The Liberal Democrats achieved a hold and a gain in principal council by-elections last week. In Huntingdonshire (DC), Stephen Greenall polled 45% to gain a seat from UKIP in Huntingdon East ward. The Lib Dem vote share went up by 17% from this May as the party won with a 248 vote majority as UKIP slipped to third place.
There was further good news as the party successfully held it’s seat in Market Harbough Logan ward in Harborough (DC), as Barbara Johnson won with 45.2% of the vote whilst securing a 9% vote share increase for the party from May.
Elsewhere, the Conservatives successfully defended both of their seats in a double vacancy in Kinson South ward in Bournemouth (UA). Liberal Democrat candidates Gill Pardy and Phill Dunn finished 9th and 10th respectively out of 12 candidates.
There were also holds for Labour and the Conservatives in South Lanarkshire (UA) and Fylde (BC) respectively. Lib Dem Stephen Reid polled 2.9% of the first preferences in Scotland, whilst Luke Gibbon polled 5.3% in Clifton ward in the Fylde by-election.
In North East Derbyshire (DC), there were comfortable holds for the Tories and Labour, as they each held a seat with 66.6% and 79.3% of the vote respectively. Neither contest featured a Liberal Democrat candidate.
Six principal council contests will be held this week. On Tuesday, Richard Dunne will be the Liberal Democrat candidate in the Shepperton Town election in Shepperton (BC), whilst Roger Boon will be the standing for the party in the Gogarth ward contest in Conwy (UA) on Wednesday. Liberal Democrat candidates will also be standing in by-elections on Thursday in Brent (LB), Worcestershire (CC) and East Herts (DC) with a seat also being contested in Ryedale (DC). The party will also be represented in the by-election on Machynlleth Town Council in Powys.
For a detailed list of last week’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.