Council by-elections

Three by-elections last night. Good results for Labour in Lewisham and Harwich on the Essex coast, disappointing failure to field a candidate in Fenland.

 

Parson Drove and Wisbech St Mary, Fenland DC. Con hold. Con 384 (44.1%, -3), LD 240 (27.6%, -8.5), UKIP 214 (24.6%, +24.6), Eng Dem 33 (3.8%, +3.8). Swing of 2.8% from LD to Con since 2011.

Evelyn Ward, LB Lewisham. Lab hold. Lab 918 (54.3%, +5.4), Lewisham People Before Profit 404 (23.9%, +16.1), LD 131 (7.7%, -8.5), UKIP 119 (7%, +7), Con 119 (7%, -5.6). Swing of 5.4% from Lab to LPBP since 2010.

Harwich Ward, Tendring DC. Lab hold. Lab 282 (34.9%, -5), Con 220 (27.2%, -12), Community 163 (20.2%, +9.7), LD 143 (17.7%, +17.7). Swing of 3.5% from Con to Lab since 2011.

Labourlist Column

My look ahead to the May council elections:

http://labourlist.org/2013/03/how-well-does-labour-need-to-do-in-the-local-elections/

Council by-elections

Some spectacularly varied council by-election results last night. Landslide victories for Labour in two previously Lab vs LD marginal wards in Islington, the LDs however proving they are very much alive and kicking in non-metropolitan areas with gains from Labour in Hertfordshire and the Tories in Dorset, and a shock UKIP gain in Havering on the London/Essex border. The one constant was the dreadful performance of the Tories, as per last week.

Adeyfield West Ward, Dacorum DC. LD gain from Lab. LD 363 (32.6%, +18.1), Lab 278 (25%, -17.5), Con 229 (20.6%, -22.4), UKIP 193 (17.3%, +17.3), Eng Dem 51 (4.6%, +4.6). Swing of 17.8% from Lab to LD since 2011.

Gooshays Ward, LB Havering. UKIP gain from Con. UKIP 831 (39%, +24.6), Lab 569 (26.7%, -1.8), Con 280 (13.1%, -12.6), Harrold Hill Res Assoc 227 (10.6%, +1.2), BNP 202 (9.5%, -12.5), Res Assoc of London 24 (1.1%, +1.1). Swing of 13.2% from Lab to UKIP since 2010. This ward elected 2 Tory and 1 Lab cllrs in 2010.

Junction Ward, LB Islington. Lab gain from LD. Lab 1343 (61.9%, +21.5), Green 381 (17.6%, +5.3), LD 276 (12.7%, -25), Con 120 (5.5%, -4.1), BNP 31 (1.4%, +1.4), SPGB 18 (0.8%, +0.8). Swing of 8.1% from Green to Lab since 2010. This ward elected 2 LD and 1 Lab cllrs in 2010.

St George’s Ward, LB Islington. Lab hold. Lab 1698 (71.3%, +38.5), LD 371 (15.6%, -27.9), Green 206 (8.6%, -5.5), Con 87 (3.7%, -6), BNP 20 (0.8%, +0.8). Swing of 33.2% from LD to Lab since 2010. The LDs held two of three seats in this ward in 2010.

Lodbourne, Ward, North Dorset DC. LD gain from Con. LD 187 (47.9%, +0.1), Con 134 (34.4%, -17.8), Lab 69 (17.7%, +17.7). Swing of 9% from Con to LD since 2011.

The Stours Ward, North Dorset DC. Con hold. Con 207 (80.2%, +11.8), Lab 51 (19.8%, +19.8). Swing of 4% from Con to Lab since 2011.

Council by-elections

Four council by-elections last night, with a catastrophic night for the Tories, losing two safe wards in Surrey and Sussex.

Aldwick East Ward, Arun DC. LD gain from Con. LD 383 (33.6%, +20.5), Con 357 (31.3%, -22.3), UKIP 339 (29.7%, +18.1), Lab 61 (5.4%, -5.4). Swing of 21.4% from Con to LD since 2011.

Gospel Oak Ward, LB Camden. Lab hold. Lab 1272 (59.9%, +20.7), Con 419 (19.7%, -7.9), Green 134 (6.3%, -5.4), LD 132 (6.2%, -15.3), TUSC 109 (5.1%, +5.1), BNP 57 (2.7%, +2.7). Swing of 14.3% from Con to Lab since 2010. This is a very poor result for the Tories in a ward they held from 2006 to 2010.

Royton South Ward, Oldham MBC. Lab hold. Lab 938 (63.7%, -6.1), C 244 (16.6%, -7.7), LD 221 (15%, +9), Green 70 (4.8%, +4.8). Swing of 0.8% from Con to Lab since 2012. This ward was won by the Lib Dems as recently as 2008.

Foxhills Ward, Runnymede BC. UKIP gain from Con. UKIP 336 (40.2%, +17.4), Con 318 (38.1%, -8.5), Lab 181 (21.7%, -0.3). Swing of 13% from Con to UKIP since 2012.

Labourlist column

My Eastleigh results analysis: http://labourlist.org/2013/03/feeling-flat-after-eastleigh/

Council by-elections

As well as Eastleigh, there were four council by-elections on Thursday night. All showed good performances by Labour:

Beaver Ward, Ashford BC. Lab hold. Lab 296 (35.8%, -1.7), Con 158 (19.1%, -8.7), UKIP 155 (18.8%, +18.8), Ashford Ind 85 (10.3%, -2.1), LD 79 (9.6%, -9.8), Ind 34 (4.1%, +4.1), Green 19 (2.3%, -0.3). Swing of 3.5% from Con to Lab since Nov 2011 by-election, and of 7% since May 2011.

Berrylands Ward, RB Kingston-upon-Thames. LD hold. LD 948 (39.5%, -3.9), Con 761 (31.0%, -5), Lab 455 (18.6%, +9.2), UKIP 175 (7.1%, +7.1), Green 112 (4.6%, -4.8). Swing of 0.6% from Con to LD since 2010. This is a good result for the LDs in a split ward, and for Labour which almost doubled its vote share when a tactical squeeze might have been expected.

Coatbridge Ward, North Lanarkshire UA. Lab hold. First preference votes: Labour 2145 (78.8%, +4), SNP 452 (16.6%, -5.8), Con 71 (2.6%, -0.2), UKIP 34 (1.2%, +1.2), LD 19 (0.7%, +0.7). Swing of 4.9% from SNP to Lab since 2012.

Pensby & Thingwall Ward, Wirral MBC. Lab gain from Con. Lab 1411 (38.5%, +5.7), Con 868 (23.7%, -4.7), LD 834 (22.7%, -2.5), UKIP 426 (11.6%, +2.4), Green 74 (2%, -2.4), Eng Dem 53 (1.4%, +1.4). Swing of 5.2% from Con to Lab since 2012. Excellent result for Labour in a ward that was Tory in 2011 and LD, with Labour in 3rd place, for the 3 elections before that. This is in Wirral West parliamentary constituency, number 45 on Labour’s target list of key seats.