Babergh Council election, 2011
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Babergh Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of Babergh
District
Council in Suffolk
, England
. The whole council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control
.
saw no party win a majority, with the Conservatives
being the largest party. Labour
won no seats at the election, but recovered one seat when Tony Bavington gained a seat back in a 2010 by-election
in Great Cornard
. A further change in composition came in March 2010 when councillor
Dean Walton defected to the Green Party
from the Conservatives, but sat as an independent
on Babergh Council.
A total of 122 candidates were nominated for the 43 seats being contested, which was reported to be a record for an election to Babergh Council, and up from 78 at the 2003 election and 87 in 2007. These were comprised on 34 Conservatives, 31 Labour, 27 Liberal Democrats, 14 United Kingdom Independence Party
, 1 Green Party and 15 candidates from no party. The 31 candidates from Labour was a record for the party in Babergh, while the Liberal Democrat leader on Suffolk County Council
, Kathy Pollard, was among the Liberal Democrat candidates.
Individual results included an independent gain from the Conservatives in Lavenham
, Liberal Democrat Kathy Pollard winning a place back on the council after 16 years, while author and Labour candidate Nicci Gerrard lost in South Cosford, coming third with 187 votes.
|}
2 Liberal Democrat and 1 Independent candidates were unopposed.
Babergh
Babergh is a local government district in Suffolk, England. Its council headquarters is based in Hadleigh, whilst its largest town is Sudbury.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the Borough of Sudbury, Hadleigh urban district, Cosford Rural District, Melford Rural District and...
District
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
Council in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The whole council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control
No overall control
Within the context of local councils of the United Kingdom, the term No Overall Control refers to a situation in which no single party achieves a majority of seats and is analogous to a hung parliament...
.
Background
The previous election in 2007Babergh Council election, 2007
The 2007 Babergh District Council election was held on 3 May 2007 to elect members to the council. The Conservative Party replaced the Liberal Democrats as the largest party but the council stayed under no overall control. The Labour Party lost all of its six seats...
saw no party win a majority, with the Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
being the largest party. Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
won no seats at the election, but recovered one seat when Tony Bavington gained a seat back in a 2010 by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in Great Cornard
Great Cornard
Great Cornard is a large village located just outside Sudbury, in Suffolk, England.-History:The area now called Great Cornard has been occupied since pre-history, with evidence of Palaeolithic, Bronze Age and Roman settlements in the parish. The village is accounted for in the Domesday Book as the...
. A further change in composition came in March 2010 when councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
Dean Walton defected to the Green Party
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
from the Conservatives, but sat as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
on Babergh Council.
A total of 122 candidates were nominated for the 43 seats being contested, which was reported to be a record for an election to Babergh Council, and up from 78 at the 2003 election and 87 in 2007. These were comprised on 34 Conservatives, 31 Labour, 27 Liberal Democrats, 14 United Kingdom Independence Party
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
, 1 Green Party and 15 candidates from no party. The 31 candidates from Labour was a record for the party in Babergh, while the Liberal Democrat leader on Suffolk County Council
Suffolk County Council
Suffolk County Council is the administrative authority for the county of Suffolk, England. It is run by 72 elected county councillors representing 63 divisions...
, Kathy Pollard, was among the Liberal Democrat candidates.
Election result
The results saw the council remain under no overall control, with the Conservatives staying as the largest party on 18 seats. The Liberal Democrats dropped to 12 seats, while Labour increased from the 1 seat they had held after a by-election gain to 3 seats.Individual results included an independent gain from the Conservatives in Lavenham
Lavenham
Lavenham is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. It is noted for its 15th century church, half-timbered medieval cottages and circular walk. In the medieval period it was among the 20 wealthiest settlements in England...
, Liberal Democrat Kathy Pollard winning a place back on the council after 16 years, while author and Labour candidate Nicci Gerrard lost in South Cosford, coming third with 187 votes.
|}
2 Liberal Democrat and 1 Independent candidates were unopposed.