Three principal council by-elections were contested yesterday, all of which resulted in holds. In Cambridgeshire (CC), UKIP managed to defend their wafer-thin five vote majority in Chatteris division from 2013, winning by just 10 votes ahead of the Conservatives. Liberal Democrat candidate John Freeman cam in third with 18.7% of the vote, a vote share decrease of 2.6% from two years ago.
Labour made lighter work of defending their seat in South Camberwell ward in Southwark (LB), polling 57.5% to secure an 802 vote majority. The Lib Dems moved up from fourth in 2014 to third place, with Benjamin Maitland polling 10.4% with a vote share increase of 2.1% from last year.
In Cumbria (CC), there was a relatively comfortable hold for Labour. Despite a vote share decrease of 12.9% from 2013, the party was victorious with 47.6% of the vote. There was no Lib Dem candidate in this contest.
Elsewhere, Neville Farmer came close to securing a Liberal Democrat gain from Labour in Corsham Pickwick ward on Corsham Town Council, with an Independent taking victory by just 21 votes despite a 48.5% vote share for the Lib Dems.
Liberal Democrat candidates will be standing in five of next Thursday’s six principal council by-elections. The party will be hoping for a strong set of results as Labour defend seats in Bury (MB) and Oxford (BC) and the Conservatives defend seats in Westminster (LB), Hampshire (CC), South Oxfordshire (DC) and Colchester (BC).
For a detailed list of yesterday’s results please click here. If you would like more information on all the forthcoming by-elections and details on who to contact for help, click here.