Both byelections held on 8 January resulted in the incumbent party holding the seat. The Conservatives boosted their majority at Bush Hill Park ward of Enfield borough council, where they had previously been run close by the ‘Save Chase Farm’ campaign. The Liberal Democrats also held on to Drypool ward, Kingston-upon-Hull city council, where the former councillor had defected to the Conservatives after his election.
There have been two recent defections from Conservative to Liberal Democrat. On Northamptonshire county council, Maureen Hill (elected for Weston division), joined the Liberal Democrats just before Christmas over her opposition to the Conservative group’s budget, among other things. Meanwhile on Portsmouth city council, Lee Hunt (councillor for Central Southsea) announced his switch to the Liberal Democrats on 2 January over his disapproval of the Conservatives’ Parliamentary candidate.
A service provided by
Political and community consultation experts