Three Conservative seats go Lib Dem

Posted by David Boothroyd
View David's blog
15 years ago / November 27, 2009

Latest information about local council electoral matters is as follows:

East Midlands

East of England

London

  • Southwark borough council: Vacancy in The Lane ward, after the resignation of Labour councillor Susan Elan Jones who has been selected as Parliamentary candidate for Clwyd South. No byelection can be held as her term was due to expire in May 2010.
  • Westminster city council: Byelection on 10 December in Queen’s Park ward after the death of Labour councillor Mushtaq Qureshi, a tireless champion and highly respected councillor for his ward over the last 15 years. Term ends May 2010.

North East

North West

  • Fylde borough council: Conservative candidate Leonard Davies held the party’s seat in Clifton ward at the byelection on 26 November, but with only a 14 vote majority over the Residents’ Association candidate.
  • Knowsley borough council: Labour candidate Allan Harvey was elected as the party gained a seat in Halewood South ward from the Liberal Democrats, at a byelection on 26 November.
  • Pendle borough council: Vacancy in Brierfield ward after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Naseem Shabnam who had been criticized for poor attendance. As her term was due to expire in May 2010, there can be no byelection.
  • Wirral borough council: Steve Williams won the byelection in Moreton West and Saughall Massie ward on 26 November, easily holding the seat for the Conservatives.

South East

  • 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 and has won permission to appeal to the High Court against the finding. 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 and has won permission to appeal to the High Court against the finding. Term ends 2013.
  • Hastings borough council: Byelection on 10 December in St Helens ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Keith Bing due to ill health. Term ends May 2010.
  • Reigate and Banstead district council: Byelection on 17 December in Earlswood and Whitebushes ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Robert Webb. Term ends 2012.
  • Rushmoor district council: Byelection on 10 December in Heron Wood ward, after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Paul Bowers. Term ends 2012.
  • Thanet district council: Byelection on 3 December in Dane Valley ward, after a valid resignation was received from Stephen Broadhurst. Broadhurst has been spending much of his time in Panama and was about to be disqualified for failing to attend any council meeting in six months; a previous resignation letter purporting to be from him was found to be invalid because someone else had signed the letter on his behalf. Broadhurst had originally been elected as a Conservative. Term ends 2011.
  • West Oxfordshire district council: Vacancy in Carterton North West ward after the death of Conservative councillor Dave King. As his term was due to end in May next year, there will be no byelection to fill the vacancy.
  • Worthing borough council: Impending vacancies in Marine ward and Salvington ward, due to the resignations (respectively) 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). The Salvington vacancy cannot now be filled by a byelection as it is within six months of the end of the term.

South West

  • Cornwall council: John Oxenham was elected in St Austell Bay ward at the byelection on 26 November, gaining the seat for the Liberal Democrats from the Conservatives by 15 votes.
  • West Devon district council: Byelection on 10 December in Tavistock South ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Chris Jenkins. Term ends 2011.
  • Weymouth and Portland borough council: Byelection on 10 December in Wyke Regis ward after the resignation of veteran Conservative councillor Doug Hollings, who died a few days later. Term ends 2012.

West Midlands

Yorkshire and the Humber

Wales

  • Flintshire county council: Marion Bateman was elected as councillor for Northop ward on 26 November. Like the previous councillor she is independent of any party, but she was nominated by a relative of the previous councillor and is the wife of another councillor, so the result could be regarded as an Independent hold.
  • Pembrokeshire county council: Michael James, who stood as an Independent candidate, was elected at the byelection in St Dogmaels ward on 26 November. He succeeds another Independent.

Scotland

  • East Dunbartonshire council: Byelection on 10 December in ward no. 3 (Bearsden South) after the resignation of Conservative councillor Simon Hutchison. There is an unusual Labour/Conservative coalition running the council, whose survival is potentially endangered if neither wins the seat. Term ends 2012.