Elections to Hampshire County Council took place on 6 May 2021 as part of the 2021 United Kingdom local elections. All 78 seats were up for election, with each ward returning either one or two councillors by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office. This took place at the same time as the elections for the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner and district councils.
Background Whilst an election for the county council had already been planned, district council elections were delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, meaning that they are due to be held at the same time as the Hampshire County Council Elections. Whilst not part of Hampshire County Council, the unitary authorities of Portsmouth and Southampton are also due to hold council elections for a third of their respective councils at the same time.
After the previous election in 2017, the Conservatives held 56 seats, the Liberal Democrats 19, Labour 2, and Community Campaign Hart 1.
In July 2019, Cllr Floss Mitchell resigned from the Conservative Party to sit as an unaffiliated independent.
In December 2019, Cllr Michael Westbrook left the Labour Party alongside borough councillors to form the Basingstoke & Deane Independent Group sitting with Community Campaign Hart as an independent grouping on the County Council.
In December 2020, Conservative Cllr Keith Evans died from COVID-19.
As such, the Conservatives and Labour lost two councillors and a single councillor respectively, in the time since the previous election.
Summary
Election result
The Conservatives won 56 seats, the same number as in the previous election. Labour won 3 seats, an increase of 1. Community Campaign Hart, which had previously held 1 county council seat, failed to secure the two seats they ran in. An Independent candidate won in Bishopstoke & Fair Oak, and the Whitehill & Bordon Community Party won the seat they ran in of the same name.
Results by electoral division Hampshire County Council is divided into 11 districts, which are split further into electoral divisions, and then split into a number of wards. Councillors seeking re-election were elected in 2017, and are compared to that year's polls on that basis.
Basingstoke and Deane (10 seats)
+Basingstoke and Deane district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 7 24,459 49.8 –2.3Labour 2 10,833 22.1 +0.5Liberal Democrats 1 9,346 19.0 +0.6Hampshire Ind. 0 4,281 8.7 N/ATUSC 0 160 0.3 N/ATotal1049,079
Division results
East Hampshire (7 seats)
+East Hampshire district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 6 1 18,386 50.9 –8.2WBCP 1 1 1,933 5.4 N/ALiberal Democrats 0 9,044 25.1 ±0.0Green 0 3,154 8.7 +4.3Labour 0 2,941 8.1 +0.4Hampshire Ind. 0 495 1.4 N/AUKIP 0 99 0.3 –1.6Reform UK 0 39 0.1 N/ATotal736,091
Division results
Eastleigh (8 seats)
+Eastleigh district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Liberal Democrats 6 1 17,101 43.4 –4.6Conservative 1 14,900 37.8 +4.8Independent 1 1 1,917 4.9 +1.9Labour 0 4,594 11.7 +4.3UKIP 0 401 1.0 –5.6Hampshire Ind. 0 351 0.9 N/AReform UK 0 104 0.3 N/ATUSC 0 39 0.1 N/ATotal839,407
Division results
Fareham (7 seats)
+Fareham district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 6 23,629 55.2 –4.1Liberal Democrats 1 9,164 21.4 –3.8Labour 0 5,321 12.4 +3.2Independent 0 2,460 5.7 N/AGreen 0 1,781 4.2 –0.4Reform UK 0 238 0.6 N/AHampshire Ind. 0 203 0.5 N/ATotal742,796
Division results
Gosport (5 seats)
+Gosport district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 4 13,378 50.7 –5.3Liberal Democrats 1 8,344 31.6 +8.8Labour 0 3,650 13.8 +1.8Independent 0 662 2.5 N/AReform UK 0 345 1.3 N/ATotal526,379
Division results
Hart (5 seats)
+Hart district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 4 2 15,234 49.7 +6.2Liberal Democrats 1 1 8,859 28.9 +4.3CCH 0 1 3,777 12.3 –7.0Labour 0 1,880 6.1 –0.1Hampshire Ind. 0 829 2.7 N/AReform UK 0 102 0.3 N/ATotal530,681
Division results
Havant (7 seats)
+Havant district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 7 18,029 60.8 +0.3Labour 0 5,021 16.9 +4.0Liberal Democrats 0 3,899 13.2 –0.4Green 0 2,398 8.1 +2.9Hampshire Ind. 0 283 1.0 N/ATotal729,630
Division results
New Forest (10 seats)
+New Forest district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 8 27,750 55.0 –3.3Liberal Democrats 2 11,440 22.7 –2.6Green 0 5,143 10.2 +7.3Labour 0 4,574 9.1 +1.7Independent 0 1,157 2.3 –1.5ADF 0 261 0.5 N/AUKIP 0 117 0.2 –1.7Total1050,442
Division results
Rushmoor (5 seats)
+Rushmoor district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 4 1 11,651 50.3 +4.8Labour 1 1 7,240 31.3 +6.8Liberal Democrats 0 3,909 16.9 +6.0Independent 0 202 0.9 –1.2UKIP 0 94 0.4 –13.2Reform UK 0 64 0.3 N/ATotal523,160
Division results
Test Valley (7 seats)
+Test Valley district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 5 19,145 52.0 –0.5Liberal Democrats 2 11,853 32.2 –1.3Labour 0 3,327 9.0 +1.6Green 0 834 2.3 +0.5Andover Ind. 0 822 2.2 N/AReform UK 0 369 1.0 N/AHampshire Ind. 0 175 0.5 N/AIndependent 0 147 0.4 –0.5UKIP 0 144 0.4 –3.3Total736,816
Division results
Winchester (7 seats)
+Winchester district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 4 19,977 46.0 –3.9Liberal Democrats 3 16,252 37.5 –1.4Green 0 4,734 10.9 +6.0Labour 0 1,905 4.4 –1.3Independent 0 319 0.7 N/AReform UK 0 89 0.2 N/AJAC 0 63 0.1 ±0.0Hampshire Ind. 0 54 0.1 N/ATotal743,393
Division results
Changes 2021–2025
By-election triggered by resignation of Conservative councillor Seán Woodward.
By-election triggered by resignation of Conservative councillor Hugh Lumby.
By-election triggered by resignation of Conservative councillor and former leader of Hampshire County Council, Rob Humby.
By-election triggered by retirement of Liberal Democrat Councillor Dominic Hiscock.
By-election triggered by retirement of Liberal Democrat Councillor Adrian Collett.
See also
2021 Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Election 2021 Eastleigh Borough Council Election 2021 Fareham Borough Council Election 2021 Gosport Borough Council Election 2021 Hart District Council Election 2021 Havant Borough Council Election 2021 Rushmoor Borough Council Election 2021 Winchester City Council Election
References