Leicester City Council is a
unitary authorityA unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
responsible for
local governmentThe pattern of local government in England is complex, with the distribution of functions varying according to the local arrangements. Legislation concerning local government in England is decided by the Parliament and Government of the United Kingdom, because England does not have a devolved...
in the city of
LeicesterLeicester is a city and unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England. It is the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
,
EnglandEngland 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 and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It consists of 54 councillors, representing 22 wards in the city. It is currently controlled by the
Labour PartyThe Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been seen since 1920 as the principal party of the Left in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently begun to organise again...
and is led by Ross Willmott. The main council building is the New Walk Centre, but council meetings are held in the 19th century
Town HallLeicester Town Hall in the City centre of Leicester, England.Built between 1874 and 1876 in the Queen Anne Style by Francis Hames, it was built on the former cattle market. Before it was built the Guildhall acted as the town hall....
.
As a unitary authority, the council is responsible for running nearly all local services in Leicester, with the exception of the
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue ServiceThe Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service is the fire and rescue service which covers Leicestershire and Rutland including the unitary authority of Leicester.-History:...
and
Leicestershire ConstabularyLeicestershire Constabulary is the Home Office police force responsible for policing Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland in England. Its headquarters are at Enderby, Leicestershire.The current Temporary Chief Constable is Chris Eyre.-History:...
which are run by joint boards with
Leicestershire County CouncilLeicestershire County Council is the county council for the English non-metropolitan county of Leicestershire. It was originally formed in 1889 by the Local Government Act 1888. The county is divided into 52 electoral divisions, which return a total of 55 councillors. The council is controlled by...
and
Rutland County CouncilRutland County Council is a unitary authority responsible for local government in the historic county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. The current Council was created in April 1997....
.
History
The Council traces its roots to the
Corporation of Leicester, and before then to the
Merchant Gild and the
Portmanmoot. The Portmanmoot consisted of 24
JuratJurat is the name given to the clause at the foot of an affidavit showing when, where, and before whom the actual oath was sworn or affirmation was made....
s, elected from the burgesses (members of the Gild Merchant, or freemen), along with two bailiffs, and a clerk. It appears to have existed before the Norman Conquest in 1066. In 1209, the lead member of the Portmanmoot, the Alderman, became known as a
mayor"Mayor" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government....
. The Gild Merchant and the Moot overlapped in membership and had probably become effectively merged in the 14th century. Membership of the Twenty-Four appears to have been by
co-option*A co-option or more often co-optation is an election where members of a committee vote in order to fill a vacancy on that committee or group...
, chosen by themselves.
Traditionally, the general populace attended some meetings of the Moot and Guild, but this was restricted to burgesses in 1467. Later, in 1489, this changed to a system where the Mayor and the Twenty-Four chose Forty-Eight burgesses to represent the others, and the Twenty-Four and the Forty-Eight would govern jointly.
After doubts as to the ability of the Moot and Gild to hold property arose in the 16th century, the Corporation was formed, replacing the Gild and Portmanmoot, in 1589. A second charter was granted in 1599, reconfirming this, to
The Mayor, Bailiffs and Burgesses of the Borough of Leicester. The 24 Jurats became known as the
AldermenAn alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions. Historically the term could also refer to local municipal judges in small legal proceedings...
of the Corporation, and the 48 other Burgesses as the
Common CouncilCommon Council may refer to:* The Court of Common Council, an elected body of the City of London Corporation* Buffalo Common Council, the legislative branch of the Buffalo, NY City Government...
. The members of the Corporation chose the burgesses to send to the
House of CommonsThe House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 646 members, who are known as "Members...
.
The Corporation, as with most English municipal corporations, continued effectively unreformed until the Municipal Reform Act of 1835, although the freemen in general obtained the right to participate in the election of MPs after the
RestorationThe English Restoration, often shortened to the Restoration, began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Commonwealth of England that followed the English Civil War...
. The Municipal Reform Act replaced the existing system of co-option for members of the council with
electionAn election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the executive and...
s by rate-payers. This led to a prolonged spell of
LiberalThe Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the mid 19th century until the rise of the Labour Party in the 1920s, and a third party of varying strength and importance up to 1988, when it merged with the Social Democratic Party to form a new party which would become...
control of the council.
Leicester became, in 1889, under the
Local Government ActThe Local Government Act 1888 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales...
, a
county boroughCounty borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. The Local Government Act 1972 abolished them in England and Wales, but they are still used in the Republic of Ireland and Northern...
. The Corporation was replaced in 1974 under the
Local Government Act 1972The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, with the modern Leicester City Council, a
non-metropolitan districtNon-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As originally created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
council under
Leicestershire County CouncilLeicestershire County Council is the county council for the English non-metropolitan county of Leicestershire. It was originally formed in 1889 by the Local Government Act 1888. The county is divided into 52 electoral divisions, which return a total of 55 councillors. The council is controlled by...
. Leicestershire County Council's jurisdiction over the City of Leicester was transferred to the City Council on April 1, 1997, making it a unitary authority, as part of the
1990s UK local government reformThe structure of local government in the United Kingdom underwent large changes in the 1990s. The system of two-tier local government introduced in the 1970s by the Local Government Act 1972 and the Local Government Act 1973 was abolished in Scotland and Wales on April 1, 1996, and replaced with...
.
Mayoralty
The position of
Lord MayorThe Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.* In England, Wales and Northern Ireland it is a purely ceremonial post, see Mayors in the United Kingdom, list of cities in the United Kingdom, especially Lord Mayor of the City of London The Lord Mayor is the title...
of Leicester is mainly a ceremonial post, and is combined with that of chair of the council.The position is elected yearly by members of the council, and rotates. The current mayor is Councillor Manjula Sood (2008-present). Here is a history of Leicester's Lord Mayors:
- James Thomas (1927-1928)
- Harry Hand (1928-1929)
- William Hincks (1929-1930)
- Harry Carver (1930-1931)
- Walter Wilford (1931-1932)
- Arthur Hawkes (1932-1933)
- William Billings (1933-1934)
- Ernest Grimsley (1934-1935)
- Richard Hallam (1935-1936)
- Arthur Swain (1936-1937)
- Frank Acton (1937-1938)
- Thomas Gooding (1938-1939)
- George Parbury (1939-1940)
- William Joseph Cort (1940-1941)
- Elizabeth Rowley Frisby (1941-1942)
- Sydney Taylor (1942-1943)
- Charles Edward Gillot (1943-1944)
- John Minto (1944-1945)
- Charles Edward Worthington, C.B.E. (1945-1946)
- William Henry Smith (1946-1947)
- John Newton Frears (1947-1949)
- John William Wale (1949-1950)
- Alderman Frederick Ernest Oliver (1950-1951)
- Aderman Thomas Rowland Hill (1951-1952)
- Alderman Geoffrey Morris Barnett (1952-1953)
- Alderman Charles Robert Keene (1953-1954)
- Alderman Cecil Herbert Harris (1954-1955)
- Alderman Samuel Cooper (1955-1956)
- Alderman Alfred Harkyard (1956-1957)
- Alderman Frederick John Jackson (1957-1958)
- Alderman Sidney Brown (1958-1959)
- Alderman Bertram Powell (1959-1960)
- Alderman Dorothy Russell (1960-1961)
- Alderman May Goodwin (1961-1962)
- Alderman Harold Heard (1962-1963)
- Alderman Constance Elizabeth Jackson (1963-1964)
- Alderman Archibald Henry William Kimberlin (1964-1965)
- Alderman Sidney William Bridges (1965-1966)
- Alderman Mrs. Monica Mary Trotter (1966-1967)
- Alderman Sir Mark Henig (1967-1968)
- Alderman Kenneth William Bowder (1968-1969)
- Alderman Edward Marston (1969-1970)
- Alderman George Baldwin (1970-1971)
- Alderman Percy Watts (1971-1972)
- Alderman Herbert Stanley Tomlinson (1972-1973)
- Councillor Clarence Arnold Wakefield (1973-1974)
- Councillor Mrs, Anne Irene Pollard (1974-1975)
- Councillor Mrs, Lily Roma Marriott J,P. (1975-1976)
- Councillor Bernard Toft (1976-1977)
- Councillor Albert Turner Baker (1977-1978)
- Councillor Albert Sylveter Watson (1978-1979)
- Councillor William Henry Scotton (1979-1980)
- Councillor Herbert Henry Snowden (1980-1981)
- Councillor Archibald Berridge (1981-1982)
- Councillor William Page (1982-1983)
- Councillor George Billington (1983-1984)
- Councillor Michael Cuffllin (1984-1985)
- Councillor Mrs Janet Setchfield (1985-1986)
- Councillor Sydney St.John Phipps (1986-1987)
- Councillor Gordhan Parmar (1987-1988)
- Councillor Guy Collis (1988-1989)
- Councillor David Anthony Taylor (1989-1990)
- Councillor Peter Kimberlin (1990-1991)
- Councillor Colin Grundy (1991-1992)
- Councillor Robert Wigglesworth (1992-1993)
- Councillor Henry Dunphy (1993-1994)
- Councillor Margaret Bell (1994-1995)
- Councillor Michael Johnson (1995-1996)
- Councillor Culdipp Bhatti (1996-1997)
- Councillor Raymond Flint (1997-1998)
- Councillor John Mugglestone (1998-1999)
- Councillor Phil Swift (1999-2000)
- Councillor Mrs Barbara Chambers (2000-2001)
- Councillor John Allen (2001-2002)
- Councillor Maggie Bodell-Stagg (2002-2003)
- Councillor Ramnik Kavia (2003-2004)
- Councillor Piara Singh Clair (2004-2005)
- Councillor Mary Draycott (2005-2006)
- Councillor Paul Westley (2006-2007)
- Councillor Gary G Hunt (2007-2008)
- Councillor Manjula Sood (2008-present)
Wards
The City is divided into various electoral wards, each of which returns two or three councillors, using the
bloc votingPlurality-at-large voting, commonly referred to as block voting or bloc voting, is a voting system for electing several representatives from a single multimember electoral district using a series of check boxes and tallying votes similar to a plurality election...
system, as follows
| Ward | Councillors | Notes |
|---|
| Abbey |
3 |
from Abbey Park up to Stocking Farm and Mowmacre Hill |
| Aylestone Aylestone is a suburb of Leicester, England at . It is south-west of the city centre, but to the east of the River Soar.It was formerly a separate village, but the growth of the city has meant that it is now part of the urban area, largely surrounded by 20th century housing. However, the area...
|
2 |
| Beaumont Leys Beaumont Leys is a large modern suburb of Leicester, England to the north-west of the city and is widely regarded as one of the most deprived areas in England....
|
3 |
| Belgrave Belgrave is an area in northern Leicester, England. The old Belgrave Village is on the Loughborough Road, to the west of the A46, known at that point as 'Melton Road'.-History:...
|
2 |
the northern half of the Belgrave area |
| Braunstone Park Braunstone Park is a park in western Leicester, England. It is in the Braunstone area, and is approximately triangle shaped, with the base being at the south, and a small frontage north onto the A47 . The park is the setting for Braunstone Hall, and is the remnant of the large Braunstone...
and Rowley Fields |
3 |
including most of Braunstone Braunstone is a suburb of the City of Leicester, England, to the south-west of the City Centre, parts of which were built on the grounds of Braunstone Hall, the remnant of the grounds of which are now Braunstone Park.-History:...
|
CastleCastle Ward is a National Trust property located near the village of Strangford, in County Down, Northern Ireland. It overlooks Strangford Lough and is 7 miles from Downpatrick and 1.5 miles from Strangford....
|
3 |
city centre The modern City Centre of Leicester is roughly delineated by Leicester's inner ring-road, designated the A594. This area incorporates most of Leicester's shopping, with the Highcross and the Haymarket Centre and the historic core of Leicester including Leicester Cathedral and the market....
, Southfields, Clarendon ParkClarendon Park may refer to:*Clarendon Park, Jamaica*Clarendon Park, Leicester*Clarendon Park, Wiltshire...
|
| Charnwood |
2 |
Northfields Northfields is an area of Leicester, England named for the historic North Fields. Its boundaries are unclear, but comprises three areas: Northfields proper, and the Tailby and Morton council estates....
, around Charnwood Street |
| Coleman |
2 |
Crown Hills Crown Hills is an area of eastern side of the English city of Leicester, bounded by Humberstone to the north, Evington to the south-east and Goodwood to the east. The area also has a local secondary school, Crown Hills Community College....
and North EvingtonNorth Evington is an area of the city of Leicester, England which is an inclusion of Highfields. It is in the east of the city, south of the Uppingham Road, between Spinney Hills to the west and Crown Hills to the east...
, around Coleman Road |
| Evington Evington is an area in eastern Leicester, England. It used to be a small village centred around Main Street and the Anglican church of St Denys but was close enough to Leicester to become one of the outer suburbs in the 1930s....
|
2 |
Eyres MonsellEyres Monsell is a former council estate in the southern suburbs of Leicester, UK. The area is defined by Saffron Lane to the east, the Birmingham to Peterborough railway to the south, Lutterworth Road to the west, and Glenhills Way to the north...
|
2 |
| Fosse |
2 |
| Freemen |
2 |
Knighton Fields and the Saffron estate |
| Humberstone Humberstone is an urban village in Leicester, England. It is in the east of the city, and grew in the industrial revolution outside the borders of the city...
and HamiltonHamilton is an area of Leicester, England. Hamilton was originally the name of a deserted medieval village just outside the modern city boundary, to the north-east, and nearby Humberstone. The name is being revived for new developments on the A563 road, east of Rushey Mead. The housing estate in...
|
3 |
including Nether Hall |
| Knighton Knighton is an area of Leicester, situated roughly between Clarendon Park to the north, Stoneygate and South Knighton to the east, Wigston to the south and Saffron Lane estate to the west...
|
3 |
| Latimer |
2 |
the southern half of the Belgrave area |
New ParksNew Parks is an area in the city of Leicester, England. It is in the west of the city, close by the county border New Parks is an area in the city of Leicester, England. It is in the west of the city, close by the county border New Parks is an area in the city of Leicester, England. It is in the...
|
3 |
Braunstone Frith |
| Rushey Mead Rushey Mead is an area of northern Leicester. Originally part of the Thurmaston parish, it was annexed to the city in 1935. The area is further north on the Melton Road than Belgrave, and continues north to the border with the county , north of which is the remaining parish of Thurmaston.East of...
|
3 |
| Spinney Hills |
3 |
including parts of Highfields and Evington Valley Evington Valley is an area in Leicester, England. It is roughly bounded by East Park Road to the west , Chesterfield/Ethel Road to the north , Wakerly Road to the east and to the south borders Stoneygate....
, and the St Matthew'sThe St Matthew's estate is an area of inner city Leicester. It lies immediately to the North-East of the city centre and is bounded by the A594 ring road to the South-West, the Belgrave Road to the northwest and Humberstone Road to the South-East...
estate |
| Stoneygate Stoneygate is part of the City of Leicester, England.Situated on the south-east side of the city some two miles from the centre, Stoneygate is a mainly residential suburb characterised by its large Victorian houses...
|
3 |
also including parts of Highfields |
| Thurncourt Thurnby Lodge is an estate in eastern Leicester, England. Roughly, it consists of the area inside the city boundary which is north of the Uppingham Road, east of the A563 outer ringroad, and south of the Scraptoft Lane...
|
2 |
Thurnby Lodge Thurnby Lodge is an estate in eastern Leicester, England. Roughly, it consists of the area inside the city boundary which is north of the Uppingham Road, east of the A563 outer ringroad, and south of the Scraptoft Lane...
, around Thurncourt Road |
| Westcotes Westcotes is an area to the west of the city of Leicester. It is also known as the West End. The area is quite small in comparison with other areas of the city, but it is well known as it has many shops, bars and restaurants and is a popular choice for students and young professionals.-Roman:Two...
|
2 |
| Western Park Western Park is a park located in the western suburbs of Leicester and encompasses the area surrounding it.It is an upmarket area with many desirable properties along in the area....
|
2 |
The current ward boundaries were adopted for the 2003 local elections.
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2002/20022988.htm Prior to this, there had been 28 wards, each electing 2 members. Wards that had existed and been abolished were
Crown HillsCrown Hills is an area of eastern side of the English city of Leicester, bounded by Humberstone to the north, Evington to the south-east and Goodwood to the east. The area also has a local secondary school, Crown Hills Community College....
, East Knighton, Mowmacre, North Braunstone, Rowley Fields, Saffron, St Augustine's, West Humberstone,
West KnightonWest Knighton is an area boundaried by Knighton Lane East to the North, and Welford Road to the East,and the railway line to the West, and boundary to the South in Leicestershire. It was mostly constructed during the post war period of the 1950s and contains a variety of semi and detached...
and Wycliffe.
Political control
The Council had been under the control of the
Labour PartyThe Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been seen since 1920 as the principal party of the Left in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently begun to organise again...
from 1979 until the 2003 local elections, where
No Overall ControlWithin 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...
was established. Labour regained control in 2007.
| Labour Party The Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been seen since 1920 as the principal party of the Left in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently begun to organise again...
|
38 |
Conservative PartyThe Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservatives, the Conservative Party, or Tory Party is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom...
|
8 |
| Liberal Democrats |
6 |
Green PartyThe Green Party of England and Wales is the principal Green political party in England and Wales which includes among its regional divisions the semi-autonomous Wales Green Party. The party is unrepresented in the House of Commons, but did have a life peer in the House of Lords until his death...
|
2 |
http://www.leicester.gov.uk/elections07/results/cityresults.asp
Ross Willmott is the leader of council, having also served as Leader during the Labour minority administration from 2004 to 2005, and before the 2003 elections. The period of minority administration came about due to the collapse of the Liberal Democrat-Conservative coalition in November 2004
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/4044621.stm, when the council was in a state of no overall control following the 2003 elections. The coalition regrouped in 2005, but was later hit by Liberal Democrat infighting, leading to the creation of the splinter 'Focus Team' group which worked with Labour in opposition. Labour returned to power with a landside victory in 2007.
Elections
Historic general elections to the council :
| Date | Labour | Conservative | Liberal Democrat | Green |
|---|
| 1973 |
37 |
11 |
0 |
0 |
| 1976 |
21 |
27 |
0 |
0 |
| 1979 |
| 1983 |
| 1987 |
| 1991 |
| May 4, 1995 |
45 |
4 |
7 |
0 |
| May 2, 1996 |
41 |
7 |
8 |
0 |
| May 6, 1999 |
30 |
10 |
16 |
0 |
| May 1, 2003 |
20 |
9 |
25 |
0 |
| May 5, 2007 |
38 |
8 |
6 |
2 |
The May 1996 elections were held out of sequence because of the upcoming unitary authority status, which came into effect on April 1, 1997.
Former leaders include
- Jim Marshall
James Marshall was a British Labour Party politician.-Education:Marshall was born into a working class family in the Attercliffe district of Sheffield...
(1973-)
- Peter Soulsby
Sir Peter Alfred Soulsby is a British Labour Party politician. He served as leader of Leicester City Council from 1981 to 1999...
(1981-1999)
External links