Giving electors a voice
In the latest batch of by-elections, the Greens continued to make gains, one each from Labour and Conservative, but lost a seat of their own.
In the latest batch of by-elections, the Greens continued to make gains, one each from Labour and Conservative, but lost a seat of their own.
These latest by-elections, which include some county contests held on 4 May, largely support the general pattern of voting seen in the main local elections.
Labour will have to wait to see if May’s local election results presage a General Election victory.
This year’s local elections in England encompass more than 8,000 seats in 230 councils, with 49 of them having undergone a boundary review.
There are just four by-elections to report but three may offer clues about the May elections.
Only one seat changed hands in this latest batch of 10 local by-elections, as the Greens recaptured Hythe West in Kent from the Conservatives.
Most, though not all, by-elections now being held are in councils that do not have contests scheduled for May.
Although there have been no postal strikes since Christmas with their potential impact on postal voting, a cold January has done little to persuade a seemingly unenthused electorate to turn out in numbers.
Wigan’s Ashton ward has established an unenviable record, recording the lowest turnout in any council by-election: just 5.3 per cent.
Sixteen of the latest batch of 33 councillor vacancies (48 per cent) saw a seat change hands.