Another week of council by-elections, another week when they weren't all on the Thursday. This time the aberrant timing was on a Wednesday, with a safe Conservative hold in Waverley and a reminder that the Liberal Democrats are not preordained to make progress in Southern contests against the Conservatives:
Thursday's contests saw a successful defence with a very impressive vote increase for the Liberal Democrats on Eastleigh Council in council leader Keith House's ward:
No Liberal Democrat candidate in the third contest, alas, though it does make these three results in total a good summary of the very real but patchy nature of the Liberal Democrat recovery - and hence the dangers of Premature Stakhanovite Optimism.
Eastleigh BC, Hedge End Wildern - 22nd December 2016
LD Ian Corben 672 [64.5%; +22.5%]
Conservative 263 [25.2%; -2.4%]
Labour 107 [10.3%; -1.7%]
[UKIP [0.0%; -13.9%]
[Independent [0.0%; -4.5%]
Majority: 409
LD Hold
Percentage change since 2015
.
Waverley BC, Cranleigh West - 21st December 2016
Conservative 337 [58.7%; +2.9%]
LD Richard Cole 187 [29.1; -1.0%]
UKIP 78 [12.1%; +12.1%]
[Labour [0.0%; -14.1%]
Majority: 150
Conservative Hold
Percentage change since 2015
.
Dover DC, Aylesham - 22nd December 2016
Labour 460 [61.9%; -6.4%]
Conservative 283 [38.1%;+38.1%]
[UKIP [0.0%; -31.6%]
No LD candidate
Majority: 177
Labour Hold
Percentage change since 2015
.