COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 06.03.25

Nine seats were up for grabs on Thursday and all but two were held by the incumbent party.  There was a major upset in London, where a hard left former Labour councillor sensationally unseated his old party as in independent.  The winning margin in the Hounslow seat was just 12 votes!

No gains for Reform this week, but their presence was felt everywhere as they scored a string of impressive second places on first outing.  A big swing from the Tories to Reform in Lancashire helped the Lib Dems take a Conservative seat there.  The defending Tories were pushed into third by Reform in Pendle.

The Labour vote share was down in all by two of the eight seats the party contested.

Finchley Church End, Barnet London Borough Council

Con: 1,509 (45.2% ) 4.2%

Lab: 977 (29.3%) +3.8%

Ref: 351 (10.5%) New

LDm: 231 (6.4%) -19.1%

Grn: 147(4.4%) -3.7%

REU: 119 (3.6%) New

Ind: 20 (0.6%) New

Con HOLD

Gorrell, Canterbury City Council

Grn: 1,210 (49.5%) -0.5%

Lab: 570 (23.3%) -15.4%

Ref: 423 (17.3%) New

Con: 179 (7.3%) -4.0%

LDm: 64 (2.6%) New

Grn HOLD

Herne & Broomfield, Canterbury City Council

Con: 557 (40.7%) -2.0%

Ref: 473 (34.6%) New

Lab: 196 (14.3%) -9.1%

LDm: 102 (7.5) -13.1%

Grn: 41 (3.0%) -5.0%

Con HOLD

St Stephen's, Canterbury City Council

Lab: 628 (47.0%) -12.7%

Ref: 245 (18.3%) New

LDm: 220 (16.5%) -1.1%

Con: 128 (9.6%) -4.9%

Grn: 116 (8.7%) -0.3%

Lab HOLD

Llanddarog, Carmarthenshire County Council

Pld: 397 (57.1%) -27.1%

Ref: 145 (20.9%) New

Con: 139 (20.0%) New

Gwd: 14 (2.0%) New

Pld HOLD

Hamble & Netley, Eastleigh Borough Council

LDm: 1,224 (52.1%) -10.7%

Ref: 542 (23.1%) New

Con: 421 (17.9%) -8.7%

Lab: 164 (7.0%) +0.9%

LDm HOLD

Brentford East, Hounslow London Borough Council

Lab: 439 (48.1%) -14.7%

Ref: 127 (22.0%) New

Con: 99 (11.1%) -7.6%

Grn: 89 (10.0%) -8.6%

LDm: 79 (8.8%) New

Lab HOLD

Syon & Brentford Lock, Hounslow London Borough Council

Ind: 615 (33.5%) +12.3%

Lab: 603 (32.8%) -4.9%

Grn: 218 (11.9%) -4.3%

Con: 150 (8.2%) -6.6%

Ref: 149 (8.1%) New

Ind GAIN from Lab

Vivary Bridge, Pendle Borough Council

LDm: 388 (34.9%) +10.9%

Ref: 358 (32.2%) New

Con: 244 (22.0%) -23.9%

Lab: 121 (10.9%) -12.2%

LDm GAIN from Con

Abbreviations

Con = Conservative

Lab = Labour

Ref = Reform UK

LDm = Liberal Democrat

Grn = Green

REU = Rejoin EU

Pld = Plaid Cymru

Gwd = Gwlad

Ind = Independent