Little surprise in Old Catton

The latest updates on local electoral information are as follows.

Results

• Breckland: The byelection in Dereham Toftwood ward held on 16 July was won by Stuart Green. Conservative gain from an Independent who was elected for Labour.
• Cambridgeshire: The byelection in Ramsey and Bury division held on 16 July was won by Howard Tobias. Reform UK hold.
• Cherwell: The byelection in Kidlington West ward held on 16 July was won by Rob Packard. Liberal Democrat hold.
• Norfolk: The byelection in Old Catton division held on 16 July was won by Antony Little. Conservative gain from Reform UK.
• Peterborough: The byelection in Fletton and Woodston ward held on 16 July was won by Katherine Sharp. Green Party gain from an Independent elected for Labour.
• Rushmoor: The byelection in Wellington ward held on 16 July was won by Fouzia Tanveer Khan. Labour hold.
• South Staffordshire: The byelection in Himley and Swindon ward held on 16 July was won by Sean Massey. Conservative hold.
• Stafford: The byelection in Manor ward held on 16 July was won by Aaron Thurstance. Labour hold.

Defections

• Argyll and Bute: Yvonne McNeilly, who was elected for the Conservatives in Cowal ward, has left the party but remains within the Conservative group as a ‘Conservative and Unionist’ councillor.
• Birmingham: Rebecca Waters, who was elected for Reform UK in Rubery and Rednal ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor.
• Bracknell Forest: Two councillors who were elected for the Labour Party but suspended from the whip in March, have been readmitted. They are Mary Temperton (Great Hollands ward) and Roy Bailey (Town Centre and The Parks ward).
• Fareham: Robert Turner, who was elected for the Liberal Democrats in Portchester Wicor ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent.
• Flintshire: Arnold Woolley, who was elected as an Independent in Buckley Bistre East ward and last week left the Eagle group, has now joined the True Independents group. Meanwhile Debbie Owen (Connah’s Quay Central ward) has left the True Independents group to join the Independent group.
• Gwynedd: Glyn Daniels, who was elected as an Independent in Diffwys and Maenofferen ward, has joined Plaid Cymru.
• Halton: Angela McInerney, who was elected for the Labour Party in Farnworth ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor.
• Powys: Tom Colbert, who was elected for the Liberal Democrats in Bronllys and Felinfach ward but left the party in May, has now joined the Powys Independents.
• Rutland: Mark Chatfield, who was elected for the Liberal Democrats in Oakham North East ward, has left the party group to sit as a non-aligned Independent councillor, after being suspended from the Liberal Democrats.
• Solihull: David Hoey, who was elected for Reform UK in Meriden and Arden ward, has joined the Conservatives.
• West Northamptonshire: Two councillors for Headland ward, who were elected for Reform UK, have founded a Restore Britain group on the council. They are Joanne Blythe, who left the Reform UK group in March, and Cameron Emery.

New vacancies

• Barnsley: Penistone East ward, after the resignation of Reform UK councillor Kay Hughes. Term ends 2028.
• Bath and North East Somerset: Combe Down ward, after the impending resignation of unaligned councillor Bharat Pankhania, who was elected for the Liberal Democrats but left the party in March. Term ends 2027.
• Dover: Guston, Kingsdown and St Margaret’s-at-Cliffe ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Martin Bates. Term ends 2027.
• Nottingham: Leen Valley ward, after the disqualification of Nottingham Independents councillor Nadia Farhat, who did not attend any council meeting for six months. She was elected for the Labour Party. Term ends 2027.
• Rhondda Cynon Taf: Llantwit Fardre ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Sam Trask. Term ends 2027.
• Wandsworth: Trinity ward, after the resignation of Labour councillor Lizzy Dobres. Term ends 2030.

Dates for byelections

• Barnsley: The byelection due in Penistone East ward will be held on 20 August.
• Cumberland: The byelection due in Harraby South ward will be held on 20 August.
• Nottingham: The byelection due in Leen Valley ward will be held on 20 August.
• St Helens: The byelection due in Billinge and Seneley Green ward will be held on 27 August.
• Wandsworth: The byelection in Trinity ward will be held on 27 August.

Other updates

• On Thursday, Secretary of State Steve Reed announced decisions on local government reorganisation in 14 out of the 16 remaining two-tier areas, confirming new unitary councils which will be elected in shadow form in 2027 and replace existing districts and county councils in 2028. This leaves just two areas (West Sussex, and Cambridge and Peterborough) where Ministers require further work on options.
• Kirklees: A full council meeting on Wednesday finally elected a council leader following the inconclusive local elections in May. Reform UK will form a minority administration.
• Oldham: On Wednesday, a fourth attempt to elect a council leader following the council elections in May ended again in stalemate.

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