Bristol City Council is the local authority for Bristol, a unitary authority and ceremonial county in England. Until 1 April 1996 it was a non-metropolitan district in Avon. From 2012 until 2024 it also had a directly elected mayor.
Bristol City Council is the local authority for the city of Bristol, in South West England. Bristol has had a council from medieval times, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1996 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. Bristol has also formed its own ceremonial county since 1996. Since 2017 the council has been a member of the West of England Combined Authority.
The city of Bristol, England, is a unitary authority, represented by four MPs representing seats wholly within the city boundaries. The overall trend of both local and national representation became left of centre during the latter 20th century. The city has a tradition of local activism, with environmental issues and sustainable transport being prominent issues in the city.
The 1986 Bristol City Council election took place on 8 May 1986 to elect members of Bristol City Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections. One third of seats in the 1986 Council Elections in the English city of Bristol were up for election. The election in Brislington West was a by-election. There was a small swing away from the Conservatives and Labour regained a majority on the Council, which they kept until 2003.
The 1988 Bristol City Council election took place on 5 May 1988 to elect members of Bristol City Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections. One third of seats were up for election. This was the first election following the merger of the Liberal Party and SDP to form the Social & Liberal Democrats. There were also several candidates representing the continuing SDP. There was a general small swing to Labour.
The 1991 Bristol City Council election took place on 2 May 1991 to elect members of Bristol City Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections. One third of seats were up for election. Two seats were contested in Windmill Hill due to an extra vacancy occurring. There was a general swing against the Conservatives. In Lockleaze, the Labour Party failed to field a candidate because of a nomination papers error.
The 1992 Bristol City Council election took place on 7 May 1992 to elect members of Bristol City Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections. One third of seats were up for election. Two seats were contested in Hartcliffe due to an extra vacancy occurring. The elections were held just weeks after John Major's unexpected 1992 General election victory, and mirroring that result there was a strong swing from Labour to Conservative.
The 1994 Bristol City Council election took place on 5 May 1994 to elect members of Bristol City Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections. One third of seats were up for election. The Bristol Party was formed by Bristol Rovers fans to campaign for a new stadium for the club. There was a general swing from the Conservatives and Greens to the Liberal Democrats, reflecting the beginning of the Conservative decline nationally and also the Liberal Democrat recovery after the merger troubles.
The 1995 Bristol City Council election took place on 4 May 1995 with all seats being up for election, in preparation for Bristol City Council becoming a Unitary Authority following the abolition of Avon County Council. The same ward boundaries were used, however these are elections to a new authority and cannot be considered gains or losses compared to previously held seats.
The 2010 Bristol City Council elections were held on Thursday 6 May 2010, for 23 seats, that being one third of the total number of councillors. The Liberal Democrats, who had won overall control of the council in 2009, increased their majority to six seats.
The 2011 Bristol City Council elections were held on Thursday 5 May 2011, for 24 seats, that being one third of the total number of councillors. The Liberal Democrats, who had won overall control of the council in 2009 and increased their majority in 2010, experienced a drop in support and lost 5 seats; 4 to the Labour Party and 1 to the Green Party, which gained its second ever council seat in Bristol. This meant that the Lib Dems no longer had a majority on the council. However, they continued to run the council, relying on opposition groups to vote through any proposal.
Elections for one third of Bristol City Council were held on 2 May 2013 as part of the 2013 United Kingdom local elections. No party gained overall control of the chamber, although administrative power rested with the Mayor of Bristol, who had been first elected in November 2012
The 2015 Bristol City Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of Bristol City Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections.
The 2016 Bristol City Council election took place on Thursday 5 May 2016, alongside nationwide local elections. Following a boundary review, the number of wards in the city was reduced to 34, with each electing one, two or three Councillors. The overall number of Councillors remained 70, with all seats up for election at the same time. Elections would then be held every 4 years.
The 1999 Bristol City Council election took place on 6 May 1999, on the same day as other local elections. All seats were up for election due to boundary changes, with each ward electing 2 councillors. The total number of seats on the council increased by 2 due to the creation of a new ward: Clifton East.
The 2003 Bristol City Council election took place on 1 May 2003, on the same day as other local elections in the UK. The Labour Party made a number of losses, mainly to the Liberal Democrats, and lost overall control of the council. Loses included Council leader Diane Bunyan, who lost her Windmill Hill seat to the Liberal Democrats. This year also saw elections contested by the new Bristolian Party, founded by the local 'scandal sheet' The Bristolian, though they failed to win any seats.
The 2006 Bristol City Council election took place on 4 May 2006, on the same day as other local elections. The Labour Party continued to lose seats, but the Liberal Democrats failed to gain enough to form an overall majority. This election saw the first election of a Green Councillor to Bristol City Council – the first time four parties had been represented since the Council’s creation.
The 2007 Bristol City Council election took place on 3 May 2007, on the same day as other local elections. The Liberal Democrats lost two seats to Labour, but remained the largest party on the Council. No party gained overall control.
The 2021 Bristol City Council election took place on 6 May 2021 to elect members of Bristol City Council in England. It coincided with nationwide local elections. Voters in the city also voted for the mayor of Bristol, the mayor of the West of England and for Avon and Somerset's police and crime commissioner. The election was originally due to take place in May 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Council elections in Bristol 
