Durham City Council elections

Durham City Council elections were generally held every four years between the reforms of 1974 and the council's abolition in 2009. Durham was a non-metropolitan district in County Durham, England. On 1 April 2009 the council's functions passed to Durham County Council, which became a unitary authority.

Political control

From 1836 to 1974 the city of Durham was a municipal borough, sometimes called "Durham and Framwelgate". Under the Local Government Act 1972 it had its territory enlarged and became a non-metropolitan district.[1][2][3][4] The first election to the reconstituted city council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its revised powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council from 1973 until its abolition in 2009 was held by the following parties:[5]

Party in controlYears
Labour1973–1979
No overall control1979–1983
Labour1983–2003
Liberal Democrats2003–2009

Leadership

The leaders of the council from 2003 until its abolition in 2009 were:[6]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Sue Pitts[7] Liberal Democrats20032004
Fraser Reynolds Liberal Democrats200431 Mar 2009

Council elections
ElectionLabourLiberal Democrat[lower-alpha 1]ConservativeIndependent Total Notes
1973[8]40701461
1976[9]3410017[lower-alpha 2]61
1979[10]24741449New ward boundaries[11]
1983[12]279[lower-alpha 3]211[lower-alpha 4]49
1987[13]2614[lower-alpha 5]09[lower-alpha 6]49City boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same[14][15]
1991[16]28150649
1995[17]3870449City boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same[18][19]
1999[20]33130349
2003[21]17300350New ward boundaries[22]
2007[23]17300350

By-election results

The following is an incomplete list of by-elections to Durham City Council.

Deerness By-Election 22 May 1997
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 561 64.2
Independent 259 29.6
Liberal Democrats 54 6.2
Majority 302 34.6
Turnout 874 31.0
Labour hold Swing
Pelaw By-Election 12 December 2002
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 239 51.7 -20.9
Liberal Democrats 223 48.3 +20.9
Majority 16 3.4
Turnout 462 29.0
Labour hold Swing
Brandon By-Election 11 December 2003
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 645 59.5 -8.6
Liberal Democrats 396 36.5 +4.6
Conservative 43 4.0 +4.0
Majority 249 23.0
Turnout 1,084 23.4
Labour hold Swing
Belmont By-Election 16 December 2004
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 364 46.1 -4.5
Independent 244 30.9 +1.6
Labour 119 15.1 +0.1
Conservative 63 8.0 +2.9
Majority 120 15.2
Turnout 790 26.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Newton Hall North By-Election 3 February 2005
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Amanda Hopgood 740 70.7 -9.4
Labour 180 17.2 -2.7
Conservative 65 6.2 +6.2
Independent 62 5.9 +5.9
Majority 560 53.5
Turnout 1,047 39.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Carrville and Gilesgate Moor By-Election 5 May 2005
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Les Thomson 1,618 54.1
Labour 1,141 38.2
Conservative 229 7.7
Majority 477 53.5
Turnout 2,988 69.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Coxhoe By-Election 5 May 2005
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Hepplewhite 1,947 69.3
Liberal Democrats 640 22.8
Conservative 221 7.9
Majority 1,307 46.5
Turnout 2,808 64.6
Labour hold Swing
Shadforth & Sherburn By-Election 6 April 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Brian Colledge 658 48.7 -5.1
Labour Angela Leary 625 46.3 +15.2
Conservative Carolyn Smith 67 5.0 +5.0
Majority 33 2.4
Turnout 1,350 35.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Notes
  1. Liberal Party prior to 1983, SDP-Liberal Alliance in 1983 and 1987.
  2. Including one Independent Labour
  3. 5 Liberal, 4 SDP
  4. Including one Independent Labour
  5. 5 Liberal, 9 SDP
  6. Including three Independent Labour

References
  1. "Durham Municipal Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  2. "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 July 2022
  3. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 13 August 2022
  4. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 13 August 2022
  5. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  6. "Council minutes". Durham County Council. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  7. "Cancer news forces civic leader to resign". Northern Echo. 5 November 2004. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  8. "Final poll result may lie with Independents". The Times. 8 June 1973.
  9. "Heavy Labour losses in district polls". The Times. 8 May 1976.
  10. Local elections in Britain: a statistical digest, edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher. 1993
  11. The City of Durham (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1978
  12. "How votes were cast in local government elections". The Times. 7 May 1983. p. 4.
  13. "Results in Thursday's local elections". The Times. 9 May 1987.
  14. The Durham and Easington (Areas) Order 1985
  15. The Durham (District Boundaries) Order 1986
  16. "Complete round-up of results from Thursday's local council elections". The Times. 4 May 1991.
  17. "Complete list of results from Thursday's council elections". The Times. 6 May 1995. p. 10.
  18. legislation.gov.uk - The Durham and Tyne and Wear (County and District Boundaries) Order 1992. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
  19. legislation.gov.uk - The Durham and Tyne and Wear (County and District Boundaries) (Variation) Order 1993. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
  20. "Durham City". BBC News. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  21. "Durham City". BBC News. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  22. legislation.gov.uk - The City of Durham (Electoral Changes) Order 1999. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
  23. "Durham". BBC News. 5 May 2007. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
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