No overall control

Possible result of a UK local election From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the context of local authorities in the United Kingdom no overall control (NOC; Welsh: dim rheolaeth gyffredinol)[1] is a situation in which no single political group achieves a majority of seats, comparable to a hung parliament. Of the 248 councils who had members up for election in the 2019 local elections, 73 (over a quarter) resulted in a NOC administration. In the 2021 local elections, 14 resulted in no overall control. Outside of the UK, the term may be applied to other local authorities, such as the local councils of Malta and the General Assembly of Budapest in Hungary.

Administration

Typically, if no party achieves overall control of a council, the largest grouping will form alliances to create an ad hoc governing coalition. Often local authorities have larger proportions of smaller party and independent members than the House of Commons, and when there is no overall control this often results in minor groups having more influence than their numbers alone would suggest.

In a result of no overall control, the largest party may attempt to govern as a minority administration. Parties may also work together to create a formal deal, which can range from a confidence and supply deal[a] to full coalition. Deals, especially the looser kind, can occur between parties which are not traditionally aligned on a national level. For example, a minority Conservative administration was formed in 2019 in Bolton supported by the Liberal Democrats and UKIP,[2] whilst a Labour-UKIP formal coalition existed in Basildon.[3] Following the 2017 Aberdeen City Council election, all nine Labour councillors were expelled from the party for entering into a coalition with the Conservatives.[4]

It is possible for a council to be under no overall control even when there appears to be an overall majority, in particular in the case of a majority of independents, who commonly have no collective policies when elected. This can also arise when the council members divide on other than party lines. For instance, the 2004 elections to the Isle of Anglesey County Council returned more independents than all others put together, but only Plaid Cymru maintained a party group within the council, and not all of its elected members joined the group. The remainder of the council, including some members of other political parties, formed four non-partisan groups, none of which held a majority. The 2008 elections resulted in a group called the Original Independents gaining an overall majority.[5]

No overall control is more common in Northern Ireland and Scotland, in part due to their usage of single transferable vote as opposed to the plurality block voting system used in England and Wales. Following the 2022 Scottish local elections, twenty-seven of the thirty-two councils were under no overall control, with a further three having a majority of independents.[6] Following the 2023 Northern Ireland local elections, all eleven councils were under no overall control.

Local authorities

County councils

More information Council, Seats ...
Council Seats Largest party Seats Control[7] Seats
Devon 60 Liberal Democrats 27 Liberal Democrats/Green coalition 33
East Sussex 50 Conservative 22 Conservative minority 22
Gloucestershire 55 Liberal Democrats 27 Liberal Democrats minority 27
Hertfordshire 78 Liberal Democrats 32 Liberal Democrats minority 32
Leicestershire 55 Reform 25 Reform UK minority 25
Surrey 81 Conservative 39 Conservative minority 39
Warwickshire 57 Reform 22 Reform UK minority 22
Worcestershire 57 Reform 26 Reform UK minority 26
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Metropolitan boroughs

More information Council, Seats ...
Council Seats Largest party Seats Control[8] Seats
Bolton 60 Labour 25 Labour minority 25
Dudley 72 Conservative 33 Conservative minority 33
Kirklees 69 Labour 23 Labour minority 23
Newcastle upon Tyne 78 Labour 37 Labour minority 37
Oldham 60 Labour 27 Labour minority 27
Sheffield 84 Labour 35 Labour/Liberal Democrats/Green coalition 76
South Tyneside 54 Labour 27 Labour minority 27
Stockport 63 Liberal Democrats 30 Liberal Democrats minority 30
Wirral 66 Labour 27 Labour minority 27
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Unitary authorities

More information Council, Seats ...
Council Seats Largest party Seats Control[9] Seats
Bedford 46 Conservative 14 + mayor Conservative mayor 14 + mayor
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 76 Liberal Democrats 29 Liberal Democrats/Christchurch Independents/Poole People/Independent coalition[10] 47
Bracknell Forest 41 Labour 20 Labour minority 20
Bristol 70 Green 35 Green/Liberal Democrats coalition 43
Buckinghamshire 97 Conservative 48 Conservative minority 48
Central Bedfordshire 63 Independent 28 Independent minority 28
Cheshire East 82 Conservative 34 Labour/Independent coalition 45[11]
Cheshire West and Chester 70 Labour 35 Labour minority 35
Cornwall 87 Liberal Democrats 26 Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition[12] 42
Darlington 50 Labour 23 Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition 25
Derby 51 Labour 24 Labour minority 24
East Riding of Yorkshire 67 Conservative 25 Conservative minority 25
Herefordshire 53 Conservative 20 Conservative minority 20
Isle of Wight 39 Conservative 13 Independent/Green/Our Island coalition 12
North East Lincolnshire 42 Conservative 18 Conservative minority 18
North Somerset 50 Conservative 15[b] Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green/Portishead Independents/Independent coalition 35
North Yorkshire 90 Conservative 43 Conservative minority 43
Northumberland 69 Conservative 27 Conservative minority 27
Peterborough 60 Labour 15 Labour minority 15
Portsmouth 42 Liberal Democrats 18 Liberal Democrats minority 18
Redcar and Cleveland 59 Labour 19 Labour minority 19
Rutland 27 Liberal Democrats 11 Liberal Democrats/Green coalition 12
Slough 42 Conservative 20 Conservative/Liberal Democrats coalition 30
South Gloucestershire 61 Conservative 23 Liberal Democrats/Labour Party coalition 34
Southend-on-Sea 51 Labour 19 Labour/Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition 28
Stockton-on-Tees 56 Conservative 25 Labour minority 22
Torbay 36 Conservative 17 Conservative minority 17
Wiltshire 98 Liberal Democrats 43 Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition[13] 50
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London boroughs

More information Council, Seats ...
Council Seats Largest party Seats Control[14] Seats
Croydon 71 Labour 34 Conservative mayor 33
Havering 55 Havering Residents Association 25 Havering Residents Association/Labour coalition 33
Tower Hamlets 45 Aspire 21 + mayor Aspire mayor 21 + mayor
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Welsh principal areas

More information Council, Seats ...
Council Seats Largest party Seats Control[15] Seats
Carmarthenshire 75 Plaid Cymru 37 Plaid Cymru minority 37
Conwy 55 Independent 23 Independent/Labour/Plaid Cymru coalition[c] 39
Denbighshire 48 Labour 15 Labour/Plaid Cymru coalition 23
Flintshire 67 Labour 28 Labour minority 28
Merthyr Tydfil 30 Independent 14 Independent minority 14
Monmouthshire 46 Labour 21 Labour minority 21
Neath Port Talbot 60 Labour 27 Independent/Plaid Cymru coalition[d] 29
Pembrokeshire 60 Independent 36 Independent/Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition 29
Powys 68 Liberal Democrats 22 Liberal Democrats/Labour coalition 31
Vale of Glamorgan 54 Labour 24 Labour/Llantwit First Independents/Independent coalition 29
Wrexham 56 Independent 27 Independent/Conservative coalition 30
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District councils

More information Council, Seats ...
Council Seats Largest party Seats Control[18] Seats
Arun 54 Conservative 19 Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition 28
Ashford 47 Conservative 17 Conservative minority 17
Babergh 32 Green 10 Green/Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition 24
Basildon 42 Labour 19 Labour minority 19
Basingstoke and Deane 54 Conservative 15 B&D Independents/Liberal Democrats/Green/Independent coalition[e] 28
Brentwood 39 Conservative 19 Liberal Democrats/Labour coalition 20
Broadland 47 Conservative 22 Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition 25
Bromsgrove 31 Conservative 11 Conservative/Independent coalition 18
Broxtowe 44 Broxtowe Alliance 18 Broxtowe Independents minority 18
Burnley 45 Labour 15 Independent/Liberal Democrats/Green coalition[f] 22
Canterbury 39 Labour 18 Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition 27
Charnwood 52 Conservative 23 Labour minority[g] 20
Cherwell 48 Liberal Democrats 17 Liberal Democrats/Green coalition 21
Colchester 51 Conservative 19 Liberal Democrats minority[h] 14
Derbyshire Dales 34 Liberal Democrats 12 Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition 23
Dover 32 Labour 16 Labour minority 16
East Devon 60 Liberal Democrats 18 Liberal Democrats/Green/Independent coalition 31
East Hampshire 43 Conservative 19 Conservative/Whitehill and Bordon Community Party coalition 25
East Hertfordshire 50 Green 17 Green/Liberal Democrats coalition 27
East Lindsey 55 Conservative 25 Conservative minority 25
East Suffolk 55 Green 16 Green/Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition 28
Elmbridge 48 Liberal Democrats 21 Liberal Democrats/Residents Association coalition 35
Folkestone and Hythe 30 Green 11 Green/Liberal Democrats coalition 13
Forest of Dean 38 Green 15 Green minority 15
Gloucester 39 Liberal Democrats 17 Liberal Democrats minority 17
Great Yarmouth 39 Conservative 19 Conservative minority 19
Harborough District Council 34 Conservative 15 Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition 19
Hart 33 Liberal Democrats 12 Liberal Democrats/Community Campaign (Hart) coalition 23
Hastings 32 Green 12 Green/Independent coalition 18
Havant 36 Conservative 13 Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition 21
Hertsmere 39 Conservative 16 Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition 23
Huntingdonshire 52 Conservative 19 Liberal Democrats/Labour/St Neots Independent Group/Green/Independent coalition 32
King's Lynn and West Norfolk 55 Conservative 21 Independent/Liberal Democrats/Green coalition 21
Lancaster 61 Green 22 Green/Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition 50
Lewes 41 Green 16 Green/Labour coalition 24
Lichfield 47 Conservative 21 Conservative minority 21
Maidstone 49 Conservative 13 Liberal Democrats/Green/Independent coalition 26
Maldon 31 Conservative 10 Maldon District Independent Group minority[24] 6
Malvern Hills 31 Independent 13 Independent/Green coalition 18
Melton 28 Conservative 10 Independent/Labour coalition 15
Mid Sussex 48 Liberal Democrats 20 Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition 24
Newark and Sherwood 39 Conservative 14 Labour minority 10
North Hertfordshire 51 Labour 25 Labour minority 25
North Warwickshire 35 Conservative 17 Conservative minority 17
North West Leicestershire 38 Labour 17 Conservative/Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition 19[25]
Norwich 39 Labour 19 Labour minority 19
Oxford 48 Labour 20 Labour minority 20
Pendle 33 Conservative 13 Independent/Liberal Democrats coalition 18
Reigate and Banstead 45 Conservative 19 Conservative minority 19
Ribble Valley 40 Conservative 17 Conservative minority 17
Rochford 39 Liberal Democrats 11 Liberal Democrats/Independent/Green coalition 21
Rother 38 Conservative 10 Labour/Rother Association of Independent Councillors/Liberal Democrats/Green coalition 24
Rugby 42 Conservative 17 Conservative minority 17
Runnymede 41 Conservative 12 Labour/Liberal Democrats/RIRG/Green/Independent coalition 25
South Kesteven 56 Conservative 22 Independent/Liberal Democrats/Green coalition 28
South Norfolk 46 Conservative 23 Conservative minority 23
Spelthorne 39 Conservative 16 Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition 14
Stafford 40 Conservative 15 Labour/Stafford Borough Independents/Green coalition 24
Staffordshire Moorlands 56 Labour 23 Labour minority 23
Stroud 51 Green 22 Green minority 22
Swale 47 Labour 16 Labour/Swale Independents/Green/Independent coalition 30
Tandridge 43 Liberal Democrats 11 Independent/Oxted and Limpsfield Residents Group coalition 20
Tendring 48 Conservative 14 Independent/Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition 28
Tewkesbury 38 Liberal Democrats 16 Liberal Democrats/Independent/Green coalition 29
Tonbridge and Malling 44 Conservative 20 Conservative minority 20
Torridge 36 Independent 16 Independent minority 16
Warwick 44 Green 14 Green/Labour coalition 24
Waverley 50 Liberal Democrats 22 Liberal Democrats/Farnham Residents Party/Labour/Green coalition 38
Wealden 45 Liberal Democrats 11 Liberal Democrats/Green coalition 22
Green 11
Welwyn Hatfield 48 Labour 20 Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition 36
West Devon 31 Conservative 11 Independent/Green/Liberal Democrats/Labour coalition 20
West Lindsey 36 Liberal Democrats 17 Liberal Democrats minority 17
West Oxfordshire 49 Liberal Democrats 21 Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition 36
West Suffolk 64 Conservative 26 Labour/Independent/West Suffolk Independent/Liberal Democrats/Green coalition 28
Worcester 35 Labour 17 Labour minority 17
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See also

References

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