2005 Devon County Council election explained

Election Name:2005 Devon County Council election
Country:England
Flag Image:Flag of Devon.svg
Type:Parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Party Colour:yes
Previous Election:2001 Devon County Council election
Previous Year:2001
Next Election:2009 Devon County Council election
Next Year:2009
Seats For Election:All 62 seats to Devon County Council[1]
Majority Seats:32
Election Date:5 May 2005
Image1: LD
Party1:Liberal Democrats (UK)
Last Election1:22 seats, 35.8%
Seats1:33
Seat Change1:12[2]
Popular Vote1:142,414
Percentage1:38.0%
Swing1:2.1%
1Blank:Reference
1Data1:[3]
Party2:Conservative Party (UK)
Last Election2:22 seats, 37.4%
Seats2:23
Seat Change2:1
Popular Vote2:142,732
Percentage2:38.0%
Swing2:0.6%
Image3: Lab
Party3:Labour Party (UK)
Last Election3:4 seats, 16.7%
Seats3:4
Seat Change3:1
Popular Vote3:44,813
Percentage3:11.9%
Swing3:4.6%
Image4: Ind
Party4:Independent (politician)
Last Election4:3 seats, 6.1%
Seats4:2
Seat Change4:1
Popular Vote4:16,692
Percentage4:4.4%
Swing4:1.7%
Image5: Lib
Party5:Liberal Party (UK, 1989)
Last Election5:3 seats, 2.0%
Seats5:0
Seat Change5:3
Popular Vote5:4,300
Percentage5:1.1%
Swing5:0.9%
Map Size:400px
Council control
Posttitle:Council control after election
Before Election:No overall control
After Election:Liberal Democrat

The 2005 Devon County Council election was an election to Devon County Council which took place on 5 May 2005 as part of the 2005 United Kingdom local elections. 62 councillors were elected from various electoral divisions, which returned either one or two county councillors each by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office. The electoral divisions had been redrawn since the last election in 2001. No elections were held in Plymouth and Torbay, which are unitary authorities outside the area covered by the County Council.

All locally registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) who were aged 18 or over on election day were entitled to vote in the local elections.

Summary

The election saw the Liberal Democrats regain control of the council, which had last been under Liberal Democrat control after the 1997 election, but had been under no overall control since the 2001 election. The Conservative Party gained only one seat, despite the increase in the number of seats from 54 to 62 after redistricting, becoming the second-largest party on the council and therefore the official opposition party. The Liberal Party lost all three of its seats in the election, while the Independent grouping lost one seat. The Gallagher index for the election, which measures the disproportionality of seat allocation, was 11.94.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Local election results: Devon LD GAIN FROM NOC . . 19 November 2020 . 6 May 2005.
  2. Seats changes since the 2001 election are skewed by the increase of the number of council seats from 54 to 62 at the 2005 election
  3. Web site: ELECTORAL WARD 2001 . . 19 November 2020.