# Carlisle City Council elections

One third of Carlisle City Council in Cumbria, England, was elected each year, followed by one year without election.
The council was established in 1974 and abolished in 2023.
Since the last boundary changes in 1999, 52 councillors had been elected from 22 wards.

## Political control

Since the first election to the council in 1973 political control of the council has been held by the following parties:
| Party in control | Years |
| Labour | 1973–1976 |
| No overall control | 1976–1979 |
| Labour | 1979–1999 |
| Conservative | 1999–2003 |
| No overall control | 2003–2012 |
| Labour | 2012–2019 |
| No overall control | 2019–2021 |
| Conservative | 2021–2023 |

### Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1999 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To |
| Mike Mitchelson | Conservative | 1999 | 21 May 2012 |
| Joe Hendry | Labour | 21 May 2012 | 30 May 2013 |
| Colin Glover | Labour | 16 Jul 2013 | 20 May 2019 |
| John Mallinson | Conservative | 20 May 2019 | 31 Mar 2023 |

## Council elections

Summary of the council composition after recent council elections, click on the year for full details of each election. Boundary changes took place for the 1999 election which increased the number of seats by one, leading to the whole council being elected in that year.
* 1973 Carlisle City Council election
* 1976 Carlisle City Council election
* 1979 Carlisle City Council election
* 1983 Carlisle City Council election (New ward boundaries)
* 1984 Carlisle City Council election (City boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)
* 1986 Carlisle City Council election
* 1987 Carlisle City Council election
* 1988 Carlisle City Council election
* 1990 Carlisle City Council election (City boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)
* 1991 Carlisle City Council election
| Year | Labour | Conservative | Independent | Liberal Democrats | Green Party | UKIP | Vacant | Notes |
| 1992 | 30 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | 27 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | 30 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | 33 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | 33 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | 16 | 28 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New ward boundaries |
| 2000 | 14 | 30 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 18 | 27 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | 22 | 24 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | 24 | 20 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | 24 | 19 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 25 | 19 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 21 | 21 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2010 | 23 | 22 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 24 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 27 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2014 | 29 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 29 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 28 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 27 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 15 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | New ward boundaries |

## District result maps

* 2002 results map
* 2003 results map
* 2004 results map
* 2006 results map
* 2007 results map
* 2008 results map
* 2010 results map
* 2011 results map
* 2012 results map
* 2014 results map
* 2015 results map
* 2016 results map
* 2018 results map
* 2019 results map

## By-election results

By-elections occur when seats become vacant between council elections. Below is a summary of recent by-elections; full by-election results can be found by clicking on the by-election name.
| By-election | Date | Incumbent party | Winning party |
| Trinity | 17 October 1996 | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats |
| Belle Vue | 2 October 1997 | Labour | Labour |
| Stanwix Rural | 2 October 1997 | Conservative | Conservative |
| Castle by-election | 19 April 2001 | Liberal Democrats | Labour |
| Castle by-election | 24 November 2005 | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats |
| Upperby by-election (2 seats) | 12 June 2008 | Labour | Labour |
| Belah by-election | 5 March 2009 | Conservative | Conservative |
| Castle by-election | 5 March 2009 | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats |
| Stanwix Urban by-election | 16 September 2010 | Conservative | Conservative |
| Harraby by-election | 21 June 2012 | Labour | Labour |
| Yewdale by-election | 5 September 2013 | Labour | Labour |
| Dalston by-election | 17 October 2013 | Conservative | Liberal Democrats |
| Castle by-election | 11 September 2014 | Labour | Labour |
| Botcherby by-election | 7 January 2016 | Labour | Independent |
| Castle by-election | 15 September 2016 | Labour | Labour |
| Castle by-election | 24 November 2016 | Labour | Labour |
| Belle Vue by-election | 4 May 2017 | Labour | Labour |
| Yewdale by-election | 4 May 2017 | Labour | Conservative |
| Denton Holme by-election | 6 September 2018 | Labour | Labour |
| Cathedral and Castle by-election | 6 May 2021 | Labour | Labour |
| Harraby South and Parklands by-election | 6 May 2021 | Labour | Conservative |
| Newtown and Morton North by-election | 6 May 2021 | Labour | Conservative |
| Currock and Upperby by-election | 28 October 2021 | UKIP | Labour |
| Longtown and the Border by-election | 5 May 2022 | Conservative | Liberal Democrats |
A detailed breakdown of recent by elections can be found below:
| Election | Political result | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | ±% |
| Castle & Cathedral by-election, 6 May 2021 triggered by the resignation of Cllr. Chris Robinson Turnout: 1,713 (25.9%) | Labour hold Majority: 74 (39.3%) 4.3 | Pete Sunter | Labour | 673 | 39.3 | +4.7 |
| Castle & Cathedral by-election, 6 May 2021 triggered by the resignation of Cllr. Chris Robinson Turnout: 1,713 (25.9%) | Labour hold Majority: 74 (39.3%) 4.3 | Hugh McKerrell | Conservative | 599 | 35 | +19.6 |
| Castle & Cathedral by-election, 6 May 2021 triggered by the resignation of Cllr. Chris Robinson Turnout: 1,713 (25.9%) | Labour hold Majority: 74 (39.3%) 4.3 | Gavin Hawkton | Green | 299 | 17.5 | -0.7 |
| Castle & Cathedral by-election, 6 May 2021 triggered by the resignation of Cllr. Chris Robinson Turnout: 1,713 (25.9%) | Labour hold Majority: 74 (39.3%) 4.3 | Stuart Kelly | Liberal Democrats | 95 | 5.5 | -3.0 |
| Harraby South and Parklands by-election, 6 May 2021 Electorate: 6,628 Turnout: 1,926 (29.06%) | Conservative gain from Labour Party (UK) Majority: 276 (53.4%) | Linda Mitchell | Conservative | 1028 | 53.4 | |
| Harraby South and Parklands by-election, 6 May 2021 Electorate: 6,628 Turnout: 1,926 (29.06%) | Conservative gain from Labour Party (UK) Majority: 276 (53.4%) | Abdul Harid | Labour | 752 | 39 | |
| Harraby South and Parklands by-election, 6 May 2021 Electorate: 6,628 Turnout: 1,926 (29.06%) | Conservative gain from Labour Party (UK) Majority: 276 (53.4%) | Anne Gadsden | Green | 132 | 6.9 | |
| Newton & Morton North by-election, 6 May 2021 Electorate: 6,844 Turnout: 1,805 (26.37%) | Conservative gain from Labour Party (UK) Majority: 116 (48.9%) | Neville Lishman | Conservative | 883 | 48.9 | |
| Newton & Morton North by-election, 6 May 2021 Electorate: 6,844 Turnout: 1,805 (26.37%) | Conservative gain from Labour Party (UK) Majority: 116 (48.9%) | David Graham | Labour | 767 | 42.5 | |
| Newton & Morton North by-election, 6 May 2021 Electorate: 6,844 Turnout: 1,805 (26.37%) | Conservative gain from Labour Party (UK) Majority: 116 (48.9%) | Fiona Prior | Green | 101 | 5.6 | |
| Newton & Morton North by-election, 6 May 2021 Electorate: 6,844 Turnout: 1,805 (26.37%) | Conservative gain from Labour Party (UK) Majority: 116 (48.9%) | Brent Kennedy | TUSC | 40 | 2.2 | |
| Currock & Upperby by-election, 28 October 2021 triggered by the death of incumbent Cllr. John Denholm Electorate: 6,550 Turnout: 1,111 (16.96%) | Labour gain from UK Independence Party Majority: 224 (57.5%) +20.7 | Chris Wills | Labour | 636 | 57.5 | +20.7 |
| Currock & Upperby by-election, 28 October 2021 triggered by the death of incumbent Cllr. John Denholm Electorate: 6,550 Turnout: 1,111 (16.96%) | Labour gain from UK Independence Party Majority: 224 (57.5%) +20.7 | Geoff Mitchell | Conservative | 412 | 57.5 | +22.2 |
| Currock & Upperby by-election, 28 October 2021 triggered by the death of incumbent Cllr. John Denholm Electorate: 6,550 Turnout: 1,111 (16.96%) | Labour gain from UK Independence Party Majority: 224 (57.5%) +20.7 | Tom Adams | Green | 59 | 5.3 | -6.3 |
| Longtown & the Border by-election, 5 May 2022 triggered by the death of incumbent Cllr. Valerie Tarbitt Electorate: 5,794 Turnout: 2,218 (38.30%) | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservatives Majority: 299 (13.6%) | Timothy Pickstone | Liberal Democrats | 1,247 | 56.8 | +56.8 |
| Longtown & the Border by-election, 5 May 2022 triggered by the death of incumbent Cllr. Valerie Tarbitt Electorate: 5,794 Turnout: 2,218 (38.30%) | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservatives Majority: 299 (13.6%) | Sam Bown | Conservative | 948 | 43.2 | -1.5 |