Cherwell District Council elections

One third of Cherwell District Council in Oxfordshire, England is elected each year, followed by one year without election. Since the last comprehensive boundary changes in 2016, 48 councillors have been elected from 16 wards.[1]

Council elections

Composition of the council[2]
Year Conservative Labour Liberal Democrats[a] Green[b] Independents
& Others
Council control
after election
Local government reorganisation; council established (45 seats)
1973 16 16 0 13 No overall control
1976 26 10 0 0 9 Conservative
New ward boundaries (52 seats)[3]
1979 34 12 2 0 4 Conservative
1980 31 16 2 0 3 Conservative
1982 30 15 4 0 3 Conservative
1983 32 16 3 0 1 Conservative
1984 35 12 4 0 1 Conservative
1986[4] 32 13 6 0 1 Conservative
1987 33 12 7 0 0 Conservative
1988[5] 32 14 2 0 4 Conservative
1990 32 17 2 0 1 Conservative
1991[6] 28 18 3 0 3 Conservative
1992 32 15 3 0 2 Conservative
1994 31 16 4 0 1 Conservative
1995 23 22 7 0 0 No overall control
1996 16 28 8 0 0 Labour
1998 17 24 7 0 4 No overall control
1999 26 19 5 0 2 No overall control
2000 33 13 4 0 2 Conservative
New ward boundaries (52 seats)[7][8]
2002 37 11 2 0 0 Conservative
2003 34 12 4 0 0 Conservative
2004 36 10 4 0 0 Conservative
2006 38 8 4 0 0 Conservative
2007 42 4 4 0 0 Conservative
2008 44 2 4 0 0 Conservative
2010 44 2 4 0 0 Conservative
2011 43 4 3 0 0 Conservative
2012 41 6 3 0 0 Conservative
2014 40 7 2 0 1 Conservative
2015 41 7 1 0 1 Conservative
New ward boundaries (48 seats)[1]
2016 38 8 0 0 2 Conservative
2018 37 9 1 0 1 Conservative
2019 32 9 3 1 3 Conservative
2021 32 9 3 1 3 Conservative
2022 25 10 7 2 4 Conservative
2023 20 12 10 3 3 No overall control
2024 11 13 17 4 3 No overall control

Results maps

By-election results

1994-1998

Gosford and Watereaton By-Election 28 November 1996
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 170 32.0
Conservative 169 31.8
Independent 100 18.8
Labour 91 17.1
Majority 1 0.2
Turnout 530 50.0
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Kidlington South East By-Election 22 January 1998[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Maurice Billington 455 38.4 −1.1
Labour John Stansby 450 38.0 −7.8
Liberal Democrats John Wyse 280 23.6 +8.9
Majority 5 0.4
Turnout 1,185 27.3
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

1998-2002

Hardwick By-Election 23 July 1998
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative 382 51.9 +24.3
Labour 306 41.6 −22.0
Liberal Democrats 48 6.5 −2.4
Majority 76 10.3
Turnout 736
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Heyford By-Election 17 September 1998
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 290 36.3 −24.2
Independent 263 32.8 +32.8
Conservative 247 30.9 −8.6
Majority 27 3.5
Turnout 800 47.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Calthorpe By-Election 27 September 2001[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative 422 58.4 −2.1
Labour 183 25.3 −1.6
Liberal Democrats 117 16.2 +3.5
Majority 239 33.1
Turnout 722 14.0
Conservative hold Swing

2002-2006

Yarnton, Gorsford and Water Eaton By-Election 17 March 2005
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Gibbard 784 59.8 +12.6
Liberal Democrats Suzanne Wilson-Higgins 423 32.3 −11.1
Labour Catherine Arakelian 103 7.9 −1.5
Majority 361 27.5
Turnout 1,310 31.0
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

2006-2010

Kirtlington By-Election 31 July 2008[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Simon Holland unopposed
Conservative hold Swing
Kidlington North By-Election 4 June 2009[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Douglas Williamson 828 49.2 −1.0
Conservative Trevor Elford 690 41.0 +2.2
Labour Andrew Hornsby-Smith 165 9.8 −1.2
Majority 138 8.2
Turnout 1,683 40.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

2010-2014

Kidlington North By-Election 22 July 2010[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Alaric Rose 526 42.2 −11.4
Conservative Eddie Stevens 419 33.6 −12.8
Labour Catherine Arakelian 216 17.3 +17.3
UKIP David Fairweather 86 6.9 +6.9
Majority 107 8.6
Turnout 1,247
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Bicester North By-Election 29 September 2011[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Melanie Magee 443 65.9 +7.0
Labour Kevin Walsh 130 19.3 −5.8
Liberal Democrats John Innes 99 14.7 −1.3
Majority 313 46.6
Turnout 672
Conservative hold Swing
Banbury Ruscote By-Election 15 November 2012[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gordon Ross 611 56.7 −4.8
Conservative Pat Tompson 349 32.4 +0.3
UKIP David Burton 117 10.9 +10.9
Majority 262 24.3
Turnout 1,077
Labour hold Swing
Hook Norton By-Election 2 May 2013[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ray Jelf 511 66.6 +8.1
Labour Perran Moon 155 20.2 −11.1
Green Colin Clark 101 13.2 +13.2
Majority 356 46.4
Turnout 767
Conservative hold Swing
Banbury Ruscote By-Election 26 September 2013[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mark Cherry 758 58.9 −2.6
Conservative Pat Tompson 323 25.1 −7.0
UKIP Christian Miller 206 16.0 +16.0
Majority 435 33.8
Turnout 1,287
Labour hold Swing

2014-2018

Banbury Grimsbury and Castle By-Election 1 October 2015[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Shaida Hussain 781 45.0 +8.3
Conservative Tony Mepham 661 38.1 +3.1
UKIP Linda Wren 150 8.6 −6.3
Liberal Democrats Kenneth Ashworth 73 4.2 −1.3
Green Christopher Manley 72 4.1 −3.8
Majority 120 6.9
Turnout 1,737
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Adderbury, Bloxham and Bodicote By-Election 22 September 2016[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew McHugh 1,015 57.4 +8.5
Labour Sue Christie 286 16.2 −0.2
Green Naomi Kanetsuka 278 15.7 −5.5
Liberal Democrats Ian Thomas 189 10.7 −2.8
Majority 729 41.2
Turnout 1,768
Conservative hold Swing

2022-2026

Banbury Cross and Neithrop By-Election 1 May 2025[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Fiaz Ahmed 729 33.3 +9.0
Labour Andrew Eaton 690 31.5 −16.9
Independent Simon Garrett 412 18.8 +7.4
Liberal Democrats Ian Thomas 358 16.4 +10.1
Majority 39 1.8
Turnout 2,189
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Banbury Grimsbury and Hightown By-Election 1 May 2025[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Henry Elugwu 639 32.8 −11.9
Conservative Paul Sargent 600 30.8 +10.3
Independent Cassi Bellingham 289 14.8 +2.8
Liberal Democrats Sophie Parker-Manuel 216 11.1 −2.4
Green Karl Kwiatkowski 207 10.6 +1.3
Majority 39 2.0
Turnout 1,951
Labour hold Swing
Deddington By-Election 1 May 2025[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Zoe McLernon 1,560 46.9 +3.1
Liberal Democrats Nick Mylne 916 27.6 +15.0
Labour Helen Oldfield 478 14.4 −18.8
Green Aaron Bliss 370 11.1 +0.7
Majority 644 19.4
Turnout 3,324
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. ^ Includes totals for the predecessors of the Liberal Democrats, the Liberal Party and SDP (both of which participated in the Alliance).
  2. ^ Includes totals for the predecessors of the Green Party of England and Wales, the Ecology Party and Green Party UK.
  1. ^ a b "The Cherwell (Electoral Changes) Order 2015", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2015/1, retrieved 24 April 2023
  2. ^ "Composition calculator". Colin Rallings & Michael Thrasher. The Elections Centre, Plymouth University. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  3. ^ The District of Cherwell (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1978
  4. ^ The Cherwell and West Oxfordshire (Areas) Order 1985
  5. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire (County Boundaries) Order 1988. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
  6. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Oxfordshire (District Boundaries) Order 1991. Retrieved on 6 November 2015.
  7. ^ "Cherwell". BBC Online. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
  8. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The District of Cherwell (Electoral Changes) Order 2001. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
  9. ^ "Labour loses control of council". Oxford Mail. 23 January 1998. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  10. ^ "Lib Dem boost in byelection". guardian.co.uk. 28 September 2001. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  11. ^ "District Council By-Election". Cherwell District Council. 4 July 2008. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
  12. ^ "Kidlington by election result - 4 June 2009". Cherwell District Council. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  13. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Kidlington North Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  14. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Bicester North Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  15. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Banbury Ruscote Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  16. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Hook Norton Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  17. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Banbury Ruscote Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  18. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Banbury Grimsbury and Castle Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  19. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Adderbury, Bloxham and Bodicote Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  20. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Banbury Cross and Neithrop Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  21. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Banbury Grimsbury and Hightown Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  22. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Deddington Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2025.