UK local elections, 2004
|
|
The British local elections of 2004 were held on the tenth of June, as part of the 2004 set of elections along with the European elections and the London mayoral and Assembly elections.
About the elections
The councils of all the metropolitan boroughs in England and all the counties and county boroughs of Wales were all up for re-election, along with many other district and unitary authorities throughout England. No local elections were held in Scotland.
They were the first since the election of Michael Howard to the leadership of the Conservative Party. Howard was looking for a good result in the election to confirm that the Conservatives were back on the road to being able to seriously consider winning the next general election.
Early results confirmed that the Labour Party was having a bad time. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said that "Iraq was a cloud, or indeed a shadow, over these elections. I am not saying we haven't had a kicking. It's not a great day for Labour".
However the Conservatives were not making many of the gains that would have indicated a complete change of electoral fortune. According to BBC projections, the equivalent national share of the vote would be 38% to the Conservatives, 29% to the Liberal Democrats and 26% to Labour. For one of the two major parties to come third in local elections was unheard of in the post-1945 period, let alone for a governing party with such a large majority to come third.
Even in the North, Labour's traditional heartland, Labour did not do too well, losing control of Doncaster, Leeds, Newcastle and St Helens. However, they did pick up several councils, notably Caerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taff from Plaid Cymru in Wales.
Despite an increase in their vote and number of councillors, the Liberal Democrats saw a net loss of councils to NOC. The loss to the Conservatives of Eastbourne was in a single-seat by-election. This was partially offset by victories in Newcastle and Pendle.
Results
* Note: NOC (No Overall Control) indicates no party had a majority within that council
| Council | Former control | New control | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adur | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Amber Valley | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Anglesey | Independent | Independent | Unitary |
| Barnsley | Labour | Labour | Metropolitan |
| Barrow-in-Furness | Labour | Labour | District |
| Basildon | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Basingstoke and Deane | NOC | NOC | District |
| Bassetlaw | Labour | NOC | District |
| Bedford | NOC | NOC | District |
| Birmingham | NOC | NOC | Metropolitan |
| Blackburn with Darwen | Labour | Labour | Unitary |
| Blaenau Gwent | Labour | Labour | Unitary |
| Bolton | Labour | Labour | Metropolitan |
| Bradford | NOC | NOC | Metropolitan |
| Brentwood | NOC | Conservative | District |
| Bridgend | Labour | NOC | Unitary |
| Broadland | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Broxbourne | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Burnley | Labour | NOC | District |
| Bury | Labour | Labour | Metropolitan |
| Caerphilly | Plaid Cymru | Labour | Unitary |
| Calderdale | NOC | NOC | Metropolitan |
| Cambridge | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats | District |
| Cannock Chase | NOC | NOC | District |
| Cardiff | Labour | NOC | Unitary |
| Carlisle | NOC | NOC | District |
| Carmarthenshire | NOC | NOC | Unitary |
| Castle Point | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Ceredigion | Independent | NOC | Unitary |
| Cheltenham | Liberal Democrat | NOC | District |
| Cherwell | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Chester | NOC | NOC | District |
| Chorley | NOC | NOC | District |
| Colchester | NOC | NOC | District |
| Congleton | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Conwy | NOC | NOC | Unitary |
| Coventry | NOC | NOC | Metropolitan |
| Craven | NOC | NOC | District |
| Crawley | Labour | Labour | District |
| Crewe and Nantwich | NOC | NOC | District |
| Daventry | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Denbighshire | Other | NOC | Unitary |
| Derby | NOC | NOC | Unitary |
| Doncaster | Labour | NOC | Metropolitan |
| Dudley | NOC | Conservative | Metropolitan |
| Eastbourne | Liberal Democrats | Conservative | District |
| Eastleigh | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats | District |
| Ellesmere Port and Neston | Labour | Labour | District |
| Elmbridge | Other | Other | District |
| Epping Forest (district) | NOC | NOC | District |
| Exeter | NOC | NOC | District |
| Fareham | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Flintshire | Labour | Labour | Unitary |
| Gateshead | Labour | Labour | Metropolitan |
| Gloucester | NOC | NOC | District |
| Gosport | NOC | NOC | District |
| Great Yarmouth | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Gwynedd | Plaid Cymru | Plaid Cymru | Unitary |
| Halton | Labour | Labour | Unitary |
| Harlow | NOC | NOC | District |
| Harrogate | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Hart | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Hartlepool | NOC | Labour | Unitary |
| Hastings | Labour | NOC | District |
| Havant | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Hertsmere | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Huntingdonshire | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Hyndburn | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Ipswich | Labour | NOC | District |
| Kingston-upon-Hull | NOC | NOC | Unitary |
| Kirklees | NOC | NOC | Metropolitan |
| Knowsley | Labour | Labour | Metropolitan |
| Leeds | Labour | NOC | Metropolitan |
| Lincoln | Labour | Labour | District |
| Liverpool | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats | Metropolitan |
| Macclesfield | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Maidstone | NOC | NOC | District |
| Manchester | Labour | Labour | Metropolitan |
| Merthyr Tydfil | NOC | Labour | Unitary |
| Milton Keynes | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats | Unitary |
| Mole Valley | NOC | NOC | District |
| Monmouthshire | NOC | Conservative | Unitary |
| Neath Port Talbot | Labour | Labour | Unitary |
| Newcastle-under-Lyme | NOC | Labour | District |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | Labour | Liberal Democrats | Metropolitan |
| Newport | Labour | Labour | Unitary |
| North East Lincolnshire | NOC | NOC | Unitary |
| North Hertfordshire | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| North Tyneside | NOC | NOC | Metropolitan |
| Norwich | Liberal Democrats | NOC | District |
| Nuneaton and Bedworth | Labour | Labour | District |
| Oldham | Labour | Labour | Metropolitan |
| Oxford | Labour | NOC | District |
| Pembrokeshire | Other | Other | Unitary |
| Pendle | NOC | Liberal Democrats | District |
| Penwith | NOC | NOC | District |
| Peterborough | NOC | Conservative | Unitary |
| Plymouth | Labour | Labour | District |
| Portsmouth | NOC | NOC | Unitary |
| Powys | Other | Other | Unitary |
| Preston | NOC | NOC | District |
| Purbeck | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Reading | Labour | Labour | Unitary |
| Redditch | NOC | Labour | District |
| Reigate and Banstead | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Rhondda Cynon Taff | Plaid Cymru | Labour | Unitary |
| Rochdale | NOC | NOC | Metropolitan |
| Rochford | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Rossendale | NOC | Conservative | District |
| Rotherham | Labour | Labour | Metropolitan |
| Rugby | NOC | NOC | District |
| Runnymede | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Rushmoor | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Salford | Labour | Labour | Metropolitan |
| Sandwell | Labour | Labour | Metropolitan |
| Sefton | NOC | NOC | Metropolitan |
| Sheffield | Labour | Labour | Metropolitan |
| Shrewsbury and Atcham | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Slough | Labour | NOC | Unitary |
| Solihull | Conservative | Conservative | Metropolitan |
| South Bedfordshire | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| South Cambridgeshire | NOC | NOC | District |
| South Lakeland | NOC | NOC | District |
| South Tyneside | Labour | Labour | Metropolitan |
| Southampton | NOC | NOC | Unitary |
| Southend-on-Sea | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| St Albans | NOC | NOC | District |
| St Helens | Labour | NOC | Metropolitan |
| Stevenage | Labour | Labour | District |
| Stockport | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats | Metropolitan |
| Stoke-on-Trent | NOC | Labour | Unitary |
| Stratford-on-Avon | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Stroud | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Sunderland | Labour | Labour | Metropolitan |
| Swale | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Swansea | Labour | NOC | Unitary |
| Swindon | NOC | Conservative | Unitary |
| Tameside | Labour | Labour | Metropolitan |
| Tamworth | Labour | Conservative | District |
| Tandridge | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Three Rivers | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats | District |
| Thurrock | Labour | Conservative | Unitary |
| Torfaen | Labour | Labour | Unitary |
| Trafford | NOC | Conservative | Metropolitan |
| Tunbridge Wells | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Vale of Glamorgan | NOC | NOC | Unitary |
| Wakefield | Labour | Labour | Metropolitan |
| Walsall | NOC | Conservative | Metropolitan |
| Warrington | Labour | Labour | Unitary |
| Watford | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats | District |
| Waveney | NOC | NOC | District |
| Welwyn Hatfield | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| West Lancashire | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| West Lindsey | NOC | Conservative | District |
| West Oxfordshire | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Weymouth and Portland | NOC | NOC | District |
| Wigan | Labour | Labour | Metropolitan |
| Winchester | Liberal Democrats | NOC | District |
| Wirral | NOC | NOC | Metropolitan |
| Woking | NOC | NOC | District |
| Wokingham | Conservative | Conservative | Unitary |
| Wolverhampton | Labour | Labour | Metropolitan |
| Worcester | Conservative | Conservative | District |
| Worthing | NOC | Conservative | District |
| Wrexham | NOC | NOC | Unitary |
| Wyre Forest | NOC | NOC | District |