Lib Dems up from fifth to second in Rotherham by-election
Just the one principal authority council by-election this week, in Rotherham which both saw Labour gain the seat and an impressive improvement in the Lib Dem result:
Thank you to Khoulod Ghanem for standing for the Liberal Democrats and moving up to second place from fifth place last time.
For what all this means for the running total of council by-election results since the last May elections, see my council by-elections scorecard here.
These by-election results round-ups cover principal authority by-elections as it’s only those for which comprehensive results are available. But this week, these by-elections at the town/parish/community council level did catch my eye:
Understanding the opinion polls
For understanding what is happening in politics, by-elections have the advantage of being real votes in real ballot boxes. But the opinion polls have the advantage of trying to be a representative sample of voters, not just those in the places that happen to have by-elections. To understand the polls properly – and what they do and don’t really tell us – see my book, Polling UnPacked: The History, Uses and Abuses of Political Opinion Polls.
Get by-election results by email
If you sign up for my daily email with the latest pieces from this site, you’ll also get included as a little bonus the full set of council by-election results each week:
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Hi Mark, although I am a Labour member and voter (as things stand), many thanks for your efforts here. I have signed up to your weekly updates. Whatever thhe outcome of elections over the next two years, the only way to restore faith in democracy is to ensure the Tories are hammered at the polls; hence at my delight when tey lose seats to Labour, LidDems or Greens.
Keep of the good work on your updates.
Thanks David!