A round up of council by elections in July

Collated By MiddleEnglander

Link to >>> A round up of council by elections since May

There were 19 by-elections during July with 5 (26%) changing hands, 2 without a defence. The results can be summarised by:

Party	Candidates	Defended	Retained	Gained	Lost	Won	retention rate
Conservative	18	7	6	2	1	8	86%
Labour	17	6	6	2		8	100%
Liberal Democrat	16	3	1		2	1	33%
SNP	1
Green	7
UKIP	3
Independent ^	8	3	1	1	2	2	33%
North East	1
Total	71	19	14	5	5	19	74%

^ 8 Independents contested 7 seats

Conservative gained 2 seats from Independents whilst losing 1 to  Labour
* gained Moray: Elgin City North on a first preference SNP to Conservative swing of 0.5% since May this year; SNP by-election candidate was former Councillor
   - 3 member ward that elected Conservative / SNP / Independent in 2017, 2 SNP / Labour in 2012 and SNP / Labour / Independent in 2007
   - Conservative share was 40% against 33% in May; on slightly different boundaries it was some 17% in both 2007 and 2012
* gained North Dorset: Blandford Central from an Independent, who had no by-election candidate, with Labour close second and Liberal Democrat third 
   - 2 member ward electing sole Independent and sole Liberal Democrat in May under new boundaries.  
   - previous constituent single member wards elected Independent / Liberal Democrat in 2011 and 2 Liberal Democrats in both 2007 and 2003
* lost Staffordshire Moorlands: Leek East to Labour on as swing of 11% / 12% since 2015; new Councillor was a parliamentary candidate in 2015
   - 3 member ward: 2015 - 2 Conservative / 1 Moorland Democratic Alliance (MDA), 2011 - 2 MDA / 1 Conservative, 2007 - 3 Conservative, 2003 - 3 Ratepayers
   - Labour's 45% by-election share compared to 20% in 2015 (2 candidates), 2011 - no candidate, 20% in 2007 (1 candidate) and 27% in 2003 (2 candidates)

Labour gained the one seat from the Conservatives and another from a Liberal Democrat
* gained Eden: Alston Moor from a Liberal Democrat who did not defend the seat won from the Conservatives in a 2016 by-election
  - 2 member ward (electorate around 1,700) electing 1 Independent / 1 Conservative in 2015 and 2011 but 2 Independents in all other elections since 1973
  - Labour polled 407 in by-election, 242 in 2011, 155 in 1999, 225 in 1987 and 249 / 228 with two candidates in 1983 otherwise did not contest seat
  - Labour gained the larger Alston & East Fell County Council seat from an Independent in May with a 35% share compared to just 10% in 2013

Liberal Democrats lost the one seat to Labour and another to an Independent
* lost Rutland : Whissendine to an Independent who polled 54% share whilst Liberal Democrat share fell to 8% from 65% in 2 previous elections
   - single member ward (electorate around 1,050) returned Liberal Democrat in 2014 by-election, 2015 and 2016 by-election
   - previously returned a Conservative in 2003 and 2007 and an Independent in 2008 by-election  and then in 2011.