Forthcoming byelections

Forthcoming byelections in principal local authorities, and seats vacant, appear to be as follows:

30 April

• Harlow borough council: Staple Tye ward, after the disqualification of David Kirton who failed to attend any meeting of the council or its committees in six months. Kirton had been elected as a Conservative but had left his group after being charged with criminal offences; he has been unable to attend council meetings because he has been remanded in custody. Term ends 2012.
• Reigate and Banstead borough council: Tadworth and Walton ward, after the death of Conservative former Mayor and Deputy Leader Michael Buttery. Term ends 2011.
• Sheffield city council: East Ecclesfield ward, after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Patricia Fox. Term ends 2012.
• Stirling council: Bannockburn ward, after the disqualification of Labour councillor Gerard O’Brien by the Standards commission. Term ends 2012, assuming the Scottish Local Government (Elections) Bill is passed by the Scottish Parliament.

7 May

• Hartlepool borough council: Rossmere ward, after the death of Labour councillor Michael Johnson. Term ends 2012.

14 May

• Gateshead borough council: Chopwell and Rowlands Gill ward, after the death of the Mayor of Gateshead Maureen Chaplin who was a Labour councillor. Term ends 2010.

21 May

• Corporation of London common council: Bishopsgate ward, due to insufficient nominations in the full council election. Term ends 2013.
• North Lincolnshire council: Barton ward, after the death of Ted Appleyard, a very longstanding Conservative councillor. Term ends 2011.
• Rutland county council: Cottesmore ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Wing-Commander Rob Toy. Term ends 2011.
• Salford city council: Irwell Riverside ward, after the death of Labour councillor Jimmy Hulmes. Term ends 2010.

28 May

• Middlesbrough borough council: North Ormesby and Bramble Farm ward, after the resignation of Labour councillor Oscar Jones after a conviction for drink driving. Term ends 2011.

4 June

This is polling day for elections to the European Parliament and for full council elections in English county councils and some unitary councils.

• Barnet borough council: Edgware ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Richard Weider who is emigrating to Israel. Term ends 2010.
• Barnet borough council: Totteridge ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Caroline Margo who is moving out of the borough. Term ends 2010.
• Birmingham city council: Lozells and East Handsworth ward, after the resignation of Labour councillor Kim Brom. Term ends 2010.
• Boston borough council: Kirton ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor John Rylatt. Term ends 2011.
• Boston borough council: Pilgrim ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor John Ruskin. Term ends 2011.
• Broxtowe borough council: Beeston North ward, after the resignation of Liberal Democrat Adele Brunton. Term ends 2011.
• Bury borough council: Radcliffe West ward, after the resignation of former Labour leader of the council Wayne Campbell. Term ends 2010.
• Caerphilly county borough council: St Martin’s ward, after the death of Plaid Cymru councillor Geoffrey Hibbert. Term ends 2012.
• Cherwell district council: Kidlington North ward, after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Pack. Term ends 2010.
• Durham council: Barnard Castle East division, after the death of Conservative councillor Jo Fergus. Term ends 2013.
• Epping Forest district council: Waltham Abbey Honey Lane ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Jimmy Demetriou. Term ends 2010.
• Hart district council: Eversley ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Hugo Eastwood. Term ends 2011.
• Havering borough council: St Andrews ward, after Independent (elected as Conservative) councillor David Charles was given a 26-week suspended prison sentence. Term ends 2010.
• Horsham district council: Nuthurst ward, after the resignation of John Cox. Term ends 2011.
• Lambeth borough council: Princes ward, after the resignation of Labour councillor Sam Townend who has moved to Bristol where he is Parliamentary candidate for Bristol North West. Term ends 2010.
• Lancaster city council: Castle ward, after the resignation of Green Party councillor Catriona Stamp. Term ends 2011.
• Newcastle-under-Lyme borough council: Seabridge ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Peter Whieldon over investigations into financial irregularities in his business and controversy over the council writing off his business rate debts. Term ends 2012.
• Newcastle-under-Lyme borough council: Wolstanton ward, after the resignation of Tracy Taylor (Conservative) who had been criticized for poor attendance. Term ends 2011.
• North Norfolk district council: North Walsham West ward, after the resignation of Mark Birch of the Liberal Democrats. Term ends 2011.
• North Somerset council: Hutton and Locking ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Ian Peddlesden, who was chairman of the council in 2003-04. Term ends 2011.
• North West Leicestershire district council: Measham ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Richard Hunt. Term ends 2011.
• Rossendale borough council: Helmshore ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Stuart Pawson who is moving to Spain. Term ends 2011.
• South Ribble borough council: Leyland Central ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Ray Woodburn due to “old age” (he is 87) and poor attendance. Term ends 2011.
• South Ribble borough council: Walton-le-Dale ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Jim Bristow. Term ends 2011.
• Thanet borough council: Thanet Villages ward, after the resignation (due to ill health) of Audrey Pickering (Independent). Term ends 2011.
• Warwick district council: Leamington Brunswick ward, after the resignation of Labour councillor Mike Britland. Term ends 2011.
• Watford borough council: Leggatts ward, after the resignation of Azam Razzaq who had come under criticism for his poor attendance record and apparent residence in Dubai. Term ends 2010.
• West Lancashire district council: Digmoor ward, after the resignation of Labour councillor Mary Whitby. Term ends 2011.
• Wokingham borough council: Wokingham Without ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Perry Lewis. Term ends 2011.

25 June

• Angus council: Monifieth and Sidlaw ward, after the death of Scottish National Party councillor Frank Ellis. Term ends 2012, assuming the Scottish Local Government (Elections) Bill is passed by the Scottish Parliament.

Undated

• Chorley borough council: Wheelton and Withnell ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Shaun Smith who refused to give a blood sample after a road accident. Term ends 2012.
• Derbyshire Dales district council: Matlock St Giles ward, after the death of Tony Rosser of the Liberal Democrats. Term ends 2011.
• East Dunbartonshire council: Bishopbriggs South ward, after the death of the Provost of the council, Alex Hannah, who was a Labour councillor. Term ends 2012, assuming the Scottish Local Government (Elections) Bill is passed by the Scottish Parliament.
• Glasgow city council: Drumchapel and Anniesland ward, after the resignation of Bill Kidd of the Scottish National Party who is concentrating on his work as a Member of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow. Term ends 2012, assuming the Scottish Local Government (Elections) Bill is passed by the Scottish Parliament.
• Hambleton district council: Swainby ward, after the death of Conservative councillor John Morley. Term ends 2011.
• North Lanarkshire council: Coatbridge North and Glenboig ward, after the resignation of John Wilson of the Scottish National Party who has decided to concentrate on his role as a Member of the Scottish Parliament. Term ends 2012, assuming the Scottish Local Government (Elections) Bill is passed by the Scottish Parliament.
• Ribble Valley borough council: Chatburn ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Michael Barrett. Term ends 2011.
• Ribble Valley borough council: Langho ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Stan Taylor due to ill health. Term ends 2011.
• Scarborough borough council: Streonsalh ward, after the resignation of Rob Broadley of the Liberal Democrats. Term ends 2011.
• South Holland district council: Spalding St Johns ward, after the impending resignation of Wayne Seaborn who was elected as a Conservative but is sitting as an Independent councillor. Term ends 2011.
• Spelthorne borough council: Ashford East ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Michael Collis. Term ends 2011.
• Stockport borough council: Stepping Hill ward, after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Maggie Clay. Term ends 2012.
• Stockton-on-Tees borough council: Ingleby Barwick West ward, after the disqualification of Lee Narroway (then of the Ingleby Barwick Independent Society) who has been sentenced to a term of 26 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. Term ends 2011.
• Torridge district council: Holsworthy ward, after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Des Shadrick. Term ends 2011.
• Welwyn Hatfield borough council: Hatfield East ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Paul Smith. Term ends 2010.
• Welwyn Hatfield borough council: Hatfield South ward, after the resignation of Richard Hedges, a Conservative councillor. Term ends 2012.

Vacancies which will not be filled

The Local Elections (Ordinary Day of Elections in 2009) Order 2008 (SI 2008 No. 2857) provides that any vacancy notified after 7 November 2008 in a council due to have elections in 2009, or to be abolished will not be filled. These council vacancies will therefore not see a byelection.

• Bedford borough council: Kempston East ward, after the death of the Leader of the Labour group, Dave Lewis.
• Bedford borough council: Queen’s Park ward, after the death of Labour councillor Muhammad Khan.
• Derbyshire county council: Alfreton division, after the death of Labour councillor Paul Buckley.
• Devon county council: Holsworthy Rural division, after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Des Shadrick.
• Isle of Wight council: Bembridge South ward, after the disqualification of Win McRobert. Elected as a Conservative, she had left the group and was sitting as a ‘Democratic Conservative’; her disqualification is controversial because her absence was due to caring for her seriously ill husband.
• Kent county council: Maidstone Rural East division, after the death of former council and Local Government Association leader Sandy Bruce-Lockhart (Conservative).
• North Yorkshire county council: Bilton and Nidd Gorge division, after the disqualification of Independent (elected as Liberal Democrat) councillor Morris Lightfoot who was given an eight month jail sentence.
• Northamptonshire county council: New Duston division, after the death of Conservative councillor Liz Tavener.
• Staffordshire county council: Wombourne division, after the death of Peter Timms who was a Conservative councillor.
• Suffolk county council: Felixstowe Coastal division, after the death of the Council Chairman, Ann Rodwell; she was serving as a Conservative councillor.
• Suffolk county council: Upper Gipping division, after the death of Conservative councillor Jeremy Clover, a former council chairman.
• Surrey county council: Camberley East division, after the death of Maurice Neighbour (Conservative).

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