Swindon Council election, 2011
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Swindon Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of Swindon
Unitary
Council in Wiltshire
, England
. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party
stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
and 4 for the Liberal Democrats
. 20 of the 59 seats were being contested, with the winners only serving for one year as the 2012 election would see every seat being contested after boundary changes. Since the 2010 election
Labour had gained Moredon in a by-election
and had the independent
, former Conservative, councillor
Steve Wakefield of Toothill and Westlea ward
join the party, both in November 2010.
During the campaign both the national Labour leader Ed Miliband
and the Labour Shadow Works and Pensions Secretary Liam Byrne
visited Swindon to support the local party.
and Nythe, Dorcan and Freshbrook
and Grange Park, which were held by the Conservatives. The Labour victory in Walcot defeated the Conservative cabinet
member Peter Mallinson, with the winning candidate Ellen Osa becoming the first female black councillor
in Swindon. Overall turnout
at the election was 38.26%, ranging from a high of 46.08% in Highworth
to a low of 29.62% in Parks.
The outgoing leader of the Labour group, Derique Montaut, said the results meant that "For Labour it builds us up to a situation where we are moving up to 2012 and taking control of the council". However the Conservative leader of the council, Ron Bluh, said that while "It obviously wasn't one of the better nights", the seats lost had been the "two most marginal seats" and "so there's no great surprise".
Following the election Jim Grant was elected as the new leader of the Labour group on the council, defeating Mark Dempsey and Bob Wright.
Swindon (borough)
The Borough of Swindon is a local government authority in South West England. It is centred on the town of Swindon and forms part of the ceremonial county of Wiltshire...
Unitary
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
Council in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
- ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
38 - LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
17 - Liberal Democrat 4
Background
Before the election the Conservatives controlled the council with 40 seats, compared to 15 for LabourLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
and 4 for the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
. 20 of the 59 seats were being contested, with the winners only serving for one year as the 2012 election would see every seat being contested after boundary changes. Since the 2010 election
Swindon Council election, 2010
The 2010 Swindon Council election took place on 6 May 2010 to elect members of Swindon Unitary Council in Wiltshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council....
Labour had gained Moredon in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
and had the independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
, former Conservative, councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
Steve Wakefield of Toothill and Westlea ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
join the party, both in November 2010.
During the campaign both the national Labour leader Ed Miliband
Ed Miliband
Edward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition...
and the Labour Shadow Works and Pensions Secretary Liam Byrne
Liam Byrne
Liam Dominic Byrne is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Hodge Hill since 2004, and was the Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2009 to 2010 before being appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on 20 January 2011.-Early...
visited Swindon to support the local party.
Election result
The results saw the Conservatives stay in control of the council with 38 seats, but lose 2 seats to Labour, who moved to 17 seats. Labour gained the seats of St Philip and Walcot from the Conservatives, while coming close in Eastcott against the Liberal Democrats and in CovinghamCovingham
Covingham is an urban village and former civil parish in Wiltshire, England, now part of the built-up area of the Borough of Swindon.St Paul's Church, Covingham, is a modern building.-External links:* at british-towns.net...
and Nythe, Dorcan and Freshbrook
Freshbrook
Freshbrook is a suburb in the west of Swindon, UK, located close to junction 16 of the M4 motorway . Most houses in the area are found in cul-de-sacs, except for those on the few main roads Freshbrook has...
and Grange Park, which were held by the Conservatives. The Labour victory in Walcot defeated the Conservative cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
member Peter Mallinson, with the winning candidate Ellen Osa becoming the first female black councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
in Swindon. Overall turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
at the election was 38.26%, ranging from a high of 46.08% in Highworth
Highworth
Highworth is a market town in the unitary authority of Swindon in Wiltshire, England, located about north-east of Swindon town centre. At the 2001 census it had a population of 7,996...
to a low of 29.62% in Parks.
The outgoing leader of the Labour group, Derique Montaut, said the results meant that "For Labour it builds us up to a situation where we are moving up to 2012 and taking control of the council". However the Conservative leader of the council, Ron Bluh, said that while "It obviously wasn't one of the better nights", the seats lost had been the "two most marginal seats" and "so there's no great surprise".
Following the election Jim Grant was elected as the new leader of the Labour group on the council, defeating Mark Dempsey and Bob Wright.