Wear Valley District Council elections were generally held every four years between the council's creation in 1974 and its abolition in 2009. Wear Valley 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
editThe first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council from 1973 until its abolition in 2009 was held by the following parties:[1]
Party in control | Years | |
---|---|---|
Labour | 1973–1976 | |
No overall control | 1976–1979 | |
Labour | 1979–1991 | |
Liberal Democrats | 1991–1995 | |
Labour | 1995–2007 | |
No overall control | 2007–2009 |
Leadership
editThe leaders of the council from 1995 until its abolition in 2009 were:[2]
Councillor | Party | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Olive Brown | Labour | 1995 | 4 May 2005 | |
Neil Stonehouse | Labour | 4 May 2005 | 7 May 2008 | |
Tommy Taylor | Liberal Democrats | 7 May 2008 | 7 Jul 2008 | |
Neil Harrison | Liberal Democrats | 7 Jul 2008 | 31 Mar 2009 |
Council elections
editElection | Labour | Liberal Democrat[a] | Conservative | Independent | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1973[3] | 21 | 9 | 0 | 11[b] | 41 | |
1976[4] | 17 | 11 | 2 | 11[c] | 41 | |
1979[5] | 25 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 41 | |
1983[6] | 28 | 2[d] | 3 | 7[e] | 40 | New ward boundaries[7] |
1987[8] | 26 | 3[f] | 3 | 8 | 40 | |
1991[9] | 8 | 28 | 0 | 4 | 40 | |
1995[10] | 35 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 40 | |
1999[11] | 30 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 40 | |
2003[12] | 25 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 40 | New ward boundaries[13] |
2007[14] | 19 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 40 | |
By-election results
editThe following is an incomplete list of by-elections to Wear Valley District Council.
1999-2003
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | 359 | 49.0 | +4.0 | ||
Liberal Democrats | 249 | 34.0 | −14.0 | ||
Conservative | 125 | 17.1 | +10.0 | ||
Majority | 110 | 15.0 | |||
Turnout | 733 | 22.9 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | 208 | 52.1 | −1.8 | ||
Liberal Democrats | 191 | 47.9 | +1.8 | ||
Majority | 17 | 4.2 | |||
Turnout | 399 | 23.1 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
2003-2007
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | 713 | 56.0 | −2.5 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Kenneth Bowser | 287 | 22.5 | −11.7 | |
Independent | 273 | 21.4 | +21.4 | ||
Majority | 426 | 33.5 | |||
Turnout | 1,273 | 36.5 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Rose Seabury | 328 | 59.6 | −10.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | John Bailey | 180 | 32.7 | +2.3 | |
BNP | Stuart Neil | 42 | 0.7 | +0.7 | |
Majority | 148 | 26.9 | |||
Turnout | 550 | 21.8 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Samuel Zair | 181 | 36.7 | +11.6 | |
Labour | Robert Yorke | 161 | 32.7 | −4.9 | |
Conservative | James Tague | 135 | 27.3 | +27.3 | |
UKIP | Margaret Hopson | 16 | 3.2 | +3.2 | |
Majority | 20 | 4.0 | |||
Turnout | 493 | 21.0 | |||
Liberal Democrats gain from Independent | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | John Bailey | 157 | 50.5 | +6.0 | |
Labour | Jay Smith | 154 | 49.5 | −6.0 | |
Majority | 3 | 1.0 | |||
Turnout | 311 | 24.0 | |||
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Norman Strongman | 360 | 52.1 | −2.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Diane Hardaker | 331 | 47.9 | +2.1 | |
Majority | 29 | 4.2 | |||
Turnout | 691 | 21.6 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Notes
edit- ^ Liberal Party prior to 1983, SDP-Liberal Alliance in 1983 and 1987.
- ^ Includes one People's Rep.
- ^ Includes five of other parties.
- ^ 2 Liberal, 0 SDP
- ^ Includes 1 People's Rep. and 1 People before pol.
- ^ 3 Liberal, 0 SDP
References
edit- ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- ^ "Council minutes". Durham County Council. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
- ^ "Liberals capture Eastbourne and exceed ambition to win 1,000 local government seats". The Times. 9 June 1973.
- ^ "Heavy Labour losses in district polls". The Times. 8 May 1976.
- ^ Local elections in Britain: a statistical digest, edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher. 1993
- ^ "How votes were cast in local government elections". The Times. 7 May 1983. p. 4.
- ^ The District of Wear Valley (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1979
- ^ "Results in Thursday's local elections". The Times. 9 May 1987.
- ^ "Complete round-up of results from Thursday's local council elections". The Times. 4 May 1991.
- ^ "Complete list of results from Thursday's council elections". The Times. 6 May 1995. p. 10.
- ^ "Wear Valley". BBC News. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ "Wear Valley". BBC News. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ legislation.gov.uk - The District of Wear Valley (Electoral Changes) Order 1999. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
- ^ "Wear Valley". BBC News. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 13 April 2013.