Elections at Labour Conference

There were three internal elections held at Labour Party Annual Conference.

 

CLP delegates voted for the Conference Arrangements Committee (CAC) and National Constitutional Committee (NCC). These elections are always highly factionalised with rival left and moderate slates of candidates. These committees sound boring but determine how conference is run and the policing of the rulebook.

 

The CAC result, where each CLP could vote for 2 candidates, was:

 

Heidi Alexander MP (Moderate)           74972 elected

Tom Blenkinsop MP (Moderate)           67140 elected

Katy Clark MP (Left)                           58769

Peter Willsman (Left)                            49835

 

So in this election there was a 56.7% to 43.3% split in favour of the moderates.

 

The NCC result involved a third candidate without factional backing so was more difficult to interpret:

 

Maggie Cosin (Moderate)                    66146 elected

Gary Heather (Left)                              36647

Gertrude Hewitt (Independent)            24559

 

The other election at conference was for the 12 seats in the Trade Union section of Labour’s National Executive Committee (out of 33 seats on the NEC in total). Usually these are not really contested as the unions construct a deal to ensure all the main affiliates are represented and a contest avoided. In this instance the voting figures show there was broad agreement around eleven candidates but the twelfth seat was hotly contested between Community and BFAWU. Community is, along with USDAW, the union closest politically to the Blairite Progress grouping. It primarily represents workers in the steel industry and in the wider communities associated with that industry. BFAWU is the Bakers’ Union and is less than 10% the size of Community with only 5,100 affiliated members on the most recent figures I have. It is politically on the Hard Left and its candidacy for the NEC (and consequent removal of the Community incumbent representing over 55,000 affiliated members and the sixth largest affiliate) was reportedly being heavily touted by Unite. In the event Community held on, unlike in 2009 when the quota was used to exclude their incumbent male NEC member. The figures suggest Unison, GMB, USDAW and Community voted one way, and Unite, perhaps CWU, and some smaller leftwing unions the other.

 

Each union could vote for 12 candidates:

Keith Birch (Unison)                       2610244

Paddy Lillis (USDAW)                   2610244

Wendy Nicholls (Unison)                2610244

Mary Turner (GMB)                       2610244

Jim Kennedy (UCATT)                  2605144

Cath Speight (GMB)                      2605144

Andi Fox (TSSA)                           2594644

Jennie Formby (Unite)                    2578358

Andy Kerr (CWU)                         2578358

Rachel Maskell (Unite)                   2578358

Martin Mayer (Unite)                     2565948

Susan Lewis (Community)             1358165

Ian Hodson (BFAWU)                  1269889 not elected

 

The other indicator of left-right balance among the CLP delegates was on a card vote on a rule change about election of council Labour Group leaders by an electoral college rather than by councillors, which was promoted by the (Hard Left) Campaign for Labour Party Democracy and opposed by the NEC. The CLPs split 19% in favour of this proposal and 81% against (though presumably some people on the left may have opposed it on grounds of practical feasibility).

Council by-elections

There were 10 council by-elections yesterday. The only seat to change hands was a Sevenoaks ward which had been won by Labour in a by-election due to the personal vote of the candidate in the village concerned, and has now been lost to UKIP.

Wombwell Ward, Barnsley MBC. Lab hold. Lab 1240 (66.8%, -6.5), UKIP 457 (24.6%, +24.6), Con 81 (4.4%, -0.8), Eng Dem 78 (4.2%, -3.8). Swing of 15.6% from Lab to UKIP since 2012.

Highfield Ward, Blackpool UA. Lab hold. Lab 518 (36.4%, -2.9), Con 388 (27.2%, -12.9), UKIP 324 (22.8%, +22.8), Ind 90 (6.3%, -9.6), LD 59 (4.1%, -0.4), Green 37 (2.6%, +2.6), Ind 8 (0.6%, +0.6). Swing of 5% from Con to Lab since 2011.

Banbury Roscote Ward, Cherwell DC. Lab hold. Lab 758 (58.9%, +2.2), Con 323 (25.1%, -7.3), UKIP 206 (16%, +5.1). Swing of 4.8% from Con to Lab since Nov 2012 by-election.

Coleford East Ward, Forest of Dean DC. Lab hold. Lab 289 (37.2%, +1.9), UKIP 227 (29.3%, +29.3), Con 104 (13.4%, -10.3), LD 80 (10.3%, -5.6), Ind 76 (9.8%, -15.3). Swing of 13.7% from Lab to UKIP since 2011.

Redmarley Ward, Forest of Dean DC. Con hold. Con 332 (65.5%, -14.5), UKIP 119 (23.5%, +23.5), Lab 56 (11%, -9). Swing of 19% from Con to UKIP since 2011.

Way Ward, Mid Devon DC. Con hold. Con 189 (48%, -25.9), LD 130 (33%, +33), UKIP 60 (15.2%, +15.2), Ind 15 (3.8%, +3.8). Swing of 29.5% from Con to LD since 2011.

Mickleham, Westhumble and Pixham Ward, Mole Valley DC. LD hold. LD 423 (55.7%, +4.2), Con 236 (31.1%, -10.6), UKIP 101 (13.3%, +6.4). Swing of 7.4% from Con to LD since 2011.

Crockenhill and Well Hill, Sevenoaks BC. UKIP gain from Lab. UKIP 216 (35.7%, +28), Lab 188 (31.1%, -27.3), Con 139 (23%, -11), LD 62 (10.2%, +10.2). Swing of 27.7% from Lab to UKIP since 2012.

St James Ward, Tendring DC. Con hold. Con 445 (49.8%, -2.5), UKIP 196 (21.9%, +21.9), Lab 135 (15.1%, -2.4), Tendring First 82 (9.2%, -9.7), LD 35 (3.9%, -1.5). Swing of 12.2% from Con to UKIP since 2011.

Storrington Division, West Sussex CC. Con hold. Con 1037 (45.9%, -2), UKIP 729 (32.2%, -5.8), LD 364 (16.1%, +2), Green 131 (5.8%, +5.8). Swing of 1.9% from UKIP to Con since May this year.

Council by-elections

There were four council by-elections yesterday and one on Tuesday. UKIP showed continued progress with a gain in one of their heartland areas on the Kent coast; and Labour had solid results in Dudley and Oxford (gaining a seat from the LDs in leafy North Oxford) thanks in part to strong local campaigning.

17 September

Maybury & Sheerwater Ward, Woking BC. Con gain from LD. Con 1057 (44.1%, +22.6), Lab 833 (34.8%, +1.1), UKIP 255 (10.6%, -0.2), LD 252 (10.5%, -23.6). Swing of 10.8% from Lab to Con since 2012. This by-election was caused when the previous result (an LD win) was overturned because of electoral fraud. There is a large Muslim community in the ward many of whom seem to have switched from LD to Con as the Conservative candidate this time was from their community.

19 September

Seasalter Ward, Canterbury CC. UKIP gain from Con. UKIP 644 (38.5%, +4.1), Con 522 (31.2%, -7.2), Lab 307 (18.3%, -2.4), LD 147 (8.8%, +4.3), Green 54 (3.2%, +3.2). Swing of 5.7% from Con to UKIP since May this year.

Coseley East Ward, Dudley MBC. Lab hold. Lab 1053 (55.7%, +1.3), UKIP 478 (25.3%, +8.2), Con 190 (10.1%, -8.6), BNP 120 (6.3%, +6.3), Green 33 (1.7%, -1.1), NF 16 (0.8%, -6.2). Swing of 3.5% from Lab to UKIP since 2012.

Four Marks & Medstead Ward, East Hampshire DC. Con hold. Con 749 (58.1%, -7.4), UKIP 348 (27%, +27), Lab 119 (9.2%, +0.6), Green 73 (5.7%, +5.7). Swing of 17.2% from Con to UKIP since 2011.

North Ward, Oxford CC. Lab gain from LD. Lab 367 (34.7%, +1.3), LD 330 (31.2%, +8.3), Green 262 (24.7%, -0.2), Con 100 (9.4%, -9.4). Swing of 3.5% from Lab to LD since 2012.

Council by-elections

There were five council by-elections yesterday:

 

Dunstable Northfields Ward, Central Bedfordshire UA. Ind gain from Con. Ind 434 (33.4%, -2.8), Con 305 (23.5%, -7.8), Lab 297 (22.9%, -2.6), UKIP 227 (17.5%, +17.5), LD 35 (2.7%, -4.2). Swing of 2.5% from Con to Ind since 2011.

 

Wreake Villages Ward, Charnwood DC. Con hold. Con 396 (82%, +3.9), Lab 87 (18%, -3.9). Swing of 3.9% from Lab to Con since 2011.

 

Frithville Ward, East Lincolnshire DC. Con gain from Ind. Con 221 (57.6%, +23.7), UKIP 163 (42.4%, +42.4). Swing of 9.4% from Con to UKIP since 2011.

 

Hitchin North Division, Hertfordshire CC. Lab hold. Lab 1250 (47.8%, +1.8), Con 673 (25.7%, -7), LD 246 (9.4%, +2.8), UKIP 235 (9%, +9), Green 212 (8.1%, -6.6). Swing of 4.4% from Con to Lab since May this year.

 

Hitchin Oughton Ward, North Hertfordshire DC. Lab hold. Lab 361 (48%, -12.8), Con 180 (23.9%, -0.7), UKIP 148 (19.7%, +19.7), Green 32 (4.3%, -4.5), LD 31 (4.1%, -0.7). Swing of 6.1% from Lab to Con since 2012.

 

The discrepancy is the Hitchin results would appear to be caused by Labour targeting the marginal County division (gained from the Tories this May) at the expense of the safe district ward.

Labourlist Column

My Labourlist column from earlier this week about the union link: 

http://labourlist.org/2013/09/keeping-the-link-is-not-an-issue-about-left-and-right-in-the-labour-party/

Council by-elections

There were a bumper crop of 10 council by-elections yesterday. Difficult to see a pattern other than UKIP doing a bit better than they had in previous weeks.

Fenside Ward, Boston BC. UKIP gain from Eng Dem. UKIP 162 (39.4%, +39.4), Con 87 (21.2%, +21.2), LD 87 (21.2%, +10.6), Lab 75 (18.2%, -6.9). Swing of 9.1% from Con to UKIP since 2011.

Yewdale Ward, Carlisle BC. Lab hold. Lab 716 (48.7%, -10.5), Con 453 (30.8%, -4.6), UKIP 257 (17.5%, +17.5), LD 31 (2.1%, -0.7), Green 14 (1%, -1.7). Swing of 3% from Lab to Con since 2012.

Loughborough Ashby Ward, Charnwood DC. Lab hold. Lab 375 (71.8%, +9.6), UKIP 118 (22.6%, +22.6), Con 29 (5.6%, -32.2). Swing of 6.5% from Lab to UKIP since 2011.

Wadebridge East Division, Cornwall UA. LD gain from Ind. LD 408 (31.8%, +6.9), Ind 399 (31.1%, +5.9), Con 217 (16.9%, +5.6), UKIP 202 (15.7%, +0.1), Lab 58 (4.5%, -7.6). Swing of 0.5% from Ind to LD since May this year.

Ravensthorpe Ward, Daventry BC. Con hold. Con 285 (46.5%, -15.3), UKIP 212 (34.6%, +34.6), Lab 93 (15.2%, +15.2), LD 23 (3.8%, -14.4). Swing of 25% from Con to UKIP since 2012.

Ely East Ward, East Cambridgeshire DC. Con hold. Con 418 (37.5%, -4.5) LD 322 (28.9%, -8.2) UKIP 145 (13%, +13) Lab 138 (12.4%, -8.6) Ind 93 (8.3%, +8.3). Swing of 1.9% from LD to Con since 2011.

Middleton Cheney Division, Northamptonshire CC. Con hold. Con 1081 (52.8%, +10), UKIP 604 (29.5%, -5.9), Lab 221 (10.8%, -2.3), LD 141 (6.9%, -1.9). Swing of 8% from UKIP to Con since this May.

Bardwell Ward, St Edmundsbury BC. Con hold. Con 419 (78.5%, +1.7), Lab 65 (12.2%, +12.2), UKIP 50 (9.4%, -13.8). Swing of 5.3% from Con to Lab since 2011. 

Torrington Ward, Torridge DC. Green gain from LD. Green 292 (35.3%, +35.3), UKIP 181 (21.9%, +14.4), Ind 160 (19.3%, -9.4), Ind 106 (12.8%, +12.8), Con 88 (10.6%, -18.7). Swing of 10.5% from UKIP to Green since 2011.

Hambleden Valley Ward, Wycombe DC. Con hold. Con 379 (70.3%, -9.8), UKIP 97 (18%, +18), Lab 63 (11.7%, +11.7). Swing of 13.9% from Con to UKIP since 2011.

There was also one by-election last week:

Windermere Bowness Ward, South Lakeland DC. LD hold. LD 431 (60.9%, -4.2), Con 248 (35%, +5.1), Lab 29 (4.1%, -0.9). Swing of 4.7% from LD to Con since 2011.