No overall control explained

In the context of local authorities in the United Kingdom no overall control (abbreviated to NOC;)^[1] is a situation in which no single political group achieves a majority of seats, comparably to a hung parliament. Of the 248 councils who had members up for election in the 2019 local elections, 73 (over a quarter) resulted in a NOC administration. In the 2021 local elections, 14 resulted in no overall control. Outside of the UK, the term may be applied to other local authorities, such as the local councils of Malta and the General Assembly of Budapest in Hungary.

Administration

Typically, if no party achieves overall control of a council, the largest grouping will form alliances to create an ad hoc governing coalition. Often local authorities have larger proportions of smaller party and independent members than the House of Commons, and when there is no overall control this often results in minor groups having more influence than their numbers alone would suggest.

In a result of no overall control, the largest party may attempt to govern as a minority administration. Parties may also work together to create a formal deal, which can range from a confidence and supply deal to full coalition. Deals, especially the looser kind, can occur between parties which are not traditionally aligned on a national level. For example, a minority Conservative administration was formed in 2019 in Bolton supported by the Liberal Democrats and UKIP,^[2] whilst a Labour-UKIP formal coalition existed in Basildon.^[3] Following the 2017 Aberdeen City Council election, all nine Labour councillors were expelled from the party for entering into a coalition with the Conservatives.^[4]

It is possible for a council to be under no overall control even when there appears to be an overall majority, in particular in the case of a majority of independents, who commonly have no collective policies when elected. This can also arise when the council members divide on other than party lines. For instance, the 2004 elections to the Isle of Anglesey County Council returned more independents than all others put together, but only Plaid Cymru maintained a party group within the council, and not all of its elected members joined the group. The remainder of the council, including some members of other political parties, formed four non-partisan groups, none of which held a majority. The 2008 elections resulted in a group called the Original Independents gaining an overall majority.^[5]

No overall control is more common in Northern Ireland and Scotland, in part due to their usage of single transferable vote as opposed to the plurality block voting system used in England and Wales. Following the 2022 Scottish local elections, twenty-seven of the thirty-two councils were under no overall control, with a further three having a majority of independents.^[6] Following the 2023 Northern Ireland local elections, all eleven councils were under no overall control.

Local authorities

County councils

Council	Seats	Largest party		Seats	Control^[7]		Seats
Cambridgeshire	61		22	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Labour/St Neots Independent/Independent coalition	36
East Sussex	50		24	bgcolor=		Conservative minority	24
Gloucestershire	53		26	bgcolor=		Conservative minority	26
Oxfordshire	63		20	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Green coalition^[8]	23

Metropolitan boroughs

Council	Seats	Largest party		Seats	Control^[9]		Seats
Bolton	60		26	bgcolor=		Labour minority	26
Dudley	72		34	bgcolor=		Conservative minority	34
Kirklees	69		24	bgcolor=		Labour minority	24
Oldham	60		27	bgcolor=		Labour minority	27
Sheffield	84		36	bgcolor=		Labour/Liberal Democrats/Green coalition	77
Stockport	63		31	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats minority	31
Wirral	66		29	bgcolor=		Labour minority	29

Unitary authorities

Council	Seats	Largest party		Seats	Control^[10]		Seats
Bedford	46		13	bgcolor=		Conservative mayor	13
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole	76		28	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Christchurch Independents/Poole People/Independent coalition	44
Bristol	70		34	bgcolor=		Green/Liberal Democrats coalition	42
Central Bedfordshire	63		28	bgcolor=		Independent minority	28
Cheshire East	82		33	bgcolor=		Labour/Independent coalition	45^[11]
Darlington	50		24	bgcolor=		Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition	27
Derby	51		23	bgcolor=		Labour minority	23
Durham	126		54	bgcolor=		Conservative/Liberal Democrats/Derwentside Independents/North East/Green/Independent coalition	66
East Riding of Yorkshire	67		25	bgcolor=		Conservative minority	25
Herefordshire	53		21	bgcolor=		Conservative minority	21
Isle of Wight	39		16	bgcolor=		Independent/Green/Our Island coalition	13
North East Lincolnshire	42		17	bgcolor=		Conservative minority	17
North Somerset	50		15	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green/Portishead Independents/Independent coalition	35
Northumberland	67		33	bgcolor=		Conservative minority	33
Peterborough	60		18	bgcolor=		Labour minority	18
Portsmouth	42		19	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats minority	19
Redcar and Cleveland	59		22	bgcolor=		Labour minority	22
Rutland	27		11	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Green coalition	12
Slough	42		20	bgcolor=		Conservative/Liberal Democrats coalition	23
South Gloucestershire	61		23	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Labour Party coalition	37
Southend-on-Sea	51		20	bgcolor=		Labour/Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition	29
Stockton-on-Tees	56		24	bgcolor=		Labour minority	22
Wokingham	54		27	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats minority	27

London boroughs

Council	Seats	Largest party		Seats	Control^[12]		Seats
Croydon	71		34		Conservative mayor	34
			34
Havering	55		22	bgcolor=		Havering Residents Association/Labour coalition	31

Welsh principal areas

Council	Seats	Largest party		Seats	Control^[13]		Seats
Conwy	55		23	bgcolor=		Independent/Labour/Plaid Cymru coalition	37
Denbighshire	48		15	bgcolor=		Labour/Plaid Cymru coalition	23
Flintshire	67		27	bgcolor=		Labour minority	27
Merthyr Tydfil	30		16	bgcolor=		Independent minority	15
Monmouthshire	46		22	bgcolor=		Labour minority	22
Neath Port Talbot	60		27	bgcolor=		Independent/Plaid Cymru coalition	29
Pembrokeshire	60		35	bgcolor=		Independent/Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition	29
Powys	68		22	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Labour coalition	31
Vale of Glamorgan	54		25	bgcolor=		Labour/Llantwit First Independents/Independent coalition	30
Wrexham	56		24	bgcolor=		Independent/Conservative coalition	30

District councils

Council	Seats	Largest party		Seats	Control^[14]		Seats
Arun	54		19	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition	28
Ashford	47		17	bgcolor=		Conservative minority	17
Babergh	32		10	bgcolor=		Green/Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition	24
Basildon	42		19	bgcolor=		Labour minority	19
Basingstoke and Deane	54		15	bgcolor=		B&D Independents/Liberal Democrats/Green/Independent coalition	28
Brentwood	39		19	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Labour coalition	20
Broadland	47		22	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition	25
Bromsgrove	31		11	bgcolor=		Conservative/Independent coalition	18
Burnley	45		15	bgcolor=		Independent/Liberal Democrats/Green coalition	22
Canterbury	39		18	bgcolor=		Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition	27
Charnwood	52		23	bgcolor=		Labour minority	20
Cherwell	48		17	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Green coalition	21
Colchester	51		19	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats minority	14
Derbyshire Dales	34		12	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition	23
East Devon	60		18	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Green/Independent coalition	31
East Hampshire	43		19	bgcolor=		Conservative/Whitehill and Bordon Community Party coalition	25
East Hertfordshire	50		17	bgcolor=		Green/Liberal Democrats coalition	27
East Lindsey	55		25	bgcolor=		Conservative minority	25
East Suffolk	55		16	bgcolor=		Green/Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition	28
Elmbridge	48		21	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Residents Association coalition	35
Folkestone and Hythe	30		11	bgcolor=		Green/Liberal Democrats coalition	13
Forest of Dean	38		15	bgcolor=		Green minority	15
Gloucester	39		17	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats minority	17
Great Yarmouth	39		19	bgcolor=		Conservative minority	19
Harborough District Council	34		15	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition	19
Hart	33		12	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Community Campaign (Hart) coalition	23
Hastings	32		12	bgcolor=		Green/Independent coalition	18
Havant	36		13	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition	21
Hertsmere	39		16	bgcolor=		Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition	23
Huntingdonshire	52		19	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Labour/St Neots Independent Group/Green/Independent coalition	32
King's Lynn and West Norfolk	55		21	bgcolor=		Independent/Liberal Democrats/Green coalition	21
Lancaster	61		22	bgcolor=		Green/Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition	50
Lewes	41		16	bgcolor=		Green/Labour coalition	24
Lichfield	47		21	bgcolor=		Conservative minority	21
Maidstone	49		13	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Green/Independent coalition	26
Maldon	31		10	bgcolor=		Maldon District Independent Group minority^[15]	6
Malvern Hills	31		13	bgcolor=		Independent/Green coalition	18
Melton	28		10	bgcolor=		Independent/Labour coalition	15
Mid Sussex	48		20	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition	24
Newark and Sherwood	39		14	bgcolor=		Labour minority	10
North Hertfordshire	51		25	bgcolor=		Labour minority	25
North Warwickshire	35		17	bgcolor=		Conservative minority	17
North West Leicestershire	38		17	bgcolor=		Conservative/Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition	19^[16]
Norwich	39		19	bgcolor=		Labour minority	19
Oxford	48		20	bgcolor=		Labour minority	20
Pendle	33		13	bgcolor=		Independent/Liberal Democrats coalition	18
Reigate and Banstead	45		19	bgcolor=		Conservative minority	19
Ribble Valley	40		17	bgcolor=		Conservative minority	17
Rochford	39		11	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Independent/Green coalition	21
Rother	38		10	bgcolor=		Labour/Rother Association of Independent Councillors/Liberal Democrats/Green coalition	24
Rugby	42		17	bgcolor=		Conservative minority	17
Runnymede	41		12	bgcolor=		Labour/Liberal Democrats/RIRG/Green/Independent coalition	25
South Kesteven	56		22	bgcolor=		Independent/Liberal Democrats/Green coalition	28
South Norfolk	46		23	bgcolor=		Conservative minority	23
Spelthorne	39		16	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition	14
Stafford	40		15	bgcolor=		Labour/Stafford Borough Independents/Green coalition	24
Staffordshire Moorlands	56		23	bgcolor=		Labour minority	23
Stroud	51		22	bgcolor=		Green minority	22
Swale	47		16	bgcolor=		Labour/Swale Independents/Green/Independent coalition	30
Tandridge	43		11	bgcolor=		Independent/Oxted and Limpsfield Residents Group coalition	20
Tendring	48		14	bgcolor=		Independent/Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition	28
Tewkesbury	38		16	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Independent/Green coalition	29
Tonbridge and Malling	44		20	bgcolor=		Conservative minority	20
Torridge	36		16	bgcolor=		Independent minority	16
Warwick	44		14	bgcolor=		Green/Labour coalition	24
Waverley	50		22	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Farnham Residents Party/Labour/Green coalition	38
Wealden	45		11		Liberal Democrats/Green coalition	22
			11
Welwyn Hatfield	48		20	bgcolor=		Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition	36
West Devon	31		11	bgcolor=		Independent/Green/Liberal Democrats/Labour coalition	20
West Lindsey	36		17	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats minority	17
West Oxfordshire	49		21	bgcolor=		Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition	36
West Suffolk	64		26	bgcolor=		Labour/Independent/West Suffolk Independent/Liberal Democrats/Green coalition	28
Worcester	35		17	bgcolor=		Labour minority	17

See also

• Coalition
• Hung parliament

External links

• No Overall Control? - Hansard weighs up a hung parliament Guy Aitchison, Our Kingdom

Notes and References

1. News: [//news.bbc.co.uk/welsh/hi/newsid_6540000/newsid_6549800/6549807.stm OGWR]. May 8, 2007. BBC News.
2. News: Halliday . Josh . Pidd . Helen . Labour loses control of council strongholds of Bolton and Darlington . 6 September 2024 . The Guardian . 10 May 2019.
3. News: Chapman . Chloe . Ukip and Labour to ‘form first coalition’ . 6 September 2024 . Echo . 24 May 2017 . en.
4. News: Labour councillors in Aberdeen suspended over Tory coalition . 6 September 2024 . BBC News . 17 May 2017.
5. News: Controversial Anglesey Councillor Hangs Up His Hat . Anglesey Hidden Gem . September 2010 . 2017-12-02.
6. News: Scottish Council Elections 2022 . 9 April 2023 . BBC News.
7. Web site: County Councils . Open Council Data UK . 2 July 2023.
8. News: Oxfordshire Labour group quits council coalition over SEND failures . 6 September 2024 . BBC News . 24 September 2023.
9. Web site: Metropolitan Boroughs . Open Council Data UK . 2 July 2023.
10. Web site: Unitary Authorities . Open Council Data UK . 2 July 2023.
11. News: Cheshire East Council to be run by coalition after deal is struck . 2 July 2023 . BBC News . 16 May 2023.
12. Web site: London Boroughs . Open Council Data UK . 2 July 2023.
13. Web site: Welsh Councils . Open Council Data UK . 2 July 2023.
14. Web site: District Councils . Open Council Data UK . 2 July 2023.
15. News: Meyler . Piers . Councillor who quit after suffering homophobic abuse is now leader of council . 4 July 2023 . Maldon and Burnham Standard . 14 June 2023 . en.
16. Web site: New alliance administration for North West Leicestershire District Council . North West Leicestershire District Council . 5 July 2023 . en.