2013 Gloucestershire County Council election explained

Election Name:2013 Gloucestershire County Council election
Country:England
Type:Parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Party Colour:yes
Previous Election:2009 Gloucestershire County Council election
Previous Year:2009
Next Election:2017 Gloucestershire County Council election
Next Year:2017
Seats For Election:All 53 seats to Gloucestershire County Council
Majority Seats:27
Election Date:2 May 2013
Party1:Conservative Party (UK)
Seats1:23
Seat Change1:13
Party2:Liberal Democrats (UK)
Seats2:14
Seat Change2:4
Party4:Labour Party (UK)
Seats4:9
Seat Change4:5
Party5:UK Independence Party
Seats5:3
Seat Change5:3
Map Size:350px
Council control
Posttitle:Council control after election
Before Election:Conservative
After Election:No Overall Control

Elections to Gloucestershire County Council took place on 2 May 2013 as part of the 2013 United Kingdom local elections.[1] 53 electoral divisions elected one county councillor each by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office. No elections were held in South Gloucestershire, which is a unitary authority outside the area covered by the County Council.

Control of the council went from the Conservative Party to no party having overall control. Turnout across the county was 32% with 151,250 votes cast.[2] The Conservatives gained most votes in four of the six parliamentary seats, the Liberal Democrats coming first in Cheltenham and UKIP in the Forest of Dean. The Conservatives were the only party to win a county council seat in every district.

All locally registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) who were aged 18 or over on Thursday 2 May 2013 were entitled to vote in the local elections. Those who were temporarily away from their ordinary address (for example, away working, on holiday, in student accommodation or in hospital) were also entitled to vote in the local elections,[3] although those who had moved abroad and registered as overseas electors cannot vote in the local elections. It is possible to register to vote at more than one address (such as a university student who had a term-time address and lives at home during holidays) at the discretion of the local Electoral Register Office, but it remains an offence to vote more than once in the same local government election.[4]

County Council single-member electoral review 2012-13

Going into the elections, the Conservatives held a majority of 21 seats. Due to boundary changes and a reduction in the number of councillors from 63 to 53 following a public consultation by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England[5] the notional results to be used for the purposes of election planning and comparison before the election were: Conservatives - 36, Liberal Democrats - 10, Labour - 4, People Against Bureaucracy - 1, Greens - 1, Independents - 1. This gave a notional Conservative majority of 17 seats.

Summary

The Conservative Party lost 13 notional seats, although the numerical loss was larger due to the reduction in the total number of councillors. The Liberal Democrats remained the second largest party by total seats and percentage vote, while the Labour Party had the largest net gain of five seats. UKIP won representation on the county council for the first time, winning three seats.

The number of Independent councillors rose to two, while both the Green Party and People Against Bureaucracy saw their only councillors re-elected.

Results

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Results by Division

Tewkesbury

Changes 2013–2017

In July 2016, UKIP group leader Alan Preest defected to the Conservatives, claiming that the party lacked a purpose following the EU Referendum.[6] He was followed shortly thereafter by UKIP councillor Colin Guyton, who left UKIP to serve as an independent.[7] He later resigned from the County Council entirely, but a by-election was not held in his division due to the short length of time between then and the 2017 local elections.[8]

Mitcheldean

A by-election was held for the Mitcheldean Division on 23 October 2014 following the death of Independent councillor Norman Stephens.

Churchdown

A by-election was held on Thursday 5 May 2016 for the Churchdown Division due to the death of County Councillor Bill Whelan.

Notes and references

Notes
  • References 4. ^ http://glostext.gloucestershire.gov.uk/mgElectionResults.aspx?ID=3&V=1&RPID=32877983 - Accessed 4-5-2013
  • Notes and References

    1. Web site: Election Timetable . 2013-05-03 .
    2. Web site: Gloucestershire County Council elections live coverage . 2013-05-03 . This is Gloucestershire . 3 May 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130504143025/http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Gloucestershire-County-Council-Elections-2013/story-18871292-detail/story.html . 4 May 2013 . dead .
    3. Web site: The Representation of the People (Form of Canvass) (England and Wales) Regulations 2006, Schedule Part 1 . Legislation.gov.uk . 13 October 2011 . 18 April 2012.
    4. Web site: I have two homes. Can I register at both addresses? . The Electoral Commission . 5 January 2011 . 31 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131231001147/http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/faq/voting-and-registration/i-have-two-homes.-can-i-register-to-vote-at-both-addresses . dead .
    5. Web site: LGBCE - Gloucestershire County Council single member ward review . 19 May 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130530015643/http://www.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/south-west/gloucestershire/gloucestershire-single-member-ward-review . 30 May 2013 . dead .
    6. Web site: UKIP council leader defects to Tories saying party 'doesn't have a point any more' after EU Referendum. 1 July 2016. ITV News.
    7. Web site: Councillors leave UKIP | theforestreview.co.uk . 6 July 2016 .
    8. Web site: Former UKIP councillor delays resignation to avoid by-election. 23 November 2016. Gloucester Live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161124142919/https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/former-ukip-councillor-steps-down-but-delays-announcement-to-avoid-a-county-council-by-election/story-29927803-detail/story.html. 24 November 2016.