Friday 29 September 2023

Local Council By-Elections September 2023

This month saw 34,725 votes cast in 22 local authority contests. All percentages are rounded to the nearest single decimal place. Nine council seats changed hands. For comparison with August's results, see here.

Party
Number of Candidates
Total Vote
%
+/- Aug
+/- Sep 22
Avge/
Contest
+/-
Seats
Conservative
          21
10,475
    30.2%
 +7.4
     -4.6
   499
    -1
Labour
          20
11,046
    31.8%
 +3.6
     +3.1
  552
    -1
Lib Dem
          20
 7,259
    20.9%
  -4.9
     +8.4
   363
   +2
Green
          10
 1,394
     4.0%
  -7.4
     -6.1
   139
    -1
SNP*
           2
 1,242
     3.6%
 +3.6
     +1.9
   621
    -1
PC**
           0
 
    
 
    
 
     0
Ind***
          10
 2,809
     8.1%
 +4.5
      -0.5
   280
   +2
Other****
          10
  500
     1.4%
 -5.5
     +0.4
    50
     0

* There were two by-elections in Scotland
** There were no by-elections in Wales
*** There were two Independent clashes
**** Others this month consisted of Alba (70), Reform (35, 133, 66), Scottish Libertarian (23), TUSC (19, 74), Women's Equality Party (34), Yorkshire Party (19, 27)

After the excitement of the last couple of by-election round-ups, everything has settled back to "normal" this month. Labour win the popular vote by an unconvincing margin, the Tories come in second, the Liberal Democrats do best in hauling in most councillors, and the Greens drop from contenders to also rans. If there is something interesting buried in these results are the Tories' ability to still win by-elections, despite everything. They took seats from the Greens, Labour, and the SNP, and it's only their weakness elsewhere that forced a net loss on them. A warning then that where circumstances are right, the Tories can buck the national trend.

6 September:
Spelthorne, Ashford Town, Con gain from Grn

7 September:
Broadland, Thorpe St Andrew North West, Con gain from Lab
City of London, Bread Street, Ind hold
Manchester, Brooklands, Lab hold
Newcastle-under-Lyme, Audley, Lab hold
Newcastle-under-Lyme, Knutton, Lab hold
Shropshire, Worfield, LDem gain from Con

14 September:
Barking & Dagenham, Mayesbrook, Lab hold
Chorley, Croston, Mawdesley & Euxton South, Con hold
Lancashire, Chorley Rural West, Lab gain from Con
Lincolnshire, Carholme, Lab hold
Liverpool, Fazakerley East, Lab hold
Swale, Minster Cliffs, Ind gain from Con

21 September:
Colchester, Highwoods, LDem gain from Lab
Kingston-upon-Hull, Bricknell, Lab hold
Milton Keynes, Newport Pagnell South, LDem gain from Con
South Ayrshire, Girvan & South Carrick, Con gain from SNP

28 September:
Highland, Tain & Easter Ross, Ind gain from LDem
North Yorkshire, Hutton Rudby & Osmortherley, Con hold
South Norfolk, Mulbarton & Stoke Holy Cross, LDem hold
South Norfolk, South Wymondham, LDem hold
Wolverhampton, Bushbury South & Low Hill, Lab hold

Image Credit

No comments: