Liberal Democrats had another good night in yesterday’s principal council by-elections with the bonus of a parish council gain in Seaford, Lewes, East Sussex.

Holding Long Ditton ward on Elmbridge Borough Council in Surrey was a healthy result and a welcome return to being on the council to Neil Houston. Neil was born in Liverpool and brought up Norfolk served as a Lib Dem councillor in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames till 2014.

We also had a gain on Seaford Town Council in East Sussex, it’s a real pleasure to welcome Isobelle Murray to the world of Liberal Democrat councillors. Especially so because, at eighteen years of age, she was too young to cast a vote in May’s general election! Her success is not only a precious one for the Seaford and Lewes teams (and a gain from the Tories, no less), but testament to the role that young people are playing in the Lib Dem fightback and post-May politics more generally.

Two by-elections will take place next Thursday 30th July in Aberdeen due to SNP resignations. In both Hilton,Woodside and Stokehil and Kincorth, Nigg and Cove wards we have Lib Dem candidate Jonathan Waddell and Ken McLeod respectively.