Leading the way

The last month produced a small crop of by-elections but two-thirds of them saw a seat change hands amid some surprising results.  

Wales features, with four examples and only a single successful defence. Labour made one gain but suffered two losses, including another to the Conservatives. Again, the Liberal Democrats led the way with two gains in addition to two defences.

In Gwynedd, as in other rural areas of Wales, some councillors often develop a strong personal vote, and none more so than in Criccieth where Eirwyn Williams was both a councillor since 2012 and a town council member for many decades.  

In Criccieth ward, Williams withstood the challenge from Plaid Cymru on three occasions, although his majority had reduced to just 32 votes by 2022. He died in October 2023, triggering this by-election which was won by Sian Williams, herself a member and former chair of the town council. The win increases Plaid’s dominance on Gwynedd Council.  

Neath Port Talbot saw mixed fortunes for Independents, who run the council in association with Plaid Cymru after Labour lost control at the previous May elections.  

Labour was accustomed to winning Briton Ferry East ward. In 1995, the party won two-thirds of the votes, but the pattern changed in 2022. Then, Chris James, the ward’s former Labour councillor stood instead as an Independent and defeated his Labour rival by just two votes. James’ resignation and subsequently Labour’s victory means normal service is now resumed.  

Labour would have been expecting a second victory in Rhos ward, which the party had held until a by-election in 2019 saw Plaid Cymru’s Marcia Spooner make a surprise gain. She defended the seat in 2022, but her death brought the chance for Labour to reassert its authority. Instead, Independent Bob Woolford won easily with Labour relegated to third place.

The Conservatives had mixed fortunes, making an unexpected gain from Labour in Cheshire East but losing to the Liberal Democrats in West Northamptonshire.

Cheshire East was Conservative until 2019, when it was replaced by a joint Labour/Independent administration. At the 2023 elections, the Conservatives won 33 seats to Labour’s 31, with Crewe Central in the Labour column.  

The Conservatives chose local business owner Roger Morris to fight the vacancy in this ward. His election campaign studiously avoided national issues, instead focusing heavily on the problems of litter, potholes and crime. Turnout was only 16.5 per cent, but perhaps those voters were playing close attention to the contest, which Morris won by 58 votes.

It was back to normal in West Northamptonshire, however. 

In May 2021, Hunsbury and Shelfleys was an easy win for the three-member Conservative slate. Fortunes were reversed on this occasion, with Liberal Democrat Carl Squires taking the seat despite competition from Labour.

Labour and Liberal Democrats were rivals again in the contest for Hull City Council’s Avenue ward. In 2021, the ward elected a Liberal Democrat, but in the next two elections it voted in Labour councillors.  

One of these, Marjorie Brabazon, a ward councillor since 2014, resigned her seat after being disciplined by her party. The following day, another member of the Labour group left, declaring himself an Independent.  Labour’s loss proved to be the Liberal Democrats’ gain with the seat won by Rhiannon Beeson.

For more information on these and other 
recent by-election results, please view the full spreadsheet.