History of Bristol City Council

Bristol City Council is a unitary authority and ceremonial county in England. Originally formed on 1 April 1974 as a non-metropolitan district as a result of the Local Government Act 1972 (with initial elections taking place in 1973). It was envisaged that Bristol would share power with Avon County Council, an arrangement that lasted until 1996 when it was made into a unitary authority by the Local Government Commission for England, which abolished the county of Avon and gave Bristol City Council control of Avon Council's responsibilities.

This article is about the recent political history of Bristol City Council. For the history of local government in the city, see History of local government in Bristol.

Since 2012 Bristol has had a directly elected mayor, who acts as an executive branch separate from elected councillors.

Elected mayors
Main article: Mayor of Bristol § Elections

The position of mayor of Bristol was created following the English mayoral referendum on 4 May 2012, in which Bristol was the only city to vote in favour of introducing an elected mayor. The first mayoral election was held in November, being won by George Ferguson.

Year Party Mayor
May 2016–present Labour Marvin Rees
November 2012 – May 2016 Independent (as Bristol 1st) George Ferguson

Council control

From 2016 all councillors are elected every four years. Prior to that, a third of the councillors were elected every year.[1][2]

A single party must occupy more than half of the councillor seats to have control. It is possible for a party to control the council without a majority, such as when Labour councillors dissolved their coalition with the Liberal Democrats in February 2009, leaving the Liberal Democrats to form a minority leadership.[3]

Year Controlling party Notes
2021–present No Overall Control Directly elected mayor - Labour
2016–2021 Labour Directly elected mayor - Labour
2011–2016 No Overall Control Directly elected mayor 2012-2016 - independent
2009–2011 Liberal Democrats
2003–2009 No Overall Control
1986–2003 Labour Council changed to a unitary authority in 1995.
1983–1986 No Overall Control
1973–1983 Labour

Council composition
Main article: Bristol City Council elections
Year Labour Conservative Lib Dems Green UKIP Independent Notes
February 2023 24 14 5 25 2 Green Party candidate Patrick McAllister wins the Hotwells and Harbourside by-election following the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Alex Hartley.[4]
December 2021 24 14 6 24 2 Chris Davies and Gary Hopkins (both Knowle) leave the Liberal Democrats and create the Knowle Community Party.[5]
May 2021 24 14 8 24
23 March 2021 35 14 9 12 Jo Sergeant (Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston) joins the Green Party.[6]
12 March 2021 35 14 9 11 1 Jo Sergeant (Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston) resigns from the Labour Party.[7]
26 September 2019 36 14 9 11 Tony Carey (Brislington East) joins the Liberal Democrats.[8]
29 August 2019 36 14 8 11 1 Sultan Khan (Eastville) joins the Liberal Democrats.[9]
17 July 2019 36 14 7 11 2 Tony Carey (Brislington East) resigns from the Conservative Party and sits as an independent.[10]
22 March 2019 36 15 7 11 1 Sultan Khan (Eastville) resigns from the Labour Party and sits as an independent.[11]
24 May 2018 37 15 7 11 Westbury-on-Trym and Henleaze by-election.
1 November 2016 37 14 8 11 The Labour Party lifts the suspensions of Harriet Bradley (Brislington West) and Mike Langley (Brislington East).[12] Hibaq Jama (Lawrence Hill) is also unsuspended at a later date.
19 September 2016 34 14 8 11 3 The Labour Party suspends Mike Langley (Brislington East) and Hibaq Jama (Lawrence Hill).[13]
8 September 2016 36 14 8 11 1 The Labour Party suspends Harriet Bradley (Brislington West).[14]
May 2016 37 14 8 11 Ward boundaries changed.[1][2]
21 May 2015 30 16 9 14 1 Fi Hance (Redland) defected from the Liberal Democrats to the Green Party.[15]
7 May 2015 30 16 10 13 1
March 2015 31 16 16 6 1 Jason Budd (Kingsweston), formerly independent, joined the Conservative Party.[16]
May 2014 31 15 16 6 1 1
May 2013 28 14 23 4 1
September 2011 22 14 32 2 Southmead by-election.
May 2011 21 14 33 2
May 2010 17 14 38 1
May 2009 16 17 36 1
October 2008 24 13 32 1 St George West by-election triggered due to the death of one of the sitting councillors.
May 2007 25 13 31 1
May 2006 23 13 33 1
May 2005 27 11 32
May 2004 31 11 28 Lawrence Hill by-election.
May 2003 31 11 28
May 2002 36 10 24
June 2001 40 9 21
October 2000 36 10 24 Southville by-election.
February 2000 36 10 24 Lockleaze by-election.
May 1999 37 10 23 Ward boundaries changed. Number of seats available increased from 68 to 70.[17]
June 1998 45 6 17 Ashley by-election.
May 1998 46 6 16
March 1998 50 5 13 Cabot by-election.
June 1997 50 5 13 Brislington West by-election.
May 1997 51 5 12
May 1995 53 6 9 Council changed from a non-metropolitan district to a unitary authority.
May 1994 41 19 8
May 1992 40 22 6
May 1991 45 18 5
May 1990 43 21 4
May 1988 39 24 5
May 1987 37 25 6
May 1986 35 26 7
May 1984 33 29 6 City boundaries were changed but the number of seats stayed the same.[18]
May 1983 30 32 6 Ward boundaries changed. Number of seats available decreased from 84 to 68.[19]
May 1979 53 28 3
May 1976 47 34 3
June 1973 56 25 3 Formation of the Bristol non-metropolitan district, with 84 available seats.

Council election result maps
  • 2021 results map
    2021 results map
  • 2016 results map
    2016 results map
  • 2015 results map
    2015 results map
  • 2014 results map
    2014 results map
  • 2013 results map
    2013 results map
  • 2011 results map
    2011 results map
  • 2010 results map
    2010 results map
  • 2009 results map
    2009 results map
  • 2007 results map
    2007 results map
  • 2006 results map
    2006 results map
  • 2005 results map
    2005 results map
  • 2003 results map
    2003 results map
  • 2002 results map
    2002 results map
  • 2001 results map
    2001 results map
  • 1999 results map
    1999 results map
  • 1998 results map
    1998 results map
  • 1997 results map
    1997 results map
  • 1995 results map
    1995 results map
  • 1994 results map
    1994 results map
  • 1992 results map
    1992 results map
  • 1991 results map
    1991 results map
  • 1990 results map
    1990 results map
  • 1988 results map
    1988 results map
  • 1987 results map
    1987 results map
  • 1986 results map
    1986 results map
  • 1984 results map
    1984 results map
  • 1983 results map
    1983 results map

See also

References
  1. "Bristol all-out council elections approved by councillors". BBC News. 6 March 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  2. legislation.gov.uk – The Bristol (Electoral Changes) Order 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  3. "Lib Dems take over Bristol City Council". Bristol Evening Post. 24 February 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  4. "By-election Hotwells and Harbourside". Bristol City Council. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  5. Booth, Martin (13 December 2021). "Longstanding Lib Dem Councillors' resignations throw party into turmoil". Bristol24-7. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  6. Cameron, Amanda (23 March 2021). "Bristol councillor joins Greens after quitting Labour in scathing attack". Bristol Live. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  7. Sergeant, Jo [@joshop68] (12 March 2021). "I had to think carefully about publishing this but decided on balance it was the right thing to do. It's about my experience as a member of the Labour Party and as a member of the Bristol Labour Group of councillors. It's a bit of a long read - don't say you weren't warned!" (Tweet). Retrieved 10 May 2021 – via Twitter.
  8. Bristol Lib Dems (26 September 2019). "Councillor Tony Carey Joins the Lib Dem Team". Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  9. Bristol Lib Dems (29 August 2019). "Councillor Sultan Khan Joins Lib Dem Team". Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  10. Trevena, Lowie (19 July 2019). "Brislington East councillor resigns from Tory party". Bristol 24/7. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  11. Wilson, Kate (26 March 2019). "Labour calls on Bristol councillor to resign and trigger by-election after quitting party". Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  12. Emanuel, Louis (1 November 2016). "All but one Labour suspension lifted". Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  13. Emanuel, Louis (19 September 2016). "Two more Labour councillors suspended". Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  14. Emanuel, Louis (12 September 2016). "Labour councillor 'in the dark' over suspension". Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  15. Emanuel, Louis (22 May 2015). "Greens gain a councillor as Lib Dem defects". Bristol 24/7. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  16. Onions, Ian (12 March 2015). "Bristol's only Independent councillor joins Tories". Bristol Post. Archived from the original on 14 March 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  17. legislation.gov.uk – The City of Bristol (Electoral Changes) Order 1998. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  18. The Bristol, Wansdyke and Woodspring (Areas) Order 1984
  19. The City of Bristol (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1980
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