A last-minute by-election win has boosted the Labour party's chances for the council elections in May. The party snatched one of two Tory seats in Castle Point BC. Overall, the December by-election results could point to success in May for either of the two main parties. In December, Labour gained a BNP seat in Sandwell, but lost a seat to the Tories at Derbyshire Dales DC and Maidstone BC. In a rare Friday poll, the Tories lost a seat to the Lib Dems in Chelmsford BC. Five London contests averaged only a fractional shift to the Tories, boosting Ken Livingstone's hopes of a third term as mayor, with the assembly set to stay under no overall control. In the last Welsh by-election before May, the Lib Dems pipped Labour into second place for a marginal independent seat in Merthyr Tydfil CBC. In 2007, Labour had a two-seat net gain in by-elections, Liberal Democrats eight and SNP one. Tories lost four, BNP one and independent and others six.
