Council by-election result from yesterday and forthcoming contests

In the first contest of the year, Labour held a seat in Bristol.

Stephen Baines: Residents in Calderdale deserve good frontline services, not wasteful vanity projects

Labour councillors claim to care about the environment. But they have failed to tackle air pollution.

Greg Hands: Crime will be the central issue in this year’s election for Mayor of London

147 people were murdered in the capital last year, the highest level since 2008. There were three knife crime murders in Fulham last year, in my constituency.

Ian Courts: In Solihull, we are protecting the environment and increasing economic prosperity

We have already cut our carbon emissions by nearly half in ten years, combined with sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

Matthew Evans: The large public sector in Newport has helped Labour to cling on

Council Tax is being put up by eight per cent. Yet public lavatories are being closed.

Meirion Jenkins: Spending by Birmingham City Council is out of control

The relocation of a National Express bus depot for the Commonwealth Games athlete’s village will cost £15.5m – eight times more than budgeted.

Shaun Bailey: We need tougher sentences to protect the LGBTQ+ community

I have a crime plan which will ensure that criminals on and offline are put under pressure, not victims. I will fight for London’s values of openness and acceptance.

Gary Ridley: Labour’s decade of failure in Coventry

Council debt costs the city £11 million a year in interest payments. Our vision prioritises the creation of jobs, regeneration, and thousands of new homes.

Judy Terry: Real local accountability could reduce wasteful spending in the NHS

There are glossy reports and poorly attended meetings. But obvious failings are ignored.

Birmingham Council owns more than 4,000 empty garages

Many of these buildings could be replaced with new homes. New rules are needed to end this scandal.

Teresa O’Neill: Cutting the costs of Bexley’s politics

We have reduced the number of councillors by 30 per cent and we froze allowances for nine years running.

Simon Cooke: We need more politicians. It is the only way to tame the unaccountable bureaucrats.

Instead of seeing local councillors as a potential saving, maybe we should see them as an asset.

Andrew Laird: Wigan provides a model for radical change to public service delivery

Giving a boost to Family Hubs would show a genuine commitment to bolstering the social fabric which binds local communities together.

Ben Houchen: Freeports are a key priority for the North

Creating these low tax zones, where importing and exporting are made easy, wouldn’t just mean new jobs. It would show a long term commitment to our new supporters.

Paul Mercer: The Conservatives are the Party of large men bedecked with scary tattoos

In Loughborough, we could see how Labour had lost its “core vote”. They may be unwilling to return to the fold.