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About the Local Elections Handbook 2021

Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, directors of the Election Centre, have published their Local Elections Handbook 2021 in collaboration with the Commons Library. Along with the handbook containing figures and analysis of the May 2021 local elections results, the authors have also released a comprehensive dataset.

In the dataset you will find and be able to analyse voting results across all English electoral districts and wards, including ward voting turnout, number of vacancies per ward, candidate party affiliation, votes collected per candidate, final outcomes for wards and candidates, and more. The dataset also presents results for parties and their candidates and can be used to further examine party success in individual counties and districts.

This work offers a unique opportunity for analysis due to the unprecedented conditions of the May 2021 elections. Due to Covid-19, several areas held both district council and county council elections which can allow direct comparisons of district and county council voting.

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About the May 2021 elections

143 councils in England held local elections on 6 May 2021, along with some that held by-elections to fill seats that had fallen vacant. This included councils that were due to hold elections anyway, and those where elections had been scheduled for 2020 and postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

4,732 councillors were elected across England – including by-elections, the total was 4,995, covering 4,117 wards and electoral districts. To find out more, read the Commons Library briefing on the 2021 elections, and browse our full series of briefings on the May 2021 elections results.

You can also view the latest handbook for the 2022 local election results.

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