Sedgefield Borough Council elections

Sedgefield Borough Council elections were generally held every four years between the council's creation in 1974 and its abolition in 2009. Sedgefield was a non-metropolitan district in County Durham, England. On 1 April 2009 the council's functions passed to Durham County Council, which became a unitary authority.

Political control

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Throughout the council's existence from 1974 to 2009, Labour held a majority of the seats on the council.^[1]

Party in control		Years
	Labour	1974–2009

Leadership

The leaders of the council were:^[2]

Councillor	Party		From	To
Warren McCourt[3]		Labour	1974	1986
Brian Stephens[4][5]		Labour	1986	May 2003
Bob Fleming[6][7]		Labour	16 May 2003	2007
Agnes Armstrong[8][9]		Labour	18 May 2007	31 Mar 2009

Council elections

Election	Labour	Liberal Democrat[a]	Conservative	Independent	Total	Notes
1973[10]	40	4	1	8	53
1976[11]	36	1	1	15	53	District boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same[12]
1979[13]	40	3	1	9	53
1983[14]	40	4[b]	2	3	49	New ward boundaries & district boundary changes also took place[15][16]
1987[17]	37	7[c]	2	3[d]	49	District boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same[18]
1991[19]	33	8	1	7	49	District boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same[20]
1995[21]	44	0	0	2	49[e]
1999[22]	43	2	0	4	49
2003[23]	35	7	1	7	50	New ward boundaries[24]
2007[25]	28	6	1	15	50

Results maps

• 
  2003 results map
• 
  2007 results map

By-election results

The following is an incomplete list of by-elections to Sedgefield Borough Council.

1995-1999

Tudhoe By-Election 21 November 1996

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour		425	55.8
	Independent		216	28.4
	Liberal Democrats	Benjamin May Ord	88	11.6
	Conservative		32	4.2
Majority			209	27.4
Turnout			761	28
	Labour hold		Swing

1999-2003

Tudhoe By-Election 25 November 1999

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Agnes Armstrong	373	60.2
	Liberal Democrats	Martin Jones	247	39.8
Majority			126	20.4
Turnout			620	23
	Labour hold		Swing

Tudhoe By-Election 7 June 2001

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour		1,129	52.2	+5.2
	Independent		1,033	47.8	−5.2
Majority			96	4.4
Turnout			2,162
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Middlestone By-Election 21 March 2002

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Kevin Thompson	528	51.7	+21.4
	Labour		493	48.3	−21.4
Majority			35	3.4
Turnout			1,021
	Liberal Democrats gain from Labour		Swing

Notes

1. Liberal Party prior to 1983, SDP-Liberal Alliance in 1983 and 1987.
2. 0 Liberal, 4 SDP
3. 1 Liberal, 6 SDP
4. Including three Independent Labour
5. 3 vacant after election