Red Rose party regains its county town

The latest updates on local electoral information are as follows.

Results

• Lancaster: The byelection in Skerton West ward on 17 May was won by Peter Rivet. Labour hold.
• Lancaster: The byelection for two seats in University and Scotforth Rural ward on 17 May was won by Amara Betts-Patel and Oliver Robinson. Labour hold both seats, one of which had been vacated by a councillor who defected from Green to Labour. As a result Labour regains its overall majority on the council.
• Suffolk Coastal: The byelection in Leiston ward on 17 May was won by Susan Geater. Conservative hold.

Changes of allegiance

• Basildon: Derrick Fellowes and Stephen Hodge, both of whom were elected for the UK Independence Party in Nethermayne ward, have left the party to form the Nethermayne Independents group.
• Braintree: John O’Reilly-Cicconi, who was elected as a Conservative in Gosfield and Greenstead Green ward, has left the party to sit as a non-aligned councillor.
• Chichester: Graeme Barrett, who was elected for the Conservatives in West Wittering ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor.
• Dudley: Kerry Lewis, who was elected for the UK Independence Party in Wordsley ward, has joined the Conservative Party. Her move gives the party half of the total council seats.
• East Hertfordshire: Roz Standley and Jeanette Taylor, both of whom were elected for the Conservatives in Ware St Mary’s ward, have left the party to sit as Independent councillors. Their move is connected with problems at Ware town council.
• East Lindsey: Several councillors have moved groups recently. Independent councillors Sarah Devereux (Alford ward) and Martin Foster (Coningsby and Mareham ward) have joined the Conservative group, as has UK Independence Party councillor Terence Brown (Mablethorpe ward). Carleen Dickinson (Friskney ward) has also left the UK Independence Party but has joined the East Lindsey Independent group.
• Great Yarmouth: Chris Walch, who was elected for the UK Independence Party in Central and Northgate ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor following a dispute with a senior party member.
• Isle of Wight: Michael Lilley, who was elected for the Green Party in Ryde East ward, has left the party and now sits as an Independent Green councillor.
• North Kesteven: Kate Cook, who was elected for the Conservatives in Osbournby ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent unaligned councillor.
• Northampton: Julie Davenport, who was elected for Labour in Delapre and Briar Hill ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor.
• Northamptonshire: Julie Davenport, who was elected for Labour in Delapre and Rushmere division, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor.
• Oxford: Ben Lloyd-Shogbesan, who was elected for Labour in Lye Valley ward, has left the party following a row over posts he shared on Facebook. He will sit as an Independent councillor.
• Powys: Emily Durrant, the Welsh Green Party councillor for Llangors division, has decided to join the Liberal Democrat group on the council for the purposes of council business; she remains a Green Party councillor.
• Solihull: Robert Hall, who was elected for the UK Independence Party in Kingshurst and Fordbridge ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor.
• South Holland: The two remaining UK Independence Party councillors, Paul Foyster (Holbeach Town ward) and, Peter Williams (Spalding St Paul’s ward), have left the party to sit as Independent councillors.
• Stroud: Karen McKeown, who was elected for the Labour Party in Rodborough ward, has joined the Green Party.

New vacancies

• Basildon: Lee Chapel North ward, after the resignation of Labour councillor Alan Bennett. Term ends 2019.
• Basildon: Pitsea South East ward, after the resignation of UK Independence Party councillor José Carrion. Term ends 2020.
• Basingstoke and Deane: Kempshott ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Anne Court. Term ends 2020.
• East Staffordshire: Crown ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Stephen Smith. Term ends 2019.
• Fenland: Birch ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Dave Green. Term ends 2019.
• Fylde: Ansdell ward, after the resignation of Conservative former council leader David Eaves. Term ends 2019.
• Norfolk: Yare and All Saints division, after the impending resignation of Conservative outgoing council leader Cliff Jordan who has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Term ends 2021.
• North Kesteven: North Hykeham Mill ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Andrea Clarke. Term ends 2019.
• North Kesteven: Skellingthorpe ward, after the resignation of Independent councillor Shirley Pannell. Term ends 2019.

Postponed local election

• Brent: Willesden Green ward will hold its postponed election on 21 June.

Dates for byelections

• Basildon: The byelection due in Lee Chapel North ward will be held on 21 June.
• Basildon: The byelection due in Pitsea South East ward will be held on 21 June.
• Basingstoke and Deane: The byelection due in Kempshott ward will be held on 21 June.
• Charnwood: The byelection due in Quorn and Mountsorrel Castle ward will be held on 21 June.
• East Staffordshire: The byelection due in Crown ward will be held on 7 June.
• Fenland: The byelection due in Birch ward will be held on 21 June.
• Leicestershire: The byelection due in Syston Ridgeway division will be held on 28 June.
• North Kesteven: The byelection due in North Hykeham Mill ward will be held on 28 June.
• North Kesteven: The byelection due in Skellingthorpe ward will be held on 28 June.
• Watford: The byelection due in Oxhey ward will be held on 21 June.

Other updates

• Dudley: Having added a councillor previously in the UK Independence Party, the Conservatives have retained the leadership of the council.
• Elmbridge: The Conservatives have taken minority control of the council, after the leader of the previous administration (made up of Residents’ Associations and the Liberal Democrats) accepted he could not carry on.
• Hart: Following the election, the council will continue to be run by a coalition of the Liberal Democrats and Community Campaign Hart.
• Milton Keynes: A Conservative motion to remove the council’s Labour leader failed at the annual meeting, as the Liberal Democrats opposed it. A minority Labour administration therefore continues to run the council.
• Newcastle-under-Lyme: The Conservative leader was elected to lead the council at the AGM, having obtained support from the Borough Independent group. The Liberal Democrats abstained in the vote. The Conservatives will therefore form a minority administration.
• Nuneaton and Bedworth: As expected, there will be a Labour minority administration to run the council.
• Portsmouth: Conservative leader Donna Jones resigned the council leadership rather than be defeated in a vote to remove her. She stood for the post again but the council elected Liberal Democrat Gerald Vernon-Jackson as the new leader by a majority of one; Labour and an Independent supported him, while Renew backed the Conservative. The council will therefore be run by a Liberal Democrat minority administration.
• Worcester: As expected, the all-party committee system led administration will continue. The leader is a Conservative, and deputy leader is Labour, while the Green Party chairs the policy and resources committee.

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