# 1995 United Kingdom local elections

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 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 | Details |
| Barnsley | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Birmingham | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Bolton | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Bradford | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Bury | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Calderdale | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Coventry | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Doncaster | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Dudley | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Gateshead | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Kirklees | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Knowsley | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Leeds | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Liverpool | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Manchester | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| North Tyneside | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Oldham | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Rochdale | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Rotherham | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Salford | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Sandwell | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Sefton | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Sheffield | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Solihull | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| South Tyneside | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| St Helens | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Stockport | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Sunderland | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Tameside | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Trafford | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Wakefield | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Walsall | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Wigan | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Wirral | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Wolverhampton | Labour | Labour hold | Details |

### Unitary authorities

These were the first elections to the first 14 unitary authorities established by the Local Government Commission for England (1992). They acted as "shadow authorities" until 1 April 1996.
| Council | Previous control | Result | Details |
| Bath and North East Somerset ‡ | New Council | No overall control | Details |
| Bristol | New Council | Labour | Details |
| East Riding of Yorkshire ‡ | New Council | No overall control | Details |
| Hartlepool | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Isle of Wight ‡ | New Council | Liberal Democrats | Details |
| Kingston upon Hull | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Middlesbrough | New Council | Labour | Details |
| North East Lincolnshire ‡ | New Council | Labour | Details |
| North Lincolnshire ‡ | New Council | Labour | Details |
| North Somerset | New Council | No overall control | Details |
| Redcar and Cleveland | New Council | Labour | Details |
| South Gloucestershire ‡ | New Council | No overall control | Details |
| Stockton-on-Tees | New Council | Labour | Details |
| York ‡ | New Council | Labour | 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 | Details |
| Allerdale | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Alnwick | Liberal Democrats | No overall control gain | Details |
| Arun | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Ashfield | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Ashford | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Aylesbury Vale | No overall control | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| Babergh | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Berwick-upon-Tweed | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Blaby | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Blackpool | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Blyth Valley | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Bolsover | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Boston | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Bournemouth | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Bracknell Forest | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| Braintree | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Breckland | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Bridgnorth | Independent | Independent hold | Details |
| Bromsgrove | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| Broxtowe | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| Canterbury | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Caradon | Independent | No overall control gain | Details |
| Carrick | Liberal Democrats | No overall control gain | Details |
| Castle Morpeth | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Castle Point | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| Charnwood | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| Chelmsford | No overall control | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| Chesterfield | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Chester-le-Street | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Chichester | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Chiltern | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Christchurch | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Copeland | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Corby | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Cotswold | Independent | Independent hold | Details |
| Dacorum | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| Darlington | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Dartford | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| Derbyshire Dales | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Derwentside | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Dover | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Durham | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Easington | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| East Cambridgeshire | Independent | Independent hold | Details |
| East Devon | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| East Dorset | No overall control | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| East Hampshire | No overall control | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| East Hertfordshire | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| East Lindsey | Independent | Independent hold | Details |
| East Northamptonshire | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| East Staffordshire | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Eden | Independent | Independent hold | Details |
| Epsom and Ewell | Independent | Independent hold | Details |
| Erewash | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Fenland | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| Forest Heath | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Forest of Dean | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Fylde | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Gedling | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| Gravesham | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Guildford | No overall control | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| Hambleton | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Harborough | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| High Peak | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Hinckley and Bosworth | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Horsham | Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| Hove | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| Kennet | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Kerrier | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Kettering | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| King's Lynn and West Norfolk | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| Lancaster | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Leicester | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Lewes | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Lichfield | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| Luton | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Maldon | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Malvern Hills | Independent | No overall control gain | Details |
| Mansfield | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Melton | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Mendip | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Mid Bedfordshire | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Mid Devon | Independent | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| Mid Suffolk | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Mid Sussex | Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| New Forest | No overall control | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| Newark and Sherwood | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Newbury | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| North Cornwall | Independent | Independent hold | Details |
| North Devon | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| North Dorset | Independent | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| North East Derbyshire | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| North Kesteven | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| North Norfolk | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| North Shropshire | Independent | Independent hold | Details |
| North Warwickshire | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| North West Leicestershire | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| North Wiltshire | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Northampton | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Nottingham | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Oadby and Wigston | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Oswestry | Independent | Independent hold | Details |
| Plymouth | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Poole | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Restormel | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Ribble Valley | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Richmondshire | Independent | Independent hold | Details |
| Rochester-upon-Medway | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Rother | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Rushcliffe | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Rutland | No overall control | Independent gain | Details |
| Ryedale | No overall control | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| Salisbury | No overall control | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| Scarborough | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Sedgefield | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Sedgemoor | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Selby | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Sevenoaks | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Shepway | Liberal Democrats | No overall control gain | Details |
| South Bucks | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| South Derbyshire | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| South Hams | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| South Holland | Independent | Independent hold | Details |
| South Kesteven | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| South Norfolk | No overall control | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| South Northamptonshire | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| South Oxfordshire | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| South Ribble | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| South Shropshire | Independent | Independent hold | Details |
| South Somerset | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| South Staffordshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Spelthorne | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| St Edmundsbury | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| Stafford | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Staffordshire Moorlands | Independent | No overall control gain | Details |
| Suffolk Coastal | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Surrey Heath | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Taunton Deane | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Teesdale | Independent | Independent hold | Details |
| Teignbridge | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Tendring | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Test Valley | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Tewkesbury | Independent | No overall control gain | Details |
| Thanet | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |
| The Wrekin | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Tonbridge and Malling | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Torbay | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Torridge | Independent | No overall control gain | Details |
| Tynedale | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Uttlesford | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Vale of White Horse | Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| Vale Royal | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Wansbeck | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Warrington | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Warwick | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Waverley | No overall control | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| Wealden | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Wear Valley | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Wellingborough | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| West Devon | Independent | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| West Dorset | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| West Somerset | Independent | No overall control gain | Details |
| West Wiltshire | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Windsor and Maidenhead | No overall control | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| Wychavon | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Wycombe | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Wyre | Conservative | Labour gain | Details |

#### 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 | Details |
| Adur | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Amber Valley | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Barrow-in-Furness | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Basildon | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Basingstoke and Deane | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Bassetlaw | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Bedford | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Blackburn | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Brentwood | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Brighton | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Broadland | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Broxbourne | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Burnley | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Cambridge | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Cannock Chase | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Carlisle | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Cheltenham | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Cherwell | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Chester | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Chorley | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Colchester | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Congleton | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Craven | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Crawley | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Crewe and Nantwich | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Daventry | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Derby | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Eastbourne | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Eastleigh | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Ellesmere Port and Neston | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Elmbridge | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Epping Forest | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Exeter | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Fareham | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Gillingham | No overall control | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| Gloucester | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Gosport | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Great Yarmouth | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Halton | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Harlow | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Harrogate | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Hart | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Hastings | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Havant | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Hereford | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Hertsmere | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Huntingdonshire | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Hyndburn | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Ipswich | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Leominster | Independent | No overall control gain | Details |
| Lincoln | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Macclesfield | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Maidstone | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Milton Keynes | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Mole Valley | Liberal Democrats | No overall control gain | Details |
| Newcastle-under-Lyme | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| North Hertfordshire | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Norwich | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Nuneaton and Bedworth | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Oxford | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Pendle | No overall control | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| Penwith | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Peterborough | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Portsmouth | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Preston | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Purbeck | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Reading | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Redditch | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Reigate and Banstead | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Rochford | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Rossendale | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Rugby | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Runnymede | Conservative | Conservative hold | Details |
| Rushmoor | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Shrewsbury and Atcham | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Slough | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| South Bedfordshire | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| South Cambridgeshire | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| South Herefordshire | Independent | Independent hold | Details |
| South Lakeland | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Southampton | No overall control | Labour gain | Details |
| Southend-on-Sea | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| St Albans | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Stevenage | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Stoke-on-Trent | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Stratford-on-Avon | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Stroud | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Swale | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Tamworth | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Tandridge | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Thamesdown | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Three Rivers | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Thurrock | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Tunbridge Wells | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Watford | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Waveney | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Welwyn Hatfield | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| West Lancashire | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| West Lindsey | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| West Oxfordshire | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Weymouth and Portland | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Winchester | No overall control | Liberal Democrats gain | Details |
| Woking | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |
| Wokingham | Conservative | No overall control gain | Details |
| Worcester | Labour | Labour hold | Details |
| Worthing | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats hold | Details |
| Wyre Forest | No overall control | No overall control hold | Details |

## Scotland

These were the first elections to the 29 council areas established by the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994.
| Council | Previous control | Result | Details |
| Aberdeen | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Aberdeenshire | New Council | No overall control | Details |
| Angus | New Council | SNP | Details |
| Argyll and Bute | New Council | Independent | Details |
| Borders† | New Council | No overall control | Details |
| Clackmannan† | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Dumbarton and Clydebank† | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Dumfries and Galloway | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Dundee | New Council | Labour | Details |
| East Ayrshire | New Council | Labour | Details |
| East Dunbartonshire | New Council | Labour | Details |
| East Lothian | New Council | Labour | Details |
| East Renfrewshire | New Council | No overall control | Details |
| Edinburgh | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Falkirk | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Fife | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Glasgow | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Highland | New Council | Independent | Details |
| Inverclyde | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Midlothian | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Moray | New Council | SNP | Details |
| North Ayrshire | New Council | Labour | Details |
| North Lanarkshire | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Perth and Kinross | New Council | SNP | Details |
| Renfrewshire | New Council | No overall control | Details |
| South Ayrshire | New Council | Labour | Details |
| South Lanarkshire | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Stirling | New Council | Labour | Details |
| West Lothian | New Council | Labour | 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.
| Council | Previous control | Result | Details |
| Aberconwy and Colwyn† | New Council | No overall control | Details |
| Anglesey† | New Council | Independent | Details |
| Blaenau Gwent | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Bridgend | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire† | New Council | Plaid Cymru | Details |
| Caerphilly | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Cardiff | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Cardiganshire† | New Council | Independent | Details |
| Carmarthenshire | New Council | No overall control | Details |
| Denbighshire | New Council | No overall control | Details |
| Flintshire | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Merthyr Tydfil | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Monmouthshire | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Neath and Port Talbot† | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Newport | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Pembrokeshire | New Council | Independent | Details |
| Powys | New Council | Independent | Details |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Swansea | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Torfaen | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Vale of Glamorgan | New Council | Labour | Details |
| Wrexham | New Council | Labour | Details |
†Council was renamed shortly after election.