A blog by Luke Akehurst about politics, elections, and the Labour Party - With subtitles for the Hard of Left. Just for the record: all the views expressed here are entirely personal and do not necessarily represent the positions of any organisations I am a member of.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Council By-elections

A bumper crop of by-elections last night, with some dramatic results:

Winchester Southern Parishes Division, Hampshire CC. Con hold. Con 1661 (53.8%, -3.9), LD 1038 (33.6%, +6.5), UKIP 133 (4.3%, -7.9), Green 130 (4.2%, +4.2), Lab 124 (4%, +0.9). Swing of 5.2% from Con to LD since 2009.

Towcester Division, Northamptonshire CC. LD gain from Con. LD 1274 (60.6%, +32.5%), Con 638 (30.4%, -30.6), UKIP 124 (5.9%, +5.9), BNP 66 (3.1%, +3.1). Swing of 31.6% from Con to LD since 2009.

Windermere Town Ward, South Lakeland DC. LD hold.  LD 418 (72.9%, +3), Con 85 (14.8%, -0.4), Lab 50 (8.7%, -6.1), UKIP 20 (3.5%, +3.5). Swing of 1.7% from Con to LD since 2011. This is in Tim Farron's constituency.

Towcester Brook Ward, South Northants DC. LD gain from Con. LD 774 (59.4%, +15.5), Con 401 (30.8%, -11.7), UKIP 129 (9.9%, -3.7). Swing of 13.6% from Con to LD since 2011.

Leek South Division, Staffordshire CC. Con gain from UKIP. Con 725 (27.3%, -0.8), UKIP 556 (20.9%, -15.7), Lab 432 (16.2%, +6.4), LD 419 (15.8%, -3), Moorlands Democratic Alliance 336 (12.6%, +12.6), Ind 192 (7.2%, +7.2). Swing of 7.5% from UKIP to Con since 2009.

Leek North Ward, Staffordshire Moorlands DC. Lab gain from UKIP. Lab 514 (54.9%, +22.9), UKIP 188 (20.1%, -13.7), Con 178 (19%, -1.6), Moorlands Democratic Alliance 33 (3.5%, +3.5), LD 24 (2.6%, +2.6). Swing of 18.3% from UKIP to Lab since 2011. The winner here was Charlotte Atkins, former MP for Staffs Moorlands.

Kesgrave & Rushmere St Andrews Division, Suffolk CC. Con hold. Con 1302 (49.7%, -7.5), Lab 804 (30.7%, +16.7), LD 514 (19.6%, -9.3). Swing of 12.1% from Con to Lab since 2009.

Kesgrave East Ward, Suffolk Coastal DC. Con hold. Con 531 (55%, +11.3), Lab 241 (24.9%, +3), LD 194 (20.1%, +2.6). Swing of 4.2% from Lab to Con since 2011.

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I fear the reports of the Liberal Democrats death may have been greatly exaggerated. Still whilst they are taking seats of Tories, we shouldn't be concerned.

11:39 am, February 10, 2012

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

And where were the Labour candidates in Towcester?

4:05 pm, February 10, 2012

 
Blogger Luke Akehurst said...

The candidate who was going to run in both Towcester seats was disqualified on a technicality - he didn't put his nominators' poll numbers on the nomination forms.

5:08 pm, February 10, 2012

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Didn't leave things till the last minute then?

6:24 pm, February 10, 2012

 
Blogger southhackneypunter said...

#"Still, whilst they are taking seats off Tories, we shouldn't be concerned."

I must beg to differ, IMHO Labour could 'blow' a once in a generation opportunity now if it doesn't act decisively to stop from re-asserting itself the lazy perception amongst younger voters who live in Tory-dominated areas that a Lib-dem vote is the only 'left' alternative on offer to them as "Labour stands no chance around here"; Labour needs to push to the front, fight every seat possible, and make clear to voters that "if you want a Dyson, then it has to be a Dyson" so to speak, make clear to voters that after Birmingham, Camden, and now nationally, it is clear that the Lib dems are the natural allies of the Tories in coalition (and have been so at local level since at least the 1960s with their oft-cobbled together town hall 'anti-socialist’ coalitions)

8:45 pm, February 12, 2012

 

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