# Durham City Council elections

Durham City Council elections were generally held every four years between the reforms of 1974 and the council's abolition in 2009. Durham was a non-metropolitan district in County Durham, England. On 1 April 2009 the council's functions passed to Durham County Council, which became a unitary authority.

## Political control

From 1836 to 1974 the city of Durham was a municipal borough, sometimes called "Durham and Framwelgate". Under the Local Government Act 1972 it had its territory enlarged and became a non-metropolitan district. The first election to the reconstituted city council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its revised powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council from 1973 until its abolition in 2009 was held by the following parties:
| Party in control | Years |
| Labour | 1973–1979 |
| No overall control | 1979–1983 |
| Labour | 1983–2003 |
| Liberal Democrats | 2003–2009 |

### Leadership

The leaders of the council from 2003 until its abolition in 2009 were:
| Councillor | Party | Party | From | To |
| Sue Pitts | | Liberal Democrats | 2003 | 2004 |
| Fraser Reynolds | | Liberal Democrats | 2004 | 31 Mar 2009 |

## Council elections

| Election | Labour | Liberal Democrat | Conservative | Independent | Total | Notes |
| 1973 | 40 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 61 | |
| 1976 | 34 | 10 | 0 | 17 | 61 | |
| 1979 | 24 | 7 | 4 | 14 | 49 | New ward boundaries |
| 1983 | 27 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 49 | |
| 1987 | 26 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 49 | City boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same |
| 1991 | 28 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 49 | |
| 1995 | 38 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 49 | City boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same |
| 1999 | 33 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 49 | |
| 2003 | 17 | 30 | 0 | 3 | 50 | New ward boundaries |
| 2007 | 17 | 30 | 0 | 3 | 50 | |

## Results maps

* 2003 results map
* 2007 results map

## By-election results

The following is an incomplete list of by-elections to Durham City Council.

### 1995-1999

Deerness By-Election 22 May 1997 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | | 561 | 64.2 |
| | Independent | | 259 | 29.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 54 | 6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 302 | 34.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 874 | 31.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### 1999-2003

Pelaw By-Election 12 December 2002 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | | 239 | 51.7 | −20.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 223 | 48.3 | +20.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16 | 3.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 462 | 29.0 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### 2003-2007

Brandon By-Election 11 December 2003 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | | 645 | 59.5 | −8.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 396 | 36.5 | +4.6 |
| | Conservative | | 43 | 4.0 | +4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 249 | 23.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,084 | 23.4 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Belmont By-Election 16 December 2004 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 364 | 46.1 | −4.5 |
| | Independent | | 244 | 30.9 | +1.6 |
| | Labour | | 119 | 15.1 | +0.1 |
| | Conservative | | 63 | 8.0 | +2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 120 | 15.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 790 | 26.4 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Newton Hall North By-Election 3 February 2005 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Amanda Hopgood | 740 | 70.7 | −9.4 |
| | Labour | | 180 | 17.2 | −2.7 |
| | Conservative | | 65 | 6.2 | +6.2 |
| | Independent | | 62 | 5.9 | +5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 560 | 53.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,047 | 39.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Carrville and Gilesgate Moor By-Election 5 May 2005 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Les Thomson | 1,618 | 54.1 |
| | Labour | | 1,141 | 38.2 |
| | Conservative | | 229 | 7.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 477 | 53.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,988 | 69.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Coxhoe By-Election 5 May 2005 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | John Hepplewhite | 1,947 | 69.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 640 | 22.8 |
| | Conservative | | 221 | 7.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,307 | 46.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,808 | 64.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Shadforth & Sherburn By-Election 6 April 2006 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian Colledge | 658 | 48.7 | −5.1 |
| | Labour | Angela Leary | 625 | 46.3 | +15.2 |
| | Conservative | Carolyn Smith | 67 | 5.0 | +5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 33 | 2.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,350 | 35.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |