Bedford Lib Dem triumph

Posted by David Boothroyd
View David's blog
15 years ago / October 30, 2009

This blog is changing format slightly. In place of the two separate postings, one announcing forthcoming byelections and one reporting results and other news, there will be a single weekly posting which will contain both. News will be sorted by nation or region, and then alphabetically by council.

Latest information about local council electoral matters is as follows:

East Midlands

East of England

  • Bedford borough council: Dave Hodgson, the candidate of the Liberal Democrats, was elected Mayor of Bedford at the byelection on 15 October caused by the death of Frank Branston. He becomes only the second directly-elected Liberal Democrat Mayor. The runner up was Parvez Akhtar (Conservative).
  • Epping Forest district council: Byelection on 5 November in Lower Sheering ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor and former cabinet member Heather Harding. Term ends 2011.
  • Forest Heath district council: Byelection on 22 October in Eriswell and The Rows ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Terry Waters who was the subject of an Adjudication Panel hearing which was imminent and went ahead in September 2009 after his resignation. Waters believed he has not been supported by council officers and that the hearing will not be fair. Term ends 2011.
  • Hertfordshire county council: Byelection on 22 October in Borehamwood North ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Martin Heywood. Term ends 2013.
  • Hertsmere borough council: Byelection on 22 October in Potters Bar Oakmere ward, also after the death of Conservative councillor Martin Heywood. Term ends 2012.
  • Huntingdonshire district council: Byelection on 29 October in Huntingdon North ward, after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Sam Kemp who has moved out of the ward. Term ends 2011.
  • North Norfolk district council: Helen Eales kept The Runtons ward in Conservative hands at a byelection on 15 October.
  • Peterborough borough council: Vacancy in West ward, after the death of former Mayor and Conservative councillor Michael Burton. Term ends May 2010.
    Two members of the council elected as Conservatives, Stephen Goldspink (East ward) and Graham Murphy (Orton Longueville ward), have announced that they have left their party and joined the English Democrats.

London

  • Hammersmith and Fulham borough council: Oliver Craig was elected in Town ward at the byelection on 15 October, holding the seat for the Conservatives.
  • Southwark borough council: Impending vacancy in The Lane ward, after the impending resignation of Labour councillor Susan Elan Jones who has been selected as Parliamentary candidate for Clwyd South. We understand that her resignation will not be submitted until after 9 November which is the latest date for byelections (no byelection may take place within six months of an ordinary council election, which is due in May 2010).

North East

North West

South East

  • Basingstoke and Deane borough council: Paul Miller was elected in Chineham ward at a byelection on 15 October. He held the seat for the Conservatives.
  • Bracknell Forest council: Mark Phillips was elected to the council from Hanworth ward on 15 October, holding the seat for the Conservatives.
  • Crawley borough council: Geraint Thomas won the Northgate ward in a byelection on 15 October, gaining for the Labour Party in a seat previously held by the Liberal Democrats.
  • Gosport borough council: Liberal Democrat group leader Peter Chegwyn has been disqualified for two years by the Adjudication Panel which would create a vacancy in his Leesland ward. He is reinstated for the moment until the High Court has ruled on his appeal. Term ends May 2010.
  • Hampshire county council: Peter Chegwyn has been disqualified for two years by the Adjudication Panel which would create a vacancy in his Hardway division. He is reinstated for the moment until the High Court has ruled on his appeal. Term ends 2013.
  • Isle of Wight council: David Whittaker, elected as a Conservative councillor for Newport West ward, has left the group after his arrest.
  • Shepway district council: Byelection on 12 November in New Romney Coast ward, after the resignation of Sue Ashworth due to ill health. Originally elected as a Liberal Democrat, she had since joined the Conservative Party. Term ends 2011.
  • Vale of White Horse district council: Byelection on 22 October in Abingdon Dunmore ward, after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Timothy Smith. Term ends 2011.
  • Worthing borough council: Impending vacancies in Marine ward and Salvington ward, due to the resignations of outgoing council leader Keith Mercer and his wife Dr Heather Mercer (both Conservatives) who are emigrating to Cyprus where Heather Mercer is to take up a university post. Terms ends in May 2010 (Salvington) and 2011 (Marine).

South West

West Midlands

Yorkshire and the Humber

  • Barnsley borough council: Roy Butterwood, the Labour candidate, won the byelection in St Helens ward on 15 October. By holding the seat for Labour, he preserves the party’s one seat majority on the council.
  • Doncaster borough council: Vacancy in Rossington ward, after the death of Independent councillor Jackie Clark. Term ends 2012.
  • Richmondshire district council: Two byelections held on 15 October both resulted in the Conservatives holding the seat. Stephanie Todd was elected in Hipswell ward, while Rachel Allen took Middleham ward.
  • Scarborough borough council: Vacancy in Mayfield ward, after the death of Conservative councillor and former deputy Mayor Peter Booth. Term ends 2011.

Wales

Scotland