By-election news

Here is a summary of the aggregate results of the 53 council by-elections since the May 2026 local elections, compiled by Election Maps UK.

  • Reform UK, who were defending six seats, made five net gains to end up with 11 seats, on an aggregate vote share of 23%
  • The Conservatives, who were defending twelve seats, made net losses of three to end up with nine on an aggregate vote share of 19%.

In both cases those net figures include both gains and losses in various directions, including both Conservative gains from Reform UK and Reform UK gains from Conservatives.

This should be a corrective both to anyone who goes too far overboard on the "Reform have peaked" narrative - however much I may think it's true, they are still in the lead - but also on the "The Tories are dead/The Tories are no longer a national party" narratives as we had wins in England, Scotland and Wales and are winning too many elections and votes to justify any such conclusion.

Essentially the pattern of wins and losses throughout Britain is all over the place, with the Conservative both gaining a parliamentary seat form the SNP and losing a council seat to them, gaining council seats from Reform and losing others to them, gaining seats from the Li/Dems and losing others to them. Pick any other combination of two rival parties and as likely as not you will see the same. 

Which honestly means there is everything to play for.

   
















The Lib/Dems and Greens came joint third in terms of seats won, eight in both cases,  and joint fifth behind Labour in term of aggregate vote share, on 14%.

Labor came sixth behind PC in terms of seats won, dropping from eight seats defended to five won or held, but above the Lib/Dems and Greens on vote share with 18%. 

The Welsh nationalists won six seats but as they were only standing in Wales, their vote share of 5% is meaningless in comparison with the UK-wide parties.

You can read the full details of the aggregate position and each of the 53 council by-elections included  at: Council By-Election Results — Election Maps UK.

And I'm not going to miss the opportunity to congratulate to Cllr Paul Savage, our newest Conservative Councillor in Telford & Wrekin, who gained his seat from Labour in a by-election yesterday!




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