There was a Brown by-elections bounce in voting after his conference speech, although Liberal Democrats made the running in gains throughout September. Analysis of six comparable contests at the end of Labour's conference week suggested a more than halved Tory lead, compared with the 20% shown in a BBC survey following May's main polls. The party's share of the vote was up in five of them, with a 13.2% increase at Plumstead, Greenwich LBC. The Liberal Democrats hammered Tories who lost to them at Woodbridge, Suffolk CC; Alfriston, Wealden DC; and Hampstead Town, Camden LBC. The 9.7% swing there could have general election significance as it comes in the new Hampstead and Kilburn constituency which takes wards from Lib Dem Brent East. Liberal Democrats missed a fourth win from Conservatives by only 48 votes after a 24% swing at Waterloo, Havant BC, and failed to win from the Green Party by a margin of 32 at Farnley and Wortley, Leeds City. The two major parties just gained one seat each, both from the Sheppey First group at Swale BC. Tories won at Minster Cliffs and Labour at Sheerness East. The only Lib Dem loss was to an independent at St Dogmaels, Pembrokeshire CC.
