Forthcoming byelections

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

26 March

• Melton borough council: Long Clawson and Stathern ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Richard Umbers. Term ends 2011.
• North East Lincolnshire council: Yarborough ward, after the death of Kathleen Little of the Liberal Democrat. Term ends 2012.
• Newham borough council: Royal Docks ward, after the death of Labour councillor Simon Tucker. Term ends 2010.
• Oxford city council: Headington Hill and Northway ward, after the death of former Lord Mayor Maureen Christian. Term ends 2012.
• Redditch borough council: Central ward, after the disqualification of Conservative councillor RJ Farooqui who has been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. Term ends 2012.
• Redditch borough council: Headless Cross and Oakenshaw ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Keith Boyd-Carpenter. Term ends 2010.
• Wolverhampton city council: Ettingshall ward, after the death of Labour councillor Alan Smith. Term ends 2011.

2 April

• Arun district council: Felham West ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Alan Stainton. Term ends 2011.
• Calderdale borough council: Skircoat ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Geoffrey Wainwright. Term ends 2012.
• Camden borough council: Belsize ward, after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Basson who has explained his medical problems to the press; the Ham & High decided not to print a story about his private life which it insists was unrelated. Term ends 2010.
• Huntingdonshire district council: Ramsey ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Ross Muir. Term ends 2011.
• Leeds city council: Temple Newsam ward, after the resignation of Labour councillor Jackie Langdale. Term ends 2011.
• Redcar and Cleveland council: Dormanstown ward, after the resignation (due to ill health) of Labour councillor and former Mayor Vilma Collins. Term ends 2011.
• South Holland district council: Moulton, Weston and Cowbit ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Mike Atkin. Term ends 2011.

9 April

• Manchester city council: Moston ward, after the death of veteran Labour councillor and former Lord Mayor Bill Risby. Term ends 2010.

23 April

• Aberdeenshire council: Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Bruce Luffman who has taken a post with the Cairngorms National Park Authority. Term ends 2012.
• Erewash borough council: Derby Road West ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Philip Rose who has moved to the USA but is disillusioned about the council. Term ends 2011.
• Highland council: Inverness West ward, after the death of Independent councillor Jimmy Macdonald. Term ends 2012.
• Redbridge borough council: Wanstead ward, after the death of Conservative councillor and former council leader Allan Burgess. Term ends 2010.
• Waverley borough council: Alfold, Cranleigh Rural and Ellens Green ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Cyril Baily. Term ends 2011.
• Wycombe district council: Totteridge ward, after the death of Labour councillor and Labour group leader Glyn Galbraith. Term ends 2011.

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.
• Sheffield city council: East Ecclesfield ward, after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Patricia Fox. Term ends 2012.

Undated

• Barnet borough council: Totteridge ward, after the impending resignation of Conservative councillor Caroline Margo who is moving out of the borough. Term ends 2010. The byelection is likely to be held on 4 June.
• Caerphilly county borough council: St Martin’s ward, after the death of Plaid Cymru councillor Geoffrey Hibbert.
• 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.
• Hambleton district council: Swainby ward, after the death of Conservative councillor John Morley. Term ends 2011.
• Hartlepool borough council: Rossmere ward, after the death of Labour councillor Michael Johnson. Term ends 2012. The election is likely to be held on 4 June 2009 with a double vacancy in the seat.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Reigate and Banstead borough council: Tadworth and Walton ward, after the death of Conservative former Mayor and Deputy Leader Michael Buttery. Term ends 2011.
• Ribble Valley borough council: Langho ward, after the impending resignation of Conservative councillor Stan Taylor due to ill health. Term ends 2011. Cllr Taylor is expected to make his resignation formal at the end of May.
• Rossendale borough council: Helmshore ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Stuart Pawson who is moving to Spain. Term ends 2011. The byelection is likely to be held on 4 June.
• 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.
• South Ribble borough council: Walton-le-Dale ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Jim Bristow. Term ends 2011.
• 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.
• 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.

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: Queen’s Park ward, after the death of Labour councillor Muhammad Khan.
• Bedfordshire county council: Harrold division, after the death of Conservative councillor Phyllis Gershon.
• Crewe and Nantwich borough council: Wellington ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Keith Healey. This vacancy means that the Conservatives lose their overall majority on the council in its last few months.
• Derbyshire county council: Alfreton division, after the death of Labour councillor Paul Buckley.
• Ellesmere Port and Neston borough council: Stanlow and Wolverham ward, after the death of Labour councillor Tom Griffiths.
• 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 Cornwall district council: Bodmin St Petroc’s ward, after the resignation of Arwen Folkes of the Liberal Democrats.
• 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.
• Restormel borough council: Bethel ward, after the death of Roy Gill of the Liberal Democrats.
• Salisbury district council: St Martin and Milford ward, after the death of Labour councillor Simon Howarth.
• Sedgefield district council: Sedgefield ward, after the death of Independent councillor Jim Wayman.
• Shewsbury and Atcham borough council: Condover ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Tom Hendry.
• 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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