2007 United Kingdom local elections

{{Short description|none}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}} {{Infobox election | election_name = 2007 United Kingdom local elections | country = United Kingdom | type = parliamentary | party_colour = | previous_election = 2006 United Kingdom local elections | previous_year = 2006 | next_election = 2008 United Kingdom local elections | next_year = 2008 | seats_for_election = All 36 metropolitan boroughs, 45 out of 46 unitary authorities,<br />231 out of 238 English districts, all 32 Scottish council areas, and 3 directly elected mayors | election_date = 3 May 2007 | 1blank = Councils | 2blank = Councils +/- | 3blank = Councillors | 4blank = Councillors +/-

| image1 = [[File:Davidcameron (cropped).jpg|160x160px|David Cameron]] | colour1 = | leader1 = [[David Cameron]] | leader_since1 = 6 December 2005 | leaders_seat1 = | party1 = Conservative Party (UK) | last_election1 = | seats1 = | seat_change1 = | popular_vote1 = | percentage1 = '''40%''' | swing1 = {{increase}}1% | 1data1 = '''165''' | 2data1 = {{increase}}39 | 3data1 = '''5,458''' | 4data1 = {{increase}}932

| image2 = [[File:Blair June 2007.jpg|160x160px|Tony Blair]] | colour2 = | leader2 = [[Tony Blair]] | leader_since2 = 21 July 1994 | leaders_seat2 = | party2 = Labour Party (UK) | last_election2 = | seats2 = | seat_change2 = | popular_vote2 = | percentage2 = 27% | swing2 = {{increase}}1% | 1data2 = 36 | 2data2 = {{decrease}}18 | 3data2 = 2,225 | 4data2 = {{decrease}}665

| image3 = [[File:Sir Ming Campbell MP 2008 cropped.jpg|160x160px|Menzies Campbell]] | colour3 = | leader3 = [[Menzies Campbell]] | leader_since3 = 2 March 2006 | leaders_seat3 = | party3 = Liberal Democrats (UK) | last_election3 = | seats3 = | seat_change3 = | popular_vote3 = | percentage3 = 26% | swing3 = {{increase}}1% | 1data3 = 23 | 2data3 = {{decrease}}4 | 3data3 = 2,337 | 4data3 = {{decrease}}255

| map_image = United Kingdom local elections, 2007.svg | map_size = 300px | map_caption = Colours denote the winning party, as shown in the main table of results. }} [[Image:Polling Station in Haverhill 2007.jpg|thumb|right|195px|Entrance to a polling station in the market town of Haverhill, Suffolk on 3 May 2007. The posters on the left are lists of the candidates in wards contested (St Edmundsbury BC and Haverhill TC) and information about rules and laws about voting.]] [[Image:Polling station 3y07.JPG|thumb|right|195px|A polling station in a temporary cabin in position in the South of Coventry for the UK council elections on 3 May 2007.]]

The '''2007 United Kingdom local elections''' were held on Thursday 3 May 2007. These elections took place in most of [[England]] and all of [[Scotland]]. There were no local government elections in [[Wales]] though the [[Senedd|Welsh Assembly]] had a [[2007 National Assembly for Wales election|general election]] on the same day. There were no local government elections in [[Northern Ireland]]. Just over half of English councils and almost all the Scottish councils began the counts on Friday, rather than Thursday night, because of more complex arrangements regarding postal votes.

These elections were a landmark in the United Kingdom as it was the first time that 18- to 20-year-olds could stand as candidates for council seats. The change was due to an alteration of the [[Electoral Administration Act 2006|Electoral Administration Act]]. At least fourteen 18- to 20-year-olds are known to have stood as candidates for council seats<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6527015.stm|title=Teenagers to run as councillors|date=4 April 2007|work=BBC News}}</ref> and as a result [[William Lloyd (councillor)|William Lloyd]] became the youngest person to be elected to official office in Britain. There were also a number of councils which used new voting methods such as internet and telephone voting in addition to the traditional methods of polling stations and postal votes.

These were the final elections to be overseen by Labour leader and prime minister [[Tony Blair]], who resigned the following month after a decade as prime minister to be succeeded by chancellor [[Gordon Brown]]. His party only finished in second place with a narrow lead over the third-placed Liberal Democrats, whose leader [[Menzies Campbell]] would also resign later in the year, while it was a strong showing for the Conservatives under [[David Cameron]].

== Results == There was a suggestion in February 2006 that many of the 2007 local elections in England would be cancelled due to a reform of local government.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4694410.stm|title=Council polls could be scrapped|date=8 February 2006|work=BBC News}}</ref> However, since then possible reforms are still in the consultation stage and no decisions have yet been made.

312 English district councils, nearly all districts in England held some form of election – either thirds or full – on Thursday, 3 May 2007.

The final results are summarised below; firstly, with a table ranked by the party with the greatest number of councillors elected.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; font-size:95%;" |- border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=5 ! colspan="2" rowspan="2" align="center" | Party ! colspan="2" valign="top" | Councils ! colspan="2" valign="top" | Councillors |- ! valign="top" | Number ! valign="top" | Change ! valign="top" | Number ! valign="top" | Change |- | {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} | align="right" | 165 | align="right" | {{increase}}39 | align="right" | 5,458 | align="right" | {{increase}}932 |- | {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} | align="right" |23 | align="right" |{{decrease}}4 | align="right" |2,337 | align="right" |{{decrease}}255 |- | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | align="right" |36 | align="right" |{{decrease}}18 | align="right" |2,225 | align="right" |{{decrease}}665 |- | {{Party name with colour|Scottish National Party}} | align="right" |0 | align="right" |{{decrease}}1 | align="right" |363 | align="right" |{{increase}}182 |- | {{Party name with colour|Residents Association}} | align="right" |1 | align="right" |{{nochange}} | align="right" |67 | align="right" |{{decrease}}19 |- | {{Party name with colour|Green Party of England and Wales}} | align="right" |0 | align="right" |{{nochange}} | align="right" |62 | align="right" |{{increase}}17 |- | {{Party name with colour|British National Party}} | align="right" |0 | align="right" |{{nochange}} | align="right" |10 | align="right" |{{increase}}1 |- | {{Party name with colour|Liberal Party (UK, 1989)}} | align="right" |0 | align="right" |{{nochange}} | align="right" |9 | align="right" |{{decrease}}1 |- | {{Party name with colour|Scottish Greens}} | align="right" |0 | align="right" |{{nochange}} | align="right" |8 | align="right" |{{increase}}8 |- | {{Party name with colour|Mebyon Kernow}} | align="right" |0 | align="right" |{{nochange}} | align="right" |7 | align="right" |{{increase}}1 |- | {{Party name with colour|UK Independence Party}} | align="right" |0 | align="right" |{{nochange}} | align="right" |5 | align="right" |{{decrease}}1 |- | {{Party name with colour|Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern}} | align="right" |0 | align="right" |{{nochange}} | align="right" |4 | align="right" |{{increase}}1 |- | {{Party name with colour|RESPECT The Unity Coalition}} | align="right" |0 | align="right" |{{nochange}} | align="right" |3 | align="right" |{{nochange}} |- | {{Party name with colour|Solidarity (Scotland)}} | align="right" |0 | align="right" |{{nochange}} | align="right" |1 | align="right" |{{increase}}1 |- | {{Party name with colour|Scottish Socialist Party}} | align="right" |0 | align="right" |{{nochange}} | align="right" |0 | align="right" |{{decrease}}1 |-

| {{Party name with colour|Socialist Party (England and Wales)}} | align="right" |0 | align="right" |{{nochange}} | align="right" |0 | align="right" |{{decrease}}1 |-

| style="color:inherit;background:#d3d3d3" | | align="left" | Other | align="right" |4 | align="right" |{{nochange}} | align="right" |949 | align="right" |{{decrease}}162 |- | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} | align="right" |85 | align="right" |{{decrease}}27 | align="right" |''n/a'' | align="right" |''n/a'' |} Source BBC [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/vote2007/maps/eng_councils/html/eng_councils_map.stm BBC NEWS | Politics | Vote 2007 | English councils map]

==England== {{:United Kingdom local elections, 2007/Metropolitan boroughs}}

===Mayoral elections===

{| class="wikitable" !width="75"|Council !width="75"|Independent !width="75"|Conservative !width="75"|Labour !width="75"|Liberal Democrat !width="75"|Green !width="110"|Elected !width="130"|Result |- !style="text-align: right;"|[[Bedford]] |align="right"|15,967 |align="right"|10,710 |align="right"|4,757 |align="right"|10,551 |align="right"|1,538 |[[Frank Branston]] |[[Independent politician|Independent]] hold |- !style="text-align: right;"|[[Mansfield]] |align="right"|13,756 |align="right"|2,770 |align="right"|8,774 |align="right"|1,944 |align="right"|1,489 |[[Tony Egginton]] |[[Independent politician|Independent]] hold |- !style="text-align: right;"|[[Middlesbrough]] |align="right"|17,455 |align="right"|1,733 |align="right"|3,539 |align="right"|7,026 |align="right"|no candidate |[[Ray Mallon]] |[[Independent politician|Independent]] hold |- |}

==Scotland== {{Main|2007 Scottish local elections}} All 32 Scottish [[Local government in Scotland|councils]] had all their seats up for election - all Scottish councils are [[Unitary authority|unitary authorities]]. These local elections were held on the same day as the [[2007 Scottish Parliament election|Scottish Parliament general election]]. They were the first election for local government in mainland [[Great Britain]] to use the [[Single transferable vote]] (the system is used in [[Northern Ireland]]), as implemented by the [[Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://electionresources.org/panorama/2007/04/#elections-to-scottish-parliament-and|title=Electoral Panorama / Panorama Electoral|website=electionresources.org}}</ref>

===Summary of results===

{| class="wikitable" |- bgcolor="CCCCCC" | colspan="2" align="center" valign="center" | '''Party''' | align="center" | '''Councils - majority''' | align="center" | '''Councils - in coalition/minority''' | align="center" | '''Councillors''' |- | {{Party name with colour|Scottish National Party}} | align="right" |0 | align="right" |11 | align="right" |363 |- | {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour Party}} | align="right" |2 | align="right" |11 | align="right" |348 |- | {{party name with colour|Scottish Liberal Democrats}} | align="right" |0 | align="right" |12 | align="right" |166 |- | {{party name with colour|Scottish Conservative Party}} | align="right" |0 | align="right" |8 | align="right" |143 |- | {{Party name with colour|Scottish Greens}} | align="right" |0 | align="right" |0 | align="right" |8 |- | style="color:inherit;background:#990033" | | [[Scottish Socialist Party]] | align="right" |0 | align="right" |0 | align="right" |1 |- | style="color:inherit;background:#ff0000" | | [[Solidarity (Scotland)|Solidarity]] | align="right" |0 | align="right" |0 | align="right" |1 |- | style="color:inherit;background:#d3d3d3" | | Other | align="right" |3 | align="right" |9 | align="right" |193 |- | style="color:inherit;background:#000000" | | No overall control | align="right" |27 | align="right" |- | align="right" |- |}

===Councils===

The notional results in the following table are based on a document that [[John Curtice]] and Stephen Herbert (Professors at the [[University of Strathclyde]]) produced on 3 June 2005, calculating the effect of the introduction of the Single Transferable Vote on the [[2003 United Kingdom local elections|2003 Scottish Local Elections]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/research/briefings-05/SB05-31.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=6 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080911044554/http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/research/briefings-05/SB05-31.pdf |archive-date=11 September 2008 }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" ! scope="col" | Council ! scope="col" colspan="2" | [[2003 United Kingdom local elections|2003 result]]<br />(control before May 2007, if different) ! scope="col" | Notional control<br />(based on 2003 results) ! scope="col" colspan="2" | 2007 result ! scope="col" | Details |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Aberdeen City Council|Aberdeen City]] | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (LD + Con) |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (LD + SNP) |[[2007 Aberdeen City Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Aberdeenshire]] | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (LD + Ind) |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (LD + Con) |[[2007 Aberdeenshire Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Angus, Scotland|Angus]] | {{party name with colour|Scottish National Party}} |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Ind + Con + LD + Lab) |[[2007 Angus Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" |[[Argyll and Bute]] | {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} |Independent | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Ind + SNP) |[[2007 Argyll and Bute Council election|Details]] |- |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Clackmannanshire]] | {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Lab minority) |[[2007 Clackmannanshire Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Dumfries and Galloway]] | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Lab<ref>Labour minority control. The council was previously run by a coalition of Scottish Liberal Democrats, Independents and the SNP.</ref>) |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Con + LD) |[[2007 Dumfries and Galloway Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Dundee City Council|Dundee City]] | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Lab + LD+ Con) |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Lab + LD) |[[2007 Dundee City Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[East Ayrshire]] | {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} |Labour | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (SNP minority) |[[2007 East Ayrshire Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[East Dunbartonshire]] | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (LD<ref>Liberal Democrats lack a majority (LD: 12 councillors; opposition: 12 councillors)</ref>) |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Lab + Con) |[[2007 East Dunbartonshire Council election|Details]] |- |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[East Lothian]] | {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (SNP + LD) |[[2007 East Lothian Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[East Renfrewshire]] | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Lab + LD) |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Lab + LD + Ind + Con) |[[2007 East Renfrewshire Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[City of Edinburgh council area|City of Edinburgh]] | {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} (NOC: Lab<ref>Labour lack a majority, after by election loss to Scottish National Party (Lab: 29 councillors; opposition: 29 councillors)</ref>) |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (LD + SNP) |[[2007 City of Edinburgh Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Falkirk (council area)|Falkirk]] | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (SNP + Ind + Con) |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Lab + Ind + Con) |[[2007 Falkirk Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Fife]] | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Lab<ref>Labour [[minority administration]]</ref>) |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (LD + SNP) |[[2007 Fife Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Glasgow City Council|Glasgow City]] | {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} |Labour | {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} |[[2007 Glasgow City Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" |[[Highland (council area)|Highland]] | {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} |Independent | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Ind + SNP) |[[2007 Highland Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Inverclyde]] | {{party name with colour|Scottish Liberal Democrats}} |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Lab minority) |[[2007 Inverclyde Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Midlothian]] | {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Lab minority) |[[2007 Midlothian Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" |[[Moray]] | {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} |Independent | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Ind + Con) |[[2007 Moray Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" |[[Comhairle nan Eilean Siar|Na h-Eileanan Siar]] | {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} |Independent | {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} |[[2007 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[North Ayrshire]] | {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} |Labour | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Lab minority) |[[2007 North Ayrshire Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[North Lanarkshire]] | {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} |Labour | {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} |[[2007 North Lanarkshire Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" |[[Orkney Islands|Orkney]] | {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} |Independent | {{Party name with colour|Independent (politician)}} |[[2007 Orkney Islands Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Perth and Kinross Council|Perth and Kinross]] | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (SNP + LD + Ind) |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (SNP + LD) |[[2007 Perth and Kinross Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Renfrewshire]] | {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (SNP + LD) |[[2007 Renfrewshire Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Scottish Borders]] | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Ind + Con) |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Ind + Con + LD) |[[2007 Scottish Borders Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" |[[Shetland Islands|Shetland]] | {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} |Independent | {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} |[[2007 Shetland Islands Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[South Ayrshire]] | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Con<ref>Conservative and Unionist control, on a [[cut of the cards]] (Con: 15 councillors; opposition: 15 councillors)</ref>) |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Con minority) |[[2007 South Ayrshire Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[South Lanarkshire]] | {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} |Labour | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Lab minority) |[[2007 South Lanarkshire Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Stirling (council area)|Stirling]] | {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour Party}} (NOC: Lab<ref>Labour lack a majority, after by election loss to Scottish National Party (Lab: 11 councillors; opposition: 11 councillors)</ref>) |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (Lab minority) |[[2007 Stirling Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[West Dunbartonshire]] | {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} |Labour | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (SNP + Ind) |[[2007 West Dunbartonshire Council election|Details]] |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[West Lothian]] | {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} |NOC | {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} (SNP + Ind) |[[2007 West Lothian Council election|Details]] |}

==Pre-election predictions== A [[Newsnight]] poll by the analysts Rallings and Thrasher some days before the election predicted the following results for the English council elections:

Con 38% (Conservatives gaining 330 seats and losing 2% of the vote on 2006)

Lab 24% (Labour losing 500 seats and losing 2% of the vote on 2006)

LD 29% (Liberal Democrats gaining 110 seats and gaining 2% of the vote on 2006)

However, these predictions, as in 2006, were largely inaccurate, underestimating Conservative support and grossly overestimating the Lib Dems' performance. However, it did accurately predict the number of seats Labour would lose.

== Notes and references == {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/vote2007/local_councils/html/region_99999.stm Results table (BBC News)] *[http://www.gwydir.demon.co.uk/uklocalgov/elec2007.htm Overview of councils up for election] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060112095059/http://www.gwydir.demon.co.uk/uklocalgov/elec2007.htm |date=12 January 2006 }} *[http://www.citymayors.com/politics/uk-elections07.html CityMayors article] *[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6527015.stm Young candidates article]

[[Category:2007 United Kingdom local elections| ]] [[Category:2007 elections in the United Kingdom|Local elections]] [[Category:May 2007 in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:David Cameron]] [[Category:Premiership of Tony Blair]]