Council by-elections

Just three by-elections yesterday. A near miss in what had been a very safe Tory area in Norfolk shows what can be done by Labour in rural areas and small towns with strong local campaigning, and a Lib Dem hold in a Calderdale Ward where we won one of the other seats in May shows that we can't expect a walkover in the tricky 3-way politics of the Pennines, which is a very important area in General Elections.

Attleborough Queens Ward, Breckland DC. Con hold. Con 489 (51.9%), Lab 454 (48.2%).  No swing calculable as 3 Tory councillors elected unopposed in 2011. Labour vote was 13% in 2009 by-election. Detail about the campaign here: http://jermysjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/attleborough-by-election.html

Warley Ward, Calderdale MBC. LD hold. LD 1066 (41.7%, +4.3), Lab 896 (35.1%, -6), Con 454 (17.8%, -3.7), Green 140 (5.5%, +5.5). Swing of 5.2% from Lab to LD since May this year.

Milford Ward, New Forest DC. Con hold. Con 963 (80%, +1.6), Lab 240 (20%, -1.6). Swing of 1.6% from Lab to Con since 2011.