Seven council by-elections this week, one of which is a Liberal Democrat defence but even with that there are only four Lib Dem candidates.

Gurnos, Merthyr Tydfil

No Liberal Democrat candidate, continuing a pattern in this ward stretching all the way back to its creation in the early 1980s. I wonder how far up the tables that makes it in the list of longest runs without a Lib Dem / Alliance / Liberal Party candidate?

Fawley, Blackfield and Langley, New Forest

Craig Fletcher was the Liberal Democrat candidate in a ward the party won in 2003 but lost in the three intervening elections since.

Freshney, North East Lincolnshire

North East Lincolnshire was for nearly a decade (2003-11) run by a joint Conservative/Liberal Democrat administration, and during that time the Lib Dems won elections in this ward. But the last Lib Dem candidate was in 2014 and the run of no-shows didn’t change with this by-election.

Stoke, Plymouth

Connor Clarke was the Liberal Democrat candidate.

Birchington South, Thanet

Hannah Lloyd-Bowyer was the Liberal Democrat candidate in a ward the party fought for the first time last time out.

Hartland and Bradworthy, Torridge

The Liberal Democrat defence this week, featuring Martin Hill trying to hold the seat the party gained in a by-election as recently as June last year in a contest held on general election day itself. Not successfully, unfortunately:

Knowsley, West Lancashire

As with the by-election for this council last week, no Liberal Democrat candidate here either. That makes it now fourteen contests since the ward was created all without a Lib Dem.

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These by-election results round-ups cover principal authority by-elections. See my post The danger in celebrating parish and town council wins for your own party for the reasons to avoid straying too often into covering town, parish or community council by-elections.

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