There were seven council by-elections on Thursday, plus a re-run of the Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner election from May. The PCC election was being held again after the victorious Tory candidate was immediately barred from office over an undeclared drink driving offence. The Tories successfully held the post, albeit with a much reduced majority thanks to the £1 million cost of having to stage the election again. Labour, who finished third in May's void election, slipped to fourth.
Labour were fairly anonymous this week, with nothing to defend and failing to contest three elections in Aberdeenshire and Kent that they had previously contested. It was a mixed night for the Tories, who held two, lost two and gained one. The Lib Dems will be more than happy with two holds and a gain.
Wiltshire Police & Crime Commissioner
(50% threshold for victory)
Philip Wilkinson (Con) 32,564 (36.0%)
Mike Rees (Ind) 25,197 (27.8%)
Brian Mathew (LDem) 17,966 (19.8%)
Junab Ali (Lab) 12,971 (14.3%)
Julian Malins (RefUK) 1,859 (2.1%)
Final Round
Jonathon Seed (Con) 52.0%
Liz Webster (Ind) 48.0%
Con HOLD
Mid Formartine, Aberdeenshire Council
(First preference votes)
Con: 1,480 (45.7%) +11.1%
SNP: 1,205 (37.2%) +11.4%
LDem: 412 (12.7%) +3.3%
Grn: 144 (4.4%) New
Con GAIN from SNP (elected at stage 3)
Downs North, Ashford Borough Council
Grn: 273 (51.8%) +20.8%
Con: 239 (45.4%) +7.9%
LDem: 15 (2.8%) -8.6%
Grn GAIN from Con
Sandwich, Dover District Council
Con: 721 (51.6%) +37.2%
LDem: 676 (48.4%) +14.1%
Con HOLD
East Wolds & Coastal, East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Con: 1,190 (54.0%) -2.3%
Lab: 447 (20.3%) +7.2%
York: 347 (15.7%) New
Grn: 142 (6.4%) -24.2%
LDem: 72 (3.6%) New
Con HOLD
Littlemoor, Ribble Valley Borough Council
LDem: 281 (49.0%) -8.9%
Con: 216 (37.7%) +14.1%
Lab: 59 (10.3%) -8.2%
Grn: 17 (3.0%) New
LDem HOLD
Primrose, Ribble Valley Borough Council
LDem: 200 (43.9%) -16.5%
Con: 119 (26.1%) +10.4%
Lab: 109 (23.9%) -0.1%
Grn: 28 (6.1%) New
LDem HOLD
Oakham South, Rutland County Council
LDem: 886 (67.8%) +9.8%
Con: 420 (32.2%) -9.8%
LDem GAIN from Con
Abbreviations
Con = Conservative
LDem = Liberal Democrat
Lab = Labour
RefUK = Reform UK
SNP = Scottish National Party
Grn = Green
York = Yorkshire Party
Ind = Independents