The two byelections held on 18 June were both held by the incumbent party. The Scottish National Party retained its seat in ward 6 – Inverclyde South West – on Inverclyde council, and the Ingleby Barwick Independent Society held on to Ingleby Barwick West ward on Stockton-on-Tees borough council.
It has now become clear that the multi-party administration in Stoke-on-Trent city council will not include either the Labour group, which wishes to go into opposition, nor the British National Party group, with whom the other groups refuse to deal. The cabinet will consist of four Conservatives, four members of the City Independents group, one Liberal Democrat, and one non-aligned councillor who recently left Labour. Meanwhile on Cumbria county council, the executive will comprise five Conservatives, three Labour and one Independent under the leadership of Conservative Jim Buchanan; there the Liberal Democrats have decided to go into opposition.
On Sheffield city council, Frank Taylor (Gleadless Valley ward) has left the Liberal Democrats to sit as an Independent, in a dispute over his resignation from the board of Sheffield Homes. On Cheshire West and Chester council, two errant Conservatives who had previously left the group have been readmitted: Max Drury and Richard Lowe both represent City ward.
A service provided by
Political and community consultation experts