2009 United Kingdom local elections

2009 United Kingdom local elections
35 English Local Authorities
	Colours denote the winning party, as shown in the main table of results.

The 2009 United Kingdom local elections were elections held to all 27 County Councils, three existing Unitary Authorities and five new Unitary Authorities, all in England, on 4 June 2009.^[2]^[3] The elections were due to be held on 7 May 2009, but were delayed in order to coincide with elections to the European Parliament.^[4]^[5]

The elections produced a political landscape on the map of England that was a sea of Conservative blue. The party snatched Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Lancashire from Labour, as well as Devon and Somerset from the Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats did however win a majority in Bristol. Despite the optimism for the Conservatives in seat and council gains, their share of the vote at 38% was 6% down on 2008. That said, they had a clear 10% lead over the Liberal Democrats who achieved a respectable second place on 28%.

Labour, taking the blame in government from a worsening economic climate, soaring unemployment and the expenses scandal, lost all of its councils, with some authorities being swept clear of any Labour councillors at all. Its showing in the same day's European elections was similarly dismal, and although four years had passed since the last general election, there would be no general election in 2009; opinion polls all pointed at a heavy Labour defeat at the time.

Summary of results

style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FAA61A;" data-sort-value="Liberal Democrats (UK)" | style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" | style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #02A95B;" data-sort-value="Green Party of England and Wales" | style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #6D3177;" data-sort-value="United Kingdom Independence Party" | style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #2e3b74;" data-sort-value="British National Party" | style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #d5c229;" data-sort-value="Mebyon Kernow" | style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #EB7A43;" data-sort-value="Liberal Party (UK, 1989)" |

Party		Councillors		Councils
Party		Number	Change	Number	Change
Conservative	1,531	244	30	7
Liberal Democrats	484	2	1	1
Labour	178	291	0	4
Independent	97	6	0
Green	18	8	0
	Residents	9	2	0
UKIP	7	7	0
BNP	3	3	0
Mebyon Kernow	3		0
Liberal	2		0
	Others	30	15	0
bgcolor="Template:No overall control/meta/color" \|	No overall control	n/a	n/a	3	2

Source: BBC News Isles of Scilly Council not included in the above figures.

County councils

All 27 English County Councils were up for election. All seats on the councils were contested at this election.

Council	Previous control		Result
Buckinghamshire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Cambridgeshire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Cumbria style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control hold	Details
Derbyshire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative gain	Details
Devon style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FAA61A;" data-sort-value="Liberal Democrats (UK)" \|	Liberal Democrats style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative gain	Details
Dorset style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
East Sussex style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Essex style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Gloucestershire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Hampshire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Hertfordshire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Kent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Lancashire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative gain	Details
Leicestershire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Lincolnshire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Norfolk style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
North Yorkshire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Northamptonshire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Nottinghamshire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative gain	Details
Oxfordshire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Somerset style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FAA61A;" data-sort-value="Liberal Democrats (UK)" \|	Liberal Democrats style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative gain	Details
Staffordshire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" \|	Labour style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative gain	Details
Suffolk style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Surrey style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Warwickshire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative gain	Details
West Sussex style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Worcestershire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details

Unitary authorities

Existing authorities

Council	Proportion up for election	Previous control		Result
Bristol	1/3 style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FAA61A;" data-sort-value="Liberal Democrats (UK)" \|	Liberal Democrats gain	Details
Isle of Wight	All style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative hold	Details
Isles of Scilly	All style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent hold	Details

New authorities

Elections were held for five new unitary authorities. All councillors were elected at this election.

Council	Result
Bedford style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control	Details
Central Bedfordshire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative	Details
Cornwall style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: black;" data-sort-value="No overall control" \|	No overall control (Conservative/Independent Coalition)	Details
Shropshire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative	Details
Wiltshire style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" \|	Conservative	Details

Mayoral elections

Local Authority	Previous Mayor		Candidate elected
Doncaster #DCDCDC	Martin Winter (Independent^[6]) #915F6D	Peter Davies (English Democrats)	Details
Hartlepool #DCDCDC	Stuart Drummond (Independent) #DCDCDC	Stuart Drummond (Independent)	Details
North Tyneside #E4003B	John Harrison (Labour) #0087DC	Linda Arkley (Conservative)	Details

A mayoral election was also due to be held in Stoke-on-Trent, however voters in the city voted to abolish the directly elected mayor system in a referendum held in October 2008. The referendum decided to replace the mayor and executive system with a council leader and cabinet system of local government.^[7]

References

^ "BBC projected national vote shares for 2009". BBC News. 2009-06-05. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
^ "Communities and Local Government - Local government elections in 2009". Communities.gov.uk. Archived from the original on March 9, 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
^ Communities and Local Government - Moving the date of English Local Government elections to the date of the European Parliament elections in 2009 - Consultation Archived August 29, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
^ Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster (2008-11-04). "House of Commons Hansard Debates from 04 Nov 2008 - Local Government Motion". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2009-06-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ "'British expenses scandal dominates political debate', 23 May 2009". City Mayors. 2009-05-23. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
^ Winter was twice elected mayor as the Labour Party's candidate, but he declared himself an independent following the 2008 local elections and was subsequently expelled from the Labour Party. He did not stand for re-election in 2009.
^ "Mayor faces final months in power". BBC News. 2009-03-06. Retrieved 2009-06-06.

External links

Elections 2009 BBC News
- Elections 2009: Councils A-Z BBC News

[bbc2009-1] "BBC projected national vote shares for 2009". BBC News. 2009-06-05. Retrieved 2009-06-06.

[2] "Communities and Local Government - Local government elections in 2009". Communities.gov.uk. Archived from the original on March 9, 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-06.

[3] Communities and Local Government - Moving the date of English Local Government elections to the date of the European Parliament elections in 2009 - Consultation Archived August 29, 2008, at the Wayback Machine

[4] Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster (2008-11-04). "House of Commons Hansard Debates from 04 Nov 2008 - Local Government Motion". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2009-06-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[5] "'British expenses scandal dominates political debate', 23 May 2009". City Mayors. 2009-05-23. Retrieved 2009-06-06.

[6] Winter was twice elected mayor as the Labour Party's candidate, but he declared himself an independent following the 2008 local elections and was subsequently expelled from the Labour Party. He did not stand for re-election in 2009.

[7] "Mayor faces final months in power". BBC News. 2009-03-06. Retrieved 2009-06-06.

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v t e Elections and referendums in the United Kingdom
General elections	1802 1806 1807 1812 1818 1820 1826 1830 1831 1832 1835 1837 1841 1847 1852 1857 1859 1865 1868 1874 1880 1885 1886 1892 1895 1900 1906 1910 (Jan) 1910 (Dec) 1918 1922 1923 1924 1929 1931 1935 1945 1950 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 1974 (Feb) 1974 (Oct) 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019 2024 Next
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European elections	1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019
Referendums	1975 2011 2016
See also Elections in England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales Great Britain