The Conservatives have gained a seat from an independent on South Kesteven District Council after Ben Lavender won the Grantham St Wulfram’s ward by-election held on Thursday 22 October 2026.
Official results published by South Kesteven District Council on 23 October show that Lavender, standing for the Local Conservatives, received 437 votes. Reform UK candidate Andy McKinlay finished second with 286, giving the Conservatives a majority of 151 votes.
Full Grantham St Wulfram’s by-election results
- Ben Lavender (Local Conservatives): 437
- Andy McKinlay (Reform UK): 286
- Marie Reid (Independent): 149
- Tim Galsworthy (Labour): 141
- Ian Simmons (Green Party): 74
- Wayne Hasnip (Independent): 54
Turnout was 28.47%, according to the council. The six candidates received a combined 1,141 votes.
Conservatives take previously independent-held seat
The election followed the resignation of independent councillor Tim Harrison, who had represented the ward since 2023. The result is therefore a Conservative gain from an independent, rather than a Conservative hold. Harrison also stepped down from Grantham Town Council in July.
Grantham St Wulfram’s covers part of central Grantham in Lincolnshire. The contest elected a district councillor, not a Member of Parliament or a Lincolnshire county councillor.
Reform UK finished 151 votes behind the Conservative winner, while the two independent candidates together received 203 votes. The result is a local by-election outcome and should not be treated as a direct measure of national voting intentions.
Official declaration
The figures were published by South Kesteven District Council, which also provides the official by-election results archive.