Bedford Borough Council elections

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Bedford Borough Council is the local authority for the unitary authority of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England. Until 1 April 2009 it was a non-metropolitan district. Since 2002 it has also had a directly elected mayor.

Contents

Council elections

Composition of the council [1]
Year Conservative Labour Liberal Democrats [a] Green [b] Independents
& Others		Council control
after election
Local government reorganisation; council established (56 seats)
1973 20222–12No overall control
1976 349607Conservative
1979 3610703Conservative
New ward boundaries (53 seats) [2]
1983 329903Conservative
1984 31111001Conservative
1986 23141501No overall control
1987 26121401No overall control
1988 25131401No overall control
1990 24151301No overall control
1991 [3] 21161303No overall control
1992 25151003No overall control
1994 22161104No overall control
1995 16201205No overall control
1996 10221605No overall control
1998 9221507No overall control
1999 9191807No overall control
2000 13181606No overall control
New ward boundaries (54 seats) [4]
2002 25141104No overall control
2003 181312011No overall control
2004 161513010No overall control
2006 171215010No overall control
2007 19121607No overall control
Bedford becomes a unitary authority (39 seats) [5]
2009 971307No overall control
New ward boundaries (40 seats)
2011 12121204No overall control
2015 1514902No overall control
2019 11111521No overall control
New ward boundaries (46 seats)
2023 13141333 [c] No overall control

Results maps

Mayoral elections

Bedford held a referendum on 21 February 2002 on whether to introduce a directly elected mayor after a petition was signed by at least 5% of the electorate. The move was approved with 11,316 voting in favour and 5,357 against on a turnout of 15.5%. [6] The first mayoral election on 17 October 2002 saw independent Frank Branston elected as mayor. [7]

2007

In 2007 Frank Branston was re-elected as mayor.

Bedford Mayoral Election Results 2007
NameParty1st Preference Votes%2nd Preference Votes¹%Final%²
Frank Branston Better Bedford Independent 15,9663,73219,698
Nicky Attenborough Conservative 10,7102,60313,313
Christine McHugh Lib Dem 10,553N/A
Randolph Charles Labour 4,758N/A
Justina McLennan Green 1,538N/A

¹Using the Supplementary Vote system.

²Percentage figures are not officially used on the final votes, they are produced here for illustration and are calculated by the candidates final vote divided by the total of final votes.

2009

A by-election for Mayor of Bedford took place on 15 October 2009 after the death of the previous incumbent, Frank Branston in August 2009. [8] The election was won by the Liberal Democrat, Dave Hodgson. [8]

Bedford Mayoral Election Results 2009 [9]
NameParty1st Preference Votes%2nd Preference Votes%Final%
Dave Hodgson Liberal Democrat 9,42826.84,12713,55554.0
Parvez Akhtar Conservative 9,10525.92,43811,54346.0
Apu Bagchi Independent 7,63121.7N/A
Tony Hare Independent 4,31612.3N/A
James Valentine Labour 3,4829.9N/A
Eve Morley Green Party 1,1833.4N/A

2011

Bedford Mayoral Election 5 May 2011 [10]
PartyCandidate1st round2nd round1st round votesTransfer votes, 2nd round
TotalOf roundTransfersTotalOf round
Liberal Democrats Dave Hodgson 19,96637.7%4,32524,29155.7%
​​
Conservative John Guthrie17,50133.0%1,82419,32544.3%
​​
Labour Michelle Harris11,19721.1%
​​
Independent Tony Hare3,1335.9%
​​
Green Greg Paszynski1,2112.3%
​​
Liberal Democrats hold

2015

Bedford Mayoral Election 7 May 2015 [11]
PartyCandidate1st round2nd round1st round votesTransfer votes, 2nd round
TotalOf roundTransfersTotalOf round
Liberal Democrats Dave Hodgson 25,28231.4%10,02035,30257.1%
​​
Conservative Jas Parmar19,41724.1%7,09626,51342.9%
​​
Labour Tim Douglas15,93119.8%
​​
Independent Steve Lowe12,88316.0%
​​
UKIP Adrian Haynes7,0608.8%
​​
Liberal Democrats hold

2019

Bedford Mayoral Election 2 May 2019 [12] [13]
PartyCandidate1st round2nd round1st round votesTransfer votes, 2nd round
TotalOf roundTransfersTotalOf round
Liberal Democrats Dave Hodgson 17,59636.0%3,82021,41654.2%
​​
Conservative Giovanni Carafano15,77832.3%2,32718,10545.8%
​​
Labour Co-op Jenni Jackson9,67719.8%
​​
Green Adrian Spurrell3,2396.6%
​​
UKIP Adrian Haynes2,6275.4%
​​
Liberal Democrats hold

2023

Bedford Mayoral Election 4 May 2023 [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Tom Wootton 15,747 33.1 Increase2.svg0.8
Liberal Democrats Dave Hodgson 15,60232.8Decrease2.svg3.2
Labour Saqib Ali11,56824.3Increase2.svg4.5
Green Adrian Spurrell3,7958.0Increase2.svg1.4
Heritage Alberto Thomas8871.9New
Majority 1450.3
Turnout 47,599
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

By-election results

1998-2002

Kingsbrook By-Election 8 April 1999
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Dan Rogerson 1,043 53.0 +32.0
Labour Michael Webb81641.5−21.9
Conservative Janet Suter1085.5−10.1
Majority 22711.5
Turnout 1,967
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing

2009-2011

Kingsbrook By-Election 10 December 2009 [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Andrew Gerard 661 49.4 +3.1
Labour James Saunders37027.6+3.5
Conservative Adam Pritchard15011.2−9.2
Independent Tony Hare856.3+6.3
Independent Patrick O'Rourke735.5+5.5
Majority 29111.8
Turnout 1,33918.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Kempston North By-Election 24 June 2010 [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Shan Hunt 715 52.1
Conservative Martin Quince38428.0
Liberal Democrats Ant Caprioli27219.8
Majority 33124.1
Turnout 1,37133.2
Labour hold Swing

2011-2015

Putnoe By-Election 22 May 2014 [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Rosemary Bootiman 1,364 46.3
Conservative Susan Spratt70724.0
UKIP Adrian Haynes41214.0
Labour Graham Tranquada36712.5
Green Ben Fitch943.2
Majority 65722.3
Turnout 2,944
Registered electors 2,860
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

2023-2027

Wyboston By-Election 29 June 2023 [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Julie Cox 610 63.1 –12.9
Liberal Democrats Thomas Townsend32333.4+19.9
Labour Ian Nicholls343.5–7.0
Majority 28729.7
Turnout 967
Conservative hold Swing
Riverfield By-Election 2 May 2024 [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Hilde Hendrickx 579 57.3 +1.9
Conservative Natalie Christian-John24924.7+1.1
Labour Warwick Mackie13012.9−2.2
Green Emma Smart525.1−0.8
Majority 33032.7
Turnout 1,010
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Wyboston By-Election 4 July 2024 [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Sharan Sira 1,096 58.1 −5.0
Liberal Democrats Susan Henchley51527.3−6.1
Green Richard Baker27714.7+14.7
Majority 58130.8
Turnout 1,888
Conservative hold Swing

European Union Membership Referendum 2016

The electorate of Bedford Borough voted by a margin of 51.8% to 48.2% (on a 72.1% turnout) [21] to leave the European Union during the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum (reflecting the national picture). The Kingsbrook ward voted most heavily in favour of Leave (60.71%), while the Queen's Park ward voted most strongly for Remain (57.66%). Other areas of Bedford to favour Remain were Bromham and Biddenham, Castle, De Parys, Harpur, Kempston Rural, Newnham, Oakley and Sharnbrook. [22]

DistrictVotesProportion of votes
RemainLeaveRemainLeave
Brickhill 2,0002,09248.88%51.12%
Bromham and Biddenham 2,1381,99651.72%48.28%
Castle 1,8351,36657.33%42.67%
Cauldwell 1,3221,88041.29%58.71%
Clapham 1,2561,73142.05%57.95%
De Parys 1,6831,30256.38%43.62%
Eastcotts 1,1111,32245.66%54.34%
Elstow and Stewartby 1,4061,67745.60%54.40%
Goldington 1,5752,06243.30%56.70%
Great Barford 1,9872,28246.54%53.46%
Harpur 1,8371,39856.7943.21%
Harrold 1,2951,31649.60%50.40%
Kempston Central and East 1,6642,08044.44%55.56%
Kempston North 1,1531,40645.06%54.94%
Kempston Rural 2,0661,88952.24%47.76%
Kempston South 1,1701,62441.88%58.12%
Kempston West 1,4331,74745.06%54.94%
Kingsbrook 1,3742,12339.29%60.71%
Newnham 1,9621,63454.56%45.44%
Oakley 1,2691,15852.29%47.71%
Putnoe 1,8182,02847.27%52.73%
Queens Park 1,5731,15557.66%42.34%
Riseley 1,1731,28247.78%52.22%
Sharnbrook 1,4251,20054.29%45.71%
Wilshamstead 1,3001,66143.90%56.10%
Wootton 1,6491,89146.58%53.42%
Wyboston 1,0231,26844.65%55.35%

Notes

  1. ↑ Includes totals for the predecessors of the Liberal Democrats, the Liberal Party and SDP (both of which participated in the Alliance).
  2. ↑ Includes totals for the predecessors of the Green Party of England and Wales, the Ecology Party and Green Party UK.
  3. ↑ Including 1 vacant seat.

References

  1. ↑ "Composition calculator". Colin Rallings & Michael Thrasher . The Elections Centre, Plymouth University . Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  2. ↑ The District of North Bedfordshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1979
  3. ↑ legislation.gov.uk – The Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire (County Boundaries) Order 1991. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
  4. ↑ legislation.gov.uk – The Borough of Bedford (Electoral Changes) Order 2001. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
  5. ↑ "Council Elections". Bedford Borough Council. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
  6. ↑ Parker, Simon (22 February 2002). "Bedford wants a mayor". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
  7. ↑ Sherman, Jill (19 October 2002). "Maverick mayors add to Labour's embarrassment". The Times . London. Retrieved 11 December 2009.[ dead link ]
  8. 1 2 "Lib Dems claim victory in Bedford mayor race". 24dash.com. 16 October 2009. Archived from the original on 20 October 2009. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  9. ↑ "Lib Dem Dave Hodgson is the new Mayor of Bedford". Bedfordshire on Sunday. 16 October 2009. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  10. ↑ "Bedford Borough Council Mayoral Election". Bedford Borough Council. 5 May 2011. Archived from the original on 30 August 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  11. ↑ "Bedford Borough Council Mayoral Election". Bedford Borough Council. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  12. ↑ "STATEMENT AS TO FIRST AND SECOND PREFERENCE VOTES" (PDF). Bedford Borough Council. Bedford Borough Council. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  13. ↑ P J Simpkins (4 April 2019). "Statement of Persons Nominated" (PDF). Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  14. ↑ "Election results - 4 May 2023 | Bedford Borough Council".
  15. ↑ "Huge boost for Labour in latest council by-elections". 24dash.com. 11 December 2009. Archived from the original on 16 December 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
  16. ↑ "Kempston North By-Election Result". Bedford Borough Council. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  17. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Putnoe Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  18. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Wyboston Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  19. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Riverfield Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  20. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Wyboston Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  21. ↑ "EU Referendum local results – B – BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  22. ↑ "BBC EU Referendum ward level data". BBC News. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
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