Wear Valley District Council elections

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Wear Valley District Council elections were generally held every four years between the council's creation in 1974 and its abolition in 2009. Wear Valley was a non-metropolitan district in County Durham, England. On 1 April 2009 the council's functions passed to Durham County Council, which became a unitary authority.

Contents

Political control

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council from 1974 until its abolition in 2009 was as follows: [1]

Party in controlYears
Labour 1974–1976
No overall control 1976–1979
Labour 1979–1991
Liberal Democrats 1991–1995
Labour 1995–2007
No overall control 2007–2009

Leadership

The leaders of the council from 1995 until its abolition in 2009 were:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Olive Brown [2] [3] Labour 19954 May 2005
Neil Stonehouse [3] [4] Labour 4 May 20057 May 2008
Tommy Taylor [5] [6] Liberal Democrats 7 May 20087 Jul 2008
Neil Harrison [7] [8] Liberal Democrats 7 Jul 200831 Mar 2009

Council elections

ElectionLabourLiberal Democrat [a] ConservativeIndependentTotalNotes
1973 [9] 219011 [b] 41
1976 [10] 1711211 [c] 41
1979 [11] 2553841
1983 [12] 282 [d] 37 [e] 40New ward boundaries [13]
1987 [14] 263 [f] 3840
1991 [15] 8280440
1995 [16] 3520340
1999 [17] 3050540
2003 [18] 2590640New ward boundaries [19]
2007 [20] 19160540

Results maps

By-election results

The following is an incomplete list of by-elections to Wear Valley District Council.

1999-2003

Bishop Auckland Town By-Election 30 March 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour 35949.0+4.0
Liberal Democrats 24934.0−14.0
Conservative 12517.1+10.0
Majority 11015.0
Turnout 73322.9
Labour hold Swing
Howden Le Wear By-Election 30 March 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour 20852.1−1.8
Liberal Democrats 19147.9+1.8
Majority 174.2
Turnout 39923.1
Labour hold Swing

2003-2007

Woodhouse Close By-Election 26 February 2004
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour 71356.0−2.5
Liberal Democrats Kenneth Bowser28722.5−11.7
Independent 27321.4+21.4
Majority 42633.5
Turnout 1,27336.5
Labour hold Swing
Wheatbottom & Helmington Row By-Election 20 January 2005
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Rose Seabury32859.6−10.0
Liberal Democrats John Bailey18032.7+2.3
BNP Stuart Neil420.7+0.7
Majority 14826.9
Turnout 55021.8
Labour hold Swing
Bishop Auckland Town By-Election 3 March 2005
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Samuel Zair18136.7+11.6
Labour Robert Yorke16132.7−4.9
Conservative James Tague13527.3+27.3
UKIP Margaret Hopson163.2+3.2
Majority 204.0
Turnout 49321.0
Liberal Democrats gain from Independent Swing
Howden By-Election 27 October 2005
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats John Bailey15750.5+6.0
Labour Jay Smith15449.5−6.0
Majority 31.0
Turnout 31124.0
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing
Coundon By-Election 3 September 2006
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Norman Strongman36052.1−2.1
Liberal Democrats Diane Hardaker33147.9+2.1
Majority 294.2
Turnout 69121.6
Labour hold Swing

Notes

  1. ↑ Liberal Party prior to 1983, SDP-Liberal Alliance in 1983 and 1987.
  2. ↑ Includes one People's Rep.
  3. ↑ Includes five of other parties.
  4. ↑ 2 Liberal, 0 SDP
  5. ↑ Includes 1 People's Rep. and 1 People before pol.
  6. ↑ 3 Liberal, 0 SDP

References

  1. ↑ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Wear Valley" in search box to see specific results.)
  2. ↑ Robinson, Fred; Shaw, Keith; Dutton, Jill; Grainger, Paul; Hopwood, Bill; Williams, Sarah (2000). Who runs the North East... now? (PDF). University of Durham. p. 48. ISBN   0 903593 16 5 . Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Council minutes, 4 May 2005" (PDF). Wear Valley District Council. p. 26. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  4. ↑ Robinson, Bessie (8 May 2008). "Parties unite to oust Labour from control". Northern Echo. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  5. ↑ "Council minutes, 7 May 2008" (PDF). Wear Valley District Council. p. 16. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  6. ↑ King, Dan (2 July 2008). "Ill health forces leader in 'bits of stuff' row to quit". Northern Echo. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  7. ↑ "Council minutes, 7 July 2008" (PDF). Wear Valley District Council. p. 19. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  8. ↑ "Council honours loyal staff at final ordinary meeting". Northern Echo. 26 March 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  9. ↑ "Liberals capture Eastbourne and exceed ambition to win 1,000 local government seats". The Times . 9 June 1973.
  10. ↑ "Heavy Labour losses in district polls". The Times . 8 May 1976.
  11. ↑ Local elections in Britain: a statistical digest, edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher. 1993
  12. ↑ "How votes were cast in local government elections". The Times . 7 May 1983. p. 4.
  13. ↑ The District of Wear Valley (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1979
  14. ↑ "Results in Thursday's local elections". The Times . 9 May 1987.
  15. ↑ "Complete round-up of results from Thursday's local council elections". The Times . 4 May 1991.
  16. ↑ "Complete list of results from Thursday's council elections". The Times . 6 May 1995. p. 10.
  17. ↑ "Wear Valley". BBC News. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  18. ↑ "Wear Valley". BBC News. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  19. ↑ legislation.gov.uk - The District of Wear Valley (Electoral Changes) Order 1999. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
  20. ↑ "Wear Valley". BBC News. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
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