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.
local by-elections
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.
The return of the casual vacancy
Council by-elections resumed for English authorities on 6 May, with more than 350 vacancies filled.
Electoral bounces and bombshells
The vaccine rollout provided a spring electoral bounce for the governments of all three nations of Britain.
Electoral bounces and bombshells
The vaccine rollout provided a spring electoral bounce for the governments of all three nations of Britain.
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’.
Local elections preview
The unprecedented decision to stage two cycles of English local elections at the same time means that we need to focus on the contrasting past outcomes in two separate years to make any sense of what might happen this May.
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.
Reaping the winner’s bonus
Our ‘first past the post’ electoral system has two key characteristics when translating votes into seats.
Measuring the strength of local parties
The Electoral Commission has reported that the Hersham Village Society received more than £200,000 left to it in a local resident’s will. Various other residents’ associations in Elmbridge must be envious of such largesse.