If you’re asking what happened with the Lib Dems’ Zetland by-election, here’s the answer: the Liberal Democrats’ Alison Barnes won the Zetland ward by-election on Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council on Thursday 19 February 2026, taking just over 50% of the vote and gaining the seat from Labour on a large swing. The contest was called after the resignation of Independent councillor Jonny Neal, and it became a five-way race made messier by a Reform UK candidate controversy in the final weeks of campaigning.
This article covers the full result, why the by-election happened, what went wrong for Reform’s campaign, how the numbers compare with the previous election, and answers the most common questions people are searching about the result.
What Was the Zetland By-Election?
Zetland is a ward on Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, covering part of the Redcar area on Teesside in the north east of England. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Independent councillor Jonny Neal, and it’s worth knowing that Zetland is a two-member ward, so this contest was only for the one seat that had fallen vacant.
Both councillors elected for Zetland back in 2023 had originally stood for Labour before later choosing to sit as independents, which is part of why comparisons with the 2023 result show such a sharp swing away from Labour this time round.
The Full Zetland By-Election Result
Alison Barnes, standing for the Liberal Democrats, won the seat with 446 votes, which the Local Democracy Reporting Service and the BBC put at just over 50% of the vote. Labour finished a distant second with 191 votes, Reform UK came third with 119 votes, the Green Party fourth with 65 votes, and the Conservatives fifth with 62 votes.
Turnout for the by-election was 26.78%, with 886 ballot papers counted in total. That’s a fairly typical turnout for a single-ward local by-election in England, where turnout well below general election levels is the norm rather than the exception.
Why the Lib Dems Won So Convincingly
A big swing away from Labour
Compared with the 2023 result, Labour’s vote share fell by roughly 25 percentage points, while the Liberal Democrat share rose by around 15 points, according to figures reported by the ALDC (the Liberal Democrats’ local government campaigning organisation). Alison Barnes, who represented Zetland as a councillor from 2019 to 2023 before losing her seat, told Teesside Live she believed the Labour Party’s “star has somewhat waned” locally in the years since.
Reform UK’s candidate controversy
Reform UK’s campaign was overshadowed in the final weeks by a row over candidate Mike Manning’s past social media posts, which the BBC reported had emerged publicly at the end of January 2026. Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said the posts had contained offensive comments about Jewish and Muslim communities.
Reform UK withdrew its support for Manning once the posts came to light, and said he would not be allowed to sit as a Reform councillor even if he won, but it was too late in the process to remove his name from the ballot paper. He still finished third with 119 votes, well behind Labour in second.
Local issues on the doorstep
Asked what came up most while campaigning, Barnes told Teesside Live the biggest issues raised on doorsteps were grass verges and potholes, describing them as unremarkable but clearly important to residents. That’s a familiar pattern in local by-elections, where practical, visible issues around street maintenance often outweigh national political debates in shaping how people vote.
What This Means for Redcar and Cleveland Council
A single ward by-election rarely changes the overall balance of a council on its own, and this result doesn’t hand outright control to any party by itself. What it does show is a clear, locally specific shift away from Labour and toward the Liberal Democrats in this particular ward, alongside a stumble for Reform UK’s local campaign caused by the candidate controversy rather than a broader loss of support in the area.
It’s worth being cautious about reading too much into a single ward result nationally, since local by-elections are affected by local candidates, local issues and often low, unpredictable turnout, rather than being a reliable proxy for how a general election would go. Political commentators who track these results, such as Mark Pack’s weekly by-election round-ups, generally treat individual wins like this as one data point among dozens each month rather than a standalone signal.
How Zetland Fits Into the Wider Pattern of 2026 By-Elections
Commentary from the ALDC’s monthly summary of the previous fifty council by-elections showed Reform UK making significant net gains overall in 2026 so far, while the Liberal Democrats had actually fallen to their lowest vote share since January 2023 in the wider set of results, even with big individual wins like Zetland. This is a useful reminder that one standout result, however convincing locally, doesn’t necessarily reflect the broader national trend across all parties.
FAQs
Who won the Zetland by-election?
Liberal Democrat candidate Alison Barnes won the Zetland ward by-election on Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council on 19 February 2026, taking 446 votes, just over 50% of those cast. She previously represented the ward from 2019 to 2023.
Why was there a by-election in Zetland?
The by-election was called after Independent councillor Jonny Neal resigned from his seat on Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. Zetland is a two-member ward, so only the one vacant seat was being contested.
What was the turnout in the Zetland by-election?
Turnout was 26.78%, with 886 ballot papers counted in total, according to the BBC’s Local Democracy Reporting Service. This is a fairly typical turnout level for a single-ward local council by-election in England.
What happened to Reform UK’s candidate in Zetland?
Reform UK candidate Mike Manning remained on the ballot despite the party withdrawing its support after past social media posts came to light in late January 2026. Reform said he would not be allowed to sit as a party councillor even if elected, and he finished third with 119 votes.
How does the Zetland result compare with the 2023 election?
Labour’s vote share fell by around 25 percentage points compared with 2023, while the Liberal Democrat share rose by around 15 points, according to figures reported by the ALDC. Both councillors elected for Zetland in 2023 had originally stood for Labour before later sitting as independents.
Does this by-election change control of Redcar and Cleveland Council?
No, a single ward by-election doesn’t hand overall control of the council to any party on its own. It does reflect a clear local shift in this particular ward, but it isn’t a change to the council’s overall political control.
Is Zetland’s result part of a wider national trend?
Not necessarily. Wider tracking of council by-elections in 2026 has shown Reform UK making significant net gains overall, while the Liberal Democrats’ national vote share across all by-elections has actually been at a low point, even with strong individual results like Zetland. Local by-elections are usually shaped by local candidates and issues rather than reflecting national polling directly.
