Leicester City Council elections are held every four years. Leicester City Council is the local authority for the unitary authority of Leicester in Leicestershire, England. Until 1 April 1997 it was a non-metropolitan district. Since 2011 it has also had a directly elected mayor. Since the last boundary changes in 2015, 54 councillors have been elected from 21 wards.[1]

Political control

From 1889 to 1974 Leicester was a county borough, independent of any county council.[2] Under the Local Government Act 1972 it became a non-metropolitan district, with Leicestershire County Council providing county-level services. The first election to the reformed city council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its revised powers on 1 April 1974. Leicester became a unitary authority on 1 April 1997, regaining its independence from Leicestershire County Council. Political control of the city council since 1973 has been held by the following parties:[3][4]

Non-metropolitan district

Party in control Years
Labour 1973–1976
Conservative 1976–1979
Labour 1979–1997

Unitary authority

Party in control Years
Labour 1997–2003
No overall control 2003–2007
Labour 2007–present
Political group Councillors
1996 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 Current
Labour 41 30 20 38 52 52 53 31 31
Liberal Democrat 8 16 25 6 1 1 1 3 3
Conservative 7 10 9 8 1 1 0 17 17
Green 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 3
Independent 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 56 56 54 54 54 54 54 54 54

Leadership

Political leadership is provided by the directly elected Mayor of Leicester. The separate post of Lord Mayor is the council's ceremonial figurehead and chairs full council meetings. Prior to 2011 political leadership was provided by the leader of the council. The leaders from 1973 to 2011 were:[5]

Councillor Party From To
Jim Marshall Labour 1973 1974
Michael Cufflin Conservative 1974 1979
Ken Middleton Labour 1979 1981
Peter Soulsby Labour 1981 1994
Stuart Foster Labour 1994 1996
Peter Soulsby Labour 1996 1999
Ross Willmott Labour 1999 22 May 2003
Roger Blackmore[6] Liberal Democrats 22 May 2003 25 Nov 2004
Ross Willmott Labour 25 Nov 2004 19 May 2005
Roger Blackmore Liberal Democrats 19 May 2005 17 May 2007
Ross Willmott Labour 17 May 2007 25 Mar 2010
Veejay Patel Labour 25 Mar 2010 8 May 2011

Since 2011, the directly elected mayor has been:

Mayor Party From To
Peter Soulsby Labour 9 May 2011

Council elections

Mayoral elections

By-election results

1995-1999

Abbey By-Election 10 October 1996
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 1,608 69.3
Conservative 461 19.9
Liberal Democrats 140 6.0
Socialist Labour 112 4.8
Majority 1,147 49.4
Turnout 2,321 37.1
Labour hold Swing
Mowmacre By-Election 7 May 1998
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 744 51.8 +38.8
Labour 318 22.2 -38.2
Conservative 282 19.7 -1.2
Socialist Labour 91 6.3 +6.3
Majority 426 29.6
Turnout 1,435
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing
Rushey Mead By-Election 7 May 1998
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 1,205 56.0 -5.1
Conservative 513 23.8 +13.8
Liberal Democrats 334 15.5 +1.5
Socialist Labour 101 4.7 +4.7
Majority 692 32.2
Turnout 2,153
Labour hold Swing
Westcotes By-Election 7 May 1998
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 839 46.7 -14.8
Liberal Democrats 376 20.9 +8.6
Conservative 374 20.8 +2.3
Green 125 7.0 -0.7
Socialist Labour 81 4.5 +4.5
Majority 463 25.8
Turnout 1,795
Labour hold Swing

1999-2003

Aylestone By-Election 15 February 2001
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jean Middleton 955 43.1 -5.2
Liberal Democrats Alison Bannatyne 683 30.8 +18.5
Labour Patrick Kitterick 525 23.7 -10.8
Green Anthony Walker 51 2.3 -2.6
Majority 272 12.3
Turnout 2,214 28.8
Conservative hold Swing
Thurncourt By-Election 21 June 2001
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative 1,060 43.7 -11.3
Labour 640 26.4 -9.5
Liberal Democrats 544 22.4 +13.3
BNP 115 4.7 +4.7
Independent 67 2.8 +2.8
Majority 420 17.3
Turnout 2,426 32.4
Conservative hold Swing
Eyres Monsell By-Election 2 May 2002[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats M Farmer 998 41.2 +18.4
Labour J Blackmore 905 37.3 -9.3
Conservative D Keeling 232 9.6 +0.0
BNP E Scott 202 8.3 +8.3
Green T O'Connel 66 2.7 +2.7
Socialist Labour D Roberts 22 0.9 +0.9
Majority 93 3.9
Turnout 2,425 39.6
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing

2003-2007

Westcotes By-Election 11 December 2003[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats A Tessier 742 47.4 +8.4
Labour N Holden 543 34.7 -6.4
Conservative R Taylor 113 7.2 -5.3
Socialist Labour V Smalley 101 6.5 +6.5
BNP K Yates 66 4.2 +4.2
Majority 199 12.7
Turnout 1,565 25.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Aylestone By-Election 23 September 2004[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nigel Porter 938 45.8 -5.0
Liberal Democrats R Webber-Jones 494 24.1 +2.1
Labour R Craven-Griffiths 443 21.7 +2.3
Green R Ball 171 8.4 +0.6
Majority 444 21.7
Turnout 2,046 25.4
Conservative hold Swing
Knighton By-Election 4 November 2004[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R Grant 1,646 45.9 +14.4
Liberal Democrats J Bhoot 1,089 30.4 -14.3
Labour B Fairbairn 605 16.9 +1.7
Green M Follet 247 6.9 -1.8
Majority 557 15.5
Turnout 3,587 28.3
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Belgrave By-Election 17 February 2005[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A Kavia 1,809 65.4 +16.7
Conservative S Gajjar 459 16.6 +6.6
Liberal Democrats P Jethwa 349 12.6 -2.7
Green G Force 151 5.5 +1.7
Majority 1,350 48.8
Turnout 2,768 36.6
Labour hold Swing
Beaumont Leys By-Election 14 July 2005[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Violet Dempster 952 54.4 +5.9
Conservative Martin Wright 342 19.5 -7.6
Liberal Democrats John Taylor 295 16.8 -4.5
BNP John Chapman 161 9.2 +9.2
Majority 610 34.9
Turnout 1,750 18.2
Labour hold Swing
Belgrave By-Election 14 July 2005[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 1,751 66.1 +0.7
Liberal Democrats Rukmani Patel 509 19.2 +6.6
Conservative 265 10.0 -6.6
Green 122 4.6 -0.9
Majority 1,242 46.9 +10.2
Turnout 2,647 34.3 -2.4
Labour hold Swing

2007-2011

Castle By-Election 10 September 2009[18][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lynn Senior 611 31.7 +5.1
Green Dave Dixey 519 26.9 -8.6
Conservative Jacob Wilkinson 435 22.6 +7.2
Liberal Democrats Joan Garrity 292 15.1 -3.1
UKIP Zoey Lucas 41 2.1 -0.5
Liberal Gareth Henry 31 1.6 -0.1
Majority 92 4.8
Turnout 1,929 12.7
Labour gain from Green Swing +6.8
Eyres Monsell By-Election 6 May 2010[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Virginia Cleaver 1,446 35.3 -2.5
Conservative Jon Humberstone 999 24.4 +2.8
Liberal Democrats Scott Kennedy-Lount 908 22.2 +5.8
BNP Adrian Waudby 745 18.2 -3.2
Majority 447 10.9
Turnout 4,098
Labour hold Swing -2.65

2011-2015

Abbey By Election 9th May 2013[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Vijay Singh Riyait 1,190 47.9 +0.8
Conservative Dipak Joshi 562 22.6 +9.0
Independent Terry McGreal 352 14.1 n/a
Liberal Democrats John Robert Taylor 212 8.5 +1.8
TUSC Tessa Warrington 165 6.6 n/a
Majority 628 25.3
Turnout 2,481 24.1
Labour hold Swing -7.5

2015-2019

Castle By-election 8 June 2017[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Danny Myers 4,272 64.6 +27.3
Conservative Ali Douas 1,015 15.4 -2.1
Green Oli Young-Jones 946 14.3 -13.5
Liberal Democrats Lewis Hastie 379 5.7 -3.0
Majority 3,257 49.3
Turnout 6,612
Labour hold Swing
Eyres Monsell By-election 23 November 2017 [23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Elaine Pantling 556 53.15
Liberal Democrats Tony Faithfull-Wright 320 30.59
Conservative Christopher Michael Doyle 170 15.91
Majority 236
Turnout 1046 12.5
Labour hold Swing
Belgrave By-election 6 December 2018[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Padmini Chamund 5,477 86.6 +17.0
Conservative Khandubhai Patel 412 6.5 -11.9
Liberal Democrats Hash Chandarana 238 3.8 +3.8
Green Ursula Bilson 199 3.1 -2.6
Majority 5,065 80.1
Turnout 6,326
Labour hold Swing

2019-2023

North Evington By-election 6 May 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Vandevi Pandya 3,306 47.2% Decrease 36.4%
Conservative Abdul Osman 2565 36.6% Increase 16.6%
Green Aasiya Bora 241 3.4% Decrease 3.5%
Liberal Democrats Asit Sodha 240 3.4% Decrease 2.4%
TUSC Kumaran Bose 117 1.7% Increase 1.7%
Reform UK Raj Solanki 89 1.3% Increase 1.3%
For Britain David Haslett 69 1.0% Increase 1.0%
Independent Charnjit Singh Sagoo 61 0.9% Increase 0.9%
Communist Andrea Burford 33 0.5% Increase 0.5%
Majority 741 10.6%
Turnout 7,004 45.0% Decrease 5.83
Labour hold Swing -26.5
Humberstone and Hamilton By-election 22 July 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Daniel Crewe 1,062 44.7% Increase 18.5%
Labour Abdul Jalil 790 33.2% Decrease 15.5%
Liberal Democrats Bicram Athwal 262 11.0% Increase 1.2%
Green Pam Bellinger 190 8.0% Decrease 7.1%
Reform UK Raj Solanki 37 1.6% Increase 1.6%
For Britain David Haslett 37 1.6% Increase 1.6%
Majority 272 11.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing 17.0%
Evington By-election 3 February 2022
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Shahid Ullah Khan 1,557 38.8 -20.8
Conservative Jenny Joannuo 1382 34.4 +11.9
Liberal Democrats Zuffar Haq 830 20.7 +12.2
Green Ursula Bilson 200 5.0 -7.6
For Britain David George 45 1.1 +1.1
Majority 175 4.4 -22.4
Turnout 4014 30.7 -5.3
Labour hold Swing -16.4
North Evington By-election 13 October 2022
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sanjay Modhwadia 3,441 49.6% Increase 32.7%
Green Aasiya Bora 1,790 25.8% Increase 20.0%
Labour Rajul Tejura 1,563 22.5% Decrease 49.8%
Liberal Democrats Jitesh Dave 100 1.4% Decrease 3.5%
TUSC Tessa Warrington 45 0.6% Increase 0.6%
Majority 1,651 23.8%
Turnout 6,934 Decrease
Conservative gain from Labour Swing 41.3%

References

  1. ^ a b "The Leicester (Electoral Changes) Order 2014", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2014/3339, retrieved 17 August 2022
  2. ^ "Leicester Municipal Borough / County Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  4. ^ "Leicester". BBC News Online. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  5. ^ "Council minutes". Leicester City Council. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Labour snatches council control". BBC News. 26 November 2004. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  7. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The City of Leicester (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1979. Retrieved on 19 November 2015.
  8. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Leicestershire (District Boundaries) Order 1987. Retrieved on 6 November 2015.
  9. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The City of Leicester (Electoral Changes) Order 2002. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
  10. ^ "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  11. ^ "Councillors, Democracy and Elections". Leicester City Council. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  12. ^ "Eyres Monsell Ward May 2002". Leicester City Council. Archived from the original on 27 August 2002. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  13. ^ "Westcotes Ward 11th December 2003". Leicester City Council. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  14. ^ "Aylestone Ward 23rd September 2004". Leicester City Council. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  15. ^ "Knighton Ward 4th November 2004". Leicester City Council. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  16. ^ "Belgrave Ward 17th February 2005". Leicester City Council. Archived from the original on 16 January 2006. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  17. ^ a b "Strong swing to Labour in local byelections". guardian.co.uk. 15 July 2005. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  18. ^ "Victory for Labour at Leicester by-election". this is leicestershire.co.uk. 11 September 2009. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  19. ^ "Local issues will decide poll result, say hopefuls". this is leicestershire.co.uk. 18 August 2009. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  20. ^ "Eyres Monsell By-Election". Leicester City Council. Archived from the original on 13 June 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  21. ^ "Leicester City Council - Elections". Archived from the original on 11 May 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  22. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Castle Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  23. ^ "Eyres Monsell ward by-election". Archived from the original on 11 March 2018.
  24. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Belgrave Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2022.

External links

Council elections in Leicestershire
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