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.
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]
In 2007 Frank Branston was re-elected as mayor.
Bedford Mayoral Election Results 2007 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Party | 1st Preference Votes | % | 2nd Preference Votes¹ | % | Final | %² | |
Frank Branston | Better Bedford Independent | 15,966 | 3,732 | 19,698 | ||||
Nicky Attenborough | Conservative | 10,710 | 2,603 | 13,313 | ||||
Christine McHugh | Lib Dem | 10,553 | N/A | |||||
Randolph Charles | Labour | 4,758 | N/A | |||||
Justina McLennan | Green | 1,538 | N/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.
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] | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Party | 1st Preference Votes | % | 2nd Preference Votes | % | Final | % | |
Dave Hodgson | Liberal Democrat | 9,428 | 26.8 | 4,127 | 13,555 | 54.0 | ||
Parvez Akhtar | Conservative | 9,105 | 25.9 | 2,438 | 11,543 | 46.0 | ||
Apu Bagchi | Independent | 7,631 | 21.7 | N/A | ||||
Tony Hare | Independent | 4,316 | 12.3 | N/A | ||||
James Valentine | Labour | 3,482 | 9.9 | N/A | ||||
Eve Morley | Green Party | 1,183 | 3.4 | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Dan Rogerson | 1,043 | 53.0 | +32.0 | |
Labour | Michael Webb | 816 | 41.5 | -21.9 | |
Conservative | Janet Suter | 108 | 5.5 | -10.1 | |
Majority | 227 | 11.5 | |||
Turnout | 1,967 | ||||
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Andrew Gerard | 661 | 49.4 | +3.1 | |
Labour | James Saunders | 370 | 27.6 | +3.5 | |
Conservative | Adam Pritchard | 150 | 11.2 | -9.2 | |
Independent | Tony Hare | 85 | 6.3 | +6.3 | |
Independent | Patrick O'Rourke | 73 | 5.5 | +5.5 | |
Majority | 291 | 11.8 | |||
Turnout | 1,339 | 18.4 | |||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Shan Hunt | 715 | 52.1 | ||
Conservative | Martin Quince | 384 | 28.0 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Ant Caprioli | 272 | 19.8 | ||
Majority | 331 | 24.1 | |||
Turnout | 1,371 | 33.2 | |||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Rosemary Bootiman | 1,364 | 46.3 | ||
Conservative | Susan Spratt | 707 | 24.0 | ||
UKIP | Adrian Haynes | 412 | 14.0 | ||
Labour | Graham Tranquada | 367 | 12.5 | ||
Green | Ben Fitch | 94 | 3.2 | ||
Majority | 657 | 22.3 | |||
Turnout | 2,944 | ||||
Registered electors | 2,860 | ||||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Julie Cox | 610 | 63.1 | –12.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Thomas Townsend | 323 | 33.4 | +19.9 | |
Labour | Ian Nicholls | 34 | 3.5 | –7.0 | |
Majority | 287 | 29.7 | |||
Turnout | 967 | 33.8 | |||
Registered electors | 2,860 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ![]() | |||
The electorate of Bedford Borough voted by a margin of 51.8% to 48.2% (on a 72.1% turnout) [12] 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. [13]
District | Votes | Proportion of votes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Remain | Leave | Remain | Leave | |
Brickhill | 2,000 | 2,092 | 48.88% | 51.12% |
Bromham and Biddenham | 2,138 | 1,996 | 51.72% | 48.28% |
Castle | 1,835 | 1,366 | 57.33% | 42.67% |
Cauldwell | 1,322 | 1,880 | 41.29% | 58.71% |
Clapham | 1,256 | 1,731 | 42.05% | 57.95% |
De Parys | 1,683 | 1,302 | 56.38% | 43.62% |
Eastcotts | 1,111 | 1,322 | 45.66% | 54.34% |
Elstow and Stewartby | 1,406 | 1,677 | 45.60% | 54.40% |
Goldington | 1,575 | 2,062 | 43.30% | 56.70% |
Great Barford | 1,987 | 2,282 | 46.54% | 53.46% |
Harpur | 1,837 | 1,398 | 56.79 | 43.21% |
Harrold | 1,295 | 1,316 | 49.60% | 50.40% |
Kempston Central and East | 1,664 | 2,080 | 44.44% | 55.56% |
Kempston North | 1,153 | 1,406 | 45.06% | 54.94% |
Kempston Rural | 2,066 | 1,889 | 52.24% | 47.76% |
Kempston South | 1,170 | 1,624 | 41.88% | 58.12% |
Kempston West | 1,433 | 1,747 | 45.06% | 54.94% |
Kingsbrook | 1,374 | 2,123 | 39.29% | 60.71% |
Newnham | 1,962 | 1,634 | 54.56% | 45.44% |
Oakley | 1,269 | 1,158 | 52.29% | 47.71% |
Putnoe | 1,818 | 2,028 | 47.27% | 52.73% |
Queens Park | 1,573 | 1,155 | 57.66% | 42.34% |
Riseley | 1,173 | 1,282 | 47.78% | 52.22% |
Sharnbrook | 1,425 | 1,200 | 54.29% | 45.71% |
Wilshamstead | 1,300 | 1,661 | 43.90% | 56.10% |
Wootton | 1,649 | 1,891 | 46.58% | 53.42% |
Wyboston | 1,023 | 1,268 | 44.65% | 55.35% |
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of its urban area, including Kempston and Biddenham, was 106,940. Bedford is also the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford, a unitary authority that includes a significant rural area.
The Borough of Bedford is a unitary authority area with borough status in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. Its council is based in Bedford, its namesake and principal settlement, which is the county town of Bedfordshire. The Bedford built-up-area is the 71st largest in the United Kingdom and comprises the boundaries of the pre-1974 Bedford Municipal Borough, the town of Kempston and the village of Biddenham, with the BUA surrounded by a rural area with many villages. 75% of the borough's population live in the Bedford Urban Area and the five large villages which surround it, which makes up slightly less than 6% of the total land area of the Borough.
Bedford is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Mohammad Yasin of the Labour Party.
Mid Bedfordshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Alistair Strathern of the Labour Party since a 2023 by-election.
Bedford Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. The executive of the council is the directly elected mayor of Bedford. It is a member of the East of England Local Government Association.
The district of Epping Forest is in the county of Essex in England. It was created on 1 April 1974, following the merger of Epping Urban District, Chigwell Urban District, Waltham Holy Cross Urban District, and part of Epping and Ongar Rural District.
Torbay Council is the local authority for the unitary authority of Torbay in Devon, England. Until 1 April 1998 it was a non-metropolitan district. From 2005 to 2019 it had a directly elected mayor. The council is elected every four years.
Frank Branston was a journalist, novelist and newspaper proprietor, and the first directly elected mayor of the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England.
One third of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council in Hampshire, England is elected each year, followed by one year without election. Since the last boundary changes in 2021, 54 councillors have been elected from 18 wards.
Hartlepool Borough Council elections usually take place for a third of the council, three years out of every four. Hartlepool Borough Council is the local authority for the unitary authority of Hartlepool in County Durham, England. Until 1 April 1996 it was a non-metropolitan district in Cleveland.
Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council elected each time. Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council, which styles itself "Walsall Council", is the local authority for the metropolitan district of Walsall in the West Midlands, England. Since the last boundary changes in 2004, 60 councillors have been elected from 20 wards.
West Devon Borough Council in Devon, England is elected every four years. Since the last boundary changes in 2015, 31 councillors have been elected from 18 wards.
North Bedfordshire was a county constituency in Bedfordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system.
Westminster City Council, the local authority of the City of Westminster in London, England, is elected every four years. Since the last boundary changes in 2022 the council has comprised 54 councillors representing 18 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held every four years.
David Stuart Hodgson MBE is a British Liberal Democrat politician who served as the directly elected mayor of the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England, from 2009 to 2023. Hodgson was the second elected mayor to represent the Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom.
Ribble Valley Borough Council elections are held every four years. Ribble Valley Borough Council is the local authority for the non-metropolitan district of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. Since the last boundary changes in 2019, 40 councillors have been elected from 26 wards.
The Mayor of Bedford is a directly elected mayor responsible for the executive function, and ceremonial duty of Bedford Borough Council in Bedfordshire. The incumbent is Tom Wootton of the Conservative Party, elected in May 2023.
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.
The 2023 Bedford Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2023, electing members of Bedford Borough Council in Bedfordshire, England. An election for the borough's directly-elected mayor took place at the same time. This was the same day as other local elections.