The Conservatives gained the Barking and Dagenham borough council ward of Chadwell Heath in a byelection on 3 July, thereby doubling their representation on the council and allowing themselves to form a political group. The party also held on to Bexhill Sackville ward on Rother district council, and to Christchurch ward on Bexley borough council (where the sitting councillor resigned after becoming Boris Johnson’s Deputy Mayor).

In South Hornchurch ward of Havering borough council, an Independent took the seat left by Len Long of the local Residents Association. Labour retained Eckington division on Derbyshire county council and Killamarsh West ward on North East Derbyshire district council.

In another North East Derbyshire byelection, the Liberal Democrats took the Unstone ward which had previously been held by an Independent. They also retained both seats in Burgess Hill St Andrews ward of Mid Sussex district council.

Other recent byelections on 26 June saw the Conservatives gain Park ward on Blackpool borough council from Labour, while Labour gained Hatfield Central ward on Welwyn Hatfield district council from the Conservatives. The Conservatives also retained Diss ward of South Norfolk district council on Friday 27 June, and have retained Kirtlington ward of Cherwell district council on 4 July after no other candidate was nominated.

We have the forthcoming local government byelections in prospect:

10 July

• Caerphilly county borough council: Risca West ward, after the death of Keith Griffiths, who had just been re-elected as a Labour councillor. His replacement will serve until 2012.

• Canterbury city council: Barton ward, caused by the resignation of Liberal Democrat Lee Glendon. The new councillor serves until 2011.
• Ceredigion county council, Aberystwyth Rheidol ward, caused by the resignation of Eric Griffiths (Liberal Democrat). His successor will serve until 2012.
• Chichester district council: Bury ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Susan Wade Weeks who is moving to the City of York where she is the Parliamentary candidate. Her replacement will have a term ending in 2011.
• Great Yarmouth borough council: Bradwell South and Hopton ward, following the resignation of Conservative councillor Colin Hodds who is moving to Sussex. His replacement will serve until 2010.
• Kirklees borough council: Dalton ward, caused by the resignation of Labour councillor Angela Ellam. Her successor will serve until 2010.
• Redbridge borough council: Cranbrook ward, following the death of Conservative councillor Charles Elliman. The new councillor serves until 2010.
• Stafford borough council: Common ward, following the death of John Kennedy (Labour). The new councillor will serve until 2011.
• West Wiltshire district council: Trowbridge Central ward, caused by the resignation of Liberal Democrat Terry Couchman. The term ends in 2011.
• Wigan borough council: Wigan West ward, after the death of Michael Baines (Labour). His replacement will serve until 2011.

17 July

• Hillingdon borough council: Townfield ward, following the death of Norman Nunn-Price of the Labour Party. The winner will serve until 2010.

• Redditch borough council: Batchley ward, after the death of veteran Labour councillor Betty Passingham. Her replacement will serve until 2010.
• Worcestershire county council: Arrow Valley East division, also caused by the death of Betty Passingham. The term on the county council lasts only to May next year.

24 July

• Boston borough council: Coastal ward due to the resignation of Neil McGregor of the Better Boston Party. The new councillor will serve until 2011.

• Derby city council: Darley ward, caused after Wendy Harbon failed to attend any meetings for six months and was disqualified from membership. She was originally elected as a Liberal Democrat but is now an Independent. Her replacement comes into a term ending in 2010.
• Ipswich borough council: Castle Hill ward, after the death of Harry Davies (Conservative). The new councillor serves until 2010.
• Mid Sussex district council: Hurstpierpoint and Downs ward, caused by the resignation of Conservative councillor Christopher Maidment due to pressure of business. The term ends in 2011.
• Newark and Sherwood district council: Magnus ward, after the death of former Conservative MP for Newark Richard Alexander. His successor serves until 2011.
• Telford and Wrekin council: Muxton ward, after the resignation of Stuart Cain (Conservative). The Conservatives would lose their overall majority if they lost the byelection. The new councillor will serve until 2011.
• Westminster City Council: Church Street ward, after the death of Labour councillor Tony Mothersdale. The winner will serve until 2010.

31 July

• Cardiff city council: Pentyrch ward, after the resignation of Simon Roberts (Conservative) due to ill health. He had only just been re-elected and the new councillor will serve until 2012.

• Lincolnshire county council: Louth wolds division after the death of Sheila Roy of the Conservative Party. The winner will have a term ending in May next year.
• Oadby and Wigston borough council: Oadby Uplands ward, caused by the resignation of Dr S.M. Rizvi (Liberal Democrat). The new councillor serves until 2011.
• Suffolk Coastal district council: Witnesham ward, following the resignation of Kate Waddell (Conservative). Her term would have ended in 2011.

7 August

• Maldon district council: Maldon North ward, due to the resignation of Conservative councillor Brian Mead. His replacement serves until 2011.

• Nottingham city council: Wollaton West ward, after the death of former Conservative group leader Michael Cowan. The new councillor will have seat until 2011.

Undated

The Conservatives have vacancies on Barrow borough council, Newbarns ward, due to the death of Colin Liversedge, on Cheshire county council and the new Cheshire East shadow unitary council following the death of Bert Grange who represented Knutsford division, and on Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council, Pimhill ward, after the death of Brian Rees.

The Liberal Democrats have a vacancy on Gateshead borough council, Whickham South and Sunniside ward, after the death of Alan Ord.

Sedgefield district council’s Sedgefield ward has a vacancy after the death of Independent councillor Jim Wayman.

A mass defection of three Independent councillors has given the Conservatives an overall majority in Richmondshire district council, North Yorkshire.

Other changes noted recently: Mark Horn, councillor for Bourne Abbey division on Lincolnshire county council, has left the Conservative group to sit as an Independent; Enid Paylor, recently elected as an Independent in Aycliffe West ward of Durham unitary authority and also sitting for Aycliffe West ward on Sedgefield district council, has joined the Labour Party; and husband-and-wife team Bob and Penny Hedgeland who both sit for Leatherhead North ward on Mole Valley district council, have left the Liberal Democrats and set up the Leatherhead Independent group.

Although unconfirmed as yet, the East London Advertiser has reported on a rumour circulating for some weeks that the remaining three Respect - the Unity Coalition (Socialist Workers Party allied) councillors on Tower Hamlets borough council, together with one Respect Renewal councillor (George Galloway allied), are about to join the Labour Party.

Here are the forthcoming local government byelections:

3 July

• Barking and Dagenham borough council: Chadwell Heath ward, after the resignation of Labour councillor Sarah Baillie. The new councillor will serve until 2010.

• Bexley borough council: Christchurch ward, caused by the resignation of Ian Clement who had been Conservative Leader of the council until he accepted Boris Johnson’s invitation to be Deputy Mayor of London for Government Relations. His replacement will serve until 2010.
• Derbyshire county council: Eckington division, after the death of Derek Featherstone (Labour). The winner serves until May next year.
• Havering borough council: South Hornchurch ward, after the death of veteran Residents’ Association councillor Len Long.
• Mid Sussex district council: Burgess Hill St Andrews (double vacancy), caused by the resignations of David and Dianne Shevells who both sat as Liberal Democrats but have now moved out of the area. Both seats will have terms ending in 2011.
• North East Derbyshire district council: Killamarsh West ward, following the death of Labour councillor Colin Robinson. The new councillor will serve until 2011.
• North East Derbyshire district council: Unstone ward, following the death of Fred Hopkinson, who was an Independent councillor. His replacement will serve until 2011.
• Rother district council: Bexhill Sackville ward, after the resignation of Keith Standridge (Conservative). The winner serves until 2011.

10 July

• Caerphilly county borough council: Risca West ward, after the death of Keith Griffiths, who had just been re-elected as a Labour councillor. His replacement will serve until 2012.

• Canterbury city council: Barton ward, caused by the resignation of Liberal Democrat Lee Glendon. The new councillor serves until 2011.
• Ceredigion county council, Aberystwyth Rheidol ward, caused by the resignation of Eric Griffiths (Liberal Democrat). His successor will serve until 2012.
• Chichester district council: Bury ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Susan Wade Weeks who is moving to the City of York where she is the Parliamentary candidate. Her replacement will have a term ending in 2011.
• Great Yarmouth borough council: Bradwell South and Hopton ward, following the resignation of Conservative councillor Colin Hodds who is moving to Sussex. His replacement will serve until 2010.
• Kirklees borough council: Dalton ward, caused by the resignation of Labour councillor Angela Ellam. Her successor will serve until 2010.
• Redbridge borough council: Cranbrook ward, following the death of Conservative councillor Charles Elliman. The new councillor serves until 2010.
• Stafford borough council: Common ward, following the death of John Kennedy (Labour). The new councillor will serve until 2011.
• Wigan borough council: Wigan West ward, after the death of Michael Baines (Labour). His replacement will serve until 2011.

17 July

• Hillingdon borough council: Townfield ward, following the death of Norman Nunn-Price of the Labour Party. The winner will serve until 2010.

• Redditch borough council: Batchley ward, after the death of veteran Labour councillor Betty Passingham. Her replacement will serve until 2010.
• Worcestershire county council: Arrow Valley East division, also caused by the death of Betty PAssingham. The term on the county council lasts only to May next year.

24 July

• Boston borough council: Coastal ward due to the resignation of Neil McGregor of the Better Boston Party. The new councillor will serve until 2011.

• Ipswich borough council: Castle Hill ward, after the death of Harry Davies (Conservative). The new councillor serves until 2010.
• Mid Sussex district council: Hurstpierpoint and Downs ward, caused by the resignation of Conservative councillor Christopher Maidment due to pressure of business. The term ends in 2011.
• Newark and Sherwood district council: Magnus ward, after the death of former Conservative MP for Newark Richard Alexander. His successor serves until 2011.
• Telford and Wrekin council: Muxton ward, after the resignation of Stuart Cain (Conservative). The Conservatives would lose their overall majority if they lost the byelection. The new councillor will serve until 2011.
• Westminster City Council: Church Street ward, after the death of Labour councillor Tony Mothersdale. The winner will serve until 2010.

31 July

• Lincolnshire county council: Louth wolds division after the death of Sheila Roy of the Conservative Party. The winner will have a term ending in May next year.

• Oadby and Wigston borough council: Oadby Uplands ward, caused by the resignation of Dr S.M. Rizvi (Liberal Democrat). The new councillor serves until 2011.

Undated

The Conservatives have vacancies on Cardiff city council, Pentyrch ward, after the resignation of Simon Roberts due to ill health, on Cheshire county council and the new Cheshire East shadow unitary council following the death of Bert Grange, on Cherwell district council, Kirtlington ward, after the resignation of Neil Godwin, on Maldon district council, Maldon North ward, due to the resignation of Brian Mead, on Nottingham city council, Wollaton West ward, after the death of former group leader Michael Cowan, and on Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council, Pimhill ward, after the death of Brian Rees.

The Liberal Democrats have a vacancy on Gateshead borough council, Whickham South and Sunniside ward, after the death of Alan Ord.

Sedgefield district council’s Sedgefield ward has a vacancy after the death of Independent councillor Jim Wayman.

Shortly before the Conservatives won the Great Eccleston byelection on Wyre borough council in Lancashire, they received another boost when Labour councillor Marlene Colby switched sides.

On Caradon district council, Glenn Renshaw who had been elected as a Liberal Democrat councillor for Saltash Essa ward, has now joined Mebyon Kernow - the party campaigning for greater self-government for Cornwall.

The Conservatives won all six byelections held on 19 June. Five of them were seats previously held by the party; the last was previously held by an Independent, who had no successor in the field.

By retaining Monkseaton North ward on North Tyneside borough council, the Conservatives have secured an overall majority on that council for the first time since it was created in 1973; however executive control remains in the hands of the directly-elected Mayor who is from the Labour Party. The single gain came in Ringwood South ward, New Forest district council where the new councillor is Jeremy Heron who represented the ward from 2003 to 2007. The other holds were in Braintree East and Hatfield Peverel wards, Braintree district council; in Wollaston ward, Wellingborough borough council, and in Great Eccleston ward, Wyre borough council.

We know of the following forthcoming local government byelections:

26 June

• Blackpool borough council: Park ward, after the death of Les Kersh. The new councillor will serve until 2011.

• Welwyn Hatfield borough council: Hatfield Central ward, after the resignation of Darren Gilbert. His replacement will serve until 2012.

27 June (a Friday poll)

• South Norfolk district council: Diss ward, after the death of Brian Clark-Taylor (Conservative).

3 July

• Barking and Dagenham borough council: Chadwell Heath ward, after the resignation of Labour councillor Sarah Baillie. The new councillor will serve until 2010.

• Bexley borough council: Christchurch ward, caused by the resignation of Ian Clement who had been Conservative Leader of the council until he accepted Boris Johnson’s invitation to be Deputy Mayor of London for Government Relations. His replacement will serve until 2010.
• Derbyshire county council: Eckington division, after the death of Derek Featherstone (Labour). The winner serves until May next year.
• Havering borough council: South Hornchurch ward, after the death of veteran Residents’ Association councillor Len Long.
• Mid Sussex district council: Burgess Hill St Andrews (double vacancy), caused by the resignations of David and Dianne Shevells who both sat as Liberal Democrats but have now moved out of the area. Both seats will have terms ending in 2011.
• North East Derbyshire district council: Killamarsh West ward, following the death of Labour councillor Colin Robinson. The new councillor will serve until 2011.
• North East Derbyshire district council: Unstone ward, following the death of Fred Hopkinson, who was an Independent councillor. His replacement will serve until 2011.
• Rother district council: Bexhill Sackville ward, after the resignation of Keith Standridge (Conservative). The winner serves until 2011.

10 July

• Caerphilly county borough council: Risca West ward, after the death of Keith Griffiths, who had just been re-elected as a Labour councillor. His replacement will serve until 2012.

• Canterbury city council: Barton ward, caused by the resignation of Liberal Democrat Lee Glendon. The new councillor serves until 2011.
• Ceredigion county council, Aberystwyth Rheidol ward, caused by the resignation of Eric Griffiths (Liberal Democrat). His successor will serve until 2012.
• Chichester district council: Bury ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Susan Wade Weeks who is moving to the City of York where she is the Parliamentary candidate. Her replacement will have a term ending in 2011.
• Great Yarmouth borough council: Bradwell South and Hopton ward, following the resignation of Conservative councillor Colin Hodds who is moving to Sussex. His replacement will serve until 2010.
• Kirklees borough council: Dalton ward, caused by the resignation of Labour councillor Angela Ellam. Her successor will serve until 2010.
• Redbridge borough council: Cranbrook ward, following the death of Conservative councillor Charles Elliman. The new councillor serves until 2010.
• Stafford borough council: Common ward, following the death of John Kennedy (Labour). The new councillor will serve until 2011.
• Wigan borough council: Wigan West ward, after the death of Michael Baines (Labour). His replacement will serve until 2011.

17 July

• Hillingdon borough council: Townfield ward, following the death of Norman Nunn-Price of the Labour Party. The winner will serve until 2010.

24 July

• Boston borough council: Coastal ward due to the resignation of Neil McGregor of the Better Boston Party. The new councillor will serve until 2011.

• Newark and Sherwood district council: Magnus ward, after the death of former Conservative MP for Newark Richard Alexander. His successor serves until 2011.
• Telford and Wrekin council: Muxton ward, after the resignation of Stuart Cain (Conservative). The Conservatives would lose their overall majority if they lost the byelection. The new councillor will serve until 2011.
• Westminster City Council: Church Street ward, after the death of Labour councillor Tony Mothersdale. The winner will serve until 2010.

31 July

• Lincolnshire county council: Louth wolds division after the death of Sheila Roy of the Conservative Party. The winner will have a term ending in May next year.

• Oadby and Wigston borough council: Oadby Uplands ward, caused by the resignation of one of the ward’s Liberal Democrat councillors. The new councillor serves until 2011.

Undated

The Conservatives have vacancies on Cheshire county council and on the new Cheshire East shadow unitary council following the death of Bert Grange, on Ipswich borough council, Castle Hill ward, after the death of Harry Davies, on Nottingham city council, Wollaton West ward, after the death of former group leader Michael Cowan, and on Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council, Pimhill ward, after the death of Brian Rees.

The Liberal Democrats have a vacancy on Gateshead borough council, Whickham South and Sunniside ward, after the death of Alan Ord.

Sedgefield district council’s Sedgefield ward has a vacancy after the death of Independent councillor Jim Wayman.

Catching up with some byelection results.

Four byelections on 29 May, all in Somerset, all went with the party that had previously held the seat. The Conservatives kept control of Mendip district council by winning in Shepton East ward, while the Liberal Democrats held Street North ward. In South Somerset district council, the Liberal Democrats held Chard Crimchard ward; on Somerset county council, the Conservatives kept Shepton Mallet division.

On 5 June the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats swapped gains in the east of England, with the Liberal Democrats taking Red Lodge ward on Forest Heath district council in Suffolk, while the Conservatives took Great Dunmow North ward on Uttlesford district council. The Conservatives also did well to keep All Saints ward on Allerdale district council, which is split with Labour; and held more easily in Market Drayton division of Shropshire county council. Edwinstowe ward of Newark and Sherwood district council again returned an Independent councillor.

There were postponed elections in three wards in Wales. Bowydd and Rhiw ward of Gwynedd county council went to Llais Gwynedd (’Voice of Gwynedd’, a group protesting against the schools policy of the Plaid Cymru administration of the council); all three seats in Bettws ward on Newport city council went to Labour, while all three seats in St Julian’s ward went to the Liberal Democrats. Newport has ended up with no overall control but the signs are that a Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition will take over.

On 12 June, the Liberal Democrats made their takeover of Brockworth in Gloucestershire complete by taking the division on the county council from the Brockworth Residents’ Group. They also defended their seat at Forest ward, Waltham Forest borough council, from a strong Labour challenge, and held on to Holywell ward, Oxford city council, despite an abysmal turnout in a student dominated ward during ‘Eights Week’. The Conservatives held on to Bexhill Collington ward on Rother district council and to Bexhill King Offa division on East Sussex county council.

There were also several polls postponed from 1 May due to the death of a candidate. In Upperby ward of Carlisle city council, there was a double vacancy due to the death of one of the sitting councillors; Labour retained both seats. Labour lost the other two wards: the Liberal Democrats gained Hope ward, Flintshire county council, while the Conservatives gained Harlow Common ward, Harlow district council.

There are six recent councillor defections to report.

The most high-profile change is the decision by Les Byrom, a longstanding Conservative councillor on Sefton borough council, to join the Labour Party. Cllr Byrom may be remembered as the Conservative candidate who was on the wrong end of a 17% swing to Labour at the Wirral South byelection shortly before the 1997 general election.

The Conservatives have movement in their favour on Shepway district council in Kent, where Anthony Dunning has left the Liberal Democrats to join them.

Having lost one councillor to the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats have proceeded to lose two to Labour. First was Katie Moffat of Midlothian council, whose defection ensured Labour majority control of the council; she was followed by Ali Demirci of Haringey borough council.

To compensate for those two, Labour has lost two councillors going in the opposite direction. Chaudhary Ditta of Buckinghamshire county council has followed his colleague Julia Wassell’s defection; and Ashfield borough councillor Christine Wakefield has also made the shift.

Here are the forthcoming local government byelections:

19 June

• Braintree district council: Braintree East ward, caused by the death of Caroline Denise (Conservative). The winner will serve until 2011.

• Braintree district council: Hatfield Peverel ward, caused by the death of Keith Bigden (Conservative). The winner will serve until 2011.
• North Tyneside borough council: Monkseaton North ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Hugh Jackson over his comments on euthanasia. The new councillor will have a term ending in 2010.
• Wellingborough borough council: Wollaston ward, caused by the resignation of Allan Bailey (Conservative).
• Wyre borough council: Great Eccleston ward, following the death of Alfred Coop. The term will end in 2011.

26 June

• Blackpool borough council: Park ward, after the death of Les Kersh. The new councillor will serve until 2011.

• Welwyn Hatfield borough council: Hatfield Central ward, after the resignation of Darren Gilbert. His replacement will serve until 2012.

27 June (a Friday poll)

• South Norfolk district council: Diss ward, after the death of Brian Clark-Taylor (Conservative).

3 July

• Bexley borough council: Christchurch ward, caused by the resignation of Ian Clement who had been Conservative Leader of the council until he accepted Boris Johnson’s invitation to be Deputy Mayor of London for Government Relations. His replacement will serve until 2010.

• Derbyshire county council: Eckington division, after the death of Derek Featherstone (Labour). The winner serves until May next year.
• Havering borough council: South Hornchurch ward, after the death of veteran Residents’ Association councillor Len Long.
• Mid Sussex district council: Burgess Hill St Andrews (double vacancy), caused by the resignations of David and Dianne Shevells who both sat as Liberal Democrats but have now moved out of the area. Both seats will have terms ending in 2011.
• North East Derbyshire district council: Killamarsh West ward, following the death of Labour councillor Colin Robinson. The new councillor will serve until 2011.
• North East Derbyshire district council: Unstone ward, following the death of Fred Hopkinson, who was an Independent councillor. His replacement will serve until 2011.
• Rother district council: Bexhill Sackville ward, after the resignation of Keith Standridge (Conservative). The winner serves until 2011.

10 July

• Caerphilly county borough council: Risca West ward, after the death of Keith Griffiths, who had just been re-elected as a Labour councillor. His replacement will serve until 2012.

• Canterbury city council: Barton ward, caused by the resignation of Liberal Democrat Lee Glendon. The new councillor serves until 2011.
• Ceredigion county council, Aberystwyth Rheidol ward, caused by the resignation of Eric Griffiths (Liberal Democrat). His successor will serve until 2012.
• Kirklees borough council: Dalton ward, caused by the resignation of Labour councillor Angela Ellam. Her successor will serve until 2010.
• Redbridge borough council: Cranbrook ward, following the death of Conservative councillor Charles Elliman. The new councillor serves until 2010.
• Stafford borough council: Common ward, following the death of John Kennedy (Labour). The new councillor will serve until 2011.

24 July

• Newark and Sherwood district council, Magnus ward, after the death of former Conservative MP for Newark Richard Alexander. His successor serves until 2011.

Undated

The Conservatives have vacancies on Ipswich borough council, Castle Hill ward, after the death of Harry Davies; on Lincolnshire county council, Louth wolds division after the death of Sheila Roy, and on Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council, Pimhill ward, after the death of Brian Rees.

My Westminster City Council colleague Tony Mothersdale, a Labour councillor for Church Street ward since a byelection in May 2000, died last week after a short illness. Tony was an extremely warm-hearted and generous man to work with, and made a real difference in the community where he lived and served.

There are Labour seats vacant in Barking and Dagenham borough council, Chadwell Heath ward, after the resignation of Sarah Baillie, on Hillingdon borough council, Townfield ward, following the death of Norman Nunn-Price, and on Wigan borough council, Wigan West ward, after the death of Michael Baines.

The Liberal Democrats have vacancies on Gateshead borough council, Whickham South and Sunniside ward, after the death of Alan Ord, and on Oadby and Wigston borough council, Oadby Uplands ward, caused by the resignation of one of the ward’s two councillors.

Sedgefield district council’s Sedgefield ward has a vacancy after the death of Independent councillor Jim Wayman.