The 1995 United Kingdom local elections took place on Thursday 6 April 1995 in Scotland, and Thursday 4 May 1995 in England and Wales. The Conservative Party lost over 2,000 councillors in the election, while the Labour Party won 48% of the vote, a record high for the party in local elections. The Labour Party took control of 39 more councils, the Liberal Democrats took control of 17 more, whereas the Conservatives lost control of 58 councils.
The elections were the first to be contested under Labour's new leadership of Tony Blair, who had been elected the previous year following the sudden death of his predecessor John Smith.
This was also the first election of 22 Welsh and 14 English unitary authorities, creating shadow authorities which ran in parallel with existing councils until taking power in April 1996, except for the new Isle of Wight Council which took power immediately.
England
Metropolitan boroughs
All 36 metropolitan borough councils had one third of their seats up for election.
Council Previous control Result DetailsBarnsley holdDetails[Birmingham]] holdDetailsBolton holdDetailsBradford holdDetailsBury gainDetailsCalderdale gainDetailsCoventry holdDetailsDoncaster holdDetailsDudley holdDetailsGateshead holdDetailsKirklees gainDetailsKnowsley holdDetailsLeeds holdDetailsLiverpool holdDetailsManchester holdDetailsNewcastle upon Tyne holdDetailsNorth Tyneside holdDetailsOldham gainDetailsRochdale holdDetailsRotherham holdDetailsSalford holdDetailsSandwell holdDetailsSefton holdDetailsSheffield holdDetailsSolihull holdDetailsSouth Tyneside holdDetailsSt Helens holdDetailsStockport holdDetailsSunderland holdDetailsTameside holdDetailsTrafford gainDetailsWakefield holdDetailsWalsall gainDetailsWigan holdDetailsWirral gainDetailsWolverhampton holdDetails
Unitary authorities
These were the first elections to the first 14 unitary authorities established by the Local Government Commission for England (1992). The Isle of Wight Council assumed its new status immediately; the others acted as "shadow authorities" until 1 April 1996.
Council Previous control Result DetailsBath and North East Somerset ‡ New Council DetailsBristol New Council DetailsEast Riding of Yorkshire ‡ New Council DetailsHartlepool New Council DetailsIsle of Wight ‡ New Council DetailsKingston upon Hull New Council DetailsMiddlesbrough New Council DetailsNorth East Lincolnshire ‡ New Council DetailsNorth Lincolnshire ‡ New Council DetailsNorth Somerset New Council DetailsRedcar and Cleveland New Council DetailsSouth Gloucestershire ‡ New Council DetailsStockton-on-Tees New Council DetailsYork ‡ New Council Details
‡ New ward boundaries from predecessor authorities
District councils
Whole council In 167 districts the whole council was up for election.
These were the last elections to the district councils of Blackpool, Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Darlington, Leicester, Luton, Newbury, Nottingham, Plymouth, Poole, Rutland, The Wrekin, Torbay, Warrington and Windsor and Maidenhead before they were made unitary authorities by the Local Government Commission for England (1992).
These were also the last elections to the district councils of Hove and Rochester-upon-Medway before they were abolished and replaced by unitary authorities by the Local Government Commission for England (1992).
Council Previous control Result DetailsAllerdale holdDetailsAlnwick gainDetailsArun holdDetailsAshfield holdDetailsAshford gainDetailsAylesbury Vale gainDetailsBabergh holdDetailsBerwick-upon-Tweed holdDetailsBlaby gainDetailsBlackpool holdDetailsBlyth Valley holdDetailsBolsover holdDetailsBoston holdDetailsBournemouth holdDetailsBracknell Forest gainDetailsBraintree gainDetailsBreckland gainDetailsBridgnorth holdDetailsBromsgrove gainDetailsBroxtowe gainDetailsCanterbury holdDetailsCaradon gainDetailsCarrick gainDetailsCastle Morpeth holdDetailsCastle Point gainDetailsCharnwood gainDetailsChelmsford gainDetailsChesterfield holdDetailsChester-le-Street holdDetailsChichester gainDetailsChiltern gainDetailsChristchurch gainDetailsCopeland holdDetailsCorby holdDetailsCotswold holdDetailsDacorum gainDetailsDarlington holdDetailsDartford gainDetailsDerbyshire Dales gainDetailsDerwentside holdDetailsDover gainDetailsDurham holdDetailsEasington holdDetailsEast Cambridgeshire holdDetailsEast Devon gainDetailsEast Dorset gainDetailsEast Hampshire gainDetailsEast Hertfordshire gainDetailsEast Lindsey holdDetailsEast Northamptonshire gainDetailsEast Staffordshire gainDetailsEden holdDetailsEpsom and Ewell holdDetailsErewash holdDetailsFenland gainDetailsForest Heath gainDetailsForest of Dean holdDetailsFylde holdDetailsGedling gainDetailsGravesham gainDetailsGuildford gainDetailsHambleton gainDetailsHarborough gainDetailsHigh Peak gainDetailsHinckley and Bosworth gainDetailsHorsham gainDetailsHove gainDetailsKennet holdDetailsKerrier holdDetailsKettering gainDetailsKing's Lynn and West Norfolk gainDetailsLancaster gainDetailsLeicester holdDetailsLewes holdDetailsLichfield gainDetailsLuton holdDetailsMaldon holdDetailsMalvern Hills gainDetailsMansfield holdDetailsMelton gainDetailsMendip holdDetailsMid Bedfordshire gainDetailsMid Devon gainDetailsMid Suffolk holdDetailsMid Sussex gainDetailsNew Forest gainDetailsNewark and Sherwood holdDetailsNewbury holdDetailsNorth Cornwall holdDetailsNorth Devon holdDetailsNorth Dorset gainDetailsNorth East Derbyshire holdDetailsNorth Kesteven holdDetailsNorth Norfolk holdDetailsNorth Shropshire holdDetailsNorth Warwickshire holdDetailsNorth West Leicestershire holdDetailsNorth Wiltshire holdDetailsNorthampton gainDetailsNottingham holdDetailsOadby and Wigston holdDetailsOswestry holdDetailsPlymouth holdDetailsPoole holdDetailsRestormel holdDetailsRibble Valley gainDetailsRichmondshire holdDetailsRochester-upon-Medway gainDetailsRother holdDetailsRushcliffe gainDetailsRutland gainDetailsRyedale gainDetailsSalisbury gainDetailsScarborough holdDetailsSedgefield holdDetailsSedgemoor gainDetailsSelby gainDetailsSevenoaks gainDetailsShepway gainDetailsSouth Bucks gainDetailsSouth Derbyshire holdDetailsSouth Hams gainDetailsSouth Holland holdDetailsSouth Kesteven holdDetailsSouth Norfolk gainDetailsSouth Northamptonshire gainDetailsSouth Oxfordshire gainDetailsSouth Ribble gainDetailsSouth Shropshire holdDetailsSouth Somerset holdDetailsSouth Staffordshire holdDetailsSpelthorne holdDetailsSt Edmundsbury gainDetailsStafford gainDetailsStaffordshire Moorlands gainDetailsSuffolk Coastal gainDetailsSurrey Heath holdDetailsTaunton Deane holdDetailsTeesdale holdDetailsTeignbridge holdDetailsTendring gainDetailsTest Valley gainDetailsTewkesbury gainDetailsThanet gainDetailsThe Wrekin holdDetailsTonbridge and Malling gainDetailsTorbay holdDetailsTorridge gainDetailsTynedale holdDetailsUttlesford gainDetailsVale of White Horse gainDetailsVale Royal holdDetailsWansbeck holdDetailsWarrington holdDetailsWarwick gainDetailsWaverley gainDetailsWealden gainDetailsWear Valley gainDetailsWellingborough gainDetailsWest Devon gainDetailsWest Dorset holdDetailsWest Somerset gainDetailsWest Wiltshire holdDetailsWindsor and Maidenhead gainDetailsWychavon gainDetailsWycombe gainDetailsWyre gainDetails
Third of council In 107 districts one third of the council was up for election.
These were the last elections to the district councils of Derby, Milton Keynes, Portsmouth, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent and Thamesdown before they were made unitary authorities by the Local Government Commission for England (1992).
These were also the last elections to the district council of Brighton before it was abolished and replaced by a unitary authority by the Local Government Commission for England (1992).
Council Previous control Result DetailsAdur holdDetailsAmber Valley holdDetailsBarrow-in-Furness holdDetailsBasildon holdDetailsBasingstoke and Deane gainDetailsBassetlaw holdDetailsBedford holdDetailsBlackburn holdDetailsBrentwood holdDetailsBrighton holdDetailsBroadland holdDetailsBroxbourne holdDetailsBurnley holdDetailsCambridge holdDetailsCannock Chase holdDetailsCarlisle holdDetailsCheltenham holdDetailsCherwell gainDetailsChester holdDetailsChorley gainDetailsColchester holdDetailsCongleton holdDetailsCraven holdDetailsCrawley holdDetailsCrewe and Nantwich holdDetailsDaventry gainDetailsDerby holdDetailsEastbourne holdDetailsEastleigh holdDetailsEllesmere Port and Neston holdDetailsElmbridge holdDetailsEpping Forest holdDetailsExeter gainDetailsFareham holdDetailsGillingham gainDetailsGloucester gainDetailsGosport holdDetailsGreat Yarmouth holdDetailsHalton holdDetailsHarlow holdDetailsHarrogate holdDetailsHart holdDetailsHastings holdDetailsHavant holdDetailsHereford holdDetailsHertsmere holdDetailsHuntingdonshire holdDetailsHyndburn holdDetailsIpswich holdDetailsLeominster gainDetailsLincoln holdDetailsMacclesfield holdDetailsMaidstone holdDetailsMilton Keynes holdDetailsMole Valley gainDetailsNewcastle-under-Lyme holdDetailsNorth Hertfordshire holdDetailsNorwich holdDetailsNuneaton and Bedworth holdDetailsOxford holdDetailsPendle gainDetailsPenwith holdDetailsPeterborough holdDetailsPortsmouth gainDetailsPreston holdDetailsPurbeck holdDetailsReading holdDetailsRedditch holdDetailsReigate and Banstead holdDetailsRochford holdDetailsRossendale holdDetailsRugby holdDetailsRunnymede holdDetailsRushmoor gainDetailsShrewsbury and Atcham holdDetailsSlough holdDetailsSouth Bedfordshire gainDetailsSouth Cambridgeshire holdDetailsSouth Herefordshire holdDetailsSouth Lakeland holdDetailsSouthampton gainDetailsSouthend-on-Sea holdDetailsSt Albans holdDetailsStevenage holdDetailsStoke-on-Trent holdDetailsStratford-on-Avon holdDetailsStroud holdDetailsSwale holdDetailsTamworth holdDetailsTandridge gainDetailsThamesdown holdDetailsThree Rivers holdDetailsThurrock holdDetailsTunbridge Wells holdDetailsWatford holdDetailsWaveney holdDetailsWelwyn Hatfield holdDetailsWest Lancashire holdDetailsWest Lindsey holdDetailsWest Oxfordshire holdDetailsWeymouth and Portland holdDetailsWinchester gainDetailsWoking holdDetailsWokingham gainDetailsWorcester holdDetailsWorthing holdDetailsWyre Forest holdDetails
Scotland
These were the first elections to the 29 council areas established by the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994.
Council Previous control Result DetailsAberdeen New Council DetailsAberdeenshire New Council DetailsAngus New Council DetailsArgyll and Bute New Council DetailsBorders† New Council DetailsClackmannan† New Council DetailsDumbarton and Clydebank† New Council DetailsDumfries and Galloway New Council DetailsDundee New Council DetailsEast Ayrshire New Council DetailsEast Dunbartonshire New Council DetailsEast Lothian New Council DetailsEast Renfrewshire New Council DetailsEdinburgh New Council DetailsFalkirk New Council DetailsFife New Council DetailsGlasgow New Council DetailsHighland New Council DetailsInverclyde New Council DetailsMidlothian New Council DetailsMoray New Council DetailsNorth Ayrshire New Council DetailsNorth Lanarkshire New Council DetailsPerth and Kinross New Council DetailsRenfrewshire New Council DetailsSouth Ayrshire New Council DetailsSouth Lanarkshire New Council DetailsStirling New Council DetailsWest Lothian New Council Details †Council was renamed shortly after election.
Wales
These were the first elections to the 22 principal areas established by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994.