Thursday’s by-elections in Clacton and Heywood & Middleton, plus the forthcoming as-yet-unscheduled contest in Rochester & Strood, will bring the total number of by-elections in this parliament to 21. It’s…

Last week I wondered why there had been no polls conducted in Heywood & Middleton ahead of the by-election on 9 October. Well, now one has been carried out by…

1. This is not going to be a duplicate of Clacton. For one thing, as Mark Wallace says on the ConservativeHome website, “Reckless is no Carswell”. He does not have…

A fortnight today, voters go to the polls in the Clacton and Heywood & Middleton by-elections. Both contests have fallen out of the national headlines during the past few weeks,…

Douglas Carswell’s quest in Clacton to become Ukip’s first elected MP won’t now be the only by-election taking place on Thursday 9 October. Voters in the constituency of Heywood &…

The Clacton by-election is over a month away, but titbits of news and gossip are keeping the story in the headlines (much to Ukip’s delight, I suspect). So far this…

If David Cameron decides to send an MP to Brussels to become the UK’s new European commissioner, we’ll have another by-election on our hands. Andrew Lansley’s name has been mentioned…

There have been 18 by-elections so far in this parliament – more than any parliament since 1992-97. The Liberal Democrats have contested 16 of the 18, and have won only one:…

As expected, the Conservatives held on to Newark in yesterday’s by-election. The party’s ultra-safe majority was reduced, but it remains a safe Tory seat: Here are my five thoughts on the…

Another opinion poll has suggested the Tories are going to hold on to Newark in Thursday’s by-election. Here are the figures, compiled by Survation for Lord Ashcroft: