1998 United Kingdom local elections

* * *

| <- 1997 | 7 May 1998 | 1999 ->

|
|

* * *

All 32 London boroughs, all 36 metropolitan boroughs,
10 out of 46 unitary authorities and 88 out of 238 English districts
|  | Majority party  | Minority party  | Third party

|
|
|

|  |  |
Leader  | Tony Blair | William Hague | Paddy Ashdown
Party  | Labour | Conservative | Liberal Democrats
Leader since  | 21 July 1994  | 19 June 1997  | 16 July 1988
Percentage  | 38%  | 32%  | 25%
Councils  | 94  | 8  | 14
Councils +/-  | 2  | 1  | 7
Councillors  | 2,240  | 1,085  | 853
Councillors +/-  | 88  | 256  | 114

* * *

Colours denote the winning party, as shown in the table of results.

The 1998 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 7 May 1998.[1][2] All London borough council seats were elected as well a third of the seats on each of the Metropolitan Boroughs. Some unitary authorities and District councils also had elections. There were no local elections in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

These elections took place on the same day as the referendum on establishing the Greater London Authority.

The governing Labour Party, contesting its first national elections since returning to government 12 months previously, enjoyed great success, now having control of 94 councils, with the second placed Liberal Democrats now controlling 14 and the opposition Conservatives (now led by William Hague) a mere eight.

A by-election for the European Parliament was also held in the Yorkshire South constituency; Labour retained the seat.

## Summary of results

[edit]

Party  | Councils  | Councillors

|
|

Gain  | Loss  | Change  | Total  | Gain  | Loss  | Change  | Total
| Labour |  |  | +2  | 94  |  |  | -88  | 2,240
| Liberal Democrats |  |  | -7  | 14  |  |  | -114  | 853
| Conservative |  |  | +1  | 8  |  |  | +256  | 1,085
| Other  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  |  |  | -57  | 146
| No overall control |  |  | +4  | 50  | —  | —  | —  | —

## England

[edit]

### London boroughs

[edit]

In all 32 London boroughs the whole council was up for election.

Council  | Previous control  | Result  | Details

|
|
|

Barking and Dagenham |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Barnet |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Bexley |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Brent |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | Details
Bromley |  | Conservative |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Camden |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Croydon |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Ealing |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Enfield |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Greenwich |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Hackney |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Hammersmith and Fulham |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Haringey |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Harrow |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | Details
Havering |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Hillingdon |  | Labour |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Hounslow |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Islington |  | Labour |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Kensington and Chelsea |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Kingston upon Thames |  | Liberal Democrats |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Lambeth |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | Details
Lewisham |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Merton |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Newham |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Redbridge |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Richmond upon Thames |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Southwark |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Sutton |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Tower Hamlets |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Waltham Forest |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | Details
Wandsworth |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Westminster |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details

### Metropolitan boroughs

[edit]

All 36 English Metropolitan borough councils had one third of their seats up for election.

Council  | Previous control  | Result  | Details

|
|
|

Barnsley |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Birmingham |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Bolton |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Bradford |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Bury |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Calderdale |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Coventry |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Doncaster |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Dudley |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Gateshead |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Kirklees |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Knowsley |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Leeds |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Liverpool |  | Labour |  | Liberal Democrats gain  | Details
Manchester |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Newcastle upon Tyne |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
North Tyneside |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Oldham |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Rochdale |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Rotherham |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Salford |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Sandwell |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Sefton |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Sheffield |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Solihull |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
South Tyneside |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
St Helens |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Stockport |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Sunderland |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Tameside |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Trafford |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Wakefield |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Walsall |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Wigan |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Wirral |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Wolverhampton |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details

### Unitary authorities

[edit]

#### Whole council

[edit]

The whole of the Isle of Wight council was up for election.

Council  | Previous control  | Result  | Details

|
|
|

Isle of Wight |  | Liberal Democrats |  | No overall control gain  | Details

#### Third of council

[edit]

In 9 English Unitary authorities one third of the council was up for election.

Council  | Previous control  | Result  | Details

|
|
|

Bristol |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Derby |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Hartlepool |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Kingston upon Hull |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Milton Keynes |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Portsmouth |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Southampton |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Stoke-on-Trent |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Swindon |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details

### District councils

[edit]

In 88 English district authorities one third of the council was up for election.

Council  | Previous control  | Result  | Details

|
|
|

Adur |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Amber Valley |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Barrow-in-Furness |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Basildon |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Basingstoke and Deane |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Bassetlaw |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Bedford |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Brentwood |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Broadland |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Broxbourne |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Burnley |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Cambridge |  | Labour |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Cannock Chase |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Carlisle |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Cheltenham |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Cherwell |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Chester |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Chorley |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Colchester |  | Liberal Democrats |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Congleton |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Craven |  | Liberal Democrats |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Crawley |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Crewe and Nantwich |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Daventry |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Eastbourne |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Eastleigh |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Ellesmere Port and Neston |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Elmbridge |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Epping Forest |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Exeter |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Fareham |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Gloucester ‡  |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Gosport |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Great Yarmouth |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Harlow |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Harrogate |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Hart |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Hastings |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Labour gain  | Details
Havant |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Hertsmere |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Huntingdonshire |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Hyndburn |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Ipswich |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Lincoln |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Macclesfield |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Maidstone |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Mole Valley |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Newcastle-under-Lyme |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
North Hertfordshire |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Norwich |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Nuneaton and Bedworth |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Oxford |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Pendle |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Penwith |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Preston |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Purbeck |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Redditch |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Reigate and Banstead |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Rochford |  | Liberal Democrats |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Rossendale |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Rugby |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Runnymede |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Rushmoor |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Shrewsbury and Atcham |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
South Bedfordshire |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
South Cambridgeshire |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
South Lakeland |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
St Albans |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Stevenage |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Stratford-on-Avon |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Stroud |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Swale |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Tamworth |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Tandridge |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Three Rivers |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Tunbridge Wells |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Watford |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Waveney |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Welwyn Hatfield |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
West Lancashire |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
West Lindsey |  | Liberal Democrats |  | No overall control gain  | Details
West Oxfordshire |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Weymouth and Portland |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Winchester |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Woking |  | Liberal Democrats |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Worcester |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Worthing |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Wyre Forest |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details

‡ New ward boundaries

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. Local Elections Handbook 1998 (PDF). Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
2. ^ "Council compositions". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 May 2016.

* Vote 1998 BBC News
* The local elections of 7 May 1998 and the London referendum. House of Commons Library Research Paper 98/59.
* "Local Elections results", The Times 9 May 1998 page 46

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* v
* t
* e

(1997 <-)  1998 United Kingdom local elections (-> 1999)

London boroughs|

* Barking and Dagenham
* Barnet
* Bexley
* Brent
* Bromley
* Camden
* Croydon
* Ealing
* Enfield
* Greenwich
* Hackney
* Hammersmith and Fulham
* Haringey
* Harrow
* Havering
* Hillingdon
* Hounslow
* Islington
* Kensington and Chelsea
* Kingston upon Thames
* Lambeth
* Lewisham
* Merton
* Newham
* Redbridge
* Richmond upon Thames
* Southwark
* Sutton
* Tower Hamlets
* Waltham Forest
* Wandsworth
* Westminster

Metropolitan boroughs|

* Barnsley
* Birmingham
* Bolton
* Bradford
* Bury
* Calderdale
* Coventry
* Doncaster
* Dudley
* Gateshead
* Kirklees
* Knowsley
* Leeds
* Liverpool
* Manchester
* Newcastle upon Tyne
* North Tyneside
* Oldham
* Rochdale
* Rotherham
* Salford
* Sandwell
* Sefton
* Sheffield
* Solihull
* South Tyneside
* St Helens
* Stockport
* Sunderland
* Tameside
* Trafford
* Wakefield
* Walsall
* Wigan
* Wirral
* Wolverhampton

Unitary authorities|

* Bristol
* Derby
* Hartlepool
* Isle of Wight
* Kingston upon Hull
* Milton Keynes
* North East Lincolnshire
* Portsmouth
* Southampton
* Stoke-on-Trent
* Swindon

District councils
(England)|

* Adur
* Amber Valley
* Barrow-in-Furness
* Basildon
* Basingstoke and Deane
* Bassetlaw
* Bedford
* Brentwood
* Broadland
* Broxbourne
* Burnley
* Cambridge
* Cannock Chase
* Carlisle
* Cheltenham
* Cherwell
* Chester
* Chorley
* Colchester
* Congleton
* Craven
* Crawley
* Crewe and Nantwich
* Daventry
* Eastbourne
* Eastleigh
* Ellesmere Port and Neston
* Elmbridge
* Epping Forest
* Exeter
* Fareham
* Gloucester
* Gosport
* Great Yarmouth
* Harlow
* Harrogate
* Hart
* Hastings
* Havant
* Hertsmere
* Huntingdonshire
* Hyndburn
* Ipswich
* Lincoln
* Macclesfield
* Maidstone
* Mole Valley
* Newcastle-under-Lyme
* North Hertfordshire
* Norwich
* Nuneaton and Bedworth
* Oxford
* Pendle
* Penwith
* Preston
* Purbeck
* Redditch
* Reigate and Banstead
* Rochford
* Rossendale
* Rugby
* Runnymede
* Rushmoor
* Shrewsbury and Atcham
* South Bedfordshire
* South Cambridgeshire
* South Lakeland
* St Albans
* Stevenage
* Stratford-on-Avon
* Stroud
* Swale
* Tamworth
* Tandridge
* Three Rivers
* Tunbridge Wells
* Watford
* Waveney
* Welwyn Hatfield
* West Lancashire
* West Lindsey
* West Oxfordshire
* Weymouth and Portland
* Winchester
* Woking
* Worcester
* Worthing
* Wyre Forest

National Assembly elections|

* Northern Ireland

Referendums|

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