My analysis of British local by-elections from 31 March 2022

Readers, the results of British local by-elections that were held on 31 March 2022 were as follows:

Doncaster MBC, Wheatley Hills & Intake: Labour 827 (46.0%, +4.9%), Conservative 419 (23.3%, +0.6%), Yorkshire Party 356 (19.8%, +0.6%), Green 135 (7.5%, -2.5%), Liberal Democrats 60 (3.3%, -3.5%).

Melton DC, Melton Sysonby: Conservative 396 (53.2%, +11.7%), Liberal Democrats 183 (24.6%), Labour 153 (22.2%, -5.1%). [Greens did not stand]

Scarborough DC, Mayfield: Conservative 268 (45.8%, +0.7%), Labour 142 (24.3%, -7.8%), Independent (Wild) 122 (20.9%), Yorkshire Party 53 (9.1%).

We are now just five weeks away from the 2022 British local elections, hence there being fewer by-elections than in the summer and winter months. Given the Liberal Democrat performance in Melton Sysonby from a standing start, growing Green strength in rural/semi-rural councils, how relatively close the Greens came to winning the ward in 2019, it is likely that the Greens would have gained the seat had they fielded a candidate in that by-election. The other two by-elections show that the regionalist Yorkshire Party is continuing to fare much better in South Yorkshire than any other part of Yorkshire, although the Mayfield by-election had the additional complicating factors of a strong Independent candidate and the fact that Scarborough council will cease to exist next year, with North Yorkshire's shadow elections taking place this May, which also explains the low turnout in the Mayfield by-election.


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