Lower Sheering stays blue

Posted by David Boothroyd
View David's blog
14 years ago / November 6, 2009

Latest information about local council electoral matters is as follows:

East Midlands

East of England

London

  • Southwark borough council: Impending vacancy in The Lane ward, after the impending resignation of Labour councillor Susan Elan Jones who has been selected as Parliamentary candidate for Clwyd South. As of 5 November, any vacancies which arise in the London borough councils cannot be filled by a byelection due to the full council elections which are due in May 2010.
  • Westminster city council: Byelection on 10 December in Queen’s Park ward after the death of Labour councillor Mushtaq Qureshi, a tireless champion and highly respected councillor for his ward over the last 15 years. Term ends May 2010.

North East

North West

South East

  • Gosport borough council: Liberal Democrat group leader Peter Chegwyn has been disqualified for two years by the Adjudication Panel which would create a vacancy in his Leesland ward. He is reinstated for the moment and has won permission to appeal to the High Court against the finding. Term ends May 2010.
  • Hampshire county council: Peter Chegwyn has been disqualified for two years by the Adjudication Panel which would create a vacancy in his Hardway division. He is reinstated for the moment and has won permission to appeal to the High Court against the finding. Term ends 2013.
  • Hastings borough council: Byelection on 10 December in St Helens ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Keith Bing due to ill health. Term ends May 2010.
  • Shepway district council: Byelection on 12 November in New Romney Coast ward, after the resignation of Sue Ashworth due to ill health. Originally elected as a Liberal Democrat, she had since joined the Conservative Party. Term ends 2011.
  • Thanet district council: Byelection on 3 December in Dane Valley ward, after a valid resignation was received from Stephen Broadhurst. Broadhurst has been spending much of his time in Panama and was about to be disqualified for failing to attend any council meeting in six months; a previous resignation letter purporting to be from him was found to be invalid because someone else had signed the letter on his behalf. Broadhurst had originally been elected as a Conservative. Term ends 2011.
  • Worthing borough council: Impending vacancies in Marine ward and Salvington ward, due to the resignations (respectively) of outgoing council leader Keith Mercer and his wife Dr Heather Mercer (both Conservatives) who are emigrating to Cyprus where Heather Mercer is to take up a university post. Terms ends in May 2010 (Salvington) and 2011 (Marine). The Salvington vacancy cannot now be filled by a byelection as it is now within six months of its ordinary election.

South West

West Midlands

Yorkshire and the Humber

Wales

  • Flintshire county council: Byelection on 26 November in Northop ward, after the death of Mel Higham who was an Independent councillor and executive member for regeneration and tourism. Term ends 2012.
  • Pembrokeshire county council: Byelection on 26 November in St Dogmaels ward, after the resignation of Independent councillor Ian Gollop due to ill health. Term ends 2012.

Scotland

  • East Dunbartonshire council: Byelection on 10 December in ward no. 3 (Bearsden South) after the resignation of Conservative councillor Simon Hutchison. There is an unusual Labour/Conservative coalition running the council, whose survival is potentially endangered if neither wins the seat. Term ends 2012.
  • Falkirk council: Byelection on 19 November in Bo’ness and Blackness ward, after the death of Harry Constable of the Scottish National Party. Term ends 2012.