Somerset Council elections

Somerset Council elections are held every four years to elect Somerset Council, the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England. From 1889 until 2023 the council was called Somerset County Council and it was an upper tier county council, with district-level functions being provided by the area's district councils. The districts were all abolished with effect from 1 April 2023, at which point the county council became a unitary authority, taking on the functions of the abolished district councils. The county council changed its name to Somerset Council to coincide with the change in its powers.^[1] There are 110 councillors, elected from 54 wards.^[2]

Summary of recent elections

The Conservative Party has been the largest or second-largest party on the council since 1973, and since 1981 has competed with the Liberal Democrats for control; each party has formed several majority administrations in the period since.^[3]

In 2009, the Conservative Party UK won 35 seats,^[4] a six seat majority, with the Liberal Democrats UK coming second with 21 seats, in 2013 the Conservative Party UK won 29 seats,^[5] a one seat majority, with the Liberal Democrats UK coming second with 18 seats and UKIP (a new entrant) coming joint third with Labour Party UK on three seats. In 2017 the Conservative Party UK won back seats and ended up winning 35 seats,^[6] gaining them a seven seat majority, in this election, UKIP did not stand and the Liberal Democrats UK continued their loss of seats dropping to 12 (although they remained in second place).

The 2022 local elections in Somerset were fought on new boundaries, with 110 seats available within the new unitary council.^[7] In this election the Liberal Democrats UK won 61 seats granting them a five seat majority, the Conservative Party UK came second with 36 seats.^[8]

Council elections

• 1973 Somerset County Council election
• 1977 Somerset County Council election
• 1981 Somerset County Council election (boundary changes)^[9]
• 1985 Somerset County Council election
• 1989 Somerset County Council election
• 1993 Somerset County Council election
• 1997 Somerset County Council election
• 2001 Somerset County Council election (boundary changes increased the number of seats by one)^[10]
• 2005 Somerset County Council election
• 2009 Somerset County Council election
• 2013 Somerset County Council election
• 2017 Somerset County Council election
• 2022 Somerset Council election

County result maps

• 
  2001 results map
• 
  2005 results map
• 
  2009 results map
• 
  2013 results map
• 
  2017 results map
• 
  2022 results map

By-election results

1997–2001

Minehead By-Election 30 July 1998

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative		1,428	42.6	+7.2
	Liberal Democrats		1,125	33.6	−1.4
	Labour		798	23.8	−5.8
Majority			303	9.0
Turnout			3,351	37.0
	Conservative hold		Swing

Lydeard By-Election 28 October 1999

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative		948	68.2	+28.7
	Liberal Democrats		442	31.8	−14.0
Majority			506	36.4
Turnout			1,390	28.0
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing

2005–2009

Mendip North East By-Election 1 May 2008^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Matthew Ellis	1,568	51.2	+6.9
	Liberal Democrats	Ian Hasell	1,497	48.8	+9.7
Majority			71	2.4
Turnout			3,065	43.8
	Conservative hold		Swing

Shepton Mallett By-Election 29 May 2008^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Margaret Robinson	950	47.4	+10.0
	Liberal Democrats	Rachel Witcombe	783	39.1	+5.5
	Labour	Christopher Inchley	271	13.5	−15.5
Majority			167	8.3
Turnout			2,004	29.0
	Conservative hold		Swing

2009–2013

Shepton Mallett By-Election 5 May 2011^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Parham	1,307	41.3	−7.8
	Liberal Democrats	Garfield Kennedy	892	28.2	−6.2
	Labour	Chris Inchley	711	22.5	+6.0
	Green	Ian Forster	256	8.1	+8.1
Majority			415	13.1
Turnout			3,166
	Conservative hold		Swing

South Petherton By-Election 4 August 2011^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Paul Maxwell	1,333	53.6	+13.3
	Conservative	Paul Thompson	943	37.9	−5.4
	Green	Ian Greenfield	108	4.3	−2.9
	UKIP	Godfrey Davey	104	4.2	+4.2
Majority			390	15.7
Turnout			2,488
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing

Brent By-Election 1 December 2011^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Denbee	1,285	58.0	−11.9
	Liberal Democrats	Helen Groves	932	42.0	+17.3
Majority			353	15.9
Turnout			2,217
	Conservative hold		Swing

2013–2017

Frome North By-Election 25 September 2014^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Linda Oliver	1,163	47.7	+12.0
	Liberal Democrats	Damon Hooton	836	34.3	−3.0
	Labour	Catherine Richardson	163	6.7	−4.1
	Independent	Adrian Dobinson	139	5.7	+5.7
	Green	Les Spalding	139	5.7	+5.7
Majority			327	13.4
Turnout			2,440
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing

Taunton North By-Election 7 May 2015^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Adkins	1,298	29.9	+12.5
	Liberal Democrats	Barrie Hall	976	22.5	−8.2
	Labour	Libby Lisgo	927	21.4	−0.7
	UKIP	Robert Bainbridge	814	18.8	−5.1
	Green	Alan Debenham	326	7.5	+1.6
Majority			322	7.4
Turnout			4,341
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing

2017–2022

Comeytrowe & Trull By-Election 7 October 2021^[18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Dawn Johnson	1,677	63.2	+15.6
	Conservative	Ruth Harmon	886	33.4	−6.4
	Labour	Michael McGuffie	92	3.5	−2.4
Majority			791	29.8
Turnout			2,655
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	11.0

2022–2027

Castle Cary By-Election 10 August 2023^[19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Kevin Messenger	1,247	54.8	+10.4
	Conservative	David Hall	614	27.0	−15.7
	Green	Ewan Jones	415	18.2	+5.3
Majority			633	27.8
Turnout			2,276
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing

Somerton By-Election 28 March 2024^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Stephen Page	1,212	50.1	−1.0
	Conservative	David Hall	878	36.3	−2.2
	Labour	Gregory Chambers	174	7.2	−0.5
	Green	Matthew Geen	154	6.4	+6.4
Majority			334	13.8
Turnout			2,418
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing

Mendip South By-Election 2 May 2024^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Rob Reed	1,313	47.3	−5.5
	Conservative	Ken Maddock	1,122	40.4	−6.8
	Green	Michael Smyth	200	7.2	+7.2
	Labour	David Oakensen	139	5.0	+5.0
Majority			191	6.9
Turnout			2,774
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing

Blackmoor Vale By-Election 21 November 2024^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Hayward Burt	1,120	57.4	+13.1
	Liberal Democrats	Howard Ellard	714	36.6	−19.1
	Green	Peter Ebsworth	86	4.4	+4.4
	Labour	Gregory Chambers	32	1.6	+1.6
Majority			406	20.8
Turnout			1,952
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing

Rowbarton and Staplegrove By-Election 21 November 2024^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Nick O'Donnell	817	58.3	+1.7
	Conservative	Pete Prior-Sankey	396	28.3	−2.3
	Green	Alan William Debenham	102	7.3	+7.3
	Labour	Moya Patricia Doherty	86	6.1	−6.7
Majority			421	30.0
Turnout			1,401
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing