Liversedge and Gomersal on Kirklees (Con Defence)
Last Local Elections (2012): Lab 32, Con 18, Lib Dem 10, Green 5, Others 4 (No Overall Control, Lab short by 3)
Ward Results in current electoral cycle

	Local Elections   2010		Local Elections   2011		Local Elections   2012
Party	Votes Cast	% Share	Votes Cast	% Share	Votes Cast	% Share
Conservatives	3,667	42%	2,467	47%	2,021	49%
Labour	2,284	26%	2,189	42%	1,577	38%
Liberal Democrats	1,548	18%	290	6%	155	4%
BNP	990	11%
Greens	232	3%	334	6%	365	9%

If it was not for the by-election that they are defending in King’s Lynn, this week’s by-elections could be described as a week when the Lib Dems would be better off closing their eyes and going “La, La, La” as Kirklees and Southampton are yet more prime examples of what has happened since entering the coalition. Kirklees first of all, and in 2003, the council was trending Labour but with no one party in control local elections were always going to be on a knife edge (as so they proved). In 2004, the Lib Dems became the largest party, in 2006 it was the Conservatives, 2007, Labour, 2008, Conservatives and in 2010 Labour again but still some eleven short of an overall majority. The 2011 elections were a Lib Dem disaster as they managed to lose six seats allowing Labour to confirm their status as largest party and then lose another four in 2012. And as seen in wards like this one, going from a fairly good third place to being overtaken by the Greens.

Watlington on King’s Lynn and West Norfolk (Lib Dem Defence)
Last Local Elections (2011): Con 42, Lab 13, Ind 3, Lib Dem 3, Green 1 (Conservative majority of 22)
Ward Result 2011: Liberal Democrats 635 (82%) Labour 135 (18%)

Which makes Watlington even more bizarre. King’s Lynn (part of the Norfolk North West constituency) has never really been a Lib Dem area. Their best performance in recent elections was seven councillors in 2003 (when the Conservatives had an overall majority of 6). In 2007, the Conservative majority increased by a factor of seven (helped in part by ten Labour losses) and as a result the Lib Dem seats halved and although Labour managed to recover almost all of those losses, the Lib Dems lost yet another councillor. So either Watlington is an electoral law unto itself (not unlike Ceredigion) or there is something that the Liberal Democrats have not very much of, of late, electors who love them.

Woolston on Southampton (Lab Defence)
Last Local Elections (2012): Lab 30, Con 16, Lib Dem 2 (Labour majority of 12)
Ward Results in current electoral cycle:

	Local Elections   2010		Local Elections   2011		Local Elections   2012
Party	Votes Cast	% Share	Votes Cast	% Share	Votes Cast	% Share
Conservatives	1,755	31%	1,071	32%	931	32%
Labour	2,447	43%	1,768	53%	1,607	55%
Liberal Democrats	1,281	22%	354	11%	243	8%
Greens	270	5%
TUSC			163	5%	138	5%

And nowhere is this lack of Lib Dem love demonstrated than in Southampton (that very rare thing, a non met third council where ALL the wards are up for election each year). Back in 2003, the Lib Dems were short by seven of an overall majority and everyone was expecting that the council would soon go Lib Dem. However in 2006, the remarkable happened. Lib Dem 16, Con 16, Lab 16. All three parties were completely tied. For days afterwards Southampton was a media hive as people wondered what would happen (everything from a “government of local unity” to a “grand coalition” was put forward). In the end the electors had their say in 2007 when the Lib Dems were knocked for four by both the Conservatives and Labour (Con 18, Lab 18, Lib Dem 12) and ever since it has been a one way journey for the Lib Dems downwards. Eight councillors in 2008 (as the Conservatives gained control), five in 2010, three in 2011 and as Labour made eleven gains in 2012, the Lib Dems were reduced to just two councillors.