Yesterday saw eight principal by-elections take place in England and Scotland. The Conservatives secured a gain on Gloucestershire CC in the Mitcheldean by-election, a ward which previously had an Independent Councillor. In Durham, Labour gained a seat in Burnopfield and Dipton, defeating the Derwentside Independents by just a single vote.
In Shepway, the Conservatives successfully retained their seat in Folkstone North West. However UKIP made considerable inroads into the Conservative majority in the ward, with the party registering 27.7% of the vote having not fielded a candidate in the ward’s previous election in 2011. Also in the ward, the Lib Dems saw a rise in their vote percentage, with Hugh Robertson-Ritchie increasing the party’s vote share by 3.4% from 2011 in finishing third, two places higher than the party managed in the last election.
In Scotland, the SNP gained their first seat in a local by-election since 2011 by winning the Oban North and Lorn contest in Argyll and Bute with 1,090 first preference votes.
Elsewhere the Conservatives held seats on Chichester, Shepway and Mid Sussex Councils with Labour successfully defending their seat in Evenwood ward on Durham Council. In addition, an Independent candidate was one again victorious in the Forest of Dean DC ward of Newnham and Westbury.