| Election Name: | 1996 United Kingdom local elections |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Type: | legislative |
| Previous Election: | 1995 United Kingdom local elections |
| Previous Year: | 1995 |
| Next Election: | 1997 United Kingdom local elections |
| Next Year: | 1997 |
| Seats For Election: | All 36 metropolitan boroughs, 14 out of 25 unitary authorities and 100 out of 262 English districts |
| Election Date: | 2 May 1996 |
| 1Blank: | Councils |
| 2Blank: | Councils +/- |
| 3Blank: | Councillors |
| 4Blank: | Councillors +/- |
| Leader1: | Tony Blair |
| Leader Since1: | 21 July 1994 |
| Party1: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Percentage1: | 43% |
| Swing1: | 4% |
| 3Data1: | 10,929 |
| 4Data1: | 468 |
| Leader2: | Paddy Ashdown |
| Leader Since2: | 16 July 1988 |
| Party2: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Percentage2: | 26% |
| Swing2: | 3% |
| 3Data2: | 5,078 |
| 4Data2: | 136 |
| Leader3: | John Major |
| Leader Since3: | 27 November 1990 |
| Party3: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Percentage3: | 29% |
| Swing3: | 4% |
| 3Data3: | 4,276 |
| 4Data3: | 607 |
The 1996 United Kingdom local elections were held on 2 May 1996.[1] [2] They were the last local elections until 2010 to show a decline in the number of Conservative councillors and an increase in the number of Labour councillors.
The main opposition Labour Party gained 468 seats, bringing their number of councillors to 10,929. Their share of the vote was projected to be 43%, 4% down on the 1995 local elections.
The governing Conservative Party lost 607 seats and were left with 4,276 councillors - still in third place behind the Liberal Democrats. The Conservatives' projected share of the vote was 29%, a 4% increase since the previous local elections in 1995.
The Liberal Democrats gained 136 seats and had 5,078 councillors after the elections.
| Party | Councils | Councillors | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gain | Loss | Change | Total | Gain | Loss | Change | Total | ||||
| +11 | 87 | +466 | 1,744 | ||||||||
| +5 | 23 | +150 | 641 | ||||||||
| align="right" | -1 | 3 | align="right" | -577 | 518 | ||||||
| Other | 0 | 0 | +3 | 3 | align="right" | -39 | 127 | ||||
| +1 | align="right" | -16 | align="right" | -15 | 34 | — | — | — | — | ||
All 36 metropolitan borough councils had one third of their seats up for election.
| Council | Previous control | Result | Details | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnsley | hold | Details | |||
| Birmingham | hold | Details | |||
| Bolton | hold | Details | |||
| Bradford | hold | Details | |||
| Bury | hold | Details | |||
| Calderdale | hold | Details | |||
| Coventry | hold | Details | |||
| Doncaster | hold | Details | |||
| Dudley | hold | Details | |||
| Gateshead | hold | Details | |||
| Kirklees | hold | Details | |||
| Knowsley | hold | Details | |||
| Leeds | hold | Details | |||
| Liverpool | gain | Details | |||
| Manchester | hold | Details | |||
| Newcastle upon Tyne | hold | Details | |||
| North Tyneside | hold | Details | |||
| Oldham | hold | Details | |||
| Rochdale | gain | Details | |||
| Rotherham | hold | Details | |||
| Salford | hold | Details | |||
| Sandwell | hold | Details | |||
| Sefton | hold | Details | |||
| Sheffield | hold | Details | |||
| Solihull | hold | Details | |||
| South Tyneside | hold | Details | |||
| St Helens | hold | Details | |||
| Stockport | hold | Details | |||
| Sunderland | hold | Details | |||
| Tameside | hold | Details | |||
| Trafford | gain | Details | |||
| Wakefield | hold | Details | |||
| Walsall | gain | Details | |||
| Wigan | hold | Details | |||
| Wirral | hold | Details | |||
| Wolverhampton | hold | Details | |||
These were the first elections to 13 more unitary authorities established by the Local Government Commission for England (1992). They acted as "shadow authorities" until 1 April 1997.
| Council | Previous control | Result | Details | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bournemouth | New Council | Details | |||
| Brighton and Hove | New Council | Details | |||
| Darlington | New Council | Details | |||
| Derby | New Council | Details | |||
| Leicester | New Council | Details | |||
| Luton | New Council | Details | |||
| Milton Keynes ‡ | New Council | Details | |||
| Poole | New Council | Details | |||
| Portsmouth | New Council | Details | |||
| Rutland | New Council | Details | |||
| Southampton | New Council | Details | |||
| Stoke-on-Trent | New Council | Details | |||
| Thamesdown | New Council | Details | |||
‡ New ward boundaries from predecessor authorities
In 1 unitary authority one third of the council was up for election.
In 100 districts one third of the council was up for election.
These were the last elections to the district councils of Blackburn, Halton, Peterborough, Reading, Slough, Southend-on-Sea, Thurrock and Wokingham before they became unitary authorities by the Local Government Commission for England (1992).
These were also the last elections to the district councils of Gillingham, Hereford, Leominster and South Herefordshire before they were abolished and replaced by unitary authorities by the Local Government Commission for England (1992).