The 2011 Babergh Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of Babergh District Council in Suffolk, England. The whole council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1]
The previous election in 2007 saw no party win a majority, with the Conservatives being the largest party.[2] Labour won no seats at the election, but recovered one seat when Tony Bavington gained a seat back in a 2010 by-election in Great Cornard.[3] A further change in composition came in March 2010 when councillor Dean Walton defected to the Green Party from the Conservatives, but sat as an independent on Babergh Council.[4]
A total of 122 candidates were nominated for the 43 seats being contested, which was reported to be a record for an election to Babergh Council, and up from 78 at the 2003 election and 87 in 2007.[5] These were comprised on 34 Conservatives, 31 Labour, 27 Liberal Democrats, 14 United Kingdom Independence Party, 1 Green Party and 15 candidates from no party.[5] The 31 candidates from Labour was a record for the party in Babergh,[6] while the Liberal Democrat leader on Suffolk County Council, Kathy Pollard, was among the Liberal Democrat candidates.[3]
The results saw the council remain under no overall control, with the Conservatives staying as the largest party on 18 seats.[2] The Liberal Democrats dropped to 12 seats, while Labour increased from the 1 seat they had held after a by-election gain to 3 seats.[2]
Individual results included an independent gain from the Conservatives in Lavenham, Liberal Democrat Kathy Pollard winning a place back on the council after 16 years, while author and Labour candidate Nicci Gerrard lost in South Cosford, coming third with 187 votes.[2]
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2 Liberal Democrat and 1 Independent candidates were unopposed.