By ‘Eckington

The latest updates on local electoral information are as follows.

Results

• Manchester: The byelection in Burnage ward held on 10 September was won by Carl Austin-Behan. Labour hold.
• North East Derbyshire: The byelection in Eckington South and Renishaw ward held on 10 September was won by Jamie Hodgson. Reform UK gain from Labour.
• North Somerset: The byelection in Hutton and Locking ward held on 10 September was won by William Jones. Reform UK gain from Conservative.
• West Suffolk: The byelection in Haverhill West ward held on 10 September was won by Graham Cone. Conservative hold.

Defections

• Birmingham: Bushra Bi, who was elected for the Labour Party in Sparkhill ward, has joined the Green Party.
• Blaenau Gwent: Jonathan Millard, who was elected for Reform UK in Ebbw Vale South ward, has left the party and is sitting as an Independent councillor.
• Cannock Chase: Josh Bancroft, who was elected for the Conservatives in Cannock Park and Old Fallow ward, has joined the Liberal Democrats.
• Lancashire: Nigel Swales, who was elected for Reform UK in Skelmersdale East division, has joined the Labour Party.
• Leeds: Cristiana Mirosanu, who was elected for the Green Party in Chapel Allerton ward, has left the party group to sit as an Independent councillor.
• Leicester: Nags Agath, who was elected for the Conservatives in Abbey ward but left the party in June 2024, has joined the Labour Party.
• Medway: Andrew Lawrence, who was elected for the Conservatives in Hempstead and Wigmore ward, has left the party to found Medway First.
• Newcastle upon Tyne: Daniel Astley, who was elected for Reform UK in Benwell, Scotswood and Denton Burn ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor.
• North Tyneside: Josephine Mudzingwa, who was elected for the Labour Party in North Shields ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor.
• Plymouth: Two councillors who were elected for Reform UK have joined Restore Britain. They are Andrew Crumplin (Moor View ward) and Mark Hadfield (St Budeaux ward). Meanwhile Grace Stickland, who was elected for Reform UK in Plymstock Dunstone ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor.
• Sheffield: Two councillors who were elected for Reform UK but then left the party, have formed the New Chartist Reform Group. They are Robert Hanson (Firth Park ward) and Mick Lee (Shiregreen and Brightside ward).
• Slough: Balwinder Dhillon, who was elected for the Conservatives in Upton ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor.
• South Kesteven: Barry Dobson, who was elected for the Conservatives in Dole Wood ward but left the party in March 2024 and was in the Democratic Independent Group, has rejoined the Conservatives.
• Walsall: Daniel Rollinson, who was elected for Reform UK in New Invention ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor.
• Windsor and Maidenhead: Suzanne Cross, who was elected in Bray ward for the Borough first Independents but had left them and was sitting in the Local Independents group, has joined the Conservatives.

New vacancies

• Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: Penn Hill ward, after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Jo Clements. Term ends 2027.
• Flintshire: Higher Kinnerton ward, after the resignation of Independent councillor Mike Allport. Term ends 2027.
• South Staffordshire: Huntington and Hatherton ward, after the death of Labour councillor Jeff Ashley. Term ends 2027.
• Wigan: Hindley Green ward, after the death of Independent councillor Bob Brierley. Term ends 2027.

Dates for byelections

• Argyll and Bute: The byelection due in Mid Argyll ward will be held on 29 October.
• East Hertfordshire: The byelection due in Hertford Kingsmead ward will be held on 22 October.
• Flintshire: The byelection due in Higher Kinnerton ward will be held on 15 October.
• Leeds: The byelection due in Calverley and Farsley ward will be held on 22 October.
• Leicestershire: The byelection due in Shepshed division will be held on 15 October.
• Mid Devon: The byelection due in Bradninch ward will be held on 15 October.
• South Kesteven: The byelection due in Grantham St Wulfram’s ward will be held on 22 October.
• Stroud: The byelection due in Rodborough ward will be held on Tuesday 13 October.
• Wiltshire: The byelection due in Salisbury Milford division will be held on 15 October.

Other updates

• The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced that the local government reorganisation process will be reviewed. The four decisions in Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk have been withdrawn and the plans for 14 other areas have been paused. This announcement does not affect the reorganisation in Surrey which will go ahead next March.
• Denbighshire: A new council administration has been formed, led by an Independent councillor. The leadership includes Independents, Conservatives and non-aligned councillors.

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