2024 Worcester City Council election explained

Election Name:2024 Worcester City Council election
Country:Worcestershire
Type:parliamentary
Previous Election:2023 Worcester City Council election
Previous Year:2023
Next Election:2028 Worcester City Council election
Next Year:2028
Seats For Election:All 35 seats to Worcester City Council
Majority Seats:18
Leader1:Lynn Denham
Party1:Labour Party (UK)
Last Election1:13 seats, 28.0%
Seats Before1:13
Seats1:17
Seat Change1: 4
Popular Vote1:16,203
Percentage1:29.5%
Swing1: 1.5%
Leader2:Marjory Bisset
Party2:Green Party of England and Wales
Last Election2:10 seats, 28.4%
Seats Before2:11
Seats2:12
Seat Change2: 1
Popular Vote2:18,092
Percentage2:32.9%
Swing2: 4.5%
Party4:Liberal Democrats (UK)
Last Election4:4 seats, 16.3%
Seats Before4:4
Seats4:5
Seat Change4: 1
Popular Vote4:7,894
Percentage4:14.3%
Swing4: 2.0%
Party5:Conservative Party (UK)
Last Election5:8 seats, 25.4%
Seats Before5:7
Seats5:1
Seat Change5: 6
Popular Vote5:11,082
Percentage5:20.1%
Swing5: 5.3%
Joint leaders
Posttitle:Leader after election
Before Election:Lynn Denham (Labour)
Marjory Bisset (Green)
Before Party:No overall control
After Election:Lynn Denham
Labour
After Party:No overall control

The 2024 Worcester City Council election was held on Thursday 2 May 2024, alongside the other local elections in the United Kingdom being held on the same day. All 35 members of Worcester City Council in Worcestershire were elected following boundary changes. The council remained under no overall control.

Background

Worcester has been controlled by both the Conservatives and Labour for long periods. From 1980 to 1999, Labour held a majority on the council.[1] The Conservatives then held a majority from 2003 to 2008 after a period of no overall control, and again from 2011 to 2012.[2]

The Conservatives regained control in 2015, but the council reverted to no overall control a year later;[3] 2021 to 2022 was also a period of Conservative majority.[4] [5] In the previous election, the Green Party gained 5 seats with 28.4% of the vote, Labour gained 1 with 28.0%, the Liberal Democrats gained 2 with 16.3%, and the Conservatives lost all the seats they were defending with 25.4%. Following the 2023 election, Labour and the Green Party formed a coalition, with the party leaders serving as joint leaders of the council.[6] The Green leader, Marjory Bisset, did not stand for re-election in 2024.[7]

Boundary changes

Worcester formerly elected its councillors in thirds, on a 4-year cycle. The 2024 election saw both a review of ward boundaries and a change to elections being held for all councillors every four years instead. All councillors were therefore elected to the new wards.[8]

Old wards[9] No. of seats New wards No. of seats
Arboretum 2 Arboretum 2
Battenhall 2 Battenhall 2
Bedwardine 3 Cathedral 2
Cathedral 3 Claines 3
Claines 3 Dines Green and Grove Farm 2
Gorse Hill 2 Fort Royal 2
Nunnery 3 Leopard Hill 2
Rainbow Hill 2 Lower Wick and Pitmaston 2
St Clement 2 Nunnery 3
St John 3 Rainbow Hill 2
St Peter's Parish 2 St Clement 2
St Stephen 2 St John's 2
Warndon 2 St Nicholas 2
Warndon Parish North 2 St Peter's Parish 2
Warndon Parish South 2 St Stephen 2
Warndon and Elbury Park 3

Previous council composition

After 2023 electionBefore 2024 election[10] After 2024 election
PartySeatsPartySeatsPartySeats
131317
101112
871
445
Changes 2023–2024:

Councillors standing down

CouncillorWardFirst electedPartyDate announced
Simon GeraghtySt Clement2000Conservative13 April 2024[15]
Marjory BissetGreen

Election result

|-

Following the election, Labour formed a minority administration. Their leader Lynn Denham, who had been one of two joint leaders before the election, was appointed sole leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 14 May 2024.[16]

Ward results

The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Worcester Council following the close of nominations on 8 April 2024.[17] Sitting councillors standing for re-election are marked with an asterisk (*).

Warndon & Elbury Park

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Worcester City Council Election Results 1973-2012 . Elections Centre . 31 March 2024.
  2. News: BBC News - Vote 2012 - Worcester . 31 March 2024 . BBC News . 4 May 2012.
  3. News: Conservatives lose control Worcester . 31 March 2024 . BBC News . 6 May 2016.
  4. News: Worcester result - Local Elections 2021 . 31 March 2024 . BBC News.
  5. News: Worcester result - Local Elections 2022 . 31 March 2024 . BBC News.
  6. News: Knott . Jonathan . City appoints joint leaders despite Labour scepticism . 31 March 2024 . Local Government Chronicle . 18 May 2023 . en.
  7. News: Wilkinson-Jones . Phil . Council joint leader Marjory Bisset will not stand for re-election . 15 May 2024 . Worcester News . 7 April 2024.
  8. si . 2024 . 122 . The Worcester (Electoral Changes) Order 2024 . 31 March 2024 .
  9. si . 2002 . 3225 . The City of Worcester (Electoral Changes) Order 2002 . 31 March 2024 .
  10. Web site: Your Councillors by Party . 6 March 2024 . en . 6 March 2024 . Worcester City Council.
  11. News: Barnett . Christian . Tributes paid as councillor dies less than a week after being re-elected . 31 March 2024 . Worcester News . 9 May 2023 . en.
  12. Web site: Local Elections Archive Project — Nunnery Ward . www.andrewteale.me.uk . 31 March 2024.
  13. News: Albutt . Charlotte . More tributes paid to councillor and his 'lifetime of service' . 31 March 2024 . Worcester News . 15 August 2023 . en.
  14. Web site: Local Elections Archive Project — Warndon Parish South Ward . www.andrewteale.me.uk . 31 March 2024.
  15. Web site: 2024-04-13 . Long-serving former leader steps down from city council . 2024-04-13 . Worcester News . en.
  16. News: Wilkinson-Jones . Phil . Labour's Lynn Denham is new leader of Worcester City Council . 15 May 2024 . Worcester News . 15 May 2024.
  17. Web site: All the candidates standing for election to Worcester City Council . 9 April 2024 . 13 April 2024 . Phil Wilkinson-Jones . Worcester News.