Council by-elections

There was one council by-election on Wednesday and two in the same ward on Thursday:

Purley-on-Thames Ward, West Berkshire UA. Con hold. Con 936 (68.1%, +1), Lab 172 (12.5%, -8.7), UKIP 163 (11.9%, +11.9), LD 104 (7.6%, -4.1). Swing of 4.9% from Lab to Con since 2011. This ward is in the parliamentary key seat of Reading West.

Marshalswick South Ward, St Albans DC. 2 Con holds. Con 667 & 647 (30.8%, -8.1), LD 495 & 488 (22.9%, +3.6), Green 450 & 166 (20.8%, +10.6), Lab 406 & 312 (18.7%, -4), UKIP 148 & 147 (6.8%, -2.4). Swing of 5.9% from Con to LD since 2014. This is in one of a handful of parliamentary seats the LDs think they might have a chance of gaining against the tide. The big gap between the two Green candidates is because they were listed on the ballot as “first choice” and “second choice”. This is the first by-election evidence of the Green polling surge.