The 2021 Suffolk County Council election took place on 6 May 2021 as part of the 2021 local elections in the United Kingdom. All 75 councillors were elected from 63 electoral divisions, which return either one or two county councillors each, by first-past-the-post voting, for a four-year term of office.

Voters who live in divisions which elect two councillors (12 divisions) are entitled to cast a maximum of two votes, while those living in divisions only electing one councillor (51 divisions) are only entitled to cast one vote.

The council was subject to a Local Government Boundary Commission for England review. The commission published final recommendations in September 2021, after the election, and the Suffolk (Electoral Changes) Order 2022 reduced the number of councillors from 75 to 70 for the next county council election, which was postponed from 2025 to 2026.

Previous composition 2017 election Party Seats 52 11 5 3 3 West Suffolk Independents 1Total75

Composition of council seats before election Party Seats 48 11 5 3 6 West Suffolk Independents 1Vacant 1Total75

Changes between elections

In between the 2017 election and the 2021 election, the following council seats changed hands outside of by-elections:

Division Date Previous Party New Party Cause Resulting Council Composition Con Lab LDem Grn Ind WSI Gunton 2 August 2018 Councillor expelled from the party. 51 11 5 3 4 1Haverhill Cangle21 February 2019 Councillor quit party to sit as an independent member. 50 11 5 3 5 1 Tower 4 December 2019 Independent Councillor joined Conservatives. 51 11 5 3 4 1Carlford9 June 2020 Sitting councillor resigned.No by-election was held. 50 11 5 3 4 1Thedwastre North4 December 2020 Councillor quit party to sit as an independent member. 49 11 5 3 5 1Hoxne & Eye9 April 2021 Councillor quit party to sit as an independent member. 48 11 5 3 6 1

Summary The county saw a marked contrast between its rural and urban areas. The ruling Conservative administration made 8 gains across Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich and Lowestoft, but lost 5 divisions in rural Suffolk that it had won four years earlier and was traditionally stronger. The Green Party replaced Labour as the second largest party, and the latter were subsequently relegated to 5 seats. The Liberal Democrats continued their descent after making losses in 2013 and 2017, with a further loss. The Independents also finished one seat lower than 2017. With 55 seats, the Conservatives were subsequently returned for a fifth term in office and scored their joint second best number of seats (equalling 2009) since the council was created in 1973.

Election result

|-bgcolor=#F6F6F6 | colspan=2 style="text-align: right; margin-right: 1em" | Total | style="text-align: right;" | 289 | style="text-align: right;" | 75 | colspan=5 | | style="text-align: right;" | 260,253 | style="text-align: right;" |

Election of Group Leaders Matthew Hicks (Thredling) was re-elected leader of the Conservative Group, with Richard Rout (Hardwick) as his deputy.

Andrew Stringer (Upper Gipping) was elected leader of the joint Green, Lib Dem and Independent group, with Robert Lindsay (Cosford) as his deputy.

Sarah Adams (St John's) was re-elected leader of the Labour Group, with Sandy Martin (Rushmere) as her deputy.

Election of Leader of the Council Matthew Hicks the leader of the Conservative group was duly elected leader of the council and formed a Conservative administration.

Results by district Babergh

Summary

+Babergh District SummaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 6 11,105 40.4 +0.9Green 3 2 6,479 23.5 +14.4Independent 1 4,541 16.5 +5.3Labour 0 1 3,010 10.9 –2.1Liberal Democrat 0 1 2,386 8.7 –13.5Total1027,74438.7Registered electors71,696–

Division results

East Suffolk +East Suffolk District SummaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 20 1 52,458 53.2 +3.7Green 3 2 14,811 15.0 +5.4Liberal Democrat 1 9,879 10.0 –0.1Labour 0 1 20,202 21.2 –1.1Independent 0 1,121 1.1 +0.2Communist 0 173 0.2 N/ATotal2670,62436.4Registered electors193,836–

Division results

Ipswich +Ipswich Borough SummaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 6 4 20,957 41.0 +2.3Labour 5 4 19,636 38.4 –5.7Liberal Democrat 1 6,676 13.1 +1.0Green 0 3,651 7.1 +2.8Burning Pink 0 168 0.3 N/ATotal1251,088100.0

Division results

Mid Suffolk +Mid Suffolk District SummaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 5 214,135 44.9 –4.4Green 3 2 6,485 20.6 +5.8Liberal Democrat 2 5,344 17.0 –3.4Labour 0 3,712 11.8 +0.5Independent 0 1,804 5.7 N/ATotal1031,65536.7Registered electors80,933–

Division results

West Suffolk +West Suffolk District SummaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 13 2 26,314 51.1 +2.6 WSI 1 1,959 3.8 ±0.0Labour 0 9,41318.3 –0.4Green 0 7,85715.3 +11.8Independent 0 4,257 8.3 –3.0Liberal Democrat 0 1,600 3.1 –5.9Communist 0 120 0.2 N/ATotal1543,59834.5Registered electors126,508–

Division results

*Note: Nettleton won a seat standing as an independent at the previous election.

Post-election changes

Affiliation changes

Peter Thompson, elected as a Conservative in 2021, was suspended from the party in April 2023 and resigned from the party the following month to sit as an independent. Christopher Hudson, elected as a Conservative in 2021, resigned from the party on the 6th September 2024 to join Reform UK. He was previously Deputy Leader of Suffolk County Council under Colin Noble. Sam Murray, elected as a Conservative in 2021, resigned from the Conservative group in September 2025 to sit as an independent.

By-elections Beccles

The Beccles by-election was called after the Green Party councillor, Peggy McGregor, stood down.

Felixstowe Coastal

The Felixstowe Coastal by-election was called after Graham Newman, the Conservative county councillor for the division since 2005 and a former chairman of Suffolk County Council, died on 28 December 2022 after a short illness.

Priory Heath

The Priory Heath by-election was called after Labour councillor Bill Quinton, who had represented the division since 2003 and served as a councillor for 39 years, retired citing ill health.

Woodbridge

The Woodbridge by-election was called after Liberal Democrat councillor Caroline Page, who had represented the division since 2008, died from lung cancer on 5 July 2023.

Pakefield (July 2024)

The Pakefield by-election was called following the resignation of Conservative councillor Craig Rivett.

Hoxne and Eye

The Hoxne and Eye by-election was called after Conservative councillor Peter Gould, who had represented the division since 2021, died on 19 July 2024, aged 71.

St John's

The St John's by-election was called following the resignation of Labour councillor Sarah Adams, Leader of the Labour Group on Suffolk County Council.

Tower

The Tower by-election was called after Robert Everitt, the Conservative county councillor for the division and a former chairman of Suffolk County Council and Mayor of St Edmundsbury, died on 19 April 2025, aged 72.

Pakefield (December 2025)

References