BY-ELECTIONS 03.02.22

The shoo-in to replace the murdered David Amess has been elected in Southend West.  All the main parties stood aside out of respect, leaving Anna Firth to win the seat for the Conservatives.  Firth is originally from Southend and vacated her council seat in Sevenoaks in order to take up office in Westminster.  This was her third attempt at gaining a parliamentary seat, having previously contested Erith and Thamesmead in 2015 and Canterbury in 2019.

Of the smaller parties to contest Southend West, the largest was UKIP, but they finished an embarrassing third place behind a candidate from the 'Psychedelic Movement'.  All the candidates lost their £500 deposit with the exception of Firth.

Southend West

Anna Firth (Con) 12,792 (86.1%) +26.9%

Jason Pilley (Psyc) 512 (3.4%) New

Steve Laws (UKIP) 400 (2.7%) New

Catherine Blaiklock (EngDem) 320 (2.2%) New

Jayda Fransen (Ind) 299 (2.0%) New

Ben Downton (Herit) 236 (1.6%) New

Christopher Anderson (Freedom) 161 (1.1%) New

Graham Moore (EngCon) 86 (0.6%) New

Olga Childs (Ind) 52 (0.3%) New

Con HOLD

There were also six council by-elections on Thursday - two Tory defences, two Labour defences and two Lib Dem defences.  The only seat to change hands was a stunning Lib Dem gain from Labour in Manchester, aided by growing public anger over the highly controversial Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone.  The scheme is due to begin on May 30.

It was a disappointing night all round for Labour with their vote share down in all five seats the party contested.  They very nearly lost to the Conservatives in Leicester, perhaps due in no small part to the campaign organiser having been a certain former MP...

Keith Vaz presided over a near disaster in the Evington ward of Leicester

UKIP did not contest Campden and Vale (Cotswolds) or Spital (Tamworth) this time

Campden & Vale, Cotswold District Council

Con: 1,180 (56.2%) +12.5%

Lib Dem: 920 (43.8%) +18.2%

Con HOLD

Berkhamsted West, Dacorum Borough Council

LDem: 924 (64.1%) +13.9%

Con: 318 (22.1%) -5.6%

Grn: 130 (9.0%) -5.8%

Lab: 69 (4.8%) -2.5%

LDem HOLD

Boxmoor, Dacorum Borough Council

LDem: 1,319 (60.5%) +18.3%

Con: 599 (27.5%) -4.3%

Lab: 171 (7.8%) -6.2%

Grn: 92 (4.2%) -7.8%

LDem HOLD

Evington, Leicester City Council

Lab: 1,557 (38.8%) -15.4%

Con: 1,382 (34.4%) +12.9%

LDem: 830 (20.7%) +12.5%

Grn: 200 (5.0%) -7.1%

ForBrit: 45 (1.1%) New

Lab HOLD

Ancoats & Beswick, Manchester City Council

LDem: 1,113 (53.2%) +31.0%

Lab: 793 (37.9%) -20.6%

Grn: 119 (5.7%) -5.3%

Con: 66 (3.2%) -5.2%

LDem GAIN from Lab

Spital, Tamworth Borough Council

Con: 613 (43.6%) -11.7%

Ind: 482 (34.3%) +16.9%

Lab: 311 (22.1%) -3.0%

Con HOLD

Abbreviations

Con = Conservative

Psyc = Psychedelic Movement

UKIP = UK Independence Party

EngDem = English Democrats

Herit = Heritage

Freedom = Freedom Alliance

EngCon = English Constitution

LDem = Liberal Democrat

Grn = Green

Lab = Labour

ForBrit = For Britain

Ind = Independents