Suffolk Council election, 2009
Encyclopedia
Elections to Suffolk County Council
were held on 4 June 2009 on the same day as the elections to the European Parliament
.
Labour
and the Conservatives
were the only parties with candidates standing in all sixty-three electoral divisions. The Liberal Democrats and the Green Party
were the only other parties which fielded enough candidates to achieve a majority..
The Conservatives won the election, being returned to power with 54 seats, a net gain of eleven, while the Liberal Democrats won eleven (a gain of two) and thus replaced Labour as the main opposition party, Labour losing seventeen seats overall and ending with only four. Two Independents
were elected, while the Green Party also won two seats and the UK Independence Party won one.
The Conservatives became more representative of the county's urban areas, particularly in Waveney and Ipswich, where they took seats from Labour. This contrasted with their performance in 2005 being mainly down to piling up votes in rural divisions. That said, the party lost seats in Bury St Edmunds and also in Mid Suffolk. Despite mounting strong challenges in the divisions lost to the Liberal Democrats in subsequent by-elections, they failed to regain them. The party was heartened by taking a comfortable majority of thirty nine seats in comparison to the one of twelve in 2005.
The Liberal Democrats had fought a strong campaign and held all of their divisions and added a further two Councillors to their tally.
The smaller parties benefitted from the Expenses Scandal hitting the main parties, which saw the Greens and an Independent gain three divisions from the Conservatives, and the UK Independence party taking a seat from Labour.
Labour itself was left with a severely reduced tally, and returned to Endeavour House with just four Councillors. Of these, two were from the Co-Operative Party.
In 2005 the Conservatives had won 42 seats, Labour 22, the Liberal Democrats 7, and one Independent
was elected. Subsequent by-elections after this saw the Conservatives gain a seat from Labour, but lose two to the Liberal Democrats.
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...
were held on 4 June 2009 on the same day as the elections to the European Parliament
European Parliament election, 2009
Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history...
.
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...
and 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...
were the only parties with candidates standing in all sixty-three electoral divisions. The Liberal Democrats and 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...
were the only other parties which fielded enough candidates to achieve a majority..
The Conservatives won the election, being returned to power with 54 seats, a net gain of eleven, while the Liberal Democrats won eleven (a gain of two) and thus replaced Labour as the main opposition party, Labour losing seventeen seats overall and ending with only four. Two Independents
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...
were elected, while the Green Party also won two seats and the UK Independence Party won one.
The Conservatives became more representative of the county's urban areas, particularly in Waveney and Ipswich, where they took seats from Labour. This contrasted with their performance in 2005 being mainly down to piling up votes in rural divisions. That said, the party lost seats in Bury St Edmunds and also in Mid Suffolk. Despite mounting strong challenges in the divisions lost to the Liberal Democrats in subsequent by-elections, they failed to regain them. The party was heartened by taking a comfortable majority of thirty nine seats in comparison to the one of twelve in 2005.
The Liberal Democrats had fought a strong campaign and held all of their divisions and added a further two Councillors to their tally.
The smaller parties benefitted from the Expenses Scandal hitting the main parties, which saw the Greens and an Independent gain three divisions from the Conservatives, and the UK Independence party taking a seat from Labour.
Labour itself was left with a severely reduced tally, and returned to Endeavour House with just four Councillors. Of these, two were from the Co-Operative Party.
In 2005 the Conservatives had won 42 seats, Labour 22, the Liberal Democrats 7, and one 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...
was elected. Subsequent by-elections after this saw the Conservatives gain a seat from Labour, but lose two to the Liberal Democrats.