Alan's Green Thoughts

Readers, the results of British local by-elections from 26 August 2021 were as follows: Cumbria CC, Corby & Hayton: Liberal Democrats 857 (71.0%, +60.8%), Conservative 350 (29.0%, -8.0%). Liberal Democrat gain from Independent; all changes are since 2017. [No Independent or Green candidates this time] Medway UA, Princes Park: Conservative 961 (67.4%, +19.0%), Labour 313 (21.9%, -4.5%), Green 52 (3.6%), Independent (Durcan) 51 (3.6%), Liberal Democrats 49 (3.4%). Medway UA, Strood North: Labour 913 (37.1%, +6.6%), Conservative 728 (29.5%, -1.9%), Green 565 (23.0%, +9.8%), Independent (Spalding) 216 (8.8%), Liberal Democrats 39 (1.6%). Labour gain from Conservative. Newport UA, Graig: Conservative 610 (50.2%, +3.4%), Labour 534 (44.0%, +7.0%), Liberal Democrats 71 (5.8%, -3.2%). [Greens did not stand] This week marks the first Labour gain from the Conservatives since the May 2021 Super Thursday elections, and even more remarkably it was in the Greens' best ward in Medway. The Gre...

  Readers, the results of British local by-elections that took place on 19 August 2021 were as follows: Aberdeenshire UA, Mid Formartine (1st preferences): Conservative 1,480 (45.7%, +11.1%) , SNP 1,205 (37.2%, +11.4%), Liberal Democrats 412 (12.7%, +3.3%), Green 144 (4.4%) Conservative gain from SNP at stage 3. [No Independents stood this time]. Ashford DC, Downs North: Green 273 (51.8%, +28.3%), Conservative 239 (45.4%, -2.1%), Liberal Democrats 15 (2.8%, -15.9%). Green gain from Conservative. [Labour did not stand] Dover DC, Sandwich: Conservative 721 (51.6%, +17.1%), Liberal Democrats 676 (48.4%, +33.8%). [Labour, Greens and an Independent did not stand] East Yorkshire UA, East Wolds & Coastal: Conservative 1190 (54.0%, -2.3%), Labour 447 (20.3%, +6.0%), Yorkshire Party 347 (15.7%), Green 142 (6.4%, -23.0%), Liberal Democrats 79 (3.6%). Ribble Valley DC, Littlemore: Liberal Democrats 281 (49.0%, -8.9%), Conservative 216 (37.7%, +16.2%), Labour 59 (10.3%, -9.6%), Green 17 (3...

This week, comedian Sean Lock, most notable for his appearances on 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (the popular Countdown counterpart hosted by Jimmy Carr), and also former Labour MP Austin Mitchell, both passed away. Sean was one of the best known stand-up comedians in the modern era of British comedy, and best known for starring in 8 Out Of 10 Cats and 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown until his death. He also hosted panel show Argumental for a year, although that did not prove to be as successful as its more erudite counterpart QI or its long-running political equivalent Have I Got News For You, and was frequently a guest star in BBC sitcoms. His comedy was known for its wit and deadpan delivery. Austin, meanwhile, served as Labour MP for Great Grimsby from 1977 to 2015, managing to hold it by 520 votes in a critical by-election caused by the death of former Education Secretary Anthony Crosland. His no-nonsense approach and rapport with the fishing industry, such that he briefly chang...

  Readers, the results of British local by-elections from the first two weeks of August 2021 were as follows: (5/8/21): West Lothian UA, East Livingstone & East Calder (1st preference votes): SNP 1890 (42.5%, +1.7%), Conservative 1085 (24.4%, +2.4%), Labour 969 (21.8%, -9.1%), Green 336 (7.6%, +4.0%), Liberal Democrats 118 (2.7%, -0.0%), Independence for Scotland 47 (1.1%). SNP gain from Labour at stage 4. (12/8/21): East Suffolk DC, Orwell & Villages: Conservative 873 (45.9%, +11.2%), Liberal Democrats 800 (42.0%), Labour 230 (12.1%, -1.5%), [No Independent or Green candidates this time] Highland UA, Inverness West (1st preference votes): SNP 718 (33.7%, +4.4%), Liberal Democrats 678 (31.8%, +4.2%), Conservative 293 (13.7%, +1.8%), Independent 230 (10.8%), Green 159 (7.5%), Independence for Scotland 42 (2.0%), Libertarian 11 (0.5%). Liberal Democrats gain from Independent at stage 5. [Other Independents and Labour did not stand] Highland UA, Wick & East Caithness (1st ...

Noel Lynch, who served as a London Assembly member from 2003-04 for the Green Party and who I knew from my early days in the Green Party, passed away yesterday. Noel was born in Killmarlock, County Limerick, in the Republic of Ireland, and he stood in the Limerick West Dail constituency as an Independent in 1969. He later moved to England and in 2000 was fourth on the Green Party list for the inaugural London Assembly election; the Green Party won only 3 seats so he was not elected. Upon Victor Anderson's resignation in May 2003, Noel became a London AM in his place but was unable to keep his seat in the 2004 election when the Green Party won only 2 list seats. This happened again in 2008 and 2012, and in both cases Noel was third on the Green Party list; in 2016 he was fifth on the Green Party list for that London Assembly election. By trade he was an auctioneer and sometimes held auctions at Green Party meetings in London, and founded the Green Party Trade Union Group, marking an...