2011 City of York Council election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elections to City of York Council were held on Thursday 5 May 2011. The whole council was up for election. The vote took place alongside the 2011 United Kingdom Alternative Vote referendum.
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All 47 seats to City of York Council 24 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Map of results of 2011 election | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Labour Party gained overall control of the council from no overall control. Labour had previously won a majority of seats on the new York unitary council in 1995 and again in 1999. The Liberal Democrats had controlled the council outright since 2003 and led a minority administration since the 2007 election.
Andrew Waller, leader of the Liberal Democrats group and former leader of the Council, was not reelected.[1] Councillor Carol Runciman became leader of the Liberal Democrats group but stepped down in May 2013 and was replaced by Councillor Keith Aspden.[2] Councillor Chris Steward became leader of the Conservative group in January 2014, succeeding Councillor Ian Gillies.[3] Councillor James Alexander resigned as leader of the Labour Group and leader of the Council in November 2014,[4] with Councillor Dafydd Williams taking on both of these roles.[5][6]
In August 2012, Lynn Jeffries, a Labour councillor resigned the whip in protest at the Council's cuts to social care, bringing the number of Independent Councillors to two;[7] she subsequently joined the Liberal Democrat group.[8] Labour Councillor Brian Watson became an independent councillor in May 2014 after being deselected in Guildhall ward.[9] In September 2014, Councillor Helen Douglas resigned from the Labour group and joined the Conservatives leading to Labour losing overall control of the Council.[10] Councillors Ken King and David Scott resigned from the Labour group in October 2014.[11] One seat was vacant following the death of councillor Lynn Jeffries in August 2014.[12] The subsequent by-election held in October 2014 was won by Liberal Democrat former Council leader Andrew Waller.[13] Conservative councillor Joe Watt left the Conservatives group in January 2015 after falling out with party leader Chris Steward.[14]