Bedfordshire County Council elections
Bedfordshire County Council was elected every four years. Luton was administered by the county council until 1997, when it became a unitary authority. Bedfordshire County Council was abolished in 2009, when unitary councils were introduced across the rest of Bedfordshire. Services which prior to 2009 were provided by Bedfordshire County Council are now provided by either Bedford Borough Council or Central Bedfordshire Council.
Results
[edit]The county council was created in 1889, with elections held every three years (except during the World Wars). Significant reforms in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 saw a new council elected in 1973 which took office from 1 April 1974 when those reforms came into effect. The election results (excluding by-elections) from 1973 until the council's abolition were as follows:[1]
| Year | Seats | Conservative | Labour | Liberal Democrats[a] | Independent / other | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 83 | 32 | 39 | 9 | 3 | |
| 1977 | 83 | 75 | 5 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1981 | 83 | 40 | 34 | 8 | 1 | |
| 1985 | 73 | 30 | 29 | 14 | 0 | New division boundaries.[2] |
| 1989 | 73 | 35 | 27 | 11 | 0 | |
| 1993 | 73 | 28 | 31 | 13 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 49 | 25 | 14 | 10 | 0 | Luton removed from county council's area.[3] |
| 2001 | 49 | 26 | 13 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 52 | 36 | 7 | 9 | 0 | New division boundaries.[4] |
- ^ Includes Liberal Party and Social Democratic Party pre-1988.
Council elections
[edit]- 1973 Bedfordshire County Council election
- 1977 Bedfordshire County Council election
- 1981 Bedfordshire County Council election
- 1985 Bedfordshire County Council election
- 1989 Bedfordshire County Council election
- 1993 Bedfordshire County Council election
- 1997 Bedfordshire County Council election
- 2001 Bedfordshire County Council election
- 2005 Bedfordshire County Council election
By-election results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 1,280 | 57.9 | +3.2 | ||
| Labour | 673 | 30.4 | +2.6 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | 259 | 11.7 | −5.8 | ||
| Majority | 607 | 47.3 | |||
| Turnout | 2,212 | 40.0 | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | 681 | 47.8 | −4.2 | ||
| Conservative | 411 | 28.8 | −19.2 | ||
| Independent | 333 | 23.4 | +23.4 | ||
| Majority | 270 | 19.0 | |||
| Turnout | 1,425 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Tom Wootton | 1,001 | 69.3 | +11.4 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 318 | 22.0 | +6.9 | ||
| Labour | 84 | 5.8 | −11.2 | ||
| Green | Ben Foley | 41 | 2.8 | +2.8 | |
| Majority | 683 | 47.3 | |||
| Turnout | 1,444 | 23.5 | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 679 | 70.3 | +20.7 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | 287 | 29.7 | +13.2 | ||
| Majority | 392 | 40.6 | |||
| Turnout | 966 | 20.1 | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
References
[edit]- ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ "The County of Bedfordshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1985", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1985/140, retrieved 21 October 2024
- ^ "The Bedfordshire (Borough of Luton) (Structural Change) Order 1995", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1995/1776, retrieved 21 October 2024
- ^ "The County of Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2004", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2004/3245, retrieved 21 October 2024
