As you read this, hundreds of Independent, Green, Plaid Cymru and smaller party candidates are out and about in their communities and working hard online, organised and determined to focus on getting the very best for their local residents.
I would like to congratulate all the Conservative candidates who were elected or re-elected in May’s local elections and offer my commiserations to those who were unsuccessful.
The Liberal Democrats are back, and we are back with a bang
Welcome to all new councillors, and well done to those who were re-elected!
The LGA is urging people to engage in positive, constructive debates ahead of the upcoming local elections.
The Green Party continues to succeed in some Conservative-supporting areas, despite little or no former presence.
This month’s set of by-elections includes a first, and two potential ‘last hurrahs’.
It would be wise not to read too much into the results of the small number of contests held during the Christmas holiday period.
The intervention of Constitution and Devolution Minister Chloe Smith in January, about the local elections and the issues of campaigning and delivering of leaflets, was a major concern to me and one that made no sense at all.
Our ‘first past the post’ electoral system has two key characteristics when translating votes into seats.