Andrew Teale

"local government is worth reporting on now Reform are running councils" makes you part of the problem

Off to Yorkshire tomorrow to play music at Brodworth Hall, near Doncaster, with the Yorkshire Volunteers Band. Weather forecast looks good. Baton down at 14:00.

Evening Chloe

Last night's sunset

Community Governance Reviews Community Governance Reviews keep parish and community councils in line. But they are hard to keep track of.

Did you know that councils can change their own ward boundaries? And sometimes, no one really notices?

democracyclub.org.uk/blog/2025/08...

New post from @democracyclub.org.uk talks about how this is tricky for us to track, and what we think could improve the process

A clean sweep for RUK in tonight's local by-elections:
Carms, Llangennech: RUK gain from Lab
Cannock Chase, Hednesford Grn Hth: RUK gain from Lab
Durham, Easington/Shotton: RUK hold
Andrew's Previews for @britainelects.com : andrewteale.me.uk/previews

A clean sweep for RUK in tonight's local by-elections:
Carms, Llangennech: RUK gain from Lab
Cannock Chase, Hednesford Grn Hth: RUK gain from Lab
Durham, Easington/Shotton: RUK hold
Andrew's Previews for @britainelects.com : andrewteale.me.uk/previews

Three results expected tonight

I understand GB News have a byelection preview for today behind their paywall. It isn't bad but you'll get much more out of Andrew's Previews.

Previewing the three council by-elections of 7th August 2025 "All the right votes, but not necessarily in the right order"

It's by-election Thursday!
A coalfield special in this week's edition of Andrew's Previews for @britainelects.com, with 2 Lab and 1 RUK defences in wards which were once dependent on the black stuff...
All is revealed at

127/ British election night coverage needs to go completely back to the drawing board. It has become a pointless mess of endless talking heads, with results and analysis seemingly seen as an inconvenient side show. You have most of the best psephologists in the country working with you – use them!

Sign: as well as a crocodile with a baguette, it says ‘Boulangerie Patisserie Maison Alle’.

The world is grim but here’s a sign with a crocodile carrying a baguette in its jaws. 🐊 🥖

This is… not the sort of thing that happens in functioning democracies.

Local Elections Archive Project: Shetland 2022 results added www.andrewteale.me.uk/1g2c

For unrivalled analysis of the UK's local by-elections which take place nearly every Thursday, don't forget to subscribe to Andrew's Previews for @britainelects.com at andrewteale.me.uk/previews

Dinner is at 1pm. Tea is at 6pm.

For a longer journey than those listed, Liverpool to Belfast is surprisingly scenic.

its a wonderful story!
www.practicallyefficient.com/2017/10/13/f...

THREAD

Research trip

The solution to this is to pay the Prime Minister more.

Local Elections Archive Project: Comhairle nan Eilean Siar 2022 results added www.andrewteale.me.uk/1g0c

Local Elections Archive Project: By-election results 31st July 2025 added www.andrewteale.me.uk/1kpg

1 in 4 of all UK Nobel Prize winners were born overseas.

We should use modernised names for early rulers more. Partially because if you put the change later it puts a step-change in that wasn't there, so you miss that eg Louis the Pious has the same name as Clovis.

But mostly because it'd be funny to call Theodoric the Great Derek.

On the #borderlines that matter..
From when the Lancashire /Yorkshire border ran under #Todmorden Town Hall
Was one ther local Magisteates Court
Back when we had local courts ....
@lewisbaston.bsky.social

Remember Minden!

Last night's by-election results:
Warrington, Bewsey/Whitecross: RUK gain from Lab
Barking/Dagenham, Thames View: Lab hold
N Devon, Barnstaple/Westacott: LD hold
Previews: andrewteale.me.uk/previews

Polling is now closed in today's three by-elections. All the usual Andrew's Previews goodies can be read here while you're waiting for the results:

Previewing the three council by-elections of 31st July 2025 "All the right votes, but not necessarily in the right order"

It's by-election Thursday!
- 3 polls today, defences Lab 2 LD 1
- Including the candidate who swore an oath on a river
- And the UK's most ornate set of town hall gates...
Andrew's Previews for @britainelects.com reveals all: