1993 United Kingdom local elections

The 1993 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 6 May 1993 in England and Wales, and Wednesday 19 May 1993 in Northern Ireland.[1][2] The results showed a decline for the governing Conservative Party, who were still reeling from the fallout of Black Wednesday; with the third-placed party, the Liberal Democrats, gaining most seats.

1993 United Kingdom local elections

← 1992 6 May 1993 (England & Wales)
19 May 1993 (Northern Ireland)
1994 →

All 39 non-metropolitan counties, 1 sui generis authority,
all 26 Northern Irish districts and all 8 Welsh counties
  Majority party Minority party Third party
 
Lab
Leader John Smith John Major Paddy Ashdown
Party Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats
Leader since 18 July 1992 27 November 1990 16 July 1988
Percentage 39% 31% 25%
Councillors 9,213 7,802 4,123
Councillors +/- Increase111 Decrease486 Increase395

Colours denote the winning party, as shown in the main table of results.

The main opposition Labour Party, now led by John Smith following Neil Kinnock's resignation as party leader, gained 111 seats, bringing their number of councillors to 9,213. Their share of the vote was projected to be 39%, their highest since 1990.

The governing Conservative Party lost 486 seats and was left with 7,802 councillors. Their projected share of the vote was 31%, a 15% decline since the previous local elections in 1992.

The Liberal Democrats gained 395 seats and had 4,123 councillors after the elections. Their projected share of the vote was 25%, an increase in 5% from the 1992 local elections.

On the same day as local elections in England and Wales, a parliamentary by-election was held in the Newbury constituency in Berkshire. The Conservatives lost this seat to the Liberal Democrats.

Summary of results

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England

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Non-metropolitan county councils

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These were the last elections to the county councils of Avon, Berkshire, Cleveland, Hereford and Worcester, Humberside and Isle of Wight before they were abolished by the Local Government Commission for England (1992).

Council Previous control Result Details
Avon No overall control No overall control hold Details
Bedfordshire No overall control No overall control hold Details
Berkshire Conservative No overall control gain Details
Buckinghamshire Conservative Conservative hold Details
Cambridgeshire Conservative No overall control gain Details
Cheshire No overall control No overall control hold Details
Cleveland Labour Labour hold Details
Cornwall No overall control Liberal Democrats gain Details
Cumbria No overall control No overall control hold Details
Derbyshire Labour Labour hold Details
Devon Conservative No overall control gain Details
Dorset Conservative No overall control gain Details
Durham Labour Labour hold Details
East Sussex Conservative No overall control gain Details
Essex Conservative No overall control gain Details
Gloucestershire No overall control No overall control hold Details
Hampshire Conservative No overall control gain Details
Hereford and Worcester No overall control No overall control hold Details
Hertfordshire Conservative No overall control gain Details
Humberside Labour Labour hold Details
Isle of Wight Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrats hold Details
Kent Conservative No overall control gain Details
Lancashire Labour Labour hold Details
Leicestershire No overall control No overall control hold Details
Lincolnshire Conservative No overall control gain Details
Norfolk Conservative No overall control gain Details
North Yorkshire No overall control No overall control hold Details
Northamptonshire No overall control Labour gain Details
Northumberland Labour Labour hold Details
Nottinghamshire Labour Labour hold Details
Oxfordshire No overall control No overall control hold Details
Shropshire No overall control No overall control hold Details
Somerset Conservative Liberal Democrats gain Details
Staffordshire Labour Labour hold Details
Suffolk Conservative No overall control gain Details
Surrey Conservative No overall control gain Details
Warwickshire Conservative No overall control gain Details
West Sussex Conservative No overall control gain Details
Wiltshire No overall control No overall control hold Details

‡ New electoral division boundaries

Sui generis

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Council Previous control Result Details
Isles of Scilly Details

Northern Ireland

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Council Previous control Result Details
Antrim UUP No overall control Details
Ards No overall control No overall control Details
Armagh UUP No overall control Details
Ballymena DUP No overall control Details
Ballymoney No overall control No overall control Details
Banbridge UUP UUP Details
Belfast No overall control No overall control Details
Carrickfergus No overall control No overall control Details
Castlereagh No overall control No overall control Details
Coleraine No overall control UUP Details
Cookstown No overall control No overall control Details
Craigavon No overall control No overall control Details
Derry No overall control SDLP Details
Down SDLP SDLP Details
Dungannon No overall control No overall control Details
Fermanagh No overall control No overall control Details
Larne No overall control No overall control Details
Limavady No overall control No overall control Details
Lisburn UUP UUP Details
Magherafelt No overall control No overall control Details
Moyle No overall control No overall control Details
Newry and Mourne SDLP SDLP Details
Newtownabbey No overall control No overall control Details
North Down No overall control No overall control Details
Omagh No overall control No overall control Details
Strabane No overall control No overall control Details

Wales

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County councils

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These were the last elections to the county councils before they were abolished by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994.

Council Previous control Result Details
Clwyd Labour Labour hold Details
Dyfed No overall control No overall control hold Details
Gwent Labour Labour hold Details
Gwynedd Independent No overall control gain Details
Mid Glamorgan Labour Labour hold Details
Powys Independent Independent hold Details
South Glamorgan Labour Labour hold Details
West Glamorgan Labour Labour hold Details

References

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  1. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1993 (PDF). Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Council compositions". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.