2022 Somerset Council election explained

Election Name:2022 Somerset Council election
Type:parliamentary
Country:Somerset
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2017 Somerset County Council election
Previous Year:2017
Next Election:2027 Somerset Council election
Next Year:2027
Majority Seats:56
Election Date:5 May 2022
Leader1:Bill Revans
Party1:Liberal Democrats (UK)
Last Election1:12 seats, 31.4%
Seats1:61
Popular Vote1:132,830
Percentage1:43.9%
Leader2:David Fothergill
Party2:Conservative Party (UK)
Last Election2:35 seats, 47.0%
Seats2:36
Popular Vote2:113,054
Percentage2:37.3%
Party3:Green Party of England and Wales
Last Election3:2 seats, 4.7%
Seats3:5
Popular Vote3:26,353
Percentage3:8.7%
Leader4:Leigh Redman
Party4:Labour Party (UK)
Last Election4:3 seats, 9.3%
Seats4:5
Popular Vote4:17,840
Percentage4:5.9%
Party5:Independent politician
Last Election5:3 seats, 4.7%
Seats5:3
Popular Vote5:12,658
Percentage5:4.2%
Map Size:300px
Council control
Posttitle:Subsequent council control
Before Party:Conservative Party (UK)
After Party:Liberal Democrats (UK)

The 2022 Somerset Council election took place on 5 May 2022 to elect members of Somerset County Council. The number of councillors was doubled from 55 to 110 at this election, in preparation for the county council becoming a unitary authority on 1 April 2023, when it was renamed Somerset Council.

The election coincided with other local elections across the United Kingdom. The county council election was initially due to take place on 6 May 2021, but Robert Jenrick extended the terms of sitting councillors for a year pending a decision as to which unitarisation scheme would be taken forward: the county council had advocated the eventually successful proposal for a single unitary authority, while the district councils supported introducing two unitary councils.

Background

The Conservative governments of Theresa May and Boris Johnson undertook structural changes to local government in England that resulted in several county councils and their district councils being replaced by unitary authorities.[1] Somerset County Council first made plans for unitarisation in 2018.[2] The county council proposed a single unitary authority that would encompass all the districts, while the district councils proposed two unitary authorities representing the east and the west of the county.[3] Robert Jenrick, the minister responsible, approved the plan for a single council.[4] [5]

Before the election, the Somerset County Council was led by an Conservative Party majority.

Election results

The Liberal Democrats won a majority of 61 of the 110 seats, giving them control of the county council from 2022, and the unitary authority from 2023.[6]

Results by division

Sitting district councillors are shown with *, sitting county councillors are shown with †.

Bridgwater West

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Yeovil West

By-elections

Mendip South

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bunn. Jon. 2019-10-02. Jenrick: 'no long-term future' for districts in devo push. 2022-01-24. Local Government Chronicle (LGC). en.
  2. Web site: REVEALED: Plans to scrap SIX Somerset councils in bid to save millions. 2022-01-24. Somerset County Gazette. en.
  3. Web site: Unitary Somerset: ‘Based on a giant lie’ or 'the right way forward' for the county’s future?. 2022-01-24. Somerset County Gazette. en.
  4. News: 2021-07-22. Somerset councils to merge into single unitary authority. en-GB. BBC News. 2022-01-24.
  5. Web site: Next steps for new unitary councils in Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Somerset. 2022-01-24. GOV.UK. en.
  6. News: Somerset election results 2022: Lib Dems win control . 6 May 2022 . 7 May 2022 . BBC News.