Harwich West on Tendring (Lab Defence) Last Local Election (2011): Con 33, Ind 16, Lab 9, Lib Dem 2 (Conservative majority of 6)

Name of party	2011 Vote	% Share
Labour	1,240	42%
Conservatives	1,218	41%
Community Representatives	318	11%
Independents	177	6%

Tendring has had a very interesting electoral history. In 2003 it was one of six councils in Essex that were not outright controlled by a party (the other seven were Conservative controlled in six and Lib Dem controlled in Uttlesford) and although the Conservatives have made the gains over the years to gain control (three in the 2007 local elections and five in the 2011 local elections), there’s been a persistent little bugbear in their side, namely the Community Representatives and Independents and this is not the first council in England to have such a high number of them. Epsom and Ewell has elected a Ratepayer controlled council since 2003, Elmbridge was controlled by them until the 2005 local elections (but is still the official opposition to the Conservatives). Epping Forest’s Ratepayers grouping climbed from 6 councillors in 2003 to 13 councillors in 2011 (and are also the official opposition) as well. Given the recent trend towards “a curse on all your houses” in recent local and national by-elections, although the smart money would be on a Lab hold, could the Community Representatives spring a surprise and and give Cllr. Pond (the sole Ratepayers councillor on Essex representing Loughton Central) a much needed boost ahead of the county elections in a little over six weeks’ time.   Candidates duly nominated: Simon Banks (Lib Dem), John Hawkings (Lab), Steven Henderson (Community Representatives Party), Hugh Thompson (Con)

 

Evelyn on Lewisham (Lab Defence) Last Local Election (2010): Lab 39, Lib Dem 12, Con 2, Green 1 (Labour majority of 24)

Name of party	2010 Vote	% Share
Labour	7,631	55%
Liberal Democrats	2,403	17%
Conservatives	1,957	14%
Greens	1,187	9%
People Before Profits	445	3%
Independents	294	2%

Lewisham is as much of a Labour heartland as it is possible to get in London. Indeed since the 1990 local elections it has only ever to go a situation of No Overall Control once (in 2006) and then even Labour were only  two short of an overall majority which was easily reversed at the 2010 local election and looking at the vote shares in this ward it’s pretty obvious that it’s going to be another Labour hold. But as we have seen in local by-elections this year where there is a one party state in existence sometimes electors like to cock a collective snook at everyone and in Lewisham there is a way of doing that whilst still voting for a left wing agenda and that is through the People Before Profit party. They only fielded one candidate at the last election in the Foyle constituency in Northern Ireland (polling a very respectable 8% of the vote) but it was the Irish Republic election the following year that really saw them take off as they managed to win a couple of seats in the Irish Parliament. They also managed to poll 8% in the Belfast West by-election (an area with a similar one party state mentality) so given the strength of Labour in Lewisham and the weakness of the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives nationally, they are more than likely to come a strong second (and who knows may just have enough momentum to challenge Labour in one of their strongest parts of London   Candidates duly nominated: ABIDOYE Olufunke (Lab), NUNDY Simon John (Con), OAKLEY Paul (UKIP), RAYMOND Barbara Claire (People Before Profit), TOWN Bill (Lib Dem)

Parson Drove and Wisbech, St. Mary on Fenland (Con Defence) Last Local Election (2011): Con 34, Ind 4, Lib Dem 4

Name of party	2011 Vote	% Share
Conservatives	1,451	52%
Liberal Democrats	1,057	38%
Labour	303	11%

We’ve already had one by-election in Fenland this year and although the Hill ward was a Con HOLD the fact the fact that the Conservative vote fell 12% and an Independent polled 20% from a standing start must surely be giving the local Conservatives nervous shudders. Even more so when you consider that in this by-election there is no Lab candidate and two anti-European parties (UKIP and the English Democrats) standing. Fenland is another one of these one party states and as we have seen 12 times already this year one party states tend to be places where by-election shocks are extremely common.   Candidates duly nominated: David Broker (Con), Maria Goldspink (English Democrats), Helen Lane (Lib Dem), Alan Lay (UKIP)

Harry Hayfield