Ten local elections this week - five Conservative defences, two Labour defences and three open contests. Two of those free-for-alls came in the Outer Hebrides, where two seats were up for grabs following boundary changes. The council authority used to be called the Western Isles Council, but this was replaced in 1997 with its Gaelic name - Na h-Eileanan Siar - making it the only council authority in the UK with a Gaelic name. Both contests were dominated and won by independents. Please note that Scotland uses a form of proportional representation ie. the single transferable vote.
The other free-for-all was a gain for Labour as they took a seat in Middlesbrough previously held by an independent.
It was another difficult night for the Tories as they lost three of the five seats they were defending - two to the Lib Dems (Bernwood and Bridlington North) and one to Labour (Midway). Labour held both seats they were defending.
Absences this week were UKIP (Bridlington North, Midway), the Liberal Party (Fazakerley), the Conservatives (Fazakerley) and three independents in Bridlington North.
Bernwood, Buckinghamshire County Council
LDem: 1,158 (38.7%) +21.4%
Grn: 1,030 (34.4%) -3.9%
Con: 723 (24.1%) -9.8%
Lab: 85 (2.8%) -7.7%
LDem GAIN from Con
Barraigh agus Bhatarsaigh, Na h-Eileanan Siar
(first preference votes)
Ind: 189 (49.3%)
Ind: 181 (47.3%)
Ind: 13 (3.4%)
Ind GAIN (elected at stage 2)
Sgìr’ Ùige agus Càrlabhagh, Na h-Eileanan Siar
(first preference votes)
Ind: 222 (35.4%)
LDem: 128 (20.4%)
Ind: 113 (18%)
SNP: 96 (15.3%)
Grn: 57 (9.1%)
Ind: 11 (1.8%)
Ind: 1 (0.2%)
Ind GAIN (elected at stage 6)
South Croydon, Croydon London Borough Council
Con: 1,306 (42.9%) +2.9%
Lab: 821 (27.0%) -2.1%
LDem: 448 (14.7%) +0.6%
Grn: 269 (8.8%) -5.5%
Ind: 158 (5.2%) New
UKIP: 25 (0.8%) -1.6%
Ind: 18 (0.6%) New
Con HOLD
Bridlington North, East Riding of Yorkshire Council
LDem: 1,950 (57.1%) +16.8%
Con: 1,077 (31.5%) +6.4%
Lab: 171 (5.0%) -4.7%
SDP: 125 (3.7%) New
Yorks: 93 (2.7%) -8.0%
LDem GAIN from Con
Fazakerley, Liverpool City Council
Lab: 1,365 (57.5%) -25.6%
Ind: 638 (26.9%) New
LDem: 290 (12.2%) +8.2%
Grn: 79 (3.3%) -1.0%
Lab HOLD
Berwick Hills & Pallister, Middlesbrough Council
Lab: 361 (56.8%) +26.5%
Ind: 204 (32.1%) New
Con: 53 (8.3%) +2.8%
LDem: 11 (1.7%) New
Grn: 7 (1.1%) New
Lab GAIN from Ind
Ollerton, Newark & Sherwood District Council
Lab: 962 (64.9%) +0.6%
Con: 395 26.7%) -9.0%
Ind: 125 (8.4%) New
Lab HOLD
Midway, South Derbyshire District Council
Lab: 600 (52.6%) +14.8%
Con: 540 (47.4%) +9.1%
Lab GAIN from Con
Cleveleys Park, Wyre Borough Council
Con: 721 (53.7%) -9.0%
Lab: 621 (46.3%) +9.0%
Con HOLD
Abbreviations
LDem = Liberal Democrat
Grn = Green
Con = Conservative
Lab = Labour
SNP = Scottish National Party
UKIP = United Kingdom Independence Party
SDP = Social Democratic Party
Yorks = Yorkshire
Ind = Independence