Labour gain control in South Lanarkshire

The latest information about local electoral matters is as follows:

East Midlands

• Derbyshire county council: Vacancy in Buxton West division after the disqualification of Conservative county councillor Robin Baldry, who has been given a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to theft of subsistence allowances. As his term was due to end in May, he will not be replaced in a byelection.
• Nottingham city council: Vacancy in Bilborough ward after the death of Labour councillor and twice Sheriff of Nottingham, Derek Cresswell. Term ends 2015.
• West Lindsey district council: Mark Binns, candidate of the Liberal Democrats, was elected councillor for Gainsborough East ward on 14 February, retaining the seat for his party.

East of England

• Cambridgeshire county council: Two councillors who were elected for the Conservatives have left the party and to sit as Independents. They are Ken Churchill (Little Paxton and St Neots North division) and Bob Farrer (St Neots Eaton Socon and Eynesbury ward).
• Chelmsford city council: Byelection on Tuesday 19 February 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.
• Dacorum borough council: Byelection in Adeyfield West ward on 21 March after the resignation of Labour councillor Keith White, who has moved out of the district. Term ends 2015.
• East Hertfordshire district council: Vacancy in Buntingford ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Surjit Singh Basra due to ill health. Term ends 2015.
• Essex county council: Vacancy in Rochford South division after the death of Conservative councillor Roy Pearson. As his term was due to end in May, there will be no byelection for his replacement.
• Fenland district council: Vacancy in Parson Drove and Wisbech St Mary ward after the death of Conservative councillor Robert Scrimshaw. Term ends 2015.
• Hertfordshire county council: Sally Newton, who was elected for the Conservatives in All Saints division, has left the party to sit as an Independent after being deselected for the full council elections.
• Huntingdonshire district council: Two councillors who were elected for the Conservatives have left the party and formed a new non-aligned Conservative group. They are Ken Churchill (Little Paxton ward) and Bob Farrer (St Neots Eaton Ford ward).
• King’s Lynn and West Norfolk borough council: Vacancy in Snettisham ward after the death of Conservative councillor and former Mayor David Johnson. Term ends 2015.
• Luton borough council: Vacancy in Wigmore ward after the death of veteran Liberal Democrat councillor Roy Davies (who is not to be confused with veteran Luton Labour councillor Roy Davis). Term ends 2015.
• Norfolk county council: Vacancy in North Coast division after the resignation of Stephen Bett, who has been elected Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk. He was elected as a Conservative but was sitting as an Independent at the time of his resignation. No byelection can be held because full council elections are due in May.
• North Norfolk district council: Byelection on 21 February in Cromer Town ward after the death of Conservative councillor Keith Johnson, who had been Leader of the Council since May. The circumstances of his death have made national headlines. Term ends 2015.
• Tendring district council: Vacancy in Harwich West ward after the death of Labour councillor Les Double. Term ends 2015.

London

• Camden borough council: Byelection on 14 March in Gospel Oak ward after the resignation of Labour councillor Sean Birch. Term ends 2014.
• City of London Corporation: Vacancy in Dowgate ward following the resignation of Common Councilman Robin Sherlock, Deputy for the ward since 2002. As full council elections are due in March, he will not be replaced in a byelection.
• Harrow borough council: Byelection on 21 February in West Harrow ward after the resignation of Brian Gate, who had been elected for the Labour Party but was suspended from the party after his arrest in October 2012. Gate has accepted a caution for possessing indecent images of children. Term ends 2014.
• Havering borough council: Byelection on 21 March in Gooshays ward after the death of Conservative councillor Dennis Bull. Term ends 2014.
• Islington borough council: There are two byelections on 21 March. That in Junction ward follows the resignation of Arthur Graves, who was elected as a Liberal Democrat but had resigned the whip in April 2012; he is emigrating to Australia. That in St George’s ward follows the resignation of Labour councillor Jessica Asato following her selection as Parliamentary candidate for Norwich North. Both terms end in 2014.
• Royal Borough of Kingston-on-Thames: Byelection on 28 February in Berrylands ward after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Frances Moseley. Term ends 2014.

North East

• Darlington council: Vacancy in Lascelles ward after the death of Labour councillor Jacqui Maddison. Term ends 2015.
• Durham council: Vacancy in Aycliffe West division after the death of Labour councillor Enid Paylor. As her term was due to end in May, she will not be replaced in a byelection.
• Sunderland city council: Vacancy in Houghton ward after the death of Labour councillor Kath Rolph. Term ends 2015.

North West

• Cumbria county council: Vacancy in Distington and Moresby division after the death of Labour county councillor Cam Ross. As his term was due to end in May, he will not be replaced in a byelection.
• Knowsley borough council: There are two vacancies, both caused by the deaths of sitting councillors. Prescot East ward has a vacancy after the death of Labour councillor Derek McEgan; the term ends in 2016. St Michael’s ward has a vacancy after the death of Labour councillor and cabinet member Ken Keith. The term there ends in 2014.
• Oldham borough council: Byelection on 14 March in Royton South after the death of Labour councillor Phil Harrison. Term ends 2014.
• Wigan borough council: Vacancy in Pemberton ward after the death of Labour councillor Barbara Bourne. Term ends 2015.
• Wirral borough council: Byelection on 28 February in Pensby and Thingwall ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Don McCubbin. Term ends 2015.
• Wyre borough council: Vacancy in Staina ward after the death of Conservative councillor and current Deputy Mayor, Ian Perkin. Term ends 2015.

South East

• Arun district council: Byelection on 14 March in Aldwick East ward after the death of Conservative councillor Robin Brown. There is also a vacancy in Angmering ward after the death of Conservative councillor Julie Hazlehurst. Both terms end in 2015.
• Ashford borough council: Byelection on 28 February in Beaver ward after the resignation of Labour councillor Rebecca Rutter. Term ends 2015.
• Canterbury city council: Vacancy in Seasalter ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Cyril Windsor, who is emigrating to Australia. Term ends 2015.
• Dover district council: Vacancy in Maxton, Elms Vale and Priory ward after the death of Labour councillor and former Mayor Diane Smallwood. Term ends 2015.
• Kent county council: Vacancy in Gravesham East division following the resignation of Conservative councillor Bryan Sweetland, who was elected county councillor for Gravesham Rural division on 20 December 2012. The Gravesham East division will not be filled in a byelection as the full council election is less than six months away.
• Reigate and Banstead borough council: Vacancy in South Park and Woodhatch ward after the death of Conservative councillor Frances King. Term ends 2014.
• Runnymede borough council: Byelection on 14 March in Foxhills ward after the death of Conservative councillor Frances Barden. Term ends 2015.
• Surrey county council: Vacancy in Earlswood and Reigate South division after the death of Conservative councillor Frances King. There will be no byelection as her term would have ended in May.
• Wycombe borough council: Vacancy in Disraeli ward after the resignation of Labour councillor and outgoing group leader Victoria Groulef, who has been selected as Parliamentary candidate for Reading West. Term ends 2015.

South West

• Cornwall council: There are two vacancies. Ludgvan division is vacant after the resignation of Independent councillor Irene Bailey due to ill health; Rame division is vacant after the resignation of Conservative councillor George Trubody, due to his non-council career. As there are full council elections due in May, there will not be byelections for replacements.
• North Dorset district council: There are two byelections on 21 March following the resignations of a married couple of Conservative councillors. Former council leader Peter Webb has vacated The Stours ward while his wife Helen Webb has vacated Lodbourne ward. Both terms end in 2015.
• West Dorset district council: Vacancy in Cam Vale ward after the death of Conservative councillor Richard Jungius. Term ends 2015.

West Midlands

• Malvern Hills district council: Mike Soley, who was elected for the Conservatives in Malvern Link ward, left the party last month over his opposition to housebuilding proposals. He has now joined the UK Independence Party.
• Nuneaton and Bedworth borough council: Two councillors who were elected as Conservatives have left the party over their opposition to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill. They are brothers Nick Grant (Whitestone ward) and Matt Grant (Galley Common ward).
• South Staffordshire district council: Independent candidate Anthony Bourke was elected councillor for Perton East ward on 14 February. He takes a seat previously held by the Conservative Party.
• Stafford borough council: Vacancy in Coton ward after the death of Labour councillor Tony Welch. Term ends 2015.
• Staffordshire county council: There are two vacancies, both caused by the deaths of Conservative councillors. Perton division is vacant after the death David Billson, while Stonydelph division is vacant after the death of Brian Beale. Neither seat will have a byelection as the full council elections are due in May.
• Stratford-on-Avon district council: Two councillors have left the Conservative group to sit as Independents. They are Helen Hayter (Snitterfield ward) and David Wise (Southam ward).
• Tamworth borough council: Vacancy in Wilnecote ward after the death of Conservative councillor and former Mayor Brian Beale. Term ends 2015.
• Telford and Wrekin council: Jane Pinter was elected councillor for Dawley Magna ward on 14 February, holding the seat for the Labour Party.

Yorkshire and the Humber

• East Riding of Yorkshire council: Impending vacancy in Howdenshire ward due to the resignation (with effect from the end of March) of Conservative councillor Paul Robinson, who has been appointed Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside. Term ends 2015.
• Hambleton district council: Vacancy in Whitestonecliffe ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Nigel Clack. Term ends 2015.
• Leeds city council: Vacancy in Cross Gates and Whinmoor ward after the death of Labour councillor Suzi Armitage. Term ends 2016.
• North East Lincolnshire council: Byelection on 4 April in Humberston and New Waltham ward after the death of Conservative councillor and former Mayor John Colebrook. Term ends 2014.
• Wakefield council: Byelection on 21 February in Castleford Central and Glasshoughton ward after the resignation of Labour councillor Mark Burns-Williamson, now Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire. Term ends 2016.

Wales

• Caerphilly county borough council: Vacancy in Risca East division after the death of Labour councillor Stan Jenkins. Term ends 2017.
• Denbighshire county council: Although the election court found in January that Conservative councillor Allan Pennington was not duly elected in Prestatyn North division, and that Paul Penlington (Labour) was duly elected, Pennington’s intimation of a Judicial Review challenge to the judgment has meant that he remains a councillor pending the conclusion of legal proceedings, and Penlington has not been seated.

Scotland

• Moray council: Byelection on 7 March 2013 in Heldon and Laich ward after the resignation of Scottish National Party councillor Carolle Ralph, who has stepped down after becoming the victim of a hate-mail campaign. Term ends 2017.
• North Lanarkshire council: Byelection on 28 February in Coatbridge West ward after the death of Labour councillor Tom Maginnis. Term ends 2017.
• Scottish Borders council: Impending vacancy in Leaderdale and Melrose ward due to the resignation of the leader of the Borders Party, Nicholas Watson, which will take effect on 22 February. Term ends 2017. The byelection will take place on 3 May.
• South Lanarkshire council: Gerard Killen was elected councillor for Rutherglen South ward on 14 February. He gains for the Labour Party a seat previously held by the Scottish National Party, and his victory gives the Labour Party overall control of the council.

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