Bedfordshire County Council elections

Bedfordshire County Council was elected every four years. Luton was administered by the county council until 1997, when it became a unitary authority. Bedfordshire County Council was abolished in 2009, when unitary councils were introduced across the rest of Bedfordshire. Services which prior to 2009 were provided by Bedfordshire County Council are now provided by either Bedford Borough Council or Central Bedfordshire Council.

Results

The county council was created in 1889, with elections held every three years (except during the World Wars). Significant reforms in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 saw a new council elected in 1973 which took office from 1 April 1974 when those reforms came into effect. The election results (excluding by-elections) from 1973 until the council's abolition were as follows:[1]

Year Seats Conservative Labour Liberal Democrats[a] Independent / other Notes
1973 83 32 39 9 3
1977 83 75 5 2 1
1981 83 40 34 8 1
1985 73 30 29 14 0 New division boundaries.[2]
1989 73 35 27 11 0
1993 73 28 31 13 1
1997 49 25 14 10 0 Luton removed from county council's area.[3]
2001 49 26 13 10 0
2005 52 36 7 9 0 New division boundaries.[4]
  1. ^ Includes Liberal Party and Social Democratic Party pre-1988.

Council elections

By-election results

Maulden By-Election 22 January 1998
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative 1,280 57.9 +3.2
Labour 673 30.4 +2.6
Liberal Democrats 259 11.7 −5.8
Majority 607 47.3
Turnout 2,212 40.0
Conservative hold Swing
Arlesley & Langford By-Election 9 September 1999
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 681 47.8 −4.2
Conservative 411 28.8 −19.2
Independent 333 23.4 +23.4
Majority 270 19.0
Turnout 1,425
Labour hold Swing
North East Bedfordshire By-Election 7 November 2002
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tom Wootton 1,001 69.3 +11.4
Liberal Democrats 318 22.0 +6.9
Labour 84 5.8 −11.2
Green Ben Foley 41 2.8 +2.8
Majority 683 47.3
Turnout 1,444 23.5
Conservative hold Swing
Plantation By-Election 18 March 2004
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative 679 70.3 +20.7
Liberal Democrats 287 29.7 +13.2
Majority 392 40.6
Turnout 966 20.1
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  2. ^ "The County of Bedfordshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1985", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1985/140, retrieved 21 October 2024
  3. ^ "The Bedfordshire (Borough of Luton) (Structural Change) Order 1995", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1995/1776, retrieved 21 October 2024
  4. ^ "The County of Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2004", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2004/3245, retrieved 21 October 2024