(puffing) My word, (panting) and Hercules thought he had a tough time with his twelve labours. He ought to try local by-elections on for size. Finding the wards that had by-elections this week was a doddle, but my goodness, finding the results last time and the candidates standing for election, wooh!. It can really take it out on a person let me tell you. And yes, your eyes are not deceiving you that is thirteen local by-elections look like with several on the same council at the same time and it’s taken me until around two o’clock this afternoon just to complete the list of nominations. I’ll let you make up your own minds about the areas of the country being contested, myself, I need a lie down and a hot mug of orange squash!

Bridlington Central and Old Town (Social Democrat defence), Howdenshire (Con defence) and Willerby and Kirk Ella (Con defence) on East Riding of Yorkshire
Result of last election to council (2011): Conservatives 53, Labour 6, Liberal Democrats 3, Social Democrats 3, Independents 2 (Conservative majority of 39)
Result of last election in wards (2011) : Emboldened denotes elected

Bridlington Central and Old Town
Social Democrats 1,167, 497
Conservatives 903, 685
Labour 864, 644
Liberal Democrats 173
Candidates duly nominated: John Copsey (Con), Liam Dealtry (Ind), Terry Dixon (Ind), Malcolm Milns (UKIP), Neil Tate (Ind)

Howdenshire
Conservatives 2,640, 2,347, 2,212
Independents 1,013, 326
East Yorkshire Independents 925
Labour 815, 811, 754
Liberal Democrats 421, 386, 353
Candidates duly nominated: Danny Marten (Lab), Clive Waddington (UKIP), Nigel Wilkinson (Con)

Willerby and Kirk Ella
Conservatives 2,300, 2,163, 2,039
Liberal Democrats 1,476, 1,443, 1,324
Labour 801, 705, 682
English Democrats 403, 387, 318
Candidates duly nominated: Mick Burchill (Con), Daniel Palmer (Lab), Robert Skinner (UKIP)

Troup on Aberdeenshire (Con Defence)
Result of council at last election (2012): Scottish National Party 28, Conservatives 14, Liberal Democrats 12, Independents 11, Labour 2, Green 1 (No Overall Control, SNP short by 7)
Result of ward at last election (2012) : Emboldened denotes elected
Scottish National Party 405, 723 (40%)
Independent 441, 344 (28%)
Conservatives 593 (21%)
Labour 185 (6%)
Non Party Independent 95 (3%)
Candidates duly elected: Ann Bell (Lib Dem), Ross Cassie (SNP), Alan Duffill (Lab), Darren Duncan (Green), Phillip Mitchell (Ind), Alan Still (Ind), Iain Taylor (Con)

Midlothian East on Midlothian (Ind Defence from Lab defection)
Result of council at last election (2012): Scottish National Party 8, Labour 8, Green 1, Independent 1 (No Overall Control, SNP and Lab short by 2)
Result of ward at last election (2012) : Emboldened denotes elected
Scottish National Party 1,372, 405 (43%)
Labour 475, 1,003 (36%)
Independent 461 (11%)
Conservatives 379 (9%)
Trade Unionist and Socialist 52 (1%)
Candidates duly nominated: Colin Cassidy (SNP), Euan Davidson (Lib Dem), Andrew Hardie (Con), Robert Hogg (Ind), Bill Kerr-Smith (Green), Kenny Young (Lab)

Kirkwall West and Orphir on Orkney (Ind Defence)
Result of council at last election (2012): Independents 11, Non Party Independents 10 (Independent majority of 21)
Result of ward at last election (2012): Emboldened denotes elected
Independents 213, 16, 162, 215, 283, 30 (60%)
Non Party Independents 476, 42, 34, 9 (37%)
Scottish National Party 50 (3%)
Candidates duly nominated: Laurence Leonard (NPI), Lorraine McBrearty (Ind), Leslie Manson (Ind), Gillian Skuse (Ind)

Blackbird Leys (Lab Defence) and Northfield Brook (Lab Defence) on Oxford
Result of council at last election (2014): Labour 33, Liberal Democrats 8, Greens 6, Independent 1 (Labour majority of 18)
Result of Blackbird Leys (2012)
Labour 737 (85%), Conservative 54 (6%), Green 40 (5%), Liberal Democrat 32 (4%)
Candidates duly nominated: Berk Bektas (Con), Stella Gollier (TUSC), Lesley Mallinder (Lib Dem), Elizabeth McHale (Green), Dave Slater (UKIP), Linda Smith (Lab)

Result of Northfield Brook (2012):
Labour 564 (74%), Green 73 (10%), Liberal Democrat 68 (9%), Conservative 61 (8%)
Candidates duly nominated: Gary Dixon (Con), Ann Duncan (Green), James Morbin (TUSC), Michael Jatt (Lib Dem), Sian Taylor (Lab)

The Leys on Oxfordshire (Lab Defence)
Result of council at last election (2013): Conservatives 28, Labour 13, Liberal Democrats 11, Greens 2, Independent 1 (Conservative majority of 1)
Result of ward at last election (2013): Labour 1,249 (82%), Conservative 116 (8%), Green 114 (7%), Liberal Democrat 53 (3%)
Candidates duly nominated: Samuel Burgess (Con), Steve Curran (Lab), Ann Duncan (Green), Lesley Mallinder (Lib Dem), James Morbin (TUSC), Dave Salter (UKIP)

Charville on Hillingdon (Lab Defence)
Result of council at last election (2014): Conservatives 42, Labour 23 (Conservative majority of 19)
Result of ward at last election (2014): Emboldened denotes elected
Labour 1,572, 1,368, 1,276
Conservative 1,409, 1,354, 1,276
UKIP 1,004
Green 381
TUSC 132
Candidates duly nominated: Cliff Dixon (UKIP), Wally Kennedy (TUSC), Paul McKeown (Lib Dem), Mary O’Connor (Con), John Oswell (Lab)

St. Neots Primary Park on Huntingdonshire (Con Defence)
Result of council at last election (2014): Conservatives 35, UKIP 7, Liberal Democrats 5, Independents 4, Labour 1 (Conservative majority of 18)
Result of ward at last election (2011): Conservatives 1,081 (45%), Liberal Democrats 767 (32%), Labour 545 (23%)
Candidates duly nominated: Carol Gamby (UKIP), Ian Gardener (Con), Angela Horan (Lab)

Ashfordby on Melton (Lab Defence)
Result of council at last election (2011): Conservatives 20, Labour 7, Independent 1 (Conservative majority of 12)
Result of ward at last election (2011): Emboldened denotes elected
Conservatives 470
Labour 420, 394
Independent 342
Candidates duly nominated: Sasha Lee Barnes (UKIP), Michael Blase (Lab), Ronnie de Burle (Con)

Bowydd and Rhiw on Gwynedd (Plaid defence)
Result of last election to council (2012): Plaid Cymru 37, Independents 19, Llais Gwynedd 13, Labour 4, Liberal Democrats 2 (No Overall Control, Plaid short by 1)
Result of last election in ward (2008): Llais Gwynedd 341 (48%), Plaid Cymru 247 (35%), Green 117 (17%)
Candidates duly nominated: Annwen Daniels (Plaid) and is therefore duly elected
Plaid Cymru HOLD from 2012 (Plaid unopposed 2012)