Indigo Public Affairs

David Boothroyd

The latest information about local electoral matters is as follows:

East Midlands

• Blaby district council: Byelection on 28 June in Ravenhurst and Fosse ward after the death of Labour councillor Phil Fox. Term ends 2015.
• Charnwood borough council: Byelection on 28 June in Sileby ward after the death of Conservative councillor Roy Brown. Term ends 2015.
• Chesterfield borough council: Two councillors elected as Liberal Democrats have left the party. They are David Stone and Paul Stone, a father and son team who both represent Barrow Hill and New Whittington ward. There is a vacancy in St Helen's ward after the death of Labour councillor Trevor Reynolds. Term ends 2015.
• Corby borough council: Vacancy in East ward after the death of Labour councillor and former council leader Pat Fawcett. Term ends 2015.
• East Northamptonshire district council: Byelection on 14 June in Barnwell ward after the death of the deputy leader of the council and Conservative councillor, Philip Hardcastle. Term ends 2015.
• North Lincolnshire council: Byelection on 31 May in Town ward after the death of Labour councillor and former Mayor Darrell Barkworth. Term ends 2015.
• South Northamptonshire district council: Vacancy in Grange Park ward after the death of Conservative councillor Paul Farrow. Term ends 2015.

East of England

• Chelmsford borough council: Byelection on 28 June in Patching Hall ward after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Tom Smith-Hughes. Term ends 2015.
• Dacorum borough council: Byelection on 21 June in Woodhall Farm ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Steve Holmes; it is now clear that his resignation was prompted by his arrest. Term ends 2015.
• Essex county council: Byelection on 28 June in Chelmsford North division after the death of the leader of the opposition, Liberal Democrat councillor Tom Smith-Hughes. Term ends 2013.
• Hertfordshire county council: Byelection on 21 June in Hemel Hempstead Town division after the resignation of Conservative councillor Steve Holmes; it is now clear that his resignation was prompted by his arrest. Term ends 2013.
• Huntingdonshire district council: Byelection on 21 June in Earith ward after the death of Conservative councillor Philip Godfrey. Term ends 2015.
• Maldon borough council: Vacancy in Tollesbury ward after the death of Conservative councillor Russell Porter. Term ends 2015.

London

• Barking and Dagenham borough council: Ralph Baldwin, who was elected as a Labour councillor in Mayesbrook ward but had the Labour whip suspended last October after threatening to defect to the Conservative Party, has joined the Conservative Party.
• Barnet borough council: Byelection on 31 May in Brunswick Park ward after the death of Conservative councillor and former council leader Lynne Hillan. Term ends 2014.
• Hammersmith and Fulham borough council: Impending vacancy in Town ward due to the resignation of outgoing Conservative council leader Stephen Greenhalgh, who is to be appointed Deputy Mayor for Policing by the Mayor of London.
• Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea: Vacancy in Brompton ward after the death of Conservative councillor and cabinet member for family and children's services, Baroness Ritchie of Brompton. Term ends 2014.

North East

• Durham county council: Byelection on 21 June in Peterlee West division after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Barbara Sloan. Term ends in 2013.

North West

• Carlisle city council: Byelection on 21 June in Harraby ward after the death of Labour councillor Dave Weedall who was the longest serving councillor in the City. Term ends 2014.
• Cumbria county council: Byelection on 24 May in Aspatria and Wharrels division after the resignation of Conservative councillor Mike Johnson who has become an employee of the council and would have been disqualified. Term ends 2013.
• Liverpool city council: There are two vacancies. Allerton and Hunts Cross ward has a vacant seat after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Vera Best, who has since died. Riverside ward has a seat vacant due to the disqualification of Joe Anderson, the Labour Party group leader, who was elected Mayor. Both terms end in 2014.
• Oldham borough council: Byelection on 14 June in Failsworth East ward after the death of Labour councillor Barbara Dawson. Term ends 2014.
• Pendle borough council: The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have agreed to form a 'shared executive' under a Conservative Leader and Liberal Democrat deputy leader.

South East

• Ashford borough council: Vacancy in Tenterden South ward after the death of Conservative councillor Peter Goddard. Term ends 2015.
• Basingstoke and Deane borough council: Onnalee Cubitt, who was elected as a Conservative in Basing ward, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor. She had been suspended from the Conservative group between October 2011 and January 2012 over her opposition to the administation on a major housebuilding proposal.
• Eastbourne borough council: Byelection in Meads ward on 31 May after the resignation of Conservative councillor Nigel Goodyear, who is to stand (as an Independent candidate) for Police and Crime Commissioner. Term ends 2015.
• Elmbridge borough council: The May election in Esher ward has been postponed to 21 June after the death of Bruce King, who had been nominated as a Labour candidate. The seat is held by the Conservatives.
• Hart district council: The Conservatives will continue to run the council as a minority administration after losing their majority in the recent elections.
• Kent county council: Byelection on 14 June in Tunbridge Wells East division after the death of Conservative councillor Kevin Lynes. Term ends 2013.
• South Bucks district council: Byelection on 14 June in Iver Heath ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Julian Wilson. Term ends 2015.
• Thanet district council: Vacancy in Westgate-on-Sea after the death of Conservative councillor Brian Goodwin. Term ends 2015.
• Tonbridge and Malling borough council: Vacancy in West Malling and Leybourne ward after the death of Council Leader Mark Worrall, who was a Conservative. Term ends 2015.
• Wealden district council: Byelection on 14 June in Frant and Withyham ward after the death of Conservative councillor John Padfield. Term ends 2015.
• West Sussex county council: James Doyle, who was elected as a Liberal Democrat in Worthing Pier division but left the party in January 2011, has now joined the Green Party.

South West

• Bournemouth borough council: Byelection on 31 May in Redhill and Northbourne ward after the resignation of former council leader Peter Charon, a Conservative councillor. Term ends 2015.
• Cornwall council: Chris Pascoe, who was elected as a Liberal Democrat in Threemilestone and Gloweth division, has left the party to sit as an Independent councillor. He is opposed to the budget decision to extend Value Added Tax on the sale of hot food.
• Cotswold district council: Byelection on 31 May in Fosseridge ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Michele Jeffrey for work reasons. Term ends 2015.
• Purbeck district council: The minority Conservative administration which ran the council in the past year has been re-elected.
• Stroud district council: The Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat groups have formed a 'rainbow alliance' coalition to take control of the council.
• West Devon district council: Byelection on 21 June in Tavistock North ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Mike Harper. Term ends 2015.
• Wiltshire council: Peter Colmer, who was elected as a Liberal Democrat in Cricklade and Latton division, has joined the Conservative group.

West Midlands

• Dudley borough council: Byelection on 21 June in Norton ward after the death of Conservative councillor Angus Adams. Term ends 2014.
• Solihull borough council: Andy Hodgson, who was elected as a Liberal Democrat in Shirley South ward, and was the deputy Leader of the group, has left the Liberal Democrats to join the Green Party. He is opposed to the Coalition government.
• Stoke-on-Trent city council: Vacancy in Springfields and Trent Vale after the resignation of Labour councillor Sarah Hill, whose leadership challenge was defeated. Term ends 2015.
• Wolverhampton city council: Richard Whitehouse, who was elected as a Liberal Democrat in Spring Vale ward, has left the party and is now sitting as a Liberal Independent councillor.
• Worcester city council: The Conservatives have, as expected, formed a minority administration with the understanding that the Liberal Democrat group will support it.

Yorkshire and the Humber

• Calderdale borough council: The Labour and Liberal Democrat groups have agreed to continue their coalition administration which has been running the council; as Labour is now the largest group, the Labour group leader Tim Swift will become leader of the council in place of Janet Battye of the Liberal Democrats.

Wales

• Carmarthenshire county council: The Labour and Independent groups have agreed a deal under which the council will be led by a coalition, under the Labour group leader Kevin Madge.
• Conwy county borough council: A multi-party coalition has been agreed to run the council, with the leader of the council coming from the Plaid Cymru group, and the other members comprising Independent councillors, Labour and the Liberal Democrats. The deal cuts the Conservative group out.
• Denbighshire county council: The council will be led by the Independent group leader, with a cabinet consisting of Independents, Conservatives and Plaid Cymru councillors. Labour has decided to form the opposition. The returning officer has notified the candidates of a mistake in the count for Prestatyn North division, in which voted cast for Paul Penlington (Labour) were erroneously tallied for Allan Pennington (Conservative) resulting in his election. The election result can only be altered if an election petition is presented.
• Flintshire county council: There is to be a coalition cabinet consisting of seven Labour members and one Independent.
• Gwynedd county council: Plaid Cymru has formed a coalition with Labour to allow an administration with a clear majority. Byelection in Bryncrug/Llanfihangel division on 14 June after no candidates were nominated for the May elections.
• Isle of Anglesey county council: Vacancy in Llanbedrgoch division after the resignation of unaffiliated councillor Barrie Durkin after he was suspended from the council. Term ends 2013.
• Monmouthshire county council: The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have agreed a deal to run the council.
• Powys county council: Gareth Ratcliffe, who was re-elected in Hay division as a Conservative Party candidate, has now left the party to join the unaligned Independent group on the council; he believes the change will help him to be listened to by the administration.
• Vale of Glamorgan council: A coalition deal has been agreed between Labour and two Independent councillors.
• Wrexham county borough council: Labour has agreed to form a coalition with the Democratic Independent group. Other parties will be represented on the Executive Board but it seems executive responsibilities will be held only by the ruling coalition.

Scotland

• Clackmannanshire council: The Scottish National Party has formed a minority administration.
• Dumfries and Galloway council: The Conservative and Scottish National Party groups have agreed to form a coalition administration; some details of it are yet to be agreed.
• East Ayrshire council: The Scottish National Party has now agreed a coalition with the Conservatives.
• East Renfrewshire council: Labour and the Scottish National Party have agreed a coalition to run the council.
• Falkirk council: The council will be run by a coalition including the Labour, Independent and Conservative groups.
• Fife council: The council will be run by a minority Labour administration; the Independents and the Conservative group have agreed to support it into power.
• Glasgow city council: After the recent local elections, it was discovered that one ballot box in Langside ward had not been included in the count. The returning officer obtained permission to re-examine the ballot papers but at a recount on Tuesday 15 May, the same three councillors were found to have been elected as were initially returned.
• Perth and Kinross council: A minority Scottish National Party administration has been confirmed in power.
• South Ayrshire council: The Conservatives and Labour have agreed a partnership deal under which they will form a coalition administration.
• South Lanarkshire council: Labour will continue to run the council as a minority administration, with the agreement of the Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Independent councillors.