Map showing the composition of West Berkshire Council after the 2011 election. Conservatives in blue and Liberal Democrats in yellow.
Map showing the composition of West Berkshire Council after the 2011 election. Conservatives in blue and Liberal Democrats in yellow.

West Berkshire Council is the local authority for West Berkshire, a unitary authority in Berkshire, England. Until 1 April 1998 it was a non-metropolitan district.

Political control

Since the first election to the council in 1973 political control of the council has been held by the following parties:[1][2][3]

Non-metropolitan district

Party in control Years
No overall control 1973–1976
Conservative 1976–1991
Liberal Democrats 1991–1998

Unitary authority

Party in control Years
Liberal Democrats 1998–2003
No overall control 2003–2005
Conservative 2005–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2003 have been:[4]

Councillor Party From To
Lena Rust[5] Liberal Democrats 4 May 2003
Royce Longton Liberal Democrats May 2003 10 May 2005
Graham Jones Conservative 10 May 2005 27 Sep 2012
Gordon Lundie[6] Conservative 27 Sep 2012 5 Nov 2015
Roger Croft[7] Conservative 5 Nov 2015 24 Mar 2017
Graham Jones[8] Conservative 9 May 2017 5 May 2019
Lynne Doherty Conservative 21 May 2019

Council elections

Non-metropolitan district elections

Unitary authority elections

Year Conservative Liberal Democrats Green Independent Notes
2000[12] 25 28 0 1
2003[13] 26 26 0 0 New ward boundaries[14][15]
2007[16] 36 16 0 0
2011[2] 39 13 0 0
2015[17] 48 4 0 0
2019[18] 24 16 3 0 New ward boundaries[19]

By-elections

Thatcham West 19 April 2018[20][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jeff Brooks 820 48.4% +11.2%
Conservative Ellen Crumly 523 30.9% -18.1%
Labour Louise Coulson 130 7.7% -6.2%
Green Jane Livermore 130 7.7% +7.7%
UKIP Gary Johnson 91 5.4% +5.4%
Registered electors 4,957
Turnout 1,702 34.3% -34.3%
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing 14.7%
Tilehurst South & Holybrook, 16 December 2021[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Steve Bown
Labour Charles Croal
Conservative Akinbiyi Oloko
Registered electors
Turnout

District result maps

References

  1. ^ "Council compositions". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  2. ^ a b "England council elections". BBC News Online. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  3. ^ "English elect councils and mayors". BBC News Online. 7 May 2005. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  4. ^ "Council minutes". West Berkshire Council. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  5. ^ "West Berks Council hung - Lib Dems' 12-year grip over". Get Reading. 2 May 2003. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  6. ^ Low, Jonathan (20 October 2015). "Gordon Lundie stepping down as leader of West Berkshire Council". Berkshire Live. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  7. ^ Herring, John (27 March 2017). "Tributes paid to West Berkshire Council leader Roger Croft". Newbury Today. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  8. ^ Cooper, Dan (29 December 2018). "West Berkshire Council leader to stand down in May 2019". Newbury Today. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  9. ^ The District of Newbury (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1979
  10. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Berkshire, Dorset and Wiltshire (County Boundaries) Order 1989. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
  11. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey (County Boundaries) Order 1991. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
  12. ^ "West Berkshire". BBC News Online. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  13. ^ "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  14. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The District of West Berkshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2002. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Councillors". West Berkshire Council. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  16. ^ "West Berkshire". BBC News Online. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  17. ^ "Election results by party, 7 May 2015". decisionmaking.westberks.gov.uk. 7 May 2015.
  18. ^ "West Berkshire Council". BBC News.
  19. ^ "The West Berkshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2018". www.legislation.gov.uk.
  20. ^ "Declaration of Result of Poll". West Berkshire. 20 April 2018. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  21. ^ "Election results for Thatcham West District Election 2015". West Berkshire. 8 May 2015. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  22. ^ "Notice of Poll". West Berkshire Council. 8 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2018.

External links

Council elections in Berkshire
Unitary authorities of England
Categories