Seven principal by-elections were held yesterday. In Cambridge, Liberal Democrat candidate Viki Sanders gained a seat from Labour in Queen Edith’s to add to the party’s victory in the ward in May’s local elections. Viki polled 36.5% of the vote to finish 143 votes clear of the Labour candidate. When summarising the win, Cambridgeshire County Councillor Amanda Taylor, who had been assisting with Viki’s campaign said, “Helpfully assisted by a vacuous Labour campaign, the victory was essentially based upon a routine of all-year-round ALDC-style activity and the delivery of regular leaflets and surveys, combined with six weeks of by-election boot camp and building upon lots of work in the community”.
In the Bulmershe & Whitegates contest in Wokingham UA, the Conservatives secured a comfortable victory by winning with a majority of 228 votes, to secure a gain from the Liberal Democrats, although the outgoing Councillor had been sitting as an Independent at the time of his exit. Lib Dem candidate Munir Ahmed polled 21.8% of the vote in finishing third, one place higher than the party managed in the ward’s last election held in May and with a 4.1% increase in the vote share.
In the by-election in Bolney ward on Mid Sussex DC, the Conservatives saw their vote share decrease by 24.3% but managed to retain their seat with a narrow majority of 74 votes ahead of UKIP’s candidate. Liberal Democrat candidate Simon Hicks increased the party’s share of the vote by 6.9% in finishing 100 votes adrift of the Conservative candidate in third place.
In addition, there were two by-elections in Dartford with the Conservatives holding their seat in Brent and Labour retaining theirs in Littlebrook. There were also holds for the Conservatives in Alport and Derwent on Derbyshire CC and for Labour on Wigan MB in Douglas Ward. No Liberal Democrat candidates were fielded in these four contests.
Elsewhere Liberal Democrat candidate Alan Clark won a seat on Northwich Town council, becoming the only non-Labour representative on the council.