2015 Bracknell Forest Borough Council election explained

Election Name:2015 Bracknell Forest Borough Council election
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2011 Bracknell Forest Borough Council election
Previous Year:2011
Next Election:2019 Bracknell Forest Borough Council election
Next Year:2019
Seats For Election:All 42 seats to Bracknell Forest Borough Council
Majority Seats:22
Image1: Con
Leader1:Paul Bettison
Party1:Conservative Party (UK)
Leaders Seat1:Little Sandhurst & Wellington
Last Election1:40 seats, 57.5%
Seats1:41
Seat Change1: 1
Popular Vote1:31,441
Percentage1:52.0%
Swing1: 5.5%
Leader2:Mary Temperton
Party2:Labour Party (UK)
Leaders Seat2:Great Hollands North
Last Election2:2 seats, 28.3%
Seats2:1
Seat Change2: 1
Popular Vote2:13,455
Percentage2:22.2%
Swing2: 6.1%
Council control
Posttitle:Council control after election
Before Election:Conservative
After Election:Conservative

The 2015 Bracknell Forest Borough Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect all 42 councillors in 18 wards for Bracknell Forest Borough Council in England. The election took place alongside both the 2015 United Kingdom general election and other local elections in England. With the concurrent general election, turnout was significantly up on the last local election. The Conservative Party was returned to a sixth term in office, continuing its hold on the council since its inception as a unitary authority in 1998. The Labour Party was reduced to the single seat of its group leader in Great Hollands North - its worst result since 1987.

The local Conservative party had been rocked by a series of suspensions and defections during the last term. After a revolt on the Conservative group over housing, Chas Bailey (Hanworth), Shelagh Pile (Harmans Water), and Michael Sargeant (Bullbrook) were suspended for four months.[1] Bailey initially returned to the Conservatives,[1] but later elected to stand as a 'Hanworth & Birch Hill Residents' candidate after being de-selected.[2] Sargeant and Pile declined to rejoin, sitting first as independent conservatives,[1] and then later joining the fledging UKIP.[3] Several other Conservative councillors were de-selected for the 2015 election,[2] including former council leader Alan Ward (Central Sandhurst).[4] Will Davison (Hanworth) also joined UKIP after being de-selected.[2] Davison and Pile stood as UKIP candidates but both lost their seats, as did Bailey. For a period, after the death of Alan Kendall in Winkfield & Cranbourne,[5] the final council composition before the election was 35 Conservatives, 3 UKIP, and 2 Labour, and 1 Hanworth & Birch Hill Residents.

Ward Results

An asterisk (*) denotes an incumbent councillor standing for re-election

Winkfield & Cranbourne

By-elections

Central Sandhurst

Notes and References

  1. News: Party whip on housing vote 'broke protocol'. Bracknell News. 6 February 2015. 1 February 2023.
  2. News: Tories deselect four Bracknell Forest councillors. Bracknell News. 25 June 2012. 1 February 2023.
  3. News: Bracknell UKIP welcomes Tory defectors. Bracknell News. 3 October 2013. 1 February 2023.
  4. News: Ex-Mayor loses bid to stand for election again. Bracknell News. 5 March 2015. 1 February 2023.
  5. News: Bracknell Forest mayor Alan Kendall dies after battle with cancer. Bracknell News. 19 November 2014. 1 February 2023.