Elections to Durham County Council are held every four years. The council was created as part of the 1972 local government reforms. The first elections to the new authority were held in 1973 in advance of the council taking office in 1974. As part of changes to local government in 2009, the council became a unitary authority with the first elections to the new council taking place in 2008. Since becoming a unitary authority, 126 councillors have been elected from 63 wards.[1]
Durham was the first County Council to be controlled by Labour, who took power in 1919. Prior to 1973 political control has been held by the following parties:[2]
County Council
Party in control | Years | |
---|---|---|
Labour | 1919-1922 | |
Labour minority | 1922-1925 | |
Labour | 1925-1973 |
Since 1973 political control of the council has been held by the following parties:[3][4]
Non-metropolitan county
Party in control | Years | |
---|---|---|
Labour | 1973-2009 |
Unitary authority
Party in control | Years | |
---|---|---|
Labour | 2008–2021 | |
No Overall Control | 2021–Present |
Election | Labour | Conservative | Liberal Democrat[a] | Independent | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1973[5] | 56 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 72[6] |
1977[7] | 41 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 72 |
1981[8] | 53 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 72 |
1985[9] | 50 | 5 | 7[b] | 10[c] | 72 |
1989[10] | 56 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 72 |
1993[11] | 56 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 72 |
1997[12] | 53 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 61 |
2001[13] | 53 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 61 |
2005[14] | 53 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 63 |
2008[15] | 67 | 10 | 27 | 22 | 126 |
2013[16] | 94 | 4 | 9 | 19 | 126 |
2017 | 74 | 10 | 14 | 28 | 126 |
2021 | 53 | 24 | 17 | 32 | 126 |
Prior to the formation of the unitary authority in 2009, the county was divided into a number of second tier districts. The following articles detail the local elections to those district councils. The Borough of Darlington has formed a unitary authority outside the area covered by the County Council since 1997.
The following is an incomplete list of by-elections to Durham County Council.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | 689 | 42.9 | +1.2 | ||
Labour | 601 | 37.4 | -21.0 | ||
Conservative | 318 | 19.8 | +19.8 | ||
Majority | 88 | 5.5 | |||
Turnout | 1,608 | 22.5 | |||
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Reginald Ord | 519 | 37.2 | +2.2 | |
Labour | 500 | 35.8 | -18.3 | ||
Liberal Democrats | 322 | 23.1 | +23.1 | ||
Conservative | 54 | 3.9 | -7.1 | ||
Majority | 19 | 1.4 | |||
Turnout | 1,395 | 22.0 | |||
Independent gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Leslie Vaux | 1,702 | 56.1 | -20.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | David Rolfe | 566 | 18.7 | +4.3 | |
BNP | Dean McAdam | 509 | 16.8 | +16.8 | |
Conservative | Stuart Tilney | 256 | 8.4 | -0.5 | |
Majority | 1,136 | 37.4 | |||
Turnout | 3,033 | 46.4 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | John Lethbridge | 1,538 | 66.3 | -2.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Jody Dunn | 782 | 33.7 | +9.6 | |
Majority | 756 | 32.6 | |||
Turnout | 2,320 | 43.7 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Abiodun Williams | 834 | 51.6 | +4.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Isobell Lunan | 561 | 34.7 | -9.1 | |
Conservative | Michael Fishwick | 220 | 13.6 | +4.2 | |
Majority | 273 | 16.9 | |||
Turnout | 1,615 | 34.0 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | George Burlison | 1,187 | 43.4 | -5.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | Redvers Crooks | 1,037 | 37.9 | -2.9 | |
Independent | Ian Rutland | 267 | 9.8 | +9.8 | |
Conservative | Patricia Wynne | 245 | 9.0 | -1.4 | |
Majority | 150 | 5.5 | |||
Turnout | 2,737 | 37.1 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Edwin Mason | 775 | 84.0 | +4.3 | |
Conservative | Lucille Nicholson | 148 | 16.0 | -4.3 | |
Majority | 627 | 68.0 | |||
Turnout | 923 | 18.7 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Colin Carr | 665 | 57.7 | -2.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Sean Kilkenny | 487 | 42.3 | +19.2 | |
Majority | 178 | 15.4 | |||
Turnout | 1,152 | 18.6 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Rowlandson | 1,263 | 46.9 | +4.2 | |
Independent | Anthony Cooke | 634 | 23.5 | -20.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Michael Newlands | 479 | 17.8 | +17.8 | |
Labour | Sharon Longcroft | 319 | 11.8 | -1.9 | |
Majority | 629 | 23.4 | |||
Turnout | 2,695 | 38.9 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Alan Barker | 702 | 55.8 | -8.3 | |
Independent | Terry Murray | 311 | 24.7 | +24.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Carole Harrison | 126 | 10.0 | -25.9 | |
Conservative | Mergaret Reid | 120 | 9.5 | +9.5 | |
Majority | 391 | 31.1 | |||
Turnout | 1,259 | 20.9 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Andrea Patterson | 741 | 40.3 | ||
Independent | Ian Hirst | 496 | 27.0 | ||
Wear Valley Independent Group | John Bailey | 360 | 19.6 | ||
Liberal Democrats | David English | 145 | 7.9 | ||
Conservative | Beaty Bainbridge | 54 | 2.9 | ||
Green | Joanne Yelland | 41 | 2.2 | ||
Majority | 245 | 13.3 | |||
Turnout | 1837 | 18.6 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Leanne Kennedy | 693 | 52.3 | +6.2 | |
Seaham Community Party | Robert Arthur | 633 | 47.7 | +10.8 | |
Majority | 60 | 4.6 | |||
Turnout | 1,329 | 21.3 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Jude Grant | 1,150 | 65.4 | +15.2 | |
Independent | Maurice Brown | 351 | 20.0 | +20.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Alan Bell | 117 | 6.7 | -3.6 | |
Conservative | Michael Smith | 112 | 6.4 | -12.7 | |
Green | Jonathan Elmer | 29 | 1.6 | +1.6 | |
Majority | 799 | 45.4 | |||
Turnout | 1,759 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | John Higgins | 458 | 64.1 | -9.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Edwin Simpson | 163 | 22.8 | +20.1 | |
North East | Stephen Miles | 74 | 10.3 | +0.3 | |
For Britain | Gareth Fry | 20 | 2.8 | +2.8 | |
Majority | 295 | 41.3 | |||
Turnout | 715 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Beverley Coult | 1,115 | 63.2 | +7.8 | |
Labour | Anne Bonner | 366 | 20.7 | -7.0 | |
Independent | Ryan Drion | 155 | 8.8 | +8.8 | |
Conservative | Richard Lawrie | 128 | 7.3 | -9.6 | |
Majority | 749 | 42.5 | |||
Turnout | 1,764 | ||||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | James Huntington | 1,257 | 42.7 | +21.5 | |
Labour | Samantha Townsend | 682 | 23.2 | -7.2 | |
UKIP | Alan Breeze | 456 | 15.5 | +3.4 | |
Independent | Robert Ingledew | 415 | 14.1 | -7.0 | |
Conservative | Marie Carter-Robb | 131 | 4.5 | -10.7 | |
Majority | 575 | 19.6 | |||
Turnout | 2,941 | ||||
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Ian Geldard | 489 | 18.7 | +18.7 | |
Labour | Colin Nelson | 420 | 16.1 | -2.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | Martin Jones | 373 | 14.3 | -6.0 | |
Independent | Billy McAloon | 358 | 13.7 | +13.7 | |
Independent | Pete Molloy | 332 | 12.7 | -2.1 | |
UKIP | Bob Purvis | 281 | 10.8 | +4.4 | |
Spennymoor Independents | Ronald Highley | 221 | 8.5 | -19.6 | |
Conservative | James Cosslett | 137 | 5.2 | -3.7 | |
Majority | 69 | 2.6 | |||
Turnout | 2,611 | ||||
Independent gain from Spennymoor Independents | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Curtis Bihari | 876 | 41.3 | +6.4 | |
Independent | Glenys Newby | 528 | 24.9 | +24.9 | |
Conservative | David Farry | 348 | 16.4 | -11.9 | |
Independent | Joseph Makepeace | 166 | 7.8 | +7.8 | |
Green | Rebecca Dixon-McWaters | 165 | 7.8 | +7.8 | |
Freedom Alliance | Kaela Banthorpe | 23 | 1.3 | +1.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Bill Thorkildsen | 9 | 0.4 | +0.4 | |
Majority | 348 | 16.4 | |||
Turnout | 2,120 | ||||
Labour gain from Independent | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | George Smith | 956 | 56.3 | +12.2 | |
Conservative | Lyndsey Fox | 554 | 32.6 | -10.2 | |
Independent | Nick Brown | 187 | 11.0 | +11.0 | |
Majority | 402 | 23.7 | |||
Turnout | 1,697 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |