By GB News (Politics) | Created at 2026-09-25 14:01:29 | Updated at 2026-09-25 15:12:16
1 hour ago
The Green Party has been completely wiped out in the Cotswolds after losing its last ward in this week's by-election.
Zack Polanski's party elected its first-ever councillor to the Cotswold District Council, Andrew Maclean, in May 2019 after he won the Rissingtons ward.
The Greens then doubled their representation in the region when Clare Victoria Turner won a second seat in the Blockley ward.
However, this week's results confirm a complete capitulation in the Cotswolds following the resignation of both councillors and the Greens failing to hold either ward.
In late 2025, Cllr Andrew Maclean resigned, and the Liberal Democrats gained the seat.
Now, this week, Conservative candidate Tom Bradley won the Blockley Ward after Cllr Clare Turner resigned from her seat in August.
It was just one of six crunch votes around Britain that saw voters flock to the polls.
GB News has looked at each of the results in this week's by-election roundup.
The Green Party have been completely wiped out in the Cotswolds after losing their last ward in this week's by-election
PA
The Green Party's support plunged across four out of five constituencies
GB NEWS
Blockley (Cotswold)
The Conservatives have recaptured the Blockley ward on Cotswold District Council from the Green Party, with candidate Tom Bradley securing a decisive 54.7 per cent of the vote.
The result marks a stunning reversal of fortunes for the Greens, whose vote share plummeted from 56 per cent at the May 2023 elections to just 6.9 per cent, a collapse of nearly 50 percentage points.
The Tories, who previously represented the ward in both 2015 and 2019, saw their own share rise by 11 points compared with 2022.
The by-election was triggered after Green councillor Clare Turner stepped down from the seat she had held for more than three years, citing new professional commitments as the reason for her departure.
Liberal Democrat Danny Loveridge finished second with 29.2 per cent, while Reform UK's Matt Fincham took 7.5 per cent.
Green candidate Bob Eastoe managed just 6.9 per cent, and Labour's Josh Littler-Jennings trailed on 1.8 per cent.
The wider council remains firmly in Liberal Democrat hands, with the party holding 22 of its 34 seats.
The Conservatives have made gains across the country this week
Tory support surged across most of the by-elections
GB NEWS
Wombourne North (South Staffordshire)
Elizabeth Beatrice Florence Keeling secured the Wombourne North seat on South Staffordshire District Council for the Conservatives, capturing 50.1 per cent of the vote and defying pre-election polling that had placed Reform UK as favourites to take the ward.
The by-election was triggered by the passing of Barry Bond MBE, a long-serving Conservative councillor who had represented the ward on the district council for many years.
Ms Keeling's result marked an 8.1 percentage point improvement on the party's 2023 performance, comfortably holding off the Reform UK challenge.
Reform UK's Marie Shortland finished second on 37.4 per cent, a notable result given the party had not stood in the ward previously.
Labour and Co-operative candidate Anil Singh managed just 6.7 per cent, a drop of 12.3 points from 2023, while Claire McIlvenna's Green Party share fell 16.1 points to 3.9 per cent.
Michael James Jones brought up the rear for the Liberal Democrats on 1.9 per cent.
Wombourne North has long been a Tory stronghold, with the Conservatives sweeping all three available seats in May 2023 with 57 per cent of the overall vote.
New Bradwell (Milton Keynes)
Labour comfortably retained the New Bradwell seat on Milton Keynes City Council in yesterday's by-election, with Tracey Bailey securing 54.2 per cent of the vote.
It marked a striking 19.7-point improvement on the party's showing at the May 2026 elections.
Reform UK finished as runners-up on 23.4 per cent, down 3.1 points, while the Conservatives took 8.5 per cent, slipping 2.6 points.
The Greens experienced the steepest fall in support, shedding 12.5 points to finish on 9.3 per cent.
The Liberal Democrats trailed on 4.6 per cent, a 1.5-point decline.
The contest was called following the death of Labour councillor Shanika Mahendran, who passed away on July 1 after a brief illness at the age of just 28.
Ms Mahendran had won her seat only weeks earlier in the May 2026 elections, when the ward was redrawn as a two-member division.
She made history as Milton Keynes City Council's first Asian woman to serve in a cabinet role, holding the planning and placemaking portfolio.
Cranbrook, Sissinghurst & Frittenden (Tunbridge Wells)
The Liberal Democrats have seized the Cranbrook, Sissinghurst & Frittenden seat on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, wresting the ward from the Localist party in a by-election triggered by councillor Nancy Warne's resignation.
Harry James Wormington secured victory with 37.3 per cent of the vote, representing a remarkable 22.9-point swing towards the party.
The Conservatives suffered a significant 14.6-point decline, finishing on 31.6 per cent, while Reform UK slipped 4.4 points to 21.0 per cent.
The Green Party trailed on 10.1 per cent, down 3.9 points.
Bray (Windsor and Maidenhead)
The Conservatives retained the Bray ward in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in a closely fought council by-election, with Clare Stuart-Adams securing victory on 36.1 per cent of the vote.
The Liberal Democrats' Joanna Korczak finished just behind on 34.9 per cent, representing a 20.1 percentage point surge compared with the 2023 result.
The contest was called following the passing of Councillor Leo Walters, a Conservative who had served the ward for decades and was among the borough's longest-standing elected representatives.
Reform UK, fielding a candidate in Bray for the first time, took third place with 17.8 per cent of the vote through William Albert Sennett.
The Borough First Independents saw their support collapse by nearly 33 percentage points, with John Joseph Baldwin managing just 9.4 per cent.
Labour's Nigel William Smith trailed on 1.8 per cent, down 6.3 points.
The result comes despite the Liberal Democrats holding the reins at Windsor and Maidenhead council, where they control 21 of 41 seats.
The Maidenhead parliamentary seat also fell to the Lib Dems at the 2024 general election.
Queen's Park (Brighton and Hove)
The Green Party has seized a council seat from Labour in the Queen's Park ward of Brighton and Hove, securing 50.1 per cent of the vote in Thursday's by-election.
Labour's Steve Gladwin finished second on 35.3 per cent, representing a 4.2-point increase on the party's showing in the previous by-election.
Reform UK took 7.0 per cent, followed by the Conservatives on 4.3 per cent and the Liberal Democrats on 3.7 per cent.
Mark Strong won the seat for the Greens, with all five candidates seeing varied swings compared to the September 2025 contest.
The vacancy arose after Labour councillor Milla Gauge stepped down from her position, citing the council's trans policies, specifically its approach to cross-sex hormones for children as young as 11.
Ms Gauge claimed council leaders had blocked her efforts to voice residents' concerns on the matter.
This was the third by-election in the two-member ward since full council elections took place in May 2023.
