Durham City Council elections

Durham City Council elections were generally held every four years between the reforms of 1974 and the council's abolition in 2009. Durham was a non-metropolitan district in County Durham, England. On 1 April 2009 the council's functions passed to Durham County Council, which became a unitary authority.

Political control

From 1836 to 1974 the city of Durham was a municipal borough, sometimes called "Durham and Framwelgate". Under the Local Government Act 1972 it had its territory enlarged and became a non-metropolitan district.[1][2][3][4]

The first election to the reconstituted city council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its revised powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council from 1974 until its abolition in 2009 was as follows:[5]

Party in control Years
Labour 1974–1979
No overall control 1979–1983
Labour 1983–2003
Liberal Democrats 2003–2009

Leadership

The leaders of the council from 2003 until its abolition in 2009 were:

Councillor Party From To
Maurice Crathorne[6] Labour May 2003
Sue Pitts[7][8] Liberal Democrats 20 May 2003 2004
Fraser Reynolds[8][9] Liberal Democrats 2004 2009

Council elections

Election Labour Liberal Democrat[a] Conservative Independent Total Notes
1973[10] 40 7 0 14 61
1976[11] 34 10 0 17[b] 61
1979[12] 24 7 4 14 49 New ward boundaries[13]
1983[14] 27 9[c] 2 11[d] 49
1987[15] 26 14[e] 0 9[f] 49 City boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same[16][17]
1991[18] 28 15 0 6 49
1995[19] 38 7 0 4 49 City boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same[20][21]
1999[22] 33 13 0 3 49
2003[23] 17 30 0 3 50 New ward boundaries[24]
2007[25] 17 30 0 3 50

Results maps

  • 2003 results map
  • 2007 results map

By-election results

The following is an incomplete list of by-elections to Durham City Council.

1995-1999

Deerness By-Election 22 May 1997
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 561 64.2
Independent 259 29.6
Liberal Democrats 54 6.2
Majority 302 34.6
Turnout 874 31.0
Labour hold Swing

1999-2003

Pelaw By-Election 12 December 2002
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 239 51.7 −20.9
Liberal Democrats 223 48.3 +20.9
Majority 16 3.4
Turnout 462 29.0
Labour hold Swing

2003-2007

Brandon By-Election 11 December 2003
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 645 59.5 −8.6
Liberal Democrats 396 36.5 +4.6
Conservative 43 4.0 +4.0
Majority 249 23.0
Turnout 1,084 23.4
Labour hold Swing
Belmont By-Election 16 December 2004
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 364 46.1 −4.5
Independent 244 30.9 +1.6
Labour 119 15.1 +0.1
Conservative 63 8.0 +2.9
Majority 120 15.2
Turnout 790 26.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Newton Hall North By-Election 3 February 2005
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Amanda Hopgood 740 70.7 −9.4
Labour 180 17.2 −2.7
Conservative 65 6.2 +6.2
Independent 62 5.9 +5.9
Majority 560 53.5
Turnout 1,047 39.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Carrville and Gilesgate Moor By-Election 5 May 2005
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Les Thomson 1,618 54.1
Labour 1,141 38.2
Conservative 229 7.7
Majority 477 53.5
Turnout 2,988 69.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Coxhoe By-Election 5 May 2005
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Hepplewhite 1,947 69.3
Liberal Democrats 640 22.8
Conservative 221 7.9
Majority 1,307 46.5
Turnout 2,808 64.6
Labour hold Swing
Shadforth & Sherburn By-Election 6 April 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Brian Colledge 658 48.7 −5.1
Labour Angela Leary 625 46.3 +15.2
Conservative Carolyn Smith 67 5.0 +5.0
Majority 33 2.4
Turnout 1,350 35.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Notes

  1. ^ Liberal Party prior to 1983, SDP-Liberal Alliance in 1983 and 1987.
  2. ^ Including one Independent Labour
  3. ^ 5 Liberal, 4 SDP
  4. ^ Including one Independent Labour
  5. ^ 5 Liberal, 9 SDP
  6. ^ Including three Independent Labour

References

  1. ^ "Durham Municipal Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 July 2022
  3. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 13 August 2022
  4. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 13 August 2022
  5. ^ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Durham" in search box to see specific results.)
  6. ^ "Leader defends record". Northern Echo. 8 May 2003. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  7. ^ "Council leader stops contracts". Sunderland Echo. 3 May 2003. p. 3. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Cancer news forces civic leader to resign". Northern Echo. 5 November 2004. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  9. ^ "North-east housing development enters construction phase". Ushaw Moor Community Site. 13 January 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  10. ^ "Final poll result may lie with Independents". The Times. 8 June 1973.
  11. ^ "Heavy Labour losses in district polls". The Times. 8 May 1976.
  12. ^ Local elections in Britain: a statistical digest, edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher. 1993
  13. ^ The City of Durham (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1978
  14. ^ "How votes were cast in local government elections". The Times. 7 May 1983. p. 4.
  15. ^ "Results in Thursday's local elections". The Times. 9 May 1987.
  16. ^ The Durham and Easington (Areas) Order 1985
  17. ^ The Durham (District Boundaries) Order 1986
  18. ^ "Complete round-up of results from Thursday's local council elections". The Times. 4 May 1991.
  19. ^ "Complete list of results from Thursday's council elections". The Times. 6 May 1995. p. 10.
  20. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Durham and Tyne and Wear (County and District Boundaries) Order 1992. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
  21. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Durham and Tyne and Wear (County and District Boundaries) (Variation) Order 1993. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
  22. ^ "Durham City". BBC News. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  23. ^ "Durham City". BBC News. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  24. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The City of Durham (Electoral Changes) Order 1999. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
  25. ^ "Durham". BBC News. 5 May 2007. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
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