A bumper pair of by-elections will be taking place this week as Labour, Reform, the Lib Dems and Greens face off in front of voters.
The vast majority of the headlines will be dedicated to the Gorton & Denton parliamentary by-election, which was called after the resignation of Andrew Gwynne.
However, over 220 miles away on the south coast, voters will be going to the polls in Southampton for a by-election in the Shirley ward on the Hampshire city’s council.
GB News has taken a dive into the two elections that could be make or break for Sir Keir Starmer.
Shirley (Southampton City)
Before the headline act, we’re on the south coast with a by-election in the Shirley ward on Southampton City Council, where Sir Ed Davey will be looking to hold onto the seat for the Liberal Democrats.
The by-election was called after former councillor George Percival resigned 15 months after being elected.
Mr Percival himself won the seat for the Lib Dems after it had been vacated by former Labour council leader Satvir Kaur, who had been elected MP for the corresponding Southampton Test constituency at the 2024 General Election.
He said: “Serving as your local councillor has been a great honour. While I had hoped to continue this work for many years, I have been offered a promotion in my day job that means I must move away from Southampton.
“I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together in Shirley, and I want to thank the residents for the trust they placed in me.”
The city council itself has flipped between Conservative and Labour control since it became a unitary authority in 1997, with Labour retaking control in 2022.
Labour’s Satvir Kaur won the Southampton Test seat in 2024, succeeding from former Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change Alan Whitehead.
In 2024, Ms Kaur beat Tory candidate Ben Burcombe-Filer with a majority of 9,333.
THE FULL LIST OF CANDIDATES STANDING IN THE SHIRLEY BY-ELECTION:
- Paul Chance (Reform UK)
- James Clarke (Labour)
- Joanne Clements (Green Party)
- David Cowley (Trade Union and Socialist Coalition)
- Andy Palmer (Conservative)
- Andrew Douglas Pope (Independent Alliance)
- Chris Shank (Liberal Democrats)
George Percival resigned from his post
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SOUTHAMPTON LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
Gorton & Denton
A parliamentary by-election will also be held this week, but much further north – in the Gorton & Denton constituency in Greater Manchester.
The by-election was called after the former MP, Andrew Gwynne was dismissed from the Government as health minister and suspended from the Labour Party for offensive comments he had posted in a WhatsApp group used by Manchester Labour politicians.
In response to his suspension from the party, Mr Gwynne wrote: “I deeply regret my badly misjudged comments and apologise for any offence I’ve caused.
“I entirely understand the decisions the PM and the party have taken and, while very sad to have been suspended, will support them in any way I can.”
At the 2024 General Election, Mr Gwynne won the seat with a 13,413 majority over Reform UK’s Lee Moffitt, who narrowly beat the Green Party’s Amanda Gardner.
THE FULL LIST OF CANDIDATES STANDING IN THE GORTON & DENTON BY-ELECTION:
- Sir Oink A-Lot (Monster Raving Looney Party)
- Nick Buckley (Advance UK)
- Charlotte Cadden (Conservative)
- Dan Clarke (Libertarian)
- Matthew Goodwin (Reform UK)
- Sebastian Moore (Social Democratic Party)
- Joseph O’Meachair (Rejoin EU)
- Jackie Pearcey (Liberal Democrats)
- Hannah Spencer (Green Party)
- Angeliki Stogia (Labour)
- Hugo Wils (Communist League)