# 2011 United Kingdom local elections

The 2011 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday, 5 May. In England, direct elections were held in all 36 metropolitan boroughs, 194 second-tier district authorities, 49 unitary authorities and various mayoral posts, meaning local elections took place within all parts of England with the exceptions of seven unitary authorities (Cornwall, Durham, Northumberland, Isles of Scilly, Shropshire, the Isle of Wight and Wiltshire), and seven districts and boroughs (Adur, Cheltenham, Fareham, Gosport, Hastings, Nuneaton and Bedworth and Oxford). For the majority of English districts and the 25 unitary authorities who were "all-up" for election at the end of their four-year terms, these were the first elections since 2007. In Northern Ireland, there were elections to all 26 local councils. Elections also took place to elect members of most English parish councils.
On the same day, elections to the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly of Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly were held. A UK-wide referendum on whether to adopt the Alternative Vote electoral system for elections to the House of Commons and the Leicester South by-election was also held.
Labour, contesting its first elections under the leadership of Ed Miliband, finished narrowly ahead of the Conservatives. The BBC's projected national vote share put Labour on 37%, the Conservatives on 35% and the Liberal Democrats on 15%. Rallings and Thrasher of Plymouth University put Labour narrowly behind on 37% of the national vote, compared to 38% for the Conservatives and 16% for the Liberal Democrats.

## Background

Elections were due to be held to Scottish councils, but these had been postponed until 2012 to avoid clashing with the elections to the Scottish Parliament, which in 2007 had caused confusion among voters.
British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens living in the UK who were 18 or over on election day were entitled to vote in the local council and devolved legislatures elections. The deadline for voters in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to register to vote in the 5 May elections was midnight on Thursday 14 April 2011, whilst voters in Scotland had until midnight on Friday 15 April 2011 to register. Anyone in the United Kingdom who qualified as an anonymous elector had until midnight on Tuesday 26 April 2011 to register.

## Results

The Labour Party was described as obtaining "mixed results". Their support recovered following a string of poor local election results during Gordon Brown's tenure and they gained over 800 council seats, mostly off the Liberal Democrats. Labour's gains were overshadowed by the coinciding Scottish Parliament election where they were routed by the Scottish National Party. The Conservatives narrowly obtained more votes than Labour and gained a small number of seats. They were helped by the gaining additional seats from the Liberal Democrats in the south west, south, south east and East Anglia.
The election was a disaster for the Liberal Democrats, who lost 40% of the council seats they were defending (mostly to Labour) and lost majorities in 9 of the 19 councils they controlled, including strongholds in Sheffield and Hull. There were some surprising gains for the Conservatives against the Liberal Democrats, with councils previously considered strongholds for the latter, like North Norfolk, Vale of White Horse and Lewes changing hands. This led to some calls for Nick Clegg to resign. The losses coincided with the landslide rejection of the Alternative Vote referendum which had been supported by the Liberal Democrats and some members of the Labour Party.

## UK-wide results

| Party | Party | Councillors | Councillors | Councils | Councils |
| Party | Party | Number | Change | Number | Change |
| | Conservative | 5,109 | 86 | 157 | 4 |
| | Labour | 2,459 | 857 | 57 | 26 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 1,098 | 748 | 10 | 9 |
| | DUP | 175 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| | Sinn Féin | 138 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| | UUP | 99 | 16 | 0 | |
| | SDLP | 87 | 14 | 0 | |
| | Green | 79 | 14 | 0 | |
| | Neighborhood association | 48 | 3 | 1 | |
| | Alliance | 44 | 14 | 0 | |
| | UKIP | 8 | 1 | 0 | |
| | Liberal | 8 | 2 | 0 | |
| | TUV | 6 | 6 | 0 | |
| | Green (NI) | 3 | | 0 | |
| | BNP | 2 | 11 | 0 | |
| | PUP | 2 | | 0 | |
| | Others | 667 | 201 | 0 | |
| | No overall control | n/a | n/a | 79 | 17 |
Source: and Vote 2011: Northern Ireland Council Elections

### Summary of English result

| Party | Party | Councillors | Councillors | Councils | Councils |
| Party | Party | Number | Change | Number | Change |
| | Conservative | 5,109 | 86 | 157 | 4 |
| | Labour | 2,459 | 857 | 57 | 26 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 1,098 | 748 | 10 | 9 |
| | Green | 79 | 14 | 0 | |
| | Neighborhood association | 48 | 3 | 1 | |
| | Liberal | 8 | 2 | 0 | |
| | UKIP | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| | BNP | 2 | 11 | 0 | |
| | Others | 640 | 207 | 0 | |
| | No overall control | n/a | n/a | 54 | 19 |
Source:

## England
### Metropolitan boroughs

All 36 English Metropolitan borough councils one third of their seats were up for election.
| Council | Previous control | Result | Details |
| Barnsley | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Birmingham | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Bolton | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Bradford | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Bury | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Calderdale | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Coventry | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Doncaster | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Dudley | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Gateshead | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Kirklees | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Knowsley | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Leeds | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Liverpool | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Manchester | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | Liberal Democrats | Labour gain | Details |
| North Tyneside | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Oldham | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Rochdale | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Rotherham | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| St Helens | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Salford | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Sandwell | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Sefton | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Sheffield | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Solihull | No overall control | Conservative gain | Details |
| South Tyneside | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Stockport | Liberal Democrats | No overall control gain | Details |
| Sunderland | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Tameside | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Trafford | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Wakefield | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Walsall | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Wigan | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Wirral | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Wolverhampton | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |

### Unitary authorities
#### Whole council

In 30 English Unitary authorities the whole council were up for election.
| Council | Previous control | Result | Details |
| Bath and North East Somerset | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Bedford | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Blackpool | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| Bournemouth | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Bracknell Forest | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Brighton and Hove | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Central Bedfordshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Cheshire East | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Cheshire West and Chester | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Darlington | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Herefordshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Leicester | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Luton | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Medway | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Middlesbrough | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| North Lincolnshire | Labour | Conservative gain | Details |
| North Somerset | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Nottingham | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Poole | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Redcar and Cleveland | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Rutland | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| South Gloucestershire | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Stockton-on-Tees | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Stoke-on-Trent | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Telford and Wrekin | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Torbay | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| West Berkshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Windsor and Maidenhead | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| York | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |

#### Third of council

In 19 English Unitary authorities one third of the council were up for election.
| Council | Previous control | Result | Details |
| Blackburn with Darwen | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Bristol | Liberal Democrats | No overall control gain | Details |
| Derby | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Halton | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Hartlepool | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Kingston upon Hull | Liberal Democrats | Labour gain | Details |
| Milton Keynes | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| North East Lincolnshire | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Peterborough | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Plymouth | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Portsmouth | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Reading | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Slough | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Southampton | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Southend-on-Sea | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Swindon | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Thurrock | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Warrington | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Wokingham | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |

### Non-metropolitan districts
#### Whole council

In 127 English district authorities the whole council were up for election.
| Council | Previous control | Result | Details |
| Allerdale | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Arun | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Ashfield | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Ashford | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Aylesbury Vale | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Babergh | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Barrow-in-Furness | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Blaby | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Bolsover | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Boston | Boston Bypass Independents | Conservative gain | Details |
| Braintree | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Breckland | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Broadland | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Bromsgrove | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Broxtowe | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Canterbury | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Charnwood | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Chelmsford | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Chesterfield | Liberal Democrats | Labour gain | Details |
| Chichester | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Chiltern | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Christchurch | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Copeland | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Corby | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Cotswold | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Dacorum | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Dartford | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Derbyshire Dales | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Dover | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Eastbourne | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| East Cambridgeshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| East Devon | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| East Dorset | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| East Hampshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| East Hertfordshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| East Lindsey | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| East Northamptonshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| East Staffordshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Eden | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Epsom and Ewell | Residents Association | Residents Association hold | Details |
| Erewash | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Fenland | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Forest Heath | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Forest of Dean | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Fylde | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Gedling | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| Gravesham | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| Guildford | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Hambleton | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Harborough | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| High Peak | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Hinckley and Bosworth | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Horsham | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Kettering | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| King's Lynn and West Norfolk | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Lancaster | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Lewes | Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain | Details |
| Lichfield | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Maldon | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Malvern Hills | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Mansfield | Independent | Labour gain | Details |
| Melton | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Mendip | No overall control | Conservative gain | Details |
| Mid Devon | No overall control | Conservative gain | Details |
| Mid Suffolk | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Mid Sussex | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| New Forest | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Newark and Sherwood | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| North Devon | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| North Dorset | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| North East Derbyshire | Labour | Labour gain | Details |
| North Kesteven | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| North Norfolk | Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain | Details |
| North Warwickshire | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| North West Leicestershire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Northampton | Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain | Details |
| Oadby and Wigston | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Ribble Valley | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Richmondshire | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Rother | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Rushcliffe | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Ryedale | No overall control | Conservative gain | Details |
| Scarborough | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Sedgemoor | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Selby | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Sevenoaks | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Shepway | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| South Bucks | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| South Derbyshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| South Hams | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| South Holland | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| South Kesteven | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| South Norfolk | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| South Northamptonshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| South Oxfordshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| South Ribble | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| South Somerset | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| South Staffordshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Spelthorne | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| St Edmundsbury | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Stafford | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Staffordshire Moorlands | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Suffolk Coastal | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Surrey Heath | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Swale | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Taunton Deane | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Teignbridge | No overall control | Conservative gain | Details |
| Tendring | No overall control | Conservative gain | Details |
| Test Valley | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Tewkesbury | No overall control | Conservative gain | Details |
| Thanet | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Tonbridge and Malling | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Torridge | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Uttlesford | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Vale of White Horse | Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain | Details |
| Warwick | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Waveney | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Waverley | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Wealden | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Wellingborough | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| West Devon | No overall control | Conservative gain | Details |
| West Dorset | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| West Lindsey | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| West Somerset | Independent | Conservative gain | Details |
| Wychavon | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Wycombe | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Wyre | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |

#### Third of council

In 67 English district authorities one third of the council were up for election.
| Council | Previous control | Result | Details |
| Amber Valley | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Basildon | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Basingstoke and Deane | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Bassetlaw | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Brentwood | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Broxbourne | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Burnley | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Cambridge | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Cannock Chase | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Carlisle | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Castle Point | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Cherwell | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Chorley | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Colchester | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Craven | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Crawley | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Daventry | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Eastleigh | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Elmbridge | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Epping Forest | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Exeter | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Gloucester | No overall control | Conservative gain | Details |
| Great Yarmouth | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Harlow | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Harrogate | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Hart | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Havant | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Hertsmere | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Huntingdonshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Hyndburn | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Ipswich | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Lincoln | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Maidstone | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Mole Valley | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Newcastle-under-Lyme | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| North Hertfordshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Norwich | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Pendle | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Preston | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Purbeck | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Redditch | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Reigate and Banstead | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Rochford | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Rossendale | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Rugby | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Runnymede | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Rushmoor | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| St Albans | Liberal Democrats | No overall control gain | Details |
| South Cambridgeshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| South Lakeland | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Stevenage | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Stratford-on-Avon | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Stroud | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Tamworth | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Tandridge | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Three Rivers | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Tunbridge Wells | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Watford | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Welwyn Hatfield | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| West Lancashire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| West Oxfordshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Weymouth and Portland | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Winchester | Liberal Democrats | No overall control gain | Details |
| Woking | No overall control | Conservative gain | Details |
| Worcester | No overall control | Conservative gain | Details |
| Worthing | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Wyre Forest | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |

### Mayoral elections

Five direct mayoral elections were held.
| Local Authority | Previous Mayor | Mayor-elect | Details |
| Bedford | Dave Hodgson (Liberal Democrats) | Dave Hodgson (Liberal Democrats) | Details |
| Leicester | None (New post) | Sir Peter Soulsby (Labour) | Details |
| Mansfield | Tony Egginton (Mansfield Independent Forum) | Tony Egginton (Mansfield Independent Forum) | Details |
| Middlesbrough | Ray Mallon (Independent) | Ray Mallon (Independent) | Details |
| Torbay | Nicholas Bye (Conservative) | Gordon Oliver (Conservative) | Details |

## Northern Ireland

Elections were held on the same day to local government in Northern Ireland.
| Council | Previous control | Result | Details |
| Antrim | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Ards | DUP | No overall control | Details |
| Armagh | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Ballymena | DUP | DUP | Details |
| Ballymoney | DUP | DUP | Details |
| Banbridge | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Belfast | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Carrickfergus | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Castlereagh | DUP | No overall control | Details |
| Coleraine | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Cookstown | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Craigavon | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Derry | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Down | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Dungannon and South Tyrone | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Fermanagh | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Larne | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Limavady | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Lisburn | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Magherafelt | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | Details |
| Moyle | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Newry and Mourne | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Newtownabbey | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| North Down | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Omagh | No overall control | No overall control | Details |
| Strabane | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | Details |