Another Conservative? Stafford says knot

Posted by David Boothroyd
View David's blog
12 years ago / March 9, 2012

The latest information about local council electoral matters is as follows:

East Midlands

East of England

London

  • Barking and Dagenham borough council: Byelection on 19 April in Goresbrook ward after the resignation of Labour councillor Louise Couling. She had been absent from council meetings since January 2011 due to ill health but resigned before the meeting on Wednesday 22 February, at which the council was due to consider whether to grant a further leave of absence. Term ends 2014.
  • Barnet borough council: Byelection on Wednesday 11 April in East Finchley ward after the resignation of Labour councillor Andrew McNeil for family reasons. Term ends 2014.
  • Brent borough council: Byelection on 22 March in Dollis Hill ward after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Dr Alec Castle. Term ends 2014.
  • Camden borough council: Impending vacancy in Camden Town and Primrose Hill ward due to the resignation of Labour councillor Thomas Neumark, who is moving to the USA. Term ends 2014. The byelection is expected to be held in May together with the GLA elections.
  • Hackney borough council: Impending vacancy in Hackney Central ward due to the resignation of Labour councillor Alan Laing. Term ends 2014.
  • Tower Hamlets borough council: Vacancy in Spitalfields and Banglatown ward after the disqualification of councillor Shelina Aktar, who has not appealed her sentence of sixteen weeks’ imprisonment for failing to notify a change in circumstances when claiming benefit. Originally elected as Labour, she had left the party to sit as an Independent supporting Mayor Lutfur Rahman. Term ends 2014.
  • Wandsworth borough council: Byelection on 29 March in Southfields ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Lucy Allan, who claims she was not supported after recovering from illness. Term ends 2014.

North East

  • Darlington borough council: There are two vacancies. Harrowgate Hill ward has a seat vacant after the disqualification of Mark Burton, who was sentenced to 22 months’ imprisonment for sexual offences. He was originally elected as Labour but was removed from the group when he was charged. Hurworth ward has a seat vacant after the disqualification of Liberal Democrat councillor Martin Swainston, who did not attend any meetings of the council in six months. He is disputing the decision. Both terms end in 2015.
  • South Tyneside borough council: There are two vacancies. Harton ward has a seat vacant after the death of the council’s longest serving member, Progressive councillor Jim Capstick As his term was due to expire in May, there will be no byelection. Simonside and Rekendyke ward has a vacancy after the death of Labour councillor Joan Meeks. Term ends 2014. Her replacement is likely to be elected in a double vacancy election in May.

North West

  • Blackpool council: There are two vacancies. Bloomfield ward has a seat vacant after the death of Labour councillor and former Mayor Mary Smith. Marton ward has a seat vacant after the death of Conservative councillor Jim Houldsworth. Both terms end in 2015.
  • Bury borough council: Vacancy in East ward after the death of Labour councillor and former Mayor John Byrne. As his term was due to end in May, there will be no byelection for his replacement. His death removes the Labour group overall majority.
  • Carlisle city council: Vacancy in Castle ward after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Jim Tootle. As his term was due to end in May, there will be no byelection.
  • Halton borough council: Vacancy in Grange ward after the death of Labour councillor and former Mayor John Swain. As his term was due to end in May he will not be replaced in a byelection.
  • South Lakeland district council: Vacancy in Ulverston North ward after the death of Conservative councillor and former council leader Colin Hodgson. Term ends in May.

South East

  • Adur district council: Vacancy in Eastbrook ward following the disqualification of Liberal Democrat councillor Gavin Ayling, who failed to attend any meetings of the council in six months. The term ends in May.
  • Chichester district council: Byelection in Plaistow ward on 19 April, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Linda Westmore. Term ends 2015.
  • Fareham borough council: Byelection on 15 March in Portchester East ward after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Brown, who faced disqualification after he did not attend any meetings of the council in six months. Term ends 2014.
  • Havant borough council: Vacancy in Purbrook ward after the death of Conservative councillor David Farrow. As his term was due to end in May, he will not be replaced in a byelection.
  • Oxfordshire county council: Vacancy in Watlington division after the death of Conservative councillor Roger Belson. Term ends 2013.
  • Portsmouth city council: Vacancy in Paulsgrove ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Mike Blake. As he resigned within six months of his term ending in May, no byelection will be held.
  • Sevenoaks district council: There are two byelections on 29 March. That in Crockenhill and Well Hill ward follows the death of Independent councillor Colin Dibsdall. That in Cowden and Hever ward is caused by the resignation of Conservative councillor Gerry Ryan. Both terms end in 2015.
  • Slough borough council: Mohammed Nazir was elected councillor for Baylis and Stoke ward on 8 March, holding the seat for the Labour Party.
  • Swale borough council: Mike Whiting was elected councillor for Kemsley ward on 8 March, holding the seat for the Conservative Party.
  • Thanet district council: John Worrow, who was elected as a Conservative in Birchington South ward but joined the Independent group in November 2011, has now left the Independent group to sit as a non-aligned councillor. His move was prompted by the rejection of his plans for free parking in his ward.
  • Tunbridge Wells borough council: There are two vacancies. Broadwater ward has a seat vacant after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Peter Crawford. Pembury ward has a seat vacant after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Claire Brown, who had gained the seat from the Conservatives in a byelection in 2011. Both terms end 2014.
  • Worthing borough council: Vacancy in Offington ward after the death of Conservative councillor Reg Green. Term ends 2014. The byelection is expected to be filled in a double vacancy election in May.

South West

  • Stroud district council: Vacancy in Severn ward after the death of Conservative councillor Norman Smith. As his term was due to end in May he will not be replaced until then.
  • Swindon council: Vacancy in Moredon ward after the death of Labour councillor Jenny Millin. As her term was due to end in May, there will be no byelection for a replacement.
  • West Devon district council: Byelection on 22 March in Tavistock North ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Darren Lake. Term ends 2015.

West Midlands

  • Dudley borough council: There are two vacancies. Kingswinford North and Wall Heath ward has a seat vacant after the resignation of Paul Woodall who was elected as a Conservative but sitting as an Independent; he has pleaded guilty to assault. Woolaston and Stourbridge Town ward has a vacancy after the death of Conservative councillor Margaret Cowell. The terms end in 2014 (Kingswinford North) and 2015 (Woolaston).
  • Stafford borough council: Anne Hobbs was elected councillor for Rowley ward on 8 March. She gains for the Labour Party a seat previously held by the Conservatives.
  • Tamworth borough council: Vacancy in Mercian ward after the death of Conservative councillor and former Mayor Sam Munn. Term ends in May.

Yorkshire and the Humber

  • Bradford city council: Vacancy in Keighley West ward after the resignation of Robert Payne. Originally elected as a Conservative, he was sitting as an Independent after being convicted of fraud, and was recently imprisoned for cruelty to cats. His term was due to end in May so there will be no byelection for his replacement.
  • Rotherham borough council: Vacancy in Brinsworth and Catcliffe ward after the disqualification of John Gamble, who had originally been elected for the British National Party but left the party and later joined the England First Party and then the National Front. Former councillor Gamble did not attend any meetings of the council in six months, but as his term was due to end in May there will be no byelection for his replacement.
  • Scarborough borough council: Byelection on 15 March in Hertford ward after the resignation of Green Party councillor Nick Harvey. Term ends 2015.
  • City of Wakefield council: Vacancy in Hemsworth ward after the resignation of Independent councillor Ian Womersley. His term was due to end in May so there will be no byelection.

Wales

  • Carmarthenshire county council: Vacancy in Tycroes division after the death of Labour councillor and former chairman Dewi Enoch. As his term was due to end in May there will be no byelection.
  • Gwynedd county council: Chris Hughes, who was elected for Llais Gwynedd in Bontnewydd division, has joined the Plaid Cymru group.
  • Newport city council: There are two seats vacant. Alway division has a vacancy after the death of veteran Labour councillor Ken Powell. Allt-yr-yn division has a vacancy after the death of veteran Conservative councillor Les Knight. Both terms were due to end in May; no byelection can be called in Allt-yr-yn and although a byelection could be called in Alway, it is expected that the seat will be left vacant.
  • Pembrokeshire county council: Vacancy in Pembroke Dock Central division after the resignation of Labour group deputy leader Kate Becton, following a conviction for drink driving. As her term was due to end in May, there will be no byelection for a replacement.
  • Swansea city and county council: Vacancy in Castle division after the death of Labour councillor Barbara Hynes. Although a byelection could be called, the term will end in May and so it is expected that the seat will be left vacant.

Scotland

  • Argyll and Bute council: There are two vacancies caused by the deaths of councillors. Helensburgh Central ward has a seat vacant after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Al Reay and Oban South and The Isles ward has a seat vacant after the death of Scottish National Party councillor Donald McIntosh. As it is less than six months until the full council elections, no byelections can be called.
  • East Ayrshire council: There are two vacancies. A seat in Ballochmyle ward is vacant after the death of Labour councillor Jimmy Kelly, and a seat in Doon Valley ward is vacant after the disqualification of Scottish National Party councillor Drew Filson. As both vacancies occurred within six months of the full council elections, there will be no byelections.
  • Orkney Islands Council: Vacancy in Stomness and South Isles ward after the death of Independent councillor John Eccles. As his term was due to end in May there will be no byelection.
  • Renfrewshire council: Vacancy in Renfrew North ward after the resignation of Scottish National Party councillor Derek Mackay, now Member of the Scottish Parliament for Renfrewshire North and West, who has been named as Minister Designate for Local Government and Planning in the Scottish Government. As his term was due to end in May there will be no byelection for a replacement.
  • West Dunbartonshire council: Vacancy in Dumbarton ward after the resignation of Labour councillor Geoff Calvert. As the full council election will be held in May, no byelection will be held.

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