes, Woughton & Fishermead, Lab hold
Mole Valley, Charlwood, Grn gain from Con
Welwyn Hatfield, Hatfield Central, Lab hold
West Sussex, Worthing West, Lab hold

14th July
Breckland, Thetford Boudica, Lab gain from Con
Coventry, Binley & Willenhall, Lab hold
Hyndburn, Overton, Lab hold
North Tyneside, Camperdown, Lab hold
Rutland, Oakham South, LDem gain from Con (unopposed)
South Somerset, Brympton, LDem hold
Wandsworth, Tooting Broadway, Lab hold
Warwickshire, Arden, Con hold
Wirral, Liscard, Lab hold

20th July
Basildon, Nethermayne, Ind hold

21st July
Lancaster, Harbour, Lab hold
North Warwickshire, Hartshill, Con hold
South Staffordshire, Penkridge North East & Acton Trussell, Con hold

28th July
Colchester, Lexden & Braiswick, Con hold
North East Derbyshire, Pilsley & Morton, Lab hold

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