‘Partygate’ impacts on local by-elections
It was all going reasonably smoothly for local Conservative candidates.
Professors Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher
A disparate set of results
There were some fascinating stories, but no clear electoral trends emerged from this latest, large and disparate set of by-elections.
Some notable successes
Three Green party gains from Conservative just days apart represent a notable success.
Sterner tests ahead
It has been a long time since the Conservative party has endured so many defeats in council by-elections.
Personalities and parties
As if to emphasise that local elections are about personalities as much as parties, former councillors played a notable role in three recent contests.
Salvaging some pride
Congratulations to Labour’s Jake Bonetta, aged just 18 years, who achieved a famous victory in East Devon’s Honiton St Michael’s ward. In so doing, he salvaged some pride for his party.
A game of two halves
To borrow a cliché from sports commentary, this year’s local elections can be interpreted as a ‘game of two halves’.
Electoral bounces and bombshells
The vaccine rollout provided a spring electoral bounce for the governments of all three nations of Britain.
Reaping the winner’s bonus
Our ‘first past the post’ electoral system has two key characteristics when translating votes into seats.
A test of endurance
It is nearly half a century since the last wholesale review of English local government in 1973 created a pattern of county and constituent district councils. Much has happened since then, of course.