September's by-election summary

date	where	result	Lab % change
1st	Dorset CC, Ferndown	Con hold	-6.1
	Lymington & Pennington TC, Pennington	LD gain from Con
	Cornwall UA, Four Lanes	LD gain from UKIP	-5.7
	Bournemouth UA, Kinson North	Con hold	+10.9
	Otley TC, Ashfield (two seats)	Two LD holds	+4.8
	East Dorset DC, Parley	Con hold	+4.6
	Stockton UA, Grangefield	Con gain from Lab	-5.5
8th	Mansfield UA, Yeoman Hill	Lab hold	-4.5
	Barrow-in-Furness BC, Parkside	Lab hold	-11.9
	Sheffield CC, Mosborough	LD gain from Lab	-8.3
	Maidstone BC, Shepway South	UKIP hold	-5.6
15th	Carlisle DC, Castle	Lab hold	-3.3
	Newcastle CC, Blakelaw	Lab hold	21.3
	East Hertfordshire DC, Puckeridge	Con hold	-8.9
	Hackney LB, Mayoral election	Lab hold	+3.7
	North East Derbyshire DC, Tupton	LD gain from Lab	-33.2
	Shropshire, Bishop’s Castle	LD hold	+6.7
20th	Cardiff UA, Plasnewydd	LD gain from Lab	-0.3
22nd	Teignbridge DC, Teignmouth Central	LD gain from Con	-8.1
	North Lanarkshire UA, Coatbridge North & Glenboig	Lab gain from SNP	-9.0
	Hailsham TC, East	LD gain from Lab	Not contested
	South Northamptonshire DC, Old Stratford	Con hold	Not contested
	Gateshead MB, Chopwell & Rolands Gill	Lab hold	-3.7
	Cherwell DC, Adderbury, Bloxham & Bodicote	Con hold	-0.3
	Suffolk CC, Hadleigh	LD gain from Con	+5.8
	Carmarthenshire UA, Cilycwm	PC gain from Ind	+17.0
	North Warwickshire BC, Arley and Whitacre	Lab gain from Con	+33.7
	Cockermouth TC, Christchurch	LD gain from Con
	Allerdale BC, Christchurch	Lab gain from Con	+5.8
29th	North Norfolk DC, Glaven Valley	LD hold	-2.8
	Eastwood TC, Hilltop		Not contested
	Blackpool UA, Tyldesley	Lab hold	+10.0
	Teignmouth TC, Central (two seats)	LD gains (x2) from Con
	Blaenau UA, Brynmawr	Ind hold	-23.0
	Derby UA, Allestree	Con hold	-5.8
	Wellingborough BC, Finedon	Con hold	-7.7
	Dacorum BC, Adeyfield West	LD gain from Con	-8.7
	West Lindsey DC, Cherry Willingham	Con hold	+0.6
	Hythe & Dibden TC, Furzedown Ward	LD hold	Not contested
	Cotswold DC, Stow	LD gain from Con	Not contested

September's local authority elections present a mixed picture for Labour. Whilst they are some way from being a representative sample, it does give some indication of our popularity. Of course, every election is an individual story, but trends can be spotted.

·         Three Labour gains, as opposed to five losses.

·         Seven Labour holds.

·         Labour vote share went down on twenty occasions. It went up in eleven contests.

·         There were five contests with no Labour candidate.

·         The Liberal Democrats made thirteen gains.

·         Just the single Conservative gain. They loss ten seats.

In summary September looked like a good month for the Liberal Democrats, a poor month for the Tories, and an indifferent one for Labour.