2018 Plymouth City Council election
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19 of the 57 seats to Plymouth City Council 29 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Turnout | 35.1% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Map showing the results of contested wards in the 2018 Plymouth City Council elections. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2018 Plymouth City Council election took place on 3 May 2018 to elect members of Plymouth City Council in England. The election was won by the Labour Party, who gained enough seats to achieve an overall majority and took control of the council.
A coalition of Conservative and UK Independence Party (UKIP) councillors had taken control of the council after the 2016 election, with thirty members in total and a working majority. The three UKIP councillors defected to the Conservative Party in September 2017, giving the Conservatives overall control of the council. The Conservative Party defended twelve seats and Labour defended seven.
Background
[edit]Plymouth City Council held local elections on 3 May 2018 along with councils across England as part of the 2018 local elections.[1] The council elects its councillors in thirds, with a third being up for election every year for three years, with no election in the fourth year.[2][3] Councillors defending their seats in this election were previously elected in 2014. In that election, nine Conservative candidates, seven Labour candidates and three UKIP candidates were elected.[4]
In September 2017, the three councillors elected as UKIP candidates defected to the Conservative Party.[5] Following the 2016 Plymouth City Council election, the council had been controlled by a coalition of Conservative and UKIP councillors, with thirty members between them.[6] Following the defections of the UKIP councillors, the Conservative Party held an overall majority, with thirty councillors compared to Labour's twenty-seven.
The Local Government Chronicle described Labour as 'well placed to regain control' by winning the seats won by UKIP councillors in 2014.[7] Rob Ford in the Guardian wrote that a Labour victory in Plymouth would help the party 'demonstrate strength in critical English swing areas'.[8] The election was the first in which the Liberal Democrats fielded a candidate in every ward in Plymouth since 2010.[9][4]
Overall results
[edit]Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | 11 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
57.9 | 44.0 | 28,554 | ![]() | |
Conservative | 8 | 0 | 4 | ![]() |
42.1 | 44.7 | 29,005 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | 0 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
0.0 | 5.3 | 3,418 | ![]() | |
UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
0.0 | 2.1 | 1,359 | ![]() | |
Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
0.0 | 1.8 | 1,178 | ![]() | |
Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
0.0 | 1.6 | 1,016 | ![]() | |
TUSC | 0 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
0.0 | 0.5 | 319 | ![]() | |
Vivamus | 0 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
0.0 | 0.0 | 24 | ![]() | |
For Britain Movement | 0 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
0.0 | 0.0 | 24 | New |
Note: All changes in vote share are in comparison to the corresponding 2014 election.
The Labour Party won an overall majority on the council, with 31 of the council's 57 councillors. The party had last had a majority on the council in 2015.[10] Plymouth was the only council Labour gained control of from the Conservatives in the 2018 local elections.[11]
After the previous election, the composition of the council was:[12]
27 | 27 | 3 |
Labour | Conservative | UKIP |
Before this election, the composition of the council was:
27 | 30 |
Labour | Conservative |
After this election, the composition of the council was:
31 | 26 |
Labour | Conservative |
Ward results
[edit]Asterisks denote sitting councillors seeking re-election.
Budshead
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/Budshead_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-Budshead_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Dave Downie* | 1,731 | 51.7 | ![]() | |
Labour | Jill Narin | 1,307 | 39.0 | ![]() | |
UKIP | John Smith | 188 | 5.6 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | Matthew Radmore | 122 | 3.6 | N/A | |
Majority | 424 | 12.7 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 3,348 | 34.6 | ![]() | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ![]() |
Compton
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Compton_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-Compton_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Andrea Johnson | 1,935 | 50.4 | ![]() | |
Labour Co-op | Paul McNamara | 1,507 | 39.3 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | Guy Steven | 202 | 5.3 | N/A | |
Green | Graham Epstein | 193 | 5.0 | ![]() | |
Majority | 428 | 11.2 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 3,837 | 41.3 | ![]() | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ![]() |
Devonport
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Devonport_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-Devonport_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Bill Stevens* | 1,893 | 57.2 | ![]() | |
Conservative | Sandy Borthwick | 934 | 28.2 | ![]() | |
UKIP | Richard Ellison | 159 | 4.8 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | Fleur Ball | 116 | 3.5 | ![]() | |
Green | Andrew Pratt | 99 | 3.0 | ![]() | |
Independent | Scott Wardle | 84 | 2.5 | N/A | |
TUSC | Roxy Castell | 22 | 0.7 | ![]() | |
Majority | 959 | 29.0 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 3,307 | 30.0 | ![]() | ||
Labour hold | Swing | ![]() |
Drake
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Drake_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-Drake_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Margaret Corvid | 954 | 51.8 | ![]() | |
Conservative | Steve Ricketts* | 789 | 42.8 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | Charlotte Radmore | 76 | 4.1 | ![]() | |
For Britain | Iuliu Popescu | 24 | 1.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 165 | 9.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 1,843 | 29.4 | ![]() | ||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | ![]() |
Efford and Lipson
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Efford_and_Lipson_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-Efford_and_Lipson_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Neil Hendy* | 1,940 | 60.0 | ![]() | |
Conservative | Jake Donovan | 996 | 30.8 | ![]() | |
Green | Benjamin Smith | 158 | 4.9 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | Alex Primmer | 97 | 3.0 | N/A | |
TUSC | Sam Taylor-Wickenden | 40 | 1.2 | ![]() | |
Majority | 944 | 29.2 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 3,231 | 32.3 | ![]() | ||
Labour hold | Swing | ![]() |
Eggbuckland
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Eggbuckland_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-Eggbuckland_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ian Bowyer* | 2,313 | 60.8 | ![]() | |
Labour Co-op | Andrew Wade | 1,094 | 28.8 | ![]() | |
UKIP | Wendy Noble | 220 | 5.8 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | Richard Simpson | 176 | 4.6 | N/A | |
Majority | 1,219 | 32.1 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 3,803 | 37.4 | ![]() | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ![]() |
Ham
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Ham_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-Ham_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gareth Derrick | 1,914 | 56.6 | ![]() | |
Conservative | Chris Storer* | 1,129 | 33.4 | ![]() | |
UKIP | Alan Skuse | 198 | 5.9 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | Richard Lawrie | 140 | 4.1 | N/A | |
Majority | 785 | 23.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 3,381 | 32.9 | ![]() | ||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | ![]() |
Honicknowle
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Honicknowle_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-Honicknowle_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Pamela Buchan | 1,724 | 52.3 | ![]() | |
Conservative | John Riley* | 1,280 | 38.9 | ![]() | |
UKIP | Ivor Lucas | 209 | 6.3 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | Mike Gillbard | 81 | 2.5 | N/A | |
Majority | 444 | 13.5 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 3,294 | 32.2 | ![]() | ||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | ![]() |
Moor View
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/Moor_View_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-Moor_View_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Maddi Bridgeman* | 1,832 | 49.5 | ![]() | |
Labour | Jemima Laing | 1,474 | 39.8 | ![]() | |
UKIP | John Baddeley | 242 | 6.5 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | Jim Spencer | 156 | 4.2 | N/A | |
Majority | 358 | 9.7 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 3,704 | 37.4 | ![]() | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ![]() |
Peverell
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Peverell_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-Peverell_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Jeremy Goslin | 2,324 | 47.6 | ![]() | |
Conservative | Martin Leaves* | 2,081 | 42.6 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | George Maunder | 284 | 5.8 | ![]() | |
Green | Nicholas Casley | 173 | 3.5 | ![]() | |
Vivamus | Bernard Toolan | 24 | 0.5 | ![]() | |
Majority | 243 | 5.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 4,886 | 46.9 | ![]() | ||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | ![]() |
Plympton Chaddlewood
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Plympton_Chaddlewood_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-Plympton_Chaddlewood_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Glenn Jordan* | 1,051 | 61.3 | ![]() | |
Labour | Janet Wise | 532 | 31.0 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | Louise Ayres | 132 | 7.7 | N/A | |
Majority | 519 | 30.3 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 1,715 | 28.4 | ![]() | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ![]() |
Plympton St Mary
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/Plympton_St_Mary_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-Plympton_St_Mary_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David James* | 2,649 | 70.8 | ![]() | |
Labour | Rob de Jong | 850 | 22.7 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | Jeffrey Hall | 241 | 6.4 | N/A | |
Majority | 1,799 | 48.1 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 3,740 | 37.0 | ![]() | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ![]() |
Plymstock Dunstone
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Plympton_Dunstone_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-Plympton_Dunstone_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Vivien Pengelly* | 2,411 | 64.5 | ![]() | |
Labour | David Owen | 905 | 24.2 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | Sima Davarian-Dehsorkhe | 424 | 11.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 1,506 | 40.3 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 3,740 | 38.6 | ![]() | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ![]() |
Plymstock Radford
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Plympton_Radford_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-Plympton_Radford_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Rebecca Smith | 1,964 | 48.7 | ![]() | |
Labour Co-op | Vince Barry | 842 | 20.9 | ![]() | |
Independent | John Wheeler | 453 | 11.2 | N/A | |
Independent | Gordon Miller | 314 | 7.8 | N/A | |
Liberal Democrats | Roy Plumley | 247 | 6.1 | N/A | |
Green | Matthew Faith | 212 | 5.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 1,122 | 27.8 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 4,032 | 37.5 | ![]() | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ![]() |
Southway
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/Southway_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-Southway_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Jonny Morris* | 1,838 | 52.6 | ![]() | |
Conservative | Tim Velkavrh-Blazevic | 1,359 | 38.9 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | Jacqui Spencer | 217 | 6.2 | N/A | |
TUSC | Nik Brookson | 79 | 2.3 | ![]() | |
Majority | 479 | 13.7 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 3,493 | 30.2 | ![]() | ||
Labour hold | Swing | ![]() |
St Budeaux
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/St_Budeaux_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-St_Budeaux_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Sally Bowie* | 1,458 | 49.2 | ![]() | |
Conservative | Pat Patel | 1,189 | 40.1 | ![]() | |
Independent | Margaret Bennett Jones | 165 | 5.6 | N/A | |
Liberal Democrats | Stuart Spicer | 93 | 3.1 | N/A | |
TUSC | Andrew White | 57 | 1.9 | ![]() | |
Majority | 269 | 9.1 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 2,962 | 30.2 | ![]() | ||
Labour hold | Swing | ![]() |
St Peter and the Waterfront
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/St_Peter_and_the_Waterfront_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-St_Peter_and_the_Waterfront_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Sue McDonald* | 1,981 | 54.5 | ![]() | |
Conservative | Mark Thompson | 1,232 | 33.9 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | Hugh Janes | 221 | 6.1 | ![]() | |
Green | Brian Banks | 157 | 4.3 | ![]() | |
TUSC | Ian Groeber | 41 | 1.1 | ![]() | |
Majority | 749 | 20.6 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 3,632 | 31.8 | ![]() | ||
Labour hold | Swing | ![]() |
Stoke
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/Stoke_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-Stoke_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Kevin Neil | 1,915 | 52.5 | ![]() | |
Conservative | Kathy Watkin | 1,219 | 33.4 | ![]() | |
Green | Daniel Sheaff | 186 | 5.1 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | Helen Guy | 184 | 5.0 | N/A | |
UKIP | Michael Arthur | 143 | 3.9 | ![]() | |
Majority | 696 | 19.1 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 3,647 | 36.0 | ![]() | ||
Labour hold | Swing | ![]() |
Sutton and Mount Gould
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Sutton_and_Mount_Gould_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg/220px-Sutton_and_Mount_Gould_ward_in_Plymouth_2003.svg.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour Co-op | Mary Aspinall* | 2,102 | 63.7 | ![]() | |
Conservative | Chip Tofan | 910 | 27.6 | ![]() | |
Liberal Democrats | Peter York | 209 | 6.3 | N/A | |
TUSC | Ryan Aldred | 80 | 2.4 | ![]() | |
Majority | 1,192 | 36.1 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 3,301 | 33.5 | ![]() | ||
Labour hold | Swing | ![]() |
Aftermath
[edit]Following this election, the Labour group had a majority of councillors. This meant that Labour group leader Tudor Evans became the new leader of Plymouth City Council. Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn visited Plymouth to celebrate the result.[10] Outgoing council leader Ian Bowyer remained leader of the Conservative group.[13]
Conservative MP for Plymouth Moor View Johnny Mercer said that the result was due to Plymouth voters believing that defence funding was reducing under the Conservatives.[14] Defeated Drake councillor Steve Ricketts wrote that his defeat was due to students voting Labour.[15]
The Herald described the election as voters deserting UKIP, with Plymouth returning to a two-party political system. The newspaper also emphasised Sima Davarian-Dehsorkhe as the best-performing Liberal Democrat candidate, winning more than 10% of the vote in Plymstock Dunstone.[16]
Labour held its seat in a subsequent by-election in Stoke ward, which took place in July 2018.[17]
References
[edit]- ^ "Election timetable 2018 | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK". www.plymouth.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 28 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ "Local government structure and elections". GOV.UK. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ "Election Timetable in England" (PDF).
- ^ a b "Past election results | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK". www.plymouth.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 28 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ O'Leary, Miles (10 September 2017). "All three of Plymouth's Ukip councillors have just quit the party".
- ^ Sam Blackledge (16 May 2016). "Conservatives and UKIP form coalition to run Plymouth City Council". Plymouth Herald. Archived from the original on 20 May 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
- ^ "Local elections 2018: The race is on to pick up formerly Ukip seats". Local Government Chronicle. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
- ^ Ford, Robert (28 April 2018). "Local election battles – where Brexit could hurt the Tories". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
- ^ Rossiter, Keith (10 April 2018). "How the Liberal Democrats are making a comeback in Plymouth".
- ^ a b "Corbyn 'delighted' with Plymouth win". BBC News. 4 May 2018 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "Rallings & Thrasher: Labour gains too low to boost Corbyn PM hopes". 8 May 2018.
- ^ "Local Election 2016". Plymouth City Council. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
- ^ "Sunday Politics South West - 06/05/2018" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "Tory MP lashes out at own leadership as Labour takes key seat of Plymouth". 4 May 2018. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022.
- ^ O'Leary, Miles (9 May 2018). "Toppled Plymouth Tory bigwig blames students for voting him out". plymouthherald. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- ^ Abel, Stuart (4 May 2018). "6 things we learnt from the council elections in Plymouth".
- ^ "Labour hold Stoke ward seat in Plymouth by-election". 27 July 2018.