Local Elections 2018

Elections were held for 4,404 seats in 150 local councils in England on 3 May 2018. These elections comprised:

• All seats in seven District councils

• One half of seats in six District councils

• One third of seats in 54 District councils

• All seats in London’s 32 boroughs

• All seats in four Metropolitan boroughs

• One third of seats in 30 Metropolitan boroughs

• All seats in one Unitary authority

• One third of seats in 16 Unitary authoritys

The Conservatives won 30% of seats up for election, this is around half the share of seats won in 2017 (61%). Labour won 53% of seats up for election (this is nearly three times the proportion won in 2017, 18%). The Liberal Democrats won 12% of available seats, a slight fall on the share received in 2017 (13%).

As a result of the local elections, the Conservatives now control 198 councils across England, Labour 98, and the Liberal Democrats 11. One council is controlled by an ‘other’ party, and 43 councils have no party with overall control.

There were six mayoral elections (five for local authority mayors, and one for the new Sheffield City Region). Labour won five of these contests and the Liberal Democrats one.

At this years elections there were voter ID pilot schemes in five local authorities. The Electoral Commission has yet to publish its analysis of the pilots.

The Electoral Reform Society cited work by Democracy Volunteers claiming that just under 4,000 people were turned away from pilot polling stations for lack of ID.

Subsequent data published by the five pilot councils show that about 688 electors were initially turned away from voting for failing to show the required proof of identity. Of those initially turned away, around half returned with the correct documentation enabling them to vote. This means that about 340 people did not vote becuase they did not return with the required proof of identity.