West Berkshire Council elections

West Berkshire Council is the local authority for West Berkshire, a unitary authority in Berkshire, England. Until 1 April 1998 it was a non-metropolitan district called Newbury.

Council elections

Composition of the council[1]
Year Conservative Labour Liberal Democrats[a] Green[b] Independents
& Others
Council control
after election
Local government reorganisation; council established (57 seats)
1973 13 1 26 17 No overall control
1976 29 1 15 0 12 Conservative
1979 33 1 19 0 4 Conservative
New ward boundaries (45 seats)[2]
1983 35 0 10 0 0 Conservative
1987 34 0 11 0 0 Conservative
1991[3][4] 20 0 24 0 1 Liberal Democrats
1995 7 0 37 0 1 Liberal Democrats
West Berkshire becomes a unitary authority; new ward boundaries (54 seats)[c]
1997 15 0 38 0 1 Liberal Democrats
2000[5] 25 0 28 0 1 Liberal Democrats
New ward boundaries (52 seats)[6][7]
2003[8] 26 0 26 0 0 No overall control
2007[9] 36 0 16 0 0 Conservative
2011[10] 39 0 13 0 0 Conservative
2015[11] 48 0 4 0 0 Conservative
New ward boundaries (43 seats)[12]
2019[13] 24 0 16 3 0 Conservative
2023[14] 11 1 29 2 0 Liberal Democrats

Results maps

By-elections

2003-2007

Victoria By-Election 4 December 2003[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Roger Hunneman 727 58.6 −5.3
Conservative Jeffrey Beck 461 37.2 +6.8
Labour Barry Lambert 52 4.2 +4.2
Majority 266 21.5
Turnout 1,240
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Thatcham North By-Election 5 May 2005[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sheila Ellison 1,431 53.3 +15.3
Liberal Democrats Graham Reeves 1,256 46.7 −15.3
Majority 175 6.6
Turnout 2,687
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Pangbourne By-Election 20 April 2006[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative 725 74.6 +0.4
Liberal Democrats 151 15.5 −0.4
Labour 96 9.9 +0.0
Majority 574 59.1
Turnout 972
Conservative hold Swing

2007-2011

Thatcham South and Crookham By-Election 22 July 2010[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Bob Morgan 936 58.6 +1.9
Conservative Dominic Boeck 787 45.7 −1.9
Majority 149 8.6
Turnout 1,723
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

2011-2015

Hungerford By-Election 15 August 2013[21][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Podger 810 48.4 −12.6
Liberal Democrats Denise Gaines 751 44.8 +5.8
Labour Gary Puffett 86 5.1 +5.1
Independent Andrew Stott 28 1.7 +1.7
Majority 59 3.5
Turnout 1,675
Conservative hold Swing
Purley on Thames By-Election 28 January 2015[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rick Jones 936 68.1 +1.0
Labour Ian Stevens 172 12.5 −8.7
UKIP Catherine Anderson 163 11.9 +11.9
Liberal Democrats Steve Bown 104 7.6 −4.1
Majority 764 55.6
Turnout 1,375
Conservative hold Swing

2015-2019

Thatcham South and Crookham By-Election 8 June 2017[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jason Collis 1,823 48.7 −0.6
Liberal Democrats Owen Jeffery 822 22.0 −6.1
Green Stephen Masters 590 15.8 +3.6
Labour Nicholas East 505 13.5 +3.0
Majority 1,001 26.8
Turnout 3,740
Conservative hold Swing
Thatcham West 19 April 2018[25][26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jeff Brooks 820 48.4 +11.2
Conservative Ellen Crumly 523 30.9 −18.1
Labour Louise Coulson 130 7.7 −6.2
Green Jane Livermore 130 7.7 +7.7
UKIP Gary Johnson 91 5.4 +5.4
Registered electors 4,957
Turnout 1,702 34.3 −34.3
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing 14.7

2019-2023

Tilehurst South and Holybrook, 16 December 2021[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Akinbiyi Oloko 548 42.3 −15.6
Labour Charles Croal 387 29.9 +4.8
Liberal Democrats Steve Bown 359 27.7 +10.8
Registered electors 5,652
Turnout 1,302 23 −5
Conservative hold Swing -11.6

2023-2027

Thatcham North East, 24 April 2025[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Tom McCann 690 41.1
Conservative Dominic Parry 428 25.5
Reform James Stokes 367 21.9
Green Michael Wakelyn-Green 127 7.6
Labour Lee Allen 65 3.9
Majority 262 15.6
Turnout 1,677
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Notes

  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.
  3. ^ On becoming a unitary authority, the council changed its name from Newbury to West Berkshire.

References

  1. ^ "Composition calculator". Colin Rallings & Michael Thrasher. The Elections Centre, Plymouth University. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  2. ^ The District of Newbury (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1979
  3. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Berkshire, Dorset and Wiltshire (County Boundaries) Order 1989. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
  4. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey (County Boundaries) Order 1991. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
  5. ^ "West Berkshire". BBC News Online. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  6. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The District of West Berkshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2002. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
  7. ^ "Councillors". West Berkshire Council. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  8. ^ "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  9. ^ "West Berkshire". BBC News Online. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  10. ^ "England council elections". BBC News Online. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  11. ^ "Election results by party, 7 May 2015". decisionmaking.westberks.gov.uk. 7 May 2015.
  12. ^ "The West Berkshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2018". www.legislation.gov.uk.
  13. ^ "West Berkshire Council". BBC News.
  14. ^ "West Berkshire result - Local Elections 2023". BBC News. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  15. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Victoria Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  16. ^ "Declaration of Result of Poll - Victoria" (PDF). West Berkshire Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 January 2007. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  17. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Thatcham North Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  18. ^ "Declaration of Result of Poll - Thatcham North" (PDF). West Berkshire Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 January 2007. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  19. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Pangbourne Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  20. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Thatcham South and Crookham Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  21. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Hungerford Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  22. ^ "Election results for Hungerford, 15 August 2013". West Berkshire Council. 15 August 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  23. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Purley on Thames Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  24. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Thatcham South and Crookham Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  25. ^ "Declaration of Result of Poll". West Berkshire. 20 April 2018. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  26. ^ "Election results for Thatcham West District Election 2015". West Berkshire. 8 May 2015. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  27. ^ "Notice of Poll". West Berkshire Council. 8 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  28. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Thatcham North East Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 2 September 2025.