Octobers council by election review

There have been 29 by-elections during October with 5 (17%) changing hands.

Party	Candidates	Seats defended	Seats retained	Seats gained	Seats lost	Seats won	Retention rate
Conservative	29	11	9		2	9	82%
Labour	27	10	10	4		14	100%
Lib Dems	21	5	5	1		6	100%
UKIP	25
Green	12
SNP	4	2			2		0%
Plaid Cymru	2
Independent *	11	1			1		0%
Border	1
BNP	3
English Democrats	1
TUSAC	1
Other (12)	12
Total	149	29	24	5	5	29	83%

* 11 candidates contesting 9 seats

Labour gained 1 seat each from Conservatives and an Independent and 2 seats from SNP,
*  Charnwood, Shepshed West from Conservatives on a 6% / 7% swing from both 2011 and 2007
   - Labour won both seats in 2003, Conservatives gained both in 2007 with a majority of 51 over top Labour and retained both in 2011 with a similar majority of 26
*  East Lindsey, Chapel St Leonards from an Independent on one third of the vote having not contested seat in 2011 and 2007, polling 20% in 2003
*  Glasgow, Govan on a ~7% swing SNP to Labour since 2012 but ~3½% swing Labour to SNP since 2007
*  South Lanarkshire, Hamilton South on little change to shares since 2012 and ~2½% swing Labour to SNP since 2007

Lib Dems gained Carlisle, Dalton from Conservatives with a majority of 30 (2.3%)
- Lib Dems won the seat in 2012 with majority of 28%, 2008 by 10% , 2006 with a 1% majority and 2004 by a majority of 1 vote
- Conservatives won the seat in 2011 with majority of 27%, 2010 by 13%, 2007 by 22%, 2003 by 7% and 2002 by 14%, the resigning councillor elected in 2007 & 2011