The 2019 Braintree District Council election took place on 2May2019 to elect members of Braintree District Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections.
Some minor ward boundary changes were made in February2019. 49members were elected from 26wards.
Before the election, an alliance was formed between the Liberal Democrats, Greens and the two Independent candidates standing in Coggeshall, such that the two parties did not stand against each other in most wards, and neither stood in Coggeshall. The elected Green and Independent councillors formed a political group on the new Council.
The election returned a much reduced Conservative majority, down from 39 in 2015 to 19. The Green and Independent group became the largest opposition for the first time, with 8 seats, entirely in the southeast of the district.
Summary
Election result
2019 Braintree District Council electionPartyCandidatesSeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/− Conservative4634111−1069.445.528,600−1.7Green and Independent group Green22650 +512.217.811,165 +6.5 Independent2220 +24.13.62,269 +3.6Group total24870+716.321.413,434+10.1 HalsteadResidents4420 +28.24.32,722 +1.3 Labour4921104.121.113,278 +1.3 Independent3110 +12.02.41,481 +2.0 Liberal Democrat1000000.04.02,540 +1.4 UKIP200000.01.2771−14.3Total13849Turnout31.234,696−36.3
Results by ward
Bocking Blackwater
Bocking North
Bocking South
Braintree Central and Beckers Green
Braintree South
Braintree West
Bumpstead
Coggeshall
Gosfield and Greenstead Green
Great Notley and Black Notley
Halstead St Andrews
Halstead Trinity
Hatfield Peverel and Terling
Hedingham
Kelvedon and Feering
Rayne
Silver End and Cressing
Stour Valley North
Stour Valley South
The Colnes
Three Fields
Witham Central
Witham North
Labour gained one of the Conservative seats in a 2016 by-election.
Witham South
Witham West
Yeldham
Changes 2019–2023
In December 2020, Conservative councillor Ronald Ramage resigned his Witham South seat, triggering a by-election. In March 2021, Conservative councillor David Bebb resigned his Hatfield Peverel and Terling seat, triggering a by-election. In January 2021, Independent councillor Nick Unsworth, elected in Coggeshall, joined the Green Party. In January 2022, Conservative councillor Dean Wallace, elected in Braintree South, left the party to sit as an Independent. In August 2022, Nick Unsworth left the Green Party to sit as an Independent again. In September 2022, Dean Wallace resigned his Braintree South seat, triggering a by-election. In October 2022, Nick Unsworth resigned his Coggeshall seat, triggering a by-election. On 17 February 2023, Halstead Residents' Association councillor David Hume died; no by-election was held as his term was due to end at the May 2023 election.
By-elections
Hatfield Peverel and Terling The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Conservative councillor David Bebb.
Witham South The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Conservative councillor Ronald Ramage.
Braintree South The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Independent councillor Dean Wallace, who had left the Conservatives in January 2022.
Coggeshall The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Independent councillor Nick Unsworth, who had briefly sat as a Green Party councillor before returning to the Independent benches in August 2022.
References
Notes