Wiltshire Council elections date from 2009, when the Wiltshire Council unitary authority was created.
As a result of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, the former Wiltshire County Council and the four districts within its geographical area were replaced by Wiltshire Council, a unitary authority covering the same area, with elections continuing to be held every four years. A shadow authority was in place from 2008 and the first elections were held on 4 June 2009, when they coincided with an election to the European Parliament. Previously, Wiltshire County Council had been elected between 1889 and 2005, initially every three years, later every four years.
The unitary authority area has 98 electoral divisions, each electing one councillor. In 2018, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England began the first review of the divisions, on the grounds that in two of them the number of electors deviated from the average by more than 30%. Following consultations, their proposal, enacted by Parliament in March 2020 as the Wiltshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2020 and coming into effect at the 2021 elections, kept the total at 98 but redrew boundaries and renamed divisions in several areas.
Political control Since the first election to the council in 2009, political control of the council has been held by the following parties:
Party in controlYears 2009–2025 2025–
Council composition
+ Composition of the councilYearConservativeLiberal DemocratsLabourReform UKIndependents& OthersCouncil controlafter electionCouncil established by the merger of Kennet,North Wiltshire, Salisbury and West Wiltshire (98 seats)2009622421020135827492017682037New ward boundaries (98 seats)20216127307202537431107
Leadership The leaders of the council since the council's creation in 2009 have been:
Councillor Party From To Jane Scott 1 Apr 2009 9 Jul 2019 Phillip Whitehead 9 Jul 2019 18 May 2021 Richard Clewer 18 May 2021 20 May 2025 Ian Thorn 20 May 2025
Jane Scott had been the last leader of the predecessor Wiltshire County Council.
Council elections 2009 Wiltshire Council election 2013 Wiltshire Council election 2017 Wiltshire Council election 2021 Wiltshire Council election (new ward boundaries) 2025 Wiltshire Council election
County result maps
By-election results By-elections occur when seats become vacant between council elections. Below is a summary of all by-elections; full by-election results can be found by clicking on the by-election name.
By-election Date Incumbent party Winning partySouthwick by-election3 September 2009 Bromham, Rowde and Potterne by-election21 December 2010 Ethandune by-election6 March 2014 Bromham, Rowde and Potterne by-election7 May 2015 Chippenham Hardenhuish by-election7 May 2015 Salisbury St Edmund and Milford by-election26 November 2015 Amesbury East by-election5 May 2016 Trowbridge Grove by-election14 July 2016 Trowbridge Drynham by-election4 July 2019 Westbury North by-election18 July 2019 Ethandune by-election19 September 2019 Melksham Without South by-election24 October 2019 Trowbridge Lambrok by-election28 November 2019 Till and Wylye Valley by-election2 March 2020 Salisbury St Paul's by-election3 November 2022 Tisbury by-election8 June 2023 Calne Chilvester and Abberd by-election22 February 2024 Cricklade and Latton by-election14 March 2024
See also List of electoral divisions and wards in Wiltshire Wiltshire County Council elections
References
External links Wiltshire Council