Luke Akehurst: Revealed – the true picture of Labour’s results in council by-elections

In March and December I reviewed Labour’ s performance in local council by-elections.

The leadership election result and annual conference mark a natural break-point so here, in the same format as I presented them in December and March, is the change in Labour vote share in all the council by-elections where there has been a Labour candidate in the last two contests (so a comparison can be drawn) since the main council elections in May. The results are grouped by region so you can see the pattern around the country.

The picture is a lot more mixed than might have been expected given the political turmoil within the party during this period, with Labour improving its position in London, North West and West Midlands; stable in the North, South East and Yorkshire; and doing worse in the East of England, East Midlands, Scotland, South West and Wales. However, of a total of 80 by-elections during this period Labour’s vote share was down in 51 of the contests.

Eastern (average Labour vote share down 4.8%)

Adeyfield West (Dacorum) -8.7%

Astley (North Norfolk) -11.3%

Basildon Laindon Park & Fryerns -3.7%

Carlford (Suffolk) +4.1%

Glaven Valley (North Norfolk) -2.8%

Hadleigh (Suffolk) +5.8%

High Town (Luton) -13.4%

Puckeridge (East Hertfordshire) -8.9%

East Midlands (average Labour vote share down 8.6%)

Allestree (Derby) -5.8%

Bingham (Nottinghamshire) -7%

Cherry Willingham (West Lindsay) +0.6%

Cranmer (Rushcliffe) -7%

Finedon (Wellingborough) -7.7%

South (North East Lincolnshire) -6.2%

Tupton (North East Derbyshire) -32.4%

Westone (Northampton) -7.6%

Yeoman Hill (Mansfield) -4.5%

London (average Labour vote share up 1.7%)

Barnsbury (Islington) -4.1%

Bellingham (Lewisham) +2.8%

Carshalton Central (Sutton) -3.1%

Forest Gate North (Newham) -5%

Gipsy Hill (Lambeth) -23.6%

Hackney Central (Hackney) +11.2%

Harringay (Haringey) +3.7%

St Hellier (Merton) +11.5%

St Michael’s (Bexley) +11.5%

Surrey Docks (Southwark) +0.4%

Tooting (Wandsworth) +13.7%

North (average Labour vote share up 0.7%)

Castle (Carlisle) +9.2%

Chopwell & Rowlands Gill (Gateshead) -3.7%

Christchurch (Allerdale) +5.8%

Coulby Newham (Middlesborough) +7.8%

Grangefield (Stockton-on-Tees) -5.5%

Ormesby (Redcar) -9.4%

North West (average Labour vote share up 3%)

Chorley Rural North (Lancashire) +2.1%

Parkside (Barrow-in-Furness) -3%

Tyldesley (Blackpool) +10%

Scotland (average Labour vote share down 6.6%)

Coatbridge North & Glenboig (North Lanarkshire) -11.3%

Irvine West (North Ayrshire) -7.1%

Renfrew South & Gallowhill (Renfrewshire) -8.5%

The Lochs (Fife) +0.7%

South East (average Labour vote share up 0.2%)

Adderbury, Bloxham & Bodicote (Cherwell) -0.3%

Beaver (Ashford) -3.3%

East Brighton (Brighton & Hove) +11.1%

Farnham South (Surrey) -4.9%

Gravesham East (Kent) -4.8%

Leatherhead North (Mole Valley) -5.7%

Lewes Bridge (Lewes) -1.8%

Newington (Thanet) +1.9%

Northwood (Thanet) -2.3%

Pelham (Gravesham) -4.1%

Shepway South (Maidstone) -8.3%

Southcote (Reading) +21.4%

Sunninghill & South Ascot (Windsor) +13.3%

The Hangers & Forest (East Hampshire) -9.7%

South West (average Labour vote share down 2.7%)

Amesbury East (Wiltshire) -3.6%

Ferndown (Dorset) -6.1%

Four Lanes (Cornwall) – 5.7%

Kinson North (Bournemouth) +11.2%

Newlyn & Goonhavern (Cornwall) -2.2

Newquay Treviglas (Cornwall) -7.4%

Sherborne Rural (Dorset) +1.2%

Teignmouth Central (Teignbridge) -8.7%

Wales (average Labour vote share down 9.3%)

Brynmawr (Blaenau Gwent) -0.4%

Dyserth (Denbighshire) -25.2%

Mostyn (Conwy) +2.1%

Plasnewydd (Cardiff) -2%

Rhoose (Vale of Glamorgan) -10.1%

St Julians (Newport) -20.3%

West Midlands (average Labour vote share up 11.3%)

Arley & Whiteacre (North Warwickshire) +33.7%

Droitwich West (Wychavon) -14.6%

Great Wyrley Town (South Staffordshire) +5.5%

Silverdale & Parksite (Newcastle under Lyme) +19.5%

Stapenhill (East Staffordshire) +12.5%

Yorkshire & Humberside (average Labour vote share down 0.2%)

Byram & Brotherton (Selby) -4.4%

South East Holderness (East Riding of Yorkshire) +7.9%

Mosborough (Sheffield) -9.2%

Northallerton (North Yorkshire) +0.7%

Northallerton South (Hambleton) -4.8%

Wibsey (Bradford) +8.9%