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.Communities and Local Government - Moving the date of English Local Government elections to the date of the European Parliament elections in 2009 - Consultation The elections were due to be held on 7 May 2009, but were delayed in order to coincide with elections to the European Parliament.
The elections resulted in significant gains for the Conservatives. The party won 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%. This was the last local elections until 2024 where the Liberal Democrats polled in second place.
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. The party also performed poorly in the European elections on the same day.
Results Party Councillors Councils Number Change Number Change 1,531244307 484211 17829104 9760 1880 Residents920 770 330 30 20 Others30150 No overall controln/an/a32
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 Details Buckinghamshire holdDetails Cambridgeshire holdDetails Cumbria holdDetails Derbyshire gainDetails Devon gainDetails Dorset holdDetails East Sussex holdDetails Essex holdDetails Gloucestershire holdDetails Hampshire holdDetails Hertfordshire holdDetails Kent holdDetails Lancashire gainDetails Leicestershire holdDetails Lincolnshire holdDetails Norfolk holdDetails North Yorkshire holdDetails Northamptonshire holdDetails Nottinghamshire gainDetails Oxfordshire holdDetails Somerset gainDetails Staffordshire gainDetails Suffolk holdDetails Surrey holdDetails Warwickshire gainDetails West Sussex holdDetails Worcestershire holdDetails
Unitary authorities Existing authorities Council Proportion upfor election Previous control Result Details Bristol 1/3 gainDetails Isle of Wight All holdDetails
New authorities Elections were held for five new unitary authorities. All councillors were elected at this election.
Council Result Details Bedford Details Central Bedfordshire Details Cornwall (Conservative/Independent Coalition)Details Shropshire Details Wiltshire Details
Isles of Scilly The Council of the Isles of Scilly was created by the Local Government Act 1888, meaning they lie outside the classifications of authorities used in the rest of England. Council Proportion upfor election Previous control Result Details Isles of Scilly All holdDetails
Mayoral elections Local Authority Previous Mayor Candidate elected Details Doncaster Martin Winter (IndependentWinter 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.) Peter Davies (English Democrats)Details Hartlepool Stuart Drummond (Independent) Stuart Drummond (Independent)Details North Tyneside John Harrison (Labour) 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.
See also 2009 City of London Corporation election 2009 structural changes to local government in England 2009 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom
References
External links Elections 2009 BBC News Elections 2009: Councils A-Z BBC News