Labour triumph in County Durham

The latest updates on local electoral information are as follows.

Results

• Braintree: The byelection in Coggeshall ward held on 5 March was won by Nathan Robins. Reform UK gain a seat previously held by the Green Party.
• Durham: The byelection in Murton division held on 5 March was won by Julie Ann Griffiths. Labour gain from Reform UK.
• Sevenoaks: The byelection in Hextable ward held on 5 March was won by Lee Allen. Conservative gain from an Independent.
• Stroud: The byelection in Thrupp ward held on 5 March was won by Helen Elliot-Boult. Green Party hold.
• Tamworth: The byelection in Spital ward held on 5 March was won by Wayne Luca. Reform UK gain from Labour.

Defections

• Bracknell Forest: Two councillors elected for the Labour Party have been suspended from the whip and have formed an Independents Group. They are Roy Bailey (Town Centre and The Parks ward) and Mary Temperton (Great Hollands ward).
• Carmarthenshire: Two councillors elected for the Labour Party have left it to sit as unaffiliated Independent councillors. They are Shelly Godfrey-Coles (Burry Port ward) and Crish Davies (Kidwelly and St Ishmael ward).
• Cheshire East: Allen Gage, who was elected for the Conservatives in Willaston and Rope ward, has left the party to sit as an ungrouped Independent councillor.
• East Hampshire: Ian James, who was elected for the Green Party in Liss ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor.
• Gloucester: Lorraine Campbell, who was elected for the Conservatives in Tuffley ward, has left the party and is now an Independent Conservative councillor.
• Hackney: Soraya Adejare, who was elected for the Labour Party in Brownswood ward, has joined the Green Party.
• Hillingdon: Naser Abby, who was elected for the Labour Party in Yiewsley ward but left the party in October last year, has now joined the Green Party.
• Kirklees: Cahal Burke, who was elected for the Liberal Democrats in Lindley ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor.
• Oldham: Marie Bashforth, who was elected for the Labour Party in Royton South ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor.
• Staffordshire Moorlands: Philip Barks, who was elected for the Labour Party in Leek West ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor.
• Sutton: Patrick Ogbonna, who was elected for the Liberal Democrats in The Wrythe ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor.
• Telford and Wrekin: Paul Thomas, who was elected for the Conservatives in Priorslee ward but left the party in May 2024, has now returned to it.
• Wakefield: Steve Tulley, who was elected for the Labour Party in South Elmsall and South Kirkby ward, has left the party to sit as a non-grouped Independent councillor. Meanwhile Nadiah Sharp, who was elected for the Labour Party in Wrenthorpe and Outwood West ward but left the party in 2023, has now joined the Green Party.
• Walsall: Graham Eardley, who was elected for Reform UK in Pelsall ward, was suspended from the party and has now joined Restore Britain. Meanwhile Amanda Parkes, who was elected for the Conservatives in Aldridge North and Walsall Wood ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor; as a result the Conservatives are now in a minority.
• Welwyn Hatfield: Russ Platt, who was elected for the Liberal Democrats in Peartree ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor.
• West Dunbartonshire: Two councillors elected for the Labour Party have left it to sit as Independent councillors. They are Fiona Hennebry and Clare Steel, both of whom represent Clydebank Central ward.
• West Northamptonshire: Two councillors elected for Reform UK have left the party to sit as Independents. They are Joanne Blythe (Headlands ward) and Kathryn Shaw (Upton ward).

New vacancies

• Denbighshire: Rhyl South ward, after the death of Labour councillor Jeanette Chamberlain-Jones. Term ends 2027.
• Dudley: Wollaston and Stourbridge Town ward, after the impending resignation of Labour councillor Cat Eccles, now Member of Parliament for Stourbridge. Term ends 2028.
• Northumberland: Cramlington South West division, after the resignation of Reform UK councillor Shaun Knowles due to ill health. Term ends 2029.
• Redbridge: Churchfields ward, after the resignation of Independent councillor Rosa Gomez, who was elected for Labour. Her term was due to end in May so no byelection follows.

Dates for byelections

• Kent: The byelection due in Cliftonville division will be held on 9 April.
• Northumberland: The byelection due in Cramlington South West division will be held on 16 April.
• Salford: The byelection due in Barton and Winton ward will be held on Wednesday 22 April.

Other updates

• Surrey: The Surrey (Structural Changes) Order 2026 which implements reorganisation of local government in Surrey (replacing existing councils with two unitary councils) has been approved by both Houses of Parliament. As a result the vacancy in Warlingham division will now be filled by a byelection which must take place before 21 May.

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