| Election Name: | 2024 Dorset Council election |
| Country: | Dorset |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2019 Dorset Council election |
| Previous Year: | 2019 |
| Next Election: | 2029 Dorset Council election |
| Next Year: | 2029 |
| Seats For Election: | All 82 seats to Dorset Council |
| Majority Seats: | 42 |
| Leader1: | Nick Ireland |
| Party1: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Last Election1: | 29 |
| Seats Before1: | 27 |
| Seats After1: | 42 |
| Seat Change1: | 13 |
| Leader2: | Spencer Flower |
| Party2: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Last Election2: | 43 |
| Seats Before2: | 43 |
| Seats After2: | 30 |
| Seat Change2: | 13 |
| Leader3: | Clare Sutton |
| Party3: | Green Party of England and Wales |
| Last Election3: | 4 |
| Seats Before3: | 5 |
| Seats After3: | 4 |
| Leader4: | Les Fry |
| Party4: | Independents for Dorset |
| Last Election4: | n/a |
| Seats Before4: | 4 |
| Seats After4: | 3 |
| Seat Change4: | 3 |
| Leader5: | Paul Kimber |
| Party5: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Last Election5: | 2 |
| Seats Before5: | 2 |
| Seats After5: | 2 |
| Leader6: | n/a |
| Party6: | Independent politician |
| Last Election6: | 4 |
| Seats Before6: | 1 |
| Seats After6: | 1 |
| Seat Change6: | 3 |
| Leader | |
| Posttitle: | Leader after election |
| Before Election: | Spencer Flower |
| Before Party: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| After Election: | Nick Ireland |
| After Party: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
The 2024 Dorset Council election took place on Thursday 2 May 2024 to elect all 82 councillors to Dorset Council in England, the same day as other local elections in the United Kingdom.[1]
Dorset Council was previously controlled by the Conservatives, who won the first election to the Council in 2019. The 2024 election was the last for a five-year term of office; after 2029, elections will take place every four years.[2]
The Liberal Democrats were aiming to gain control of the council from the Conservatives,[3] which they achieved.[4] The Liberal Democrat group leader, Nick Ireland, was subsequently appointed leader of the council at the annual council meeting on 16 May 2024.[5]
| Results[6] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | Change | ||
| Liberal Democrats | 42 | 13 | ||
| Conservative Party | 30 | 13 | ||
| Green | 4 | |||
| Independents for Dorset | 4 | |||
| Labour | 2 | |||
| Ward | Party before | Party after | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridport | Green | Liberal Democrats | |||
| Chesil Bank | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | |||
| Chickerell | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | |||
| Chickerell | Independent | Liberal Democrats | |||
| Corfe Mullen | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | |||
| Gillingham | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | |||
| Lyme and Charmouth | Conservative | Green | |||
| Lytchett Matravers and Upton | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | |||
| South East Purbeck | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | |||
| Stour and Allen Vale | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | |||
| West Purbeck | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | |||
| Winterborne North | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | |||
| Yetminster | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | |||
Independent Gain from Conservative