My analysis of local by-elections from 18/02/16

Readers, the results from yesterday's local by-elections that featured Green Party candidates were as follows:

Argyll & Bute UA, Oban North & Lorn: (1st preference votes): SNP 1113 (42.3%, +9.9%), Conservative 609 (23.2%, +13.5%), Independent 608 (23.1%), Green 300 (11.4%). SNP elected at stage 4; SNP gain from Argyll First.

Broxtowe DC, Toton & Chilwell Meadows: Conservative 910 (51.9%, +7.0%), Labour 368 (21.0%, -0.2%), Liberal Democrats 363 (20.7%), Green 111 (6.3%, -3.7%).

Lichfield DC, Chadsmead: Lib Dem 300 (40.0%, +14.9%), Lab 195 (26.0%, +1.6%), Con 159 (21.2%, -12.2%), UKIP 73 (9.7%, -7.4%), Green 23 (3.1%).

Manchester MBC, Higher Blackley: Lab 1062 (65.2%, +7.7%), UKIP 308 (18.9%, -6.9%), Con 130 (8.0%, -1.8%), Lib Dem 78 (4.8%, +2.1%), Green 40 (2.5%, -1.7%), Pirate 9 (0.6%).

None of these wards were Green targets and nor have they ever elected Green councillors, but the Green result in Oban North & Lorn is rather promising especially with the next Scottish Parliament elections coming soon. We are now only two-and-a-half months from the next set of elections in the UK (Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, Northern Irish Assembly, London Assembly, and local elections in England), and in spite of our two recent local by-election gains, UKIP's decline, and the Liberal Democrats' local recovery to an extent, May 2016 will be a crucial test for the future of British politics.

Alan.

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