Local byelections increase turnout for Police Commissioners

Posted by David Boothroyd
View David's blog
12 years ago / November 16, 2012

The latest information about local electoral matters is as follows:

East Midlands

East of England

  • Brentwood borough council: Byelection on 6 December in Shenfield ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Lionel Lee. Term ends 2014.
  • Central Bedfordshire council: In elections on 15 November, the Mayor of Bigglesward Tim Woodward was elected councillor for Biggleswade South ward (holding the seat for the Conservatives), while Alison Graham was elected councillor for Silsoe and Shillington ward. She won as an Independent a seat previously held by the Conservatives.
  • Chelmsford borough council: Vacancy in Broomfield and The Walthams ward after the death of the longest serving councillor, Delmas Ashford. Ashford was an Independent councillor for most of his career, except for 1999-2011 when he was a Conservative. Term ends 2015.
  • Fenland district council: Vacancy in Hill ward after the death of Conservative councillor Bruce Wegg. Term ends 2015.
  • Harlow borough council: Christine O’Dell was elected councillor for Toddbrook ward on 15 November, holding the seat for the Labour Party.
  • North Hertfordshire district council: Two new councillors were elected on 15 November. Faye Barnard will represent Hitchwood, Offa and Hoo ward while Julian Cunningham will represent Letchworth South East ward. Both are Conservatives who retained seats previously held by their party.
  • Norwich city council: There are two byelections on Wednesday 19 December. Crome ward will elect a councillor after the resignation of Labour Party councillor and former Lord Mayor Jenny Lay, who is fighting cancer; the term ends in 2014. Nelson ward will elect a replacement after the resignation of Green Party councillor David Rogers, who has denounced his former party; the term ends in 2016.
  • St Edmundsbury borough council: Julia Wakelam was elected councillor for Risbygate ward on 15 November. She gains for the Green Party a seat previously held by the Conservatives.
  • Watford borough council: Lizz Ayre was elected councillor for Central ward on 15 November, holding the seat for the Liberal Democrats.
  • Waveney district council: Graham Catchpole, who is Mayor of Beccles, was elected councillor for Beccles South ward on 15 November. He wins for the Conservatives a seat previously held by Labour, and as a result the Conservative administration now has exactly half the councillors.

London

  • Southwark borough council: Byelection on 29 November in East Walworth ward after the death of Labour councillor Helen Morrissey, the chief whip of the group. Term ends 2014.
  • Sutton borough council: Byelection on 6 December in Stonecot ward after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Brendan Hudson, who has been elected Chair of NHS Sutton Clinical COmmissioning Board. Term ends 2014.

North East

North West

  • Bury borough council: At byelections on 15 November, Susan Nuttall was elected councillor for Church ward and James Daly was elected councillor for North Manor ward. Both were Conservatives and both held seats for their party.
  • Eden district council: John Tompkins was elected councillor for Penrith Pategill ward on 15 November, gaining for the Liberal Democrats a seat previously held by the Conservatives.
  • Liverpool city council: Ged Taylor was elected councillor for Knotty Ash ward on 15 November, holding the seat for the Labour Party.
  • Manchester city council: Tina Hewitson was elected councillor for Ardwick ward on 15 November. She retains the seat for the Labour Party.
  • Oldham borough council: Elaine Garry, candidate of the Labour Party, was elected councillor for Failsworth West ward on 15 November. She holds the seat for her party.
  • Wirral borough council: There are two vacancies, both caused by the deaths of sitting councillors. Heswall ward has a seat vacant after the death of Conservative councillor Peter Johnson; the term ends in 2016. Leasowe and Moreton East ward has a seat vacant after the death of Labour councillor Anne McArdle; the term there ends in 2014.

South East

  • Cherwell district council: Gordon Ross was elected councillor for Banbury Ruscote ward on 15 November, holding the seat for the Labour Party.
  • Chiltern district council: Jonathan Rush was elected councillor for Central ward on 15 November, holding the seat for the Conservative Party.
  • Gravesham borough council: Vacancy in Meopham North ward after the death of Conservative councillor and former council leader Mike Snelling. Term ends 2015.
  • Havant borough council: Flora Ponsonby was elected councillor for Battins ward on 15 November, holding the seat for the Liberal Democrats.
  • Kent county council: Vacancy in Gravesham Rural division after the death of Conservative councillor Mike Snelling. Term ends next May.
  • Shepway district council: Byelection on 22 November in Folkestone Park ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Tristan Allen. Term ends 2015.
  • Spelthorne borough council: Byelection on Wednesday 19 December in Sunbury Common ward after the resignation of Robbie Colison-Crawford, who was elected as a Liberal Democrat but had been sitting as an Independent since June. Term ends 2015.
  • Vale of White Horse district council: Byelection on 6 December for two seats in Sunningwell and Wootton ward, after the resignation of Jane Crossley and the disqualification of Tim Foggin for failure to attend any meetings of the council in six months. Both of the outgoing councillors were Conservatives and both terms end in 2015.
  • Wealden district council: The result of the byelection on 15 November in Heathfield North and Central ward is not yet available.
  • West Sussex county council: John Cherry was elected county councillor for Midhurst on 15 November, holding the seat for the Conservative Party.

South West

  • Bath and North East Somerset council: Liz Richardson was elected councillor for Chew Valley North ward on 15 November, holding the seat for the Conservative Party.
  • Bournemouth council: Gill Seymour of the Conservative Party was elected councillor for Littledown and Iford ward on 15 November; she retained the seat for her party.
  • Cornwall council: Byelection on 6 December in Gwinear-Gwithian and St Erth division after the death of Conservative councillor Ray Tovey. Term ends next May. There is also a vacancy in Ludgvan division after the resignation of Independent councillor Irene Bailey due to ill health; as her term had less than six months to run, she will not be replaced in a byelection.
  • Forest of Dean district council: Vacancy in Berry Hill ward after the death of Labour councillor Helen Stewart. Term ends 2015.
  • Poole council: Jane Thomas, Conservative Party candidate, was elected on 15 November in Branksome East ward; she held the seat previously held by her party.
  • Swindon council: Steve Weisinger, of the Conservative Party, held a seat for his party when he was elected councillor for Blunsdon and Highworth ward on 15 November. As a result the Conservatives have regained an overall majority on the council.
  • Wiltshire council: Peggy Dow, who was elected for the Liberal Democrats in Marlborough East division, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor. Also Chris Humphries, who was elected for the Conservatives in Aldbourne and Ramsbury division but was suspended from the group last week, has now resigned from the party completely.

West Midlands

Yorkshire and the Humber

  • Bradford city council: Jackie Whiteley was elected councillor for Wharfedale ward on 15 November, holding the seat for the Conservative Party.
  • Harrogate borough council: David Siddans was elected councillor for Rossett ward in a byelection on 15 November. He gains for the Liberal Democrats a seat previously held by the Conservatives. There is also a byelection on 13 December in Bilton ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Alec Brown, who is moving to London. Term ends 2015.
  • Ryedale district council: Dinah Keal, candidate of the Liberal Democrats, was elected councillor for Norton West ward on 15 November. She gains a seat previously held by the Conservative Party.

Wales

Scotland

  • Comhairle nan Eilean Siar: Byelection on 29 November in Sgir’ Uige agus Ceann a Tuath Nan Loch ward after the death of Scottish National Party councillor Bill Houston. Term ends 2017.
  • Dumfries and Galloway council: Graeme Tait, candidate of the Conservative Party, was elected councillor for Annandale North ward on 15 November. He takes a seat previously held by the Labour Party.
  • Scottish Borders council: Impending vacancy in Leaderdale and Melrose ward due to the resignation of the leader of the Borders Party, Nicholas Watson. Term ends 2017.