Political

Lib Dem gains Aylesbury Vale seat from Conservatives

Eight Thursday council by-elections this week. Plus a ninth slipped in earlier in the week:

Of the more conventional eight, three are Conservative defences, two Labour defences, two independent defences and one ex-Ukip seat with no Ukip candidate this time.

The pattern of Liberal Democrat gains from the Conservatives across southern England has continued this week;

Congratulations to Waheed Raja and the team.

Elsewhere the collapse in Ukip continued though, bah, with no Lib Dem candidate:

That Conservative win was on a coin toss after the Tory and Labour candidates polled the same number of votes.

The absence of a Lib Dem candidate this time continues a very unusual pattern in this ward – no Lib Dem candidate before the coalition years, no Lib Dem candidate since coalition but a Lib Dem candidate three times during coalition.

Another Conservative gain too:

But also a loss to Labour:

This was a Lib Dem ward back in 2003, but by 2007 the party had already started losing here: a reminder that the party’s local government base was in decline before the coalition years and why therefore a more radical change from the way the party used to do things is needed to restore the party’s fortunes.

Elsewhere, the pattern of Lib Dems gaining votes and scoring respectable vote shares across a widening part of the country continued:

(Ward fought twice before with no Lib Dem candidate either time.)

(This looks to me the highest ever Lib Dem vote share in the ward, beating even pre-coalition years.)

Also promising for the Lib Dems, a Labour hold with a Lib Dem candidate this time, and for only the second time in the twelve times the ward has been contested:

But finally, a ward without a Lib Dem:

These by-election results round-ups cover principal authority by-elections. See my post The danger in celebrating parish and town council wins for your own party for the reasons to avoid straying too often into covering town, parish or community council by-elections.

One response to “Lib Dem gains Aylesbury Vale seat from Conservatives”

  1. Excellent effort from Mark Ireland-Jones and the Eddisbury and Weaver Vale Team lots of canvassing 4 focus leaflets and Facebook Ads in the last week

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