Carlisle City Council elections

One third of Carlisle City Council in Cumbria, England, was elected each year, followed by one year without election.

The council was established in 1974 and abolished in 2023.

From the last boundary changes in 1999 until its abolition in 2023, 52 councillors were elected from 22 wards. ^[1]

Political control

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council from 1974 until its abolition in 2023 was as follows: ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Party in control		Years
	Labour	1974–1976
	No overall control	1976–1979
	Labour	1979–1999
	Conservative	1999–2003
	No overall control	2003–2012
	Labour	2012–2019
	No overall control	2019–2021
	Conservative	2021–2023

Leadership

The leaders of the council from 1999 until the council's abolition in 2023 were:

Councillor	Party		From	To
Mike Mitchelson [5] [6]		Conservative	1999	21 May 2012
Joe Hendry [5] [7]		Labour	21 May 2012	30 May 2013
Colin Glover [8] [9]		Labour	16 Jul 2013	May 2019
John Mallinson [10] [11]		Conservative	20 May 2019	31 Mar 2023

Council elections

Summary of the council composition after recent council elections, click on the year for full details of each election. Boundary changes took place for the 1999 election which increased the number of seats by one, leading to the whole council being elected in that year. ^[12]

• 1973 Carlisle City Council election
• 1976 Carlisle City Council election
• 1979 Carlisle City Council election
• 1983 Carlisle City Council election (New ward boundaries) ^[13]
• 1984 Carlisle City Council election (City boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same) ^[14]
• 1986 Carlisle City Council election
• 1987 Carlisle City Council election
• 1988 Carlisle City Council election
• 1990 Carlisle City Council election (City boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same) ^[15]
• 1991 Carlisle City Council election

Year	Labour	Conservative	Independent	Liberal Democrats	Green Party	UKIP	Vacant	Notes
1992 [16]	30	18	1	2	0	0	0
1994 [17]	27	20	1	3	0	0	0
1995 [18]	30	17	1	3	0	0	0
1996 [19]	33	14	1	3	0	0	0
1998 [20]	33	14	1	3	0	0	0
1999 [12]	16	28	2	6	0	0	0	New ward boundaries [21]
2000 [22]	14	30	2	6	0	0	0
2002 [23]	18	27	2	5	0	0	0
2003 [24]	22	24	1	5	0	0	0
2004 [25]	24	20	1	7	0	0	0
2006 [26]	24	19	1	8	0	0	0
2007 [27]	25	19	1	7	0	0	0
2008 [28]	21	21	1	7	0	0	2
2010 [29]	23	22	2	5	0	0	0
2011 [30]	24	22	2	4	0	0	0
2012 [31]	27	20	2	2	0	0	1
2014 [3]	29	19	2	2	0	0	0
2015 [32]	29	20	2	1	0	0	0
2016	28	20	3	1	0	0	0
2018	27	21	3	1	0	0	0
2019 [33]	15	17	4	1	1	1	0	New ward boundaries [34]

District result maps

• 
  2002 results map
• 
  2003 results map
• 
  2004 results map
• 
  2006 results map
• 
  2007 results map
• 
  2008 results map
• 
  2010 results map
• 
  2011 results map
• 
  2012 results map
• 
  2014 results map
• 
  2015 results map
• 
  2016 results map
• 
  2018 results map
• 
  2019 results map

By-election results

By-elections occur when seats become vacant between council elections. Below is a summary of recent by-elections; ^[35] full by-election results can be found by clicking on the by-election name.

By-election	Date	Incumbent party		Winning party
Trinity	17 October 1996		Liberal Democrats		Liberal Democrats
Belle Vue	2 October 1997		Labour		Labour
Stanwix Rural	2 October 1997		Conservative		Conservative
Castle by-election	19 April 2001		Liberal Democrats		Labour
Castle by-election	24 November 2005		Liberal Democrats		Liberal Democrats
Upperby by-election (2 seats)	12 June 2008		Labour		Labour
Belah by-election	5 March 2009		Conservative		Conservative
Castle by-election	5 March 2009		Liberal Democrats		Liberal Democrats
Stanwix Urban by-election	16 September 2010		Conservative		Conservative
Harraby by-election	21 June 2012		Labour		Labour
Yewdale by-election	5 September 2013		Labour		Labour
Dalston by-election	17 October 2013		Conservative		Liberal Democrats
Castle by-election	11 September 2014		Labour		Labour
Botcherby by-election	7 January 2016		Labour		Independent
Castle by-election	15 September 2016		Labour		Labour
Castle by-election	24 November 2016		Labour		Labour
Belle Vue by-election	4 May 2017		Labour		Labour
Yewdale by-election	4 May 2017		Labour		Conservative
Denton Holme by-election	6 September 2018		Labour		Labour
Cathedral and Castle by-election	6 May 2021		Labour		Labour
Harraby South and Parklands by-election	6 May 2021		Labour		Conservative
Newtown and Morton North by-election	6 May 2021		Labour		Conservative
Currock and Upperby by-election	28 October 2021		UKIP		Labour
Longtown and the Border by-election	5 May 2022		Conservative		Liberal Democrats

A detailed breakdown of recent by elections can be found below:

Election	Political result		Candidate		Party	Votes	%	±%
Castle & Cathedral by-election, 6 May 2021 [36] triggered by the resignation of Cllr. Chris Robinson Turnout: 1,713 (25.9%)		Labour hold Majority: 74 (39.3%) 4.3		Pete Sunter	Labour	673	39.3	+4.7
				Hugh McKerrell	Conservative	599	35	+19.6
				Gavin Hawkton	Green	299	17.5	-0.7
				Stuart Kelly	Liberal Democrats	95	5.5	-3.0
Harraby South and Parklands by-election, 6 May 2021 [37] Electorate: 6,628 Turnout: 1,926 (29.06%)		Conservative gain from Labour Party (UK) Majority: 276 (53.4%)		Linda Mitchell	Conservative	1028	53.4
				Abdul Harid	Labour	752	39
				Anne Gadsden	Green	132	6.9
Newton & Morton North by-election, 6 May 2021 [37] Electorate: 6,844 Turnout: 1,805 (26.37%)		Conservative gain from Labour Party (UK) Majority: 116 (48.9%)		Neville Lishman	Conservative	883	48.9
				David Graham	Labour	767	42.5
				Fiona Prior	Green	101	5.6
				Brent Kennedy	TUSC	40	2.2
Currock & Upperby by-election, 28 October 2021 [38] triggered by the death of incumbent Cllr. John Denholm Electorate: 6,550 Turnout: 1,111 (16.96%)		Labour gain from UK Independence Party Majority: 224 (57.5%) +20.7		Chris Wills	Labour	636	57.5	+20.7
				Geoff Mitchell	Conservative	412	57.5	+22.2
				Tom Adams	Green	59	5.3	-6.3
Longtown & the Border by-election, 5 May 2022 [39] triggered by the death of incumbent Cllr. Valerie Tarbitt Electorate: 5,794 Turnout: 2,218 (38.30%)		Liberal Democrats gain from Conservatives Majority: 299 (13.6%)		Timothy Pickstone	Liberal Democrats	1,247	56.8	+56.8
				Sam Bown	Conservative	948	43.2	-1.5

References

1. "Voting". Carlisle City Council. Archived from the original on 7 April 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
2. "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Carlisle" in search box to see specific results.)
3. "Carlisle". BBC News Online . Retrieved 11 April 2015.
4. "Labour councillor defects and joins the Tories". News and Star. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
5. "Council minutes, 21 May 2012" (PDF). Carlisle City Council. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
6. Cavanagh, Gareth (17 May 2022). "Former Carlisle city council leaders elected mayor and deputy mayor". Rayo. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
7. "Carlisle Council leader Joe Hendry dies at 67". BBC News. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
8. "Council minutes, 16 July 2013" (PDF). Carlisle City Council. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
9. McGowan, Pamela (28 May 2019). "Ex-Carlisle City Council chief Colin Glover: I'm disappointed not to be leader". In-Cumbria. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
10. "Council minutes, 20 May 2019" (PDF). Carlisle City Council. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
11. "Carlisle City Council officers bow out after long service". Cumbria Crack. 19 March 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
12. "Carlisle". BBC News Online . Retrieved 27 November 2011.
13. The City of Carlisle (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1979
14. The Allerdale and Carlisle (Areas) Order 1983
15. legislation.gov.uk - The Cumbria, Northumberland and North Yorkshire (County Boundaries) Order 1989. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
16. "Local election results 1992". The Times . 9 May 1992.
17. "Non Metropolitan Districts". The Times . 7 May 1994.
18. "Complete list of results from thursday's council elections". The Times . 6 May 1995.
19. "Election Results Round-Up". The Times . 3 May 1996.
20. "Policy and politics: Local Elections: Analysis: Council poll results". The Guardian . 9 May 1998. p. 16.
21. "The City of Carlisle (Electoral Changes) Order 1998]". HM Government. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
22. "Carlisle". BBC News Online . Retrieved 27 November 2011.
23. "Carlisle". BBC News Online . Retrieved 27 November 2011.
24. "Local elections". BBC News Online . Retrieved 27 November 2011.
25. "Carlisle council". BBC News Online . 11 June 2004. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
26. "Local elections: Carlisle". BBC News Online . 4 May 2006. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
27. "Carlisle". BBC News Online . 4 May 2007. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
28. "Election Results 2008". Carlisle City Council. Archived from the original on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
29. "Carlisle". BBC News Online . 7 May 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
30. "England council elections". BBC News Online . 10 May 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
31. "Election results 2012: Non-Metro". The Guardian . 5 May 2012.
32. "Carlisle City Council Elections -2015". Carlisle City Council. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
33. "Carlisle City Council Elections -2019". Carlisle City Council. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
34. "Carlisle". Local Government Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
35. "Local Authority Byelection Results". Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
36. "Conservatives hail 'extraordinary results' in city council by-elections".
37. "Results of by-elections. Carlisle City Council".
38. "Declaration of Result of Poll. Carlisle City Council".
39. "Longtown & the Border - declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Carlisle City Council. Retrieved 1 October 2022.

External links

• Carlisle City Council