Lib Dems take council seat from Labour in latest local by-elections
Liberal Democrats defeated Labour to take a Sunderland Council seat in the latest local by-elections with a massively increased share of the vote.
The Lib Dem victory came in a contest in Pallion ward following the death of Labour councillor and council leader Paul Watson.
Lib Dems GAIN Pallion Ward, Sunderland from Labour. Another phenomenal result for Sunderland Lib Dems and the excellent Martin Haswell. #hardworkpaysoff
-- ALDC (@ALDC) February 1, 2018
Voting was: LD 1,251, Lab 807, C 126, Ukip 97, Green 39. The turnout was 31.7%.
Lib Dems drew just 91 votes against Labour's 1,046 in the previous election in the ward in May 2016. A year before that, in the poll coinciding with the 2015 general election, Lib Dems had 134 to Labour's 1,804 when the seat in the by-election was last up for grabs.
Lib Dems increased their vote share from 2015 by more than 50 percentage points, from 3.7% to 53.9%. The swing from Labour to Lib Dem was 32.4%.
Well done all! #Falmouth#Smithick Great #Labour win. Congrats @JayneKirkham4 60.2% Up 19.9 Turnout of 31.1 pic.twitter.com/lTmoUmg8Tr
-- Labour Nrth Cornwall (@LabourNCornwall) February 2, 2018
Meanwhile, in the only other council by-election taking place, Labour comfortably held a seat in the Falmouth Smithick division of Cornwall Council in a contest following the death of Labour councillor and former MP Candy Atherton.
She memorably became Falmouth & Camborne MP in Labour's general election landslide of 1997 when she defeated Tory incumbent Seb Coe (now Lord Coe).
