Indigo Public Affairs

David Boothroyd

The latest information about local electoral matters is as follows:

East Midlands

• Blaby district council: Vacancy in Pastures ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Ted Webster-Williams who is moving out of the district. Term ends 2015.
• Charnwood borough council: Vacancy in Loughborough Southfields ward after the resignation of Labour councillor Graeme Smith. Term ends 2015.
• Lincolnshire county council: Robin Renshaw was elected county councillor for Lincoln East division on 2 August. He wins for the Labour Party a division previously held by the Conservatives. There is also a byelection on 6 September in Nettleham and Saxilby division after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Ray Sellars. Term ends 2013.
• Nottinghamshire county council: Vacancy in Rufford division after the death of Independent county councillor Les Ward. Term ends 2013.
• Oadby and Wigston borough council: Jill Gore (Wigston Meadowcourt ward) and Peter Swift (Oadby Grange ward), who were both elected for the Conservative Party, have left their party group citing lack of support from other Conservatives; they intend to form a new Independent group.
• South Holland district council: There were two byelections on 2 August. Peter Coupland, of the Conservative Party, was elected councillor for Fleet ward, while Andrew Tennant was elected councillor for Long Sutton ward. Andrew Tennant succeeds his father Dennis Tennant, and like his father will be an Independent councillor.
• West Lindsey district council: Byelection on 6 September in Nettleham ward after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Ray Sellars. Term ends 2015.

East of England

• Breckland district council: Vacancy in Thetford Abbey ward after the resignation of Independent councillor Pauline Quadling. Term ends 2015.
• Central Bedfordshire council: Byelection on 16 August in Stotfold and Langford ward after the death of Conservative councillor Jon Clarke. Term ends 2015.
• Essex county council: Brian Wood, who was elected for the Canvey Island Independent Party in Canvey Island East division, has joined the UK Independence Party.
• Fenland district council: Vacancy in St Marys ward after the death of Conservative councillor Ken Peachey. Term ends 2015.
• King's Lynn and West Norfolk borough council: Vacancy in Spellowfields ward after the death of Conservative councillor David Harwood. Term ends 2015.
• Norfolk county council: Vacancy in Clenchwarton and King's Lynn South division after the death of Conservative county councillor David Harwood. Term ends 2013.
• Tendring district council: Byelection on 16 August in St Bartholomews ward after the resignation of Independent councillor Chris Cowlin, who was sponsored by the Holland Residents' Association. He was elected only in March but has found that he cannot fulfil all the duties of a councillor. Term ends 2015.

London

• Brent borough council: James Allie, who was elected for the Liberal Democrats in Alperton ward, has joined the Labour Party. He has written an open letter to his former party explaining the move.
• Redbridge borough council: Harold Moth, who was elected for the Conservative Party in Fullwell ward, has been expelled from the group. He had previously resigned the whip in 2008 to sit as an Independent but returned in March 2009, and had also left the group in September 2010 but returned a few months after.

North East

• Middlesbrough borough council: Vacancy in North Ormesby and Brambles Farm ward after the resignation of Labour councillor Eleanor Lancaster. Term ends 2015.

North West

• Burnley borough council: Byelection on 13 September in Trinity ward after the death of Labour councillor and former Mayor Tony Lambert. Term ends 2016.
• Rochdale borough council: Philip Bethell, who was elected for the Labour Party in Balderstone and Kirkholt ward, has been suspended from the party and is currently sitting as an Independent councillor.

South East

• Canterbury city council: Vacancy in Blean Forest ward after the death of Conservative councillor Hazel McCabe, the longest-serving member of the council. Term ends 2015.
• Dartford borough council: Vacancy in Castle ward after the death of Conservative councillor and former Mayor Sheila East. Term ends 2015.
• Havant borough council: Vacancy in Battins ward after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Katie Ray. She was the only member of her party on the council. Term ends 2014.
• Runnymede borough council: Vacancy in Chertsey Meads ward after the resignation of Conservative councillor Diana Cotty. Term ends 2016.
• Wealden district council: Don Broadbent was elected councillor for Polegate North ward on 2 August, holding the seat for the Liberal Democrats.
• West Sussex county council: Vacancy in Midhurst division after the resignation of Conservative county councillor Nola Hendon, who is moving to Minorca. Term ends 2013.
• Woking borough council: The High Court has rejected a motion by the respondent Liberal Democrat councillor Mohammed Bashir to strike out the election petition in respect of May's election in the Maybury and Shearwater ward, and has ordered an examination of the ballot papers.

South West

• Cornwall council: Vacancy in St Keverne and Meneage division after the death of Independent councillor Pam Lyne. Term ends 2013.
• South Gloucestershire council: Byelection on 6 September in Dodington ward after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Dafydd Holbrook. Term ends 2015.

West Midlands

• Herefordshire council: Vacancy in St Nicholas ward after the death of Julie Woodward, a member of the It's Our County group. Term ends 2015.
• Shropshire council: Vacancy in Church Stretton and Craven Arms division after the death of Conservative councillor James Gibson. Term ends 2013.
• Wolverhampton city council: Vacancy in Park ward after the death of Labour councillor Manohar Minhas. Term ends 2014.

Yorkshire and the Humber

• Calderdale borough council: Impending vacancy in Calder ward as Liberal Democrat councillor Nader Fekri is moving to Turkey to join his wife; his term is due to end in 2014.

Wales

• Bridgend county borough council: Byelection on 30 August in Betws division after the death of Labour councillor and former Mayor Christopher Michaelides. Term ends 2017.
• Caerphilly county borough council: Vacancy in New Tredegar division after the death of Labour councillor Les Rees. Term ends 2017.
• Denbighshire county council: The High Court has ordered a recount in Prestatyn North division, in order to decide the election petition brought by defeated Labour candidate Paul Penlington against Conservative councillor Allan Pennington. The returning officer announced after the count that ballot papers giving votes for all three Labour candidates were erroneously added to the total for Pennington rather than Penlington.
• Merthyr Tydfil county borough council: Vacancy in Cyfarthfa division after the resignation of Merthyr Independents councillor Les Elliott. Term ends 2017.
• Vale of Glamorgan council: Ian Johnson of Plaid Cymru was elected councillor for Buttrills division on 2 August; he won a seat previously held by the Labour Party.

Scotland

• East Dunbartonshire council: Byelection on 13 September in Campsie and Kirkintilloch North ward after the death of Charles Kennedy, a member of the East Dunbartonshire Independent Alliance. Term ends 2017.