Greens celebrate gain in Essex; Lib Dems lose more seats to Labour

This week's by-elections produced some interesting results with the Green Party's win in Rochford DC (Essex) standing out. Elsewhere Labour continued their run of impressive by-election results picking up two seats from the Liberal Democrats (one notional) and holding three others to add to their gain in Scotland. The Lib Dems also lost a seat to Plaid Cymru (Wales post will be up tomorrow) to add to their woes and with their vote share falling in contests across the country it is hard to find any positives for the embattled party. As well as being on the receiving end of the Green's gain in Essex the Conservatives held a couple of seats in safe ward on Rushcliffe BC (Nottinghamshire).

I'll start in Rochford where the Greens took their second seat in the Hullbridge ward. The Conservatives were defending this ward following the death of Conservative Cllr. Peter Robinson who had easily won his seat in 2008. Two years later Michael Hoy defied the General Election turnout to score a surprise victory for the Greens. They were unable to repeat this feat in this year's partial Council elections as they slipped to third place behind the Tories and the English Democrats. However, with a Hoy on the ballot paper, this time Michael's wife Diane, the Greens gained the seat on an 18.6% swing on last month's result. Despite this loss the Conservatives still enjoy a big majority on the Council.

Hullbridge (Rochford)
	Votes	Vote %	+/-*
Diane Hoy (E)	757	49.8%	+31.8%
Mark Hale	555	36.5%	-5.5%
Angelina Marriott	182	12.0%	-5.1%
Carl Whitwell	76	1.7%	+1.7%

*change from 2011

Labour won both seats available in the two countermanded elections taking place for Newcastle City Council. The election in the Westerhope ward was delayed due to the death of the Liberal Democrat candidate Neil Hamilton on polling day. On May 5^th the Lib Dems suffered huge losses to Labour across the Northern Mets, including 10 in Newcastle itself, and this by-election was true to form. Linda Hobson became the second Labour Councillor in Westerhope to follow up their victory here last year on the General Election turnout.

A key point I missed in the preview for this contest was that the Independent candidate Pat Hillicks was actually the incumbent Councillor. She was elected as a Liberal Democrat in 2007 but had since left the party for reasons I have been unable to ascertain. Hillocks made a far better stab a preventing a Labour win than the official Lib Dem candidate, falling 223 votes short in second place. Embarrassingly, the Liberal Democrats slipped to fourth place behind new a local party Newcastle First; a terrible result in a ward they were defending.

In the other Newcastle election Labour easily held the Byker ward with 73% of the vote. The contest was postponed following the death of the Conservative candidate Alice Gingell. Again, the Liberal Democrats put in a dismal performance, dropping to third behind the crisis strewn BNP. Veronica Dunn's win leaves Labour with a majority of 12 until the next partial elections in 2012. On the current trends they are far more likely to increase that majority than lose it.

Newcastle City Council
Lab				LD					Ind
45	+1			32			-1		1		-
Byker								Westerhope
		Votes	Vote %		+/-*					Votes		Vote %	+/-*
Veronica Dunn (E)		1206	72.6%		+14.9%			Linda Hobson (E)		1106		33.2%	-3.3%
Ken Booth		144	8.7%		-0.2%			Pat Hillicks (Ind)		883		26.5%	+26.5%
Tracy Connell		102	6.1%		-18.1%			Ernie Shorton (New-1st)		532		16.0%	+16.0%
Alan Mattinson (Ind)		78	4.7%		+4.7%			P J Morrissey		492		14.8%	-18.3%
James Bartle		76	4.6%		-4.6%			William Holloway		240		7.2%	-17.1%
Angela McKenna (N1st)		55	3.3%		+3.3%			Anita Cooper		81		2.4%	-3.8%

*change from 2010

Labour notionally gained another seat from the Liberal Democrats in Cheshire East. The poll for the Crewe South ward on the Unitary Council was delayed following the death of the sitting Liberal Democrat Councillor Betty Howell, who was seeking re-election. The since the full Council was last contested in 2008 a boundary review has taken place and I understand the new Crewe South is quite different from the old three member ward it replaced. I'm led to believe these changes favoured Labour but even with this mitigating factor the Lib Dem showing was again very poor. They came third with less than 10% of the vote as Labour's Dorothy Flude and Steven Hogben easily took the final two seats on the Cheshire East Council. This result is fairly immaterial to the balance of power on the Council as the Tories enjoy a large majority.

Crewe South (Cheshire East)
	Votes	Vote %*
Dorothy Flude (E)	970	59.7%
Steven Hogben (E)	899
Jubeyar Ahmed	507	31.2%
Steve Turnbull	489
Lisa Smith	147	9.1%
Robert Icke	146

*% from top candidate

Elsewhere Labour enjoyed two comfortable holds in the Midlands. The Burton Town ward, Staffordshire CC was vacant following the resignation of Labour Cllr. Peter Beresford due to ill health. His margin of victory over the Liberal Democrat candidate wasn't huge but the last two years have seen a reversal in fortunes for the two parties and Labour were expected to increase their majority in this by-election. Their candidate Ron Clarke duly delivered and enjoyed a 9.2% swing from the Liberal Democrats. They in turn slipped to third place behind the Tories to round off a night to forget. As with most County Councils the Conservatives' large majority was unaffected by this result.

Burton Town (Staffordshire)
	Votes	Vote %	+/-*
Ron Clarke (E)	1233	43.7%	+9.3%
Ahmet Orta	884	31.3%	+8.5%
Michael Rodgers	525	18.6%	-9.1%
Peter McGuiggan	182	6.4%	+6.4%

*change 2009

In the next county over Labour easily held Eckington, Derbyshire CC in a straight fight with the Conservatives. Brian Ridgeway enjoyed 74% of the vote and this victory reduces the Tories majority on the Council to just 3 seats. With an interesting by-election pending in an ward previously won by an Independent the Conservatives will not have a lot of room to manoeuvre during the second half of the Council term.

Derbyshire County Council
CON		LAB		LD			VAC
33	-	22	-	8		-	1		-
Eckington
					Votes			Vote %*
Brian Ridgway (E)					1142			73.8%
Carolyn Renwick					406			26.2%

*change from 2009

Finally the Conservatives held both seats in the Manvers ward, Rushcliffe BC (Nottinghamshire). The election was delayed following the death of sitting Conservative Councillor Wally Smith, who was seeking re-election. Labour were the only other party to contest this ward and, despite a 5% swing away from them, the two Tory candidates were easily elected. The Conservatives have a large majority on the Borough Council.

Manvers (Rushcliffe)
	Votes	Vote %*	+/-**
Eddy Fearon (E)	730	69.3%	-5.0%
David Smith (E)	692
Pam Thompson	323	30.7%	+5.0%
John Thorn	290

*% from top candidate

**change from 2007

Tom Harris