Wokingham Borough Council is the local authority for the Borough of Wokingham, 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]

Non-metropolitan district

Party in control Years
No overall control 1973–1976
Conservative 1976–1995
No overall control 1995–1996
Liberal Democrats 1996–1997
Conservative 1997–1998

Unitary authority

Party in control Years
Conservative 1998–2000
No overall control 2000–2002
Conservative 2002–2022
No overall control 2022–present

Leadership

Since 1995, the leaders of the council have been:

Councillor Party From To
Simon Etheridge Conservative 1995 1996
Alan Spratling Liberal Democrats 1996 1997
Simon Etheridge Conservative 1997[3] 1999[4]
Perry Lewis Conservative 1999[5] 2000
Alan Spratling Liberal Democrats 2000[6] 2002
Frank Browne Conservative 2002 2008[7]
David Lee Conservative 2008[8] 2014
Keith Baker Conservative 2014[9] 2017
Charlotte Haitham Taylor Conservative 2017[10] 2018
Julian McGhee-Sumner Conservative 2018[11] 2019
John Halsall Conservative 2019[12] 2022
Clive Jones Liberal Democrats 2022[13] present

Council elections

Non-metropolitan district elections

Unitary authority elections

Borough result maps

By-election results

1997–2005

Bulmershe By-Election 28 May 1998
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 540 44.3 +2.7
Labour 456 37.4 +3.7
Conservative 222 18.2 -6.5
Majority 84 6.9
Turnout 1,218 39.6
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Barkham By-Election 8 November 2001[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative 303 78.1 -2.8
UKIP 45 11.6 +11.6
Liberal Democrats 40 10.3 -0.8
Majority 258 66.5
Turnout 388 22.7
Conservative hold Swing
Winnersh By-Election 25 November 2004[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Malcolm Armstrong 751 51.5 +13.1
Conservative 622 42.6 +1.0
UKIP 86 5.9 -8.5
Majority 129 8.9
Turnout 1,459 24.0
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Swallowfield By-Election 17 February 2005
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stuart Munro 405 60.5 -18.3
Independent Max Bowker 120 17.9 +17.9
Liberal Democrats Caroline Smith 109 16.3 -4.9
UKIP Vince Pearson 35 5.2 +5.2
Majority 254 42.6
Turnout 669
Conservative hold Swing

2005–2009

Maiden Erlegh By-Election 3 November 2005[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Paul Swaddle 1,027 51.0 +8.6
Liberal Democrats Dave Swindells 835 41.5 +11.5
Labour Jacqueline Rupert 97 4.8 -5.3
UKIP David Lamb 55 2.7 -8.1
Majority 192 9.5
Turnout 2,014 28.2
Conservative hold Swing
Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe By-Election 6 December 2007[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Kersley 913 70.6 -2.9
Liberal Democrats Martin Alder 237 18.3 -0.5
UKIP Franklin Carstairs 83 6.4 +2.5
Labour Brian Scott 60 4.6 +0.8
Majority 676 52.3
Turnout 1,293
Conservative hold Swing
Coronation By-Election 13 November 2008[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Katherine Povey 850 53.2 +0.0
Liberal Democrats Coling Lawley 675 42.2 +4.6
UKIP Amy Thornton 74 4.6 -0.2
Majority 175 11.0
Turnout 1,599
Conservative hold Swing

2009–2013

Wokingham Without By-Election 4 June 2009[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Sleight 1,809 67.3 -8.9
Liberal Democrats David Vaughan 711 26.5 +13.0
BNP Mark Burke 166 6.2 +6.2
Majority 1,098 40.8
Turnout 2,686 44.5
Conservative hold Swing
Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe By-Election 21 July 2011[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Halsall 850 65.9 +0.6
Liberal Democrats Martin Alder 272 21.1 -7.1
Labour Matthew Dent 94 7.3 +0.7
UKIP Andy Heape 55 4.3 +4.3
Green Martyn Foss 19 1.5 +1.5
Majority 578 44.8
Turnout 1,290 29.4
Conservative hold Swing

2013–present

Emmbrook by-election 17 February 2017[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Imogen Shepherd-DuBey 1,575 59.7 +22.6
Conservative Kevin Morgan 879 33.3 -4.2
UKIP Phil Ray 104 3.9 -11.5
Labour Christopher Everett 79 3.0 -6.9
Majority 696 26.4
Turnout 2,637 39.7 –3.4
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Evendons by-election 7th February 2019[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Sarah Kerr 1,441 63.1 16.3
Conservative Daniel Clawson 729 31.9 -8.8
Labour Timothy Lloyd 115 5 -7.5
Majority 713 31 35.1
Turnout 2,294 32.7 -8.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

References

  1. ^ "Council compositions". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Wokingham". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  3. ^ "Redwood to stand for leadership". Reading Evening Post. 6 May 1997. p. 3. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Council leader quits in bid to become MP". Reading Evening Post. 7 September 1999. p. 3. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Leader answers on-line". Reading Evening Post. 15 September 1999. p. 10. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Obituary: Alan Spratling". Reading Chronicle. 16 July 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Council minutes, 27 March 2008" (PDF). Wokingham Borough Council. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  8. ^ "Annual Council Meeting minutes, 22 May 2008" (PDF). Wokingham Borough Council. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Annual Council Meeting minutes, 12 June 2014" (PDF). Wokingham Borough Council. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  10. ^ "Annual Council Meeting minutes, 18 May 2017" (PDF). Wokingham Borough Council. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  11. ^ "Council minutes, 14 December 2018". Wokingham Borough Council. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  12. ^ "Annual Council Meeting minutes, 22 May 2019". Wokingham Borough Council. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  13. ^ "Lib Dem-led coalition set to run Wokingham Borough Council". BBC News. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  14. ^ The District of Wokingham (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1978
  15. ^ legislation.gov.uk – The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey (County Boundaries) Order 1991. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
  16. ^ legislation.gov.uk – The District of Wokingham (Electoral Changes) Order 2002. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
  17. ^ "Wokingham council". BBC News Online. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  18. ^ "Decision making and structure". Wokingham Borough Council. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  19. ^ "Tories inch ahead". guardian.co.uk. London. 9 November 2001. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  20. ^ "Tories suffer triple defeat". guardian.co.uk. London. 26 November 2004. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  21. ^ "Tories claim clean sweep in council byelections". guardian.co.uk. London. 4 November 2005. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  22. ^ "Election results for Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe by-election". Wokingham Borough Council. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  23. ^ "Woodley by-election results". Wokingham Borough Council. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  24. ^ "Election results for Wokingham Without Ward by-election 4 June 2009". Wokingham Borough Council. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  25. ^ "Tories seal comfortable by-election victory". Reading Chronicle. 22 July 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  26. ^ "Election results for Emmbrook, 17 February 2017". Wokingham Borough Council. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  27. ^ "Election results for Evendons, 7th February 2017". Wokingham Borough Council. Retrieved 9 February 2019.

External links

Council elections in Berkshire
Unitary authorities of England
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