2004 United Kingdom local elections

none November 2021 September 2012 2004 United Kingdom local elections United Kingdom legislative 2003 United Kingdom local elections 2003 2005 United Kingdom local elections 2005 36 metropolitan boroughs, 19 unitary authorities,89 English districts, and all 22 Welsh principal areas 10 June 2004 Councils Councils +/- Councillors Councillors +/- Tony Blair WEF (cropped).jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Tony Blair 21 July 1994 Labour Party (UK) 26% 4% 39 8 2,251 464 Michael Howard (cropped).jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Michael Howard 6 November 2003 Conservative Party (UK) 37% 2% 51 13 1,714 288 Charles_Kennedy_MP_(cropped).jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Charles Kennedy 9 August 1999 Liberal Democrats (UK) 27% 3% 9 2 1,279 123 File:United Kingdom local elections, 2004.svg 300px Colours denote council control following elections, as shown in the main table of results. The 2004 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 10 June 2004, along with the European elections and the London mayoral and Assembly elections. The councils of all the metropolitan boroughs in England and all the principal areas of Wales were all up for re-election, along with many other district and unitary authorities throughout England. No local elections were held in Scotland. Overall These were the first elections since Michael Howard became leader of the Conservative Party. Howard was looking for a good result in the election to confirm that the Conservatives were back on the road to being able to seriously consider winning the next general election. Early results confirmed that the Labour Party was having a bad time. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said that, "Iraq was a cloud, or indeed a shadow, over these elections. I am not saying we haven't had a kicking. It's not a great day for Labour".12 June 2004 Blair plea for calm after huge losses in election https://www.irishtimes.com/news/blair-plea-for-calm-after-huge-losses-in-election-1.1144445 2021-01-19 The Irish Times en However the Conservatives were not making many of the gains that would have indicated a complete change of electoral fortune. The national equivalent share of the vote in the election was found by academics Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher to be 37% to the Conservatives, 27% to the Liberal Democrats and 26% to Labour. For one of the two major parties to come third in local elections was unheard of in the post-1945 period, let alone for a governing party with such a large majority to come third. Even in the North, Labour's traditional heartland, Labour did not do too well, losing control of Doncaster, Leeds, Newcastle and St Helens. However, they did pick up several councils, notably Caerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taff from Plaid Cymru in Wales. Despite an increase in their vote and number of councillors, the Liberal Democrats saw a net loss of councils to NOC. The loss to the Conservatives of Eastbourne was in a single-seat by-election. This was partially offset by victories in Newcastle upon Tyne and Pendle. The British National Party made a net gain of four seats, and held 14. This left them with a total 21 councillors in the country, including six in Burnley and four in Bradford. In the wards they contested, they averaged 16.1% of the vote. It was to prove a false dawn for the Conservatives; when Britain went to the polls for the following year's general election, Labour was re-elected, although its majority was greatly reduced and the Conservatives did make gains. England Metropolitan boroughs Council Previous control Result Details Barnsley ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) hold Details Birmingham ‡ No overall control No overall control hold Details Bolton ‡ No overall control No overall control hold Details Bradford ‡ No overall control No overall control holdDetails Bury ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Calderdale ‡ No overall control No overall control holdDetails Coventry ‡ No overall control No overall control holdDetails Doncaster ‡ Labour Party (UK) No overall control gainDetails Dudley ‡ No overall control Conservative Party (UK) gainDetails Gateshead ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Kirklees ‡ No overall control No overall control holdDetails Knowsley ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Leeds ‡ Labour Party (UK) No overall control gainDetails Liverpool ‡ Liberal Democrats (UK) Liberal Democrats (UK) holdDetails Manchester ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Newcastle upon Tyne ‡ Labour Party (UK) Liberal Democrats (UK) gainDetails North Tyneside ‡ No overall control No overall control holdDetails Oldham ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Rochdale ‡ No overall control No overall control holdDetails Rotherham ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails St Helens ‡ Labour Party (UK) No overall control gainDetails Salford ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Sandwell ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Sefton ‡ No overall control No overall control holdDetails Sheffield ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Solihull ‡ Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails South Tyneside ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Stockport ‡ Liberal Democrats (UK) Liberal Democrats (UK) holdDetails Sunderland ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Tameside ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Trafford ‡ No overall control Conservative Party (UK) gainDetails Wakefield ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Walsall ‡ No overall control Conservative Party (UK) gainDetails Wigan ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Wirral ‡ No overall control No overall control holdDetails Wolverhampton ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails ‡ New ward boundaries Unitary authorities Whole council Council Previous control Result Details Blackburn with Darwen ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Halton ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Hartlepool ‡ No overall control Labour Party (UK) gainDetails Peterborough ‡ No overall control Conservative Party (UK) gainDetails Reading ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Slough ‡ Labour Party (UK) No overall control gainDetails Thurrock ‡ Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) gainDetails Warrington ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Wokingham ‡ Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails ‡ New ward boundaries Third of council Council Previous control Result Details Derby No overall control No overall control holdDetails Kingston upon Hull No overall control No overall control holdDetails Milton Keynes Liberal Democrats (UK) Liberal Democrats (UK) holdDetails North East Lincolnshire No overall control No overall control holdDetails Plymouth Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Portsmouth No overall control No overall control holdDetails Southampton No overall control No overall control holdDetails Southend-on-Sea Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Stoke-on-Trent No overall control Labour Party (UK) gainDetails Swindon No overall control Conservative Party (UK) gainDetails District councils Whole council Council Previous control Result Details Adur ‡ Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Broadland ‡ Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Cambridge ‡ Liberal Democrats (UK) Liberal Democrats (UK) holdDetails Crawley ‡ Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Great Yarmouth ‡ Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Huntingdonshire ‡ Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Norwich ‡ Liberal Democrats (UK) No overall control gainDetails Penwith ‡ No overall control No overall control holdDetails Redditch ‡ No overall control Labour Party (UK) gain Details South Cambridgeshire ‡ No overall control No overall control holdDetails Weymouth & Portland ‡ No overall control No overall control holdDetails Worcester ‡ Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Worthing ‡ No overall control Conservative Party (UK) gainDetails Wyre Forest ‡ No overall control No overall control holdDetails ‡ New ward boundaries Half of council Council Previous control Result Details Cheltenham Liberal Democrats (UK) No overall control gainDetails Fareham Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Gosport No overall control No overall control holdDetails Hastings Labour Party (UK) No overall control gainDetails Nuneaton & Bedworth Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Oxford Labour Party (UK) No overall control gainDetails Third of council Council Previous control Result Details Amber Valley Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Barrow-in-Furness Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Basildon Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Basingstoke & Deane No overall control No overall control holdDetails Bassetlaw Labour Party (UK) No overall control gainDetails Bedford No overall control No overall control holdDetails Brentwood No overall control Conservative Party (UK) gainDetails Broxbourne Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Burnley Labour Party (UK) No overall control gainDetails Cannock Chase No overall control No overall control holdDetails Carlisle No overall control No overall control holdDetails Castle Point Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Cherwell Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Chester No overall control No overall control holdDetails Chorley No overall control No overall control holdDetails Colchester No overall control No overall control holdDetails Congleton Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Craven No overall control No overall control holdDetails Crewe & Nantwich No overall control No overall control holdDetails Daventry Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Eastbourne Liberal Democrats (UK) Conservative Party (UK) gainDetails Eastleigh Liberal Democrats (UK) Liberal Democrats (UK) holdDetails Ellesmere Port & Neston Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Elmbridge Residents' association Residents' association holdDetails Epping Forest No overall control No overall control holdDetails Exeter No overall control No overall control holdDetails Gloucester No overall control No overall control holdDetails Harlow No overall control No overall control holdDetails Harrogate Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Hart Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Havant Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Hertsmere Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Hyndburn Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Ipswich Labour Party (UK) No overall control gainDetails Lincoln Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Macclesfield Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Maidstone No overall control No overall control holdDetails Mole Valley No overall control No overall control holdDetails Newcastle-under-Lyme No overall control Labour Party (UK) gainDetails North Hertfordshire Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Pendle No overall control Liberal Democrats (UK) gainDetails Preston No overall control No overall control holdDetails Purbeck Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Reigate and Banstead Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Rochford Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Rossendale No overall control Conservative Party (UK) gainDetails Rugby No overall control No overall control holdDetails Runnymede Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Rushmoor Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails St Albans No overall control No overall control holdDetails Shrewsbury & Atcham Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails South Bedfordshire Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails South Lakeland No overall control No overall control holdDetails Stevenage Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Stratford-on-Avon Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Stroud Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Swale Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Tamworth Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) gainDetails Tandridge Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Three Rivers Liberal Democrats (UK) Liberal Democrats (UK) holdDetails Tunbridge Wells Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Watford Liberal Democrats (UK) Liberal Democrats (UK) holdDetails Waveney No overall control No overall control holdDetails Welwyn Hatfield Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails West Lancashire Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails West Lindsey No overall control Conservative Party (UK) gainDetails West Oxfordshire Conservative Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) holdDetails Winchester Liberal Democrats (UK) No overall control gainDetails Woking No overall control No overall control holdDetails Mayoral elections Local Authority Previous Mayor Mayor-elect DetailsLondon Labour Party (UK)Ken Livingstone (Labour) Labour Party (UK)Ken Livingstone (Labour) holdDetails Wales thumb|500px|Map showing council control (left) and ward control (right). 2004 Welsh local elections Council Previous control Result Details Anglesey Independent (politician) Independent (politician) holdDetails Blaenau Gwent Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Bridgend Labour Party (UK) No overall control gainDetails Caerphilly Plaid Cymru Labour Party (UK) gainDetails Cardiff Labour Party (UK) No overall control gainDetails Carmarthenshire No overall control No overall control holdDetails Ceredigion No overall control No overall control holdDetails Conwy No overall control No overall control holdDetails Denbighshire No overall control No overall control holdDetails Flintshire Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Gwynedd Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru Details Merthyr Tydfil No overall control Labour Party (UK) gainDetails Monmouthshire No overall control Conservative Party (UK) gainDetails Neath Port Talbot Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Newport Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Pembrokeshire Independent (politician) Independent (politician) holdDetails Powys Independent (politician) Independent (politician) holdDetails Rhondda Cynon Taff Plaid Cymru Labour Party (UK) gainDetails Swansea Labour Party (UK) No overall control gainDetails Torfaen Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) holdDetails Vale of Glamorgan No overall control No overall control holdDetails Wrexham No overall control No overall control holdDetails References Local elections 2006. House of Commons Library Research Paper 06/26. Local elections Category:Premiership of Tony Blair Category:Impacts of the Iraq War