Greens lose two

The latest updates on local electoral information are as follows.

Results

• Bassetlaw: The byelection in East Markham ward held on 15 September was won by Matthew Evans. Reform UK gain from Conservative.
• Charnwood: The byelection in Wreake Valley ward held on 17 September was won by James Poland. Conservative gain from Green Party.
• Sheffield: The byelection in Walkley ward held on 17 September was won by Hannah Cawley. Labour gain from Green Party.
• South Lanarkshire: The byelection in Avondale and Stonehouse ward held on 17 September was won by Leigh Payne. Scottish National Party gain from Independent.

Defections

• Cambridge: Dave Baigent, who was elected for the Labour Party in Romsey ward but left the party in August 2025 and was in Your Party, has now joined the Green Party.
• Croydon: Mark Adderley, who was elected as a Green Party councillor for Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood ward while under suspension, has been admitted to the Green Party group.
• Durham: Three councillors previously in Reform UK have left the party to sit as Independents. They are Lyndsey Fox (Bishop Auckland division) and Nicole Brown (Aycliffe South division), who were elected for Reform UK, and Paul Sexton (Chester-le-Street South division) who was elected as an Independent and joined Reform UK shortly after. Meanwhile four other former Reform UK councillors who previously left the party have meanwhile formed the County Durham Independent Alliance: Ian Catchpole (Sedgefield division), Andrew Harrison (Seaham division), Kenny Hope (Delves Lane division) and Kate Rowland (Shildon and Dene Valley division).
• Dudley: Andrew Southall, who was elected for Reform UK in Wollaston and Stourbridge Town ward, has joined Restore Britain.
• Essex: Chris Perera, who was elected for Reform UK in Mersea and Tiptree division, has been suspended from the party and is sitting as an Independent county councillor.
• Luton: Saima Hussain, who was elected for the Labour Party in Saints ward, has left the party to sit as a non-aligned Independent councillor. Meanwhile Khtija Malik, who was elected for the Labour Party in Challney ward but left the party last year, has joined the Independent Alliance group.
• Somerset: Marcus Barr, who was elected for the Conservatives in Wellington division but left the party in May 2024 and joined Reform UK in April 2025, has now left that party to sit as an ungrouped councillor.

New vacancies

• Bassetlaw: Worksop East ward, after the resignation of Labour councillor Jo White MP. Term ends 2027.
• Bolton: Westhoughton South ward, after the death of Labour councillor David Chadwick. Term ends 2027.
• Hyndburn: Huncoat ward, after the death of veteran Labour councillor Dave Parkins. Term ends 2027.
• Rotherham: Anston and Woodsetts ward, after the death of Conservative councillor John Blackham. Term ends 2028.

Dates for byelections

• Bassetlaw: The byelection due in Worksop East ward will be held on 29 October.
• Carmarthenshire: The byelection due in Saron ward will be held on 22 October.
• Newark and Sherwood: The byelection due in Dover Beck ward will be held on 29 October.
• Nottinghamshire: The byelection due in Southwell division will be held on 29 October.

Other updates

• Luton: At a full council meeting on Monday the Labour leadership was removed and a Liberal Democrat leader elected. He has formed a coalition with the Independent Alliance and Conservative groups.
• Oldham: The council has agreed to appoint interim Lead Members to support decision-making while continuing to work towards agreement on its political leadership.

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