1998 United Kingdom local elections

Last updated

1998 United Kingdom local elections
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
  1997 7 May 1998 1999  

All 32 London boroughs, all 36 metropolitan boroughs,
10 out of 46 unitary authorities and 88 out of 238 English districts
 Majority partyMinority partyThird party
  Tony Blair in 1997.jpg William Hague Foreign Secretary (2010).jpg ASHDOWN Paddy.jpg
Leader Tony Blair William Hague Paddy Ashdown
Party Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats
Leader since21 July 199419 June 199716 July 1988
Percentage38%32%25%
Councils94814
Councils +/-Increase2.svg2Increase2.svg1Decrease2.svg7
Councillors2,2401,085853
Councillors +/-Decrease2.svg88Increase2.svg256Decrease2.svg114

The 1998 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 7 May 1998. [1] [2] All London borough council seats were elected as well a third of the seats on each of the Metropolitan Boroughs. Some unitary authorities and District councils also had elections. There were no local elections in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Contents

These elections took place on the same day as the referendum on establishing the Greater London Authority.

The governing Labour Party, contesting its first national elections since returning to government 12 months previously, enjoyed great success, now having control of 94 councils, with the second placed Liberal Democrats now controlling 14 and the opposition Conservatives (now led by William Hague) a mere eight.

A by-election for the European Parliament was also held in the Yorkshire South constituency; Labour retained the seat.

Summary of results

PartyCouncilsCouncillors
GainLossChangeTotalGainLossChangeTotal
Labour +294-882,240
Liberal Democrats -714-114853
Conservative +18+2561,085
Other0000-57146
No overall control +450

England

London boroughs

In all 32 London boroughs the whole council was up for election.

CouncilPrevious controlResultDetails
Barking and Dagenham Labour Labour hold Details
Barnet No overall control No overall control hold Details
Bexley No overall control No overall control hold Details
Brent No overall control Labour gain Details
Bromley Conservative No overall control gain Details
Camden Labour Labour hold Details
Croydon Labour Labour hold Details
Ealing Labour Labour hold Details
Enfield Labour Labour hold Details
Greenwich Labour Labour hold Details
Hackney No overall control No overall control hold Details
Hammersmith and Fulham Labour Labour hold Details
Haringey Labour Labour hold Details
Harrow No overall control Labour gain Details
Havering No overall control No overall control hold Details
Hillingdon Labour No overall control gain Details
Hounslow Labour Labour hold Details
Islington Labour No overall control gain Details
Kensington and Chelsea Conservative Conservative hold Details
Kingston upon Thames Liberal Democrats No overall control gain Details
Lambeth No overall control Labour gain Details
Lewisham Labour Labour hold Details
Merton Labour Labour hold Details
Newham Labour Labour hold Details
Redbridge No overall control No overall control hold Details
Richmond upon Thames Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrats hold Details
Southwark Labour Labour hold Details
Sutton Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrats hold Details
Tower Hamlets Labour Labour hold Details
Waltham Forest No overall control Labour gain Details
Wandsworth Conservative Conservative hold Details
Westminster Conservative Conservative hold Details

Metropolitan boroughs

All 36 English Metropolitan borough councils had one third of their seats up for election.

CouncilPrevious controlResultDetails
Barnsley Labour Labour hold Details
Birmingham Labour Labour hold Details
Bolton Labour Labour hold Details
Bradford Labour Labour hold Details
Bury Labour Labour hold Details
Calderdale Labour Labour hold Details
Coventry Labour Labour hold Details
Doncaster Labour Labour hold Details
Dudley Labour Labour hold Details
Gateshead Labour Labour hold Details
Kirklees Labour Labour hold Details
Knowsley Labour Labour hold Details
Leeds Labour Labour hold Details
Liverpool Labour Liberal Democrats gain Details
Manchester Labour Labour hold Details
Newcastle upon Tyne Labour Labour hold Details
North Tyneside Labour Labour hold Details
Oldham Labour Labour hold Details
Rochdale Labour Labour hold Details
Rotherham Labour Labour hold Details
Salford Labour Labour hold Details
Sandwell Labour Labour hold Details
Sefton No overall control No overall control hold Details
Sheffield Labour Labour hold Details
Solihull No overall control No overall control hold Details
South Tyneside Labour Labour hold Details
St Helens Labour Labour hold Details
Stockport No overall control No overall control hold Details
Sunderland Labour Labour hold Details
Tameside Labour Labour hold Details
Trafford Labour Labour hold Details
Wakefield Labour Labour hold Details
Walsall No overall control No overall control hold Details
Wigan Labour Labour hold Details
Wirral Labour Labour hold Details
Wolverhampton Labour Labour hold Details

Unitary authorities

Whole council

The whole of the Isle of Wight council was up for election.

CouncilPrevious controlResultDetails
Isle of Wight Liberal Democrats No overall control gain Details

Third of council

In 9 English Unitary authorities one third of the council was up for election.

CouncilPrevious controlResultDetails
Bristol Labour Labour hold Details
Derby Labour Labour hold Details
Hartlepool Labour Labour hold Details
Kingston upon Hull Labour Labour hold Details
Milton Keynes Labour Labour hold Details
Portsmouth Labour Labour hold Details
Southampton Labour Labour hold Details
Stoke-on-Trent Labour Labour hold Details
Swindon Labour Labour hold Details

District councils

In 88 English district authorities one third of the council was up for election.

CouncilPrevious controlResultDetails
Adur Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrats hold Details
Amber Valley Labour Labour hold Details
Barrow-in-Furness Labour Labour hold Details
Basildon Labour Labour hold Details
Basingstoke and Deane No overall control No overall control hold Details
Bassetlaw Labour Labour hold Details
Bedford No overall control No overall control hold Details
Brentwood Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrats hold Details
Broadland No overall control No overall control hold Details
Broxbourne Conservative Conservative hold Details
Burnley Labour Labour hold Details
Cambridge Labour No overall control gain Details
Cannock Chase Labour Labour hold Details
Carlisle Labour Labour hold Details
Cheltenham Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrats hold Details
Cherwell No overall control No overall control hold Details
Chester No overall control No overall control hold Details
Chorley Labour Labour hold Details
Colchester Liberal Democrats No overall control gain Details
Congleton Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrats hold Details
Craven Liberal Democrats No overall control gain Details
Crawley Labour Labour hold Details
Crewe and Nantwich Labour Labour hold Details
Daventry No overall control No overall control hold Details
Eastbourne Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrats hold Details
Eastleigh Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrats hold Details
Ellesmere Port and Neston Labour Labour hold Details
Elmbridge No overall control No overall control hold Details
Epping Forest No overall control No overall control hold Details
Exeter Labour Labour hold Details
Fareham No overall control No overall control hold Details
Gloucester Labour Labour hold Details
Gosport No overall control No overall control hold Details
Great Yarmouth Labour Labour hold Details
Harlow Labour Labour hold Details
Harrogate Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrats hold Details
Hart No overall control No overall control hold Details
Hastings Liberal Democrats Labour gain Details
Havant No overall control No overall control hold Details
Hertsmere Labour Labour hold Details
Huntingdonshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
Hyndburn Labour Labour hold Details
Ipswich Labour Labour hold Details
Lincoln Labour Labour hold Details
Macclesfield Conservative Conservative hold Details
Maidstone No overall control No overall control hold Details
Mole Valley No overall control No overall control hold Details
Newcastle-under-Lyme Labour Labour hold Details
North Hertfordshire Labour Labour hold Details
Norwich Labour Labour hold Details
Nuneaton and Bedworth Labour Labour hold Details
Oxford Labour Labour hold Details
Pendle Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrats hold Details
Penwith No overall control No overall control hold Details
Preston Labour Labour hold Details
Purbeck No overall control No overall control hold Details
Redditch Labour Labour hold Details
Reigate and Banstead No overall control No overall control hold Details
Rochford Liberal Democrats No overall control gain Details
Rossendale Labour Labour hold Details
Rugby No overall control No overall control hold Details
Runnymede No overall control Conservative gain Details
Rushmoor No overall control No overall control hold Details
Shrewsbury and Atcham No overall control No overall control hold Details
South Bedfordshire No overall control No overall control hold Details
South Cambridgeshire No overall control No overall control hold Details
South Lakeland No overall control No overall control hold Details
St Albans Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrats hold Details
Stevenage Labour Labour hold Details
Stratford-on-Avon No overall control No overall control hold Details
Stroud No overall control No overall control hold Details
Swale No overall control No overall control hold Details
Tamworth Labour Labour hold Details
Tandridge No overall control No overall control hold Details
Three Rivers No overall control No overall control hold Details
Tunbridge Wells No overall control Conservative gain Details
Watford Labour Labour hold Details
Waveney Labour Labour hold Details
Welwyn Hatfield Labour Labour hold Details
West Lancashire Labour Labour hold Details
West Lindsey Liberal Democrats No overall control gain Details
West Oxfordshire No overall control No overall control hold Details
Weymouth and Portland No overall control No overall control hold Details
Winchester Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrats hold Details
Woking Liberal Democrats No overall control gain Details
Worcester Labour Labour hold Details
Worthing Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrats hold Details
Wyre Forest Labour Labour hold Details

‡ New ward boundaries

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 United Kingdom local elections</span>

The 2003 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 1 May 2003, the same day as the Scottish Parliamentary and the Welsh Assembly elections. There were local elections for all councils in Scotland and in most of England. There were no local elections in Wales, Northern Ireland or London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 United Kingdom local elections</span>

The 1999 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 6 May 1999. All Scottish and Welsh unitary authorities had all their seats elected. In England a third of the seats on each of the Metropolitan Boroughs were elected along with elections in many of the unitary authorities and district councils. There were no local elections in Northern Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 United Kingdom local elections</span>

The 2000 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 4 May 2000. A third of the seats on each of the Metropolitan Boroughs were elected along with elections in many of the unitary authorities and district councils. There were no elections in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. On the same day, a parliamentary by-election took place in the Romsey constituency in southern England; the Liberal Democrats won the seat from the Conservatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 United Kingdom local elections</span>

The 2002 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 2 May 2002. All London borough council seats were elected as well a third of the seats on each of the Metropolitan Boroughs. Many unitary Authorities and District councils also had elections. There were no local elections in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. This was the last time that Labour was the majority in local government until 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1995 United Kingdom local elections</span>

The 1995 United Kingdom local elections took place on Thursday 6 April 1995 in Scotland, and Thursday 4 May 1995 in England and Wales. The Conservative Party lost over 2,000 councillors in the election, while the Labour Party won 48% of the vote, a record high for the party in local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 United Kingdom local elections</span>

The 2006 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 4 May 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 United Kingdom local elections</span>

The 2007 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 3 May 2007. These elections took place in most of England and all of Scotland. There were no local government elections in Wales though the Welsh Assembly had a general election on the same day. There were no local government elections in Northern Ireland. Just over half of English councils and almost all the Scottish councils began the counts on Friday, rather than Thursday night, because of more complex arrangements regarding postal votes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 United Kingdom local elections</span>

The 2008 United Kingdom local elections were held on 1 May 2008. These elections took place in 137 English Local Authorities and all Welsh Councils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997 United Kingdom local elections</span>

The 1997 United Kingdom local elections took place on Thursday 1 May 1997 in England, and Thursday 21 May 1997 in Northern Ireland. Elections took place for all of the English country councils, some English unitary authorities and all of the Northern Ireland districts. The local elections were held on the same day as the 1997 general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 United Kingdom local elections</span>

The 2010 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 6 May 2010, concurrently with the 2010 general election. Direct elections were held to all 32 London boroughs, all 36 metropolitan boroughs, 76 second-tier district authorities, 20 unitary authorities and various Mayoral posts, all in England. For those authorities elected "all out" these were the first elections since 2006. The results provided some comfort to the Labour Party, losing the general election on the same day, as it was the first time Conservative councillor numbers declined since 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 United Kingdom local elections</span>

The 2011 United Kingdom local elections was held on Thursday May 5. In England, direct elections were held in all 36 Metropolitan boroughs, 194 Second-tier district authorities, 49 unitary authorities and various mayoral posts, meaning local elections took place in all parts of England with the exception of seven unitary authorities, and seven districts and boroughs. For the majority of English districts and the 25 unitary authorities that are elected "all out" these were the first elections since 2007. In Northern Ireland, there were elections to all 26 local councils. Elections also took place to most English parish councils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 United Kingdom local elections</span>

The 1994 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 5 May 1994. The results showed a continued decline for the governing Conservatives — who were now in their 15th successive year of government at Westminster — with the third-placed party, the Liberal Democrats, as the main beneficiaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1991 United Kingdom local elections</span>

The 1991 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 2 May 1991. The results were a setback for the governing Conservative Party, who were left with their lowest number of councillors since 1973, though their popular vote was an improvement from the 1990 local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 United Kingdom local elections</span> Elections that were held across England, Scotland and Wales

The 2012 United Kingdom local elections were held across England, Scotland and Wales on 3 May 2012. Elections were held in 128 English local authorities, all 32 Scottish local authorities and 21 of the 22 Welsh unitary authorities, alongside three mayoral elections including the London mayoralty and the London Assembly. Referendums were also held in 11 English cities to determine whether or not to introduce directly elected mayors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 United Kingdom local elections</span>

The 2013 United Kingdom local elections took place on Thursday 2 May 2013. Elections were held in 35 English councils: all 27 non-metropolitan county councils and eight unitary authorities, and in one Welsh unitary authority. Direct mayoral elections took place in Doncaster and North Tyneside. These elections last took place on the 4 June 2009 at the same time as the 2009 European Parliament Elections, except for County Durham, Northumberland and the Anglesey where elections last took place in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 United Kingdom local elections</span>

The 2014 United Kingdom local elections were held on 22 May 2014. Usually these elections are held on the first Thursday in May but were postponed to coincide with the 2014 European Parliament Elections. Direct elections were held for all 32 London boroughs, all 36 metropolitan boroughs, 74 district/borough councils, 19 unitary authorities and various mayoral posts in England and elections to the new councils in Northern Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 United Kingdom local elections</span>

The 2015 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 7 May 2015, the same day as the general election for the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United Kingdom local elections</span>

The 2016 United Kingdom local elections held on Thursday 5 May 2016 were a series of local elections which were held in 124 local councils and also saw 4 mayoral elections in England which also coincided with elections to the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the London Assembly, the London mayoral election and the England and Wales Police and crime commissioners. By-elections for the Westminster seats of Ogmore and Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough were also held. These proved to be David Cameron's last local elections as leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister as he resigned two months later following the defeat of Remain in the referendum on Britain's continuing membership of the European Union which was held seven weeks later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 United Kingdom local elections</span> Elections to local councils and mayoralties

The 2021 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 6 May 2021. More than 145 English local councils, around 5,000 councillor seats, thirteen directly elected mayors in England, and 39 police and crime commissioners in England and Wales were contested. On the same day, the 2021 Hartlepool by-election took place, and there were also elections to the Scottish Parliament, Senedd and London Assembly, the last in conjunction with the London mayoral election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United Kingdom local elections</span> Elections to local councils and mayoralties

The 2022 United Kingdom local elections took place on Thursday 5 May 2022. These included elections for all London borough councils, for all local authorities in Wales and Scotland. Most seats in England were last up for election in 2018 and in Scotland and Wales in 2017. The elections coincided with the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election. In 91 cases, most of them in Wales, council seats were uncontested, each having only one candidate. Three seats in Scotland remained unfilled as no one nominated to fill them.

References

  1. Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1998 (PDF). Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  2. "Council compositions". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.