Copeland Borough Council elections

Copeland Borough Council in Cumbria, England was elected every four years.

The council was established in 1974 and abolished in 2023.

Political control

Since the foundation of the council in 1973 political control of the council has been held by the following parties:^[1]

Party in control		Years
	Labour	1973–1976
	No overall control	1976–1979
	Labour	1979–2023

Leadership

Prior to 2015, political leadership was provided by the leader of the council. The leader from 2003 to 2015 was:^[2]

Councillor	Party		From	To
Elaine Woodburn		Labour	2003	10 May 2015

In 2015 the council changed to having directly-elected mayors. The mayor from 2015 until the council's abolition in 2023 was Mike Starkie, who was elected in 2015 and 2019 as an independent, but subsequently joined the Conservatives in June 2020.^[3]

Mayor	Party		From	To
Mike Starkie		Independent	11 May 2015	22 Jun 2020
Mike Starkie		Conservative	22 Jun 2020	31 Mar 2023

Council elections

1973 Copeland Borough Council election
1976 Copeland Borough Council election
1979 Copeland Borough Council election (New ward boundaries)^[4]
1983 Copeland Borough Council election
1987 Copeland Borough Council election
1991 Copeland Borough Council election
1995 Copeland Borough Council election
1999 Copeland Borough Council election (New ward boundaries)^[5]^[6]
2003 Copeland Borough Council election
2007 Copeland Borough Council election
2011 Copeland Borough Council election
2015 Copeland Borough Council election
2019 Copeland Borough Council election (New ward boundaries)^[7]

Borough result maps

2003 results map
2007 results map
2011 results map
2015 results map
2019 results map

By-election results

1995-1999

Hillcrest By-Election 1 May 1997
Party		Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	1,113	52.1	+13.3
	Labour	1,025	47.9	−13.3
Majority		88	4.2
Turnout		2,138
	Conservative gain from Labour	Swing

Egremont North By-Election 10 July 1997
Party		Votes	%	±%
	Labour	470	68.1	−7.3
	Conservative	164	23.9	−0.7
	Liberal Democrats	55	8.0	+8.0
Majority		305	44.2
Turnout		690
	Labour hold	Swing

Harbour By-Election 10 July 1997
Party		Votes	%	±%
	Labour	442	58.0	+4.5
	Conservative	320	42.0	+20.8
Majority		122	16.0
Turnout		762
	Labour hold	Swing

Haverigg By-Election 10 July 1997
Party		Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	230	64.4	+11.4
	Labour	91	25.6	−21.2
	Liberal Democrats	35	9.8	+9.8
Majority		139	38.8
Turnout		356
	Conservative hold	Swing

Kells By-Election 10 July 1997
Party		Votes	%	±%
	Labour	229	73.2	−13.9
	Conservative	84	26.8	+13.9
Majority		145	46.4
Turnout		313
	Labour hold	Swing

Newtown By-Election 6 November 1997
Party		Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	597	51.8	+7.2
	Liberal Democrats	376	32.6	+32.6
	Labour	180	15.6	−25.3
Majority		221	19.2
Turnout		1,153	40.8
	Conservative hold	Swing

Holborn Hill By-Election 26 March 1998
Party		Votes	%
	Conservative	407	57.4
	Labour	302	42.6
Majority		105	14.8
Turnout		709	31.0
	Conservative gain from Labour	Swing

1999-2003

Mirehouse By-Election 4 May 2000
Party		Votes	%	±%
	Labour	817	79.7	+2.6
	Conservative	208	20.3	+20.3
Majority		609	59.4
Turnout		1,025	29.5
	Labour hold	Swing

2003-2007

Harbour By-Election 10 June 2004^[8]^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Anne Bradshaw	480	41.0	−21.6
	Conservative	Richard Maley	387	33.0	−4.4
	Liberal Democrats	Francis Hollowell	304	26.0	+26.0
Majority			93	8.0
Turnout			1,171	37.0
	Labour hold		Swing

Cleator Moor North By-Election 6 April 2006^[10]^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Hugh Branney	307	61.6	+15.0
	Independent	Lauren Mossop	191	38.4	−15.0
Majority			116	23.2
Turnout			498	15.4
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Gosforth By-Election 6 April 2006^[10]^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alan Jacob	264	64.2	−7.7
	Labour	Christine Cornall	85	20.7	−7.4
	Liberal Democrats	Mike Minogue	62	15.1	+15.1
Majority			179	43.5
Turnout			411	34.9
	Conservative hold		Swing

Hensingham By-Election 6 April 2006^[10]^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Geoffrey Garrity	385	61.1	−10.6
	Conservative	Alexander Carroll	207	32.9	+4.6
	Liberal Democrats	Frank Hollowell	38	6.0	+6.0
Majority			178	28.2
Turnout			630	19.8
	Labour hold		Swing

2007-2011

Harbour By-Election 20 September 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jeanette Williams	463	44.3	−17.1
	Conservative	Brigid Whiteside	337	32.2	−6.4
	BNP	Bill Pugh	245	23.4	+23.4
Majority			126	12.1
Turnout			1,045	31.5
	Labour hold		Swing

2011-2015

Hensingham By-Election 2 May 2013
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Allan Forster	670	75.0	+4.3
	Conservative	Genna Martin	223	25.0	−4.3
Majority			447	50.1
Turnout				28.3
	Labour hold		Swing

2015-2019

Newtown By-Election 8 June 2017
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Gerard James McGrath	954	61.4	−9.6
	Labour	Angela Dixon	601	38.6	+16.4
Majority			353	22.7
Turnout			1,555	59.7
	Conservative hold		Swing

Egremont South By-Election 2 November 2017
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Tom Higgins	354	52.4	+15.7
	Conservative	Jeff Hailes	321	47.6	+26.8
Majority			33	4.9
Turnout			675	23.8
	Labour hold		Swing

2019-2023

Whitehaven Central By-Election 6 May 2021^[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Joseph Ghayouba	633	47.7	+13.5
	Conservative	William R. C. S. Dixon	542	40.8	+13.0
	Independent	Richard Donnan	90	6.8	+6.8
	Heritage	William R. Dixon	45	3.4	+3.4
	Liberal Democrats	Mike Minogue	18	1.4	+1.4
Majority			91	6.9
Turnout			1,328
	Labour hold		Swing

References

^ "England council elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
^ "Council leader history". What do they know?. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
^ "Copeland mayor Mike Starkie joins Conservatives". ITV News. 22 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
^ The Borough of Copeland (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1978
^ "Copeland". BBC News Online. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
^ legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Copeland (Electoral Changes) Order 1998. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
^ "The Copeland (Electoral Changes) Order 2018", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2018/1316, retrieved 23 February 2024
^ "Tories make gains in byelections". guardian.co.uk. 18 June 2004. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
^ Thompson, Andrea (12 June 2004). "Anne wins council seat for Labour". News and Star. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Lib Dems and Labour make byelection gains". guardian.co.uk. 7 April 2006. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Labour take two seats in Copeland elections". Eskdale & Liddesdale Advertiser. 7 April 2006. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Whitehaven Central Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 6 October 2022.

By-election results Archived 29 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine

External links

Copeland Council

[glance-1] "England council elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 23 July 2011.

[2] "Council leader history". What do they know?. Retrieved 15 June 2022.

[3] "Copeland mayor Mike Starkie joins Conservatives". ITV News. 22 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2022.

[4] The Borough of Copeland (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1978

[hold-5] "Copeland". BBC News Online. Retrieved 23 July 2011.

[6] slation.gov.uk - The Borough of Copeland (Electoral Changes) Order 1998. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.

[7] "The Copeland (Electoral Changes) Order 2018", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2018/1316, retrieved 23 February 2024

[tories-8] "Tories make gains in byelections". guardian.co.uk. 18 June 2004. Retrieved 23 July 2011.

[anne-9] Thompson, Andrea (12 June 2004). "Anne wins council seat for Labour". News and Star. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2011.

[make-10] "Lib Dems and Labour make byelection gains". guardian.co.uk. 7 April 2006. Retrieved 23 July 2011.

[take-11] "Labour take two seats in Copeland elections". Eskdale & Liddesdale Advertiser. 7 April 2006. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011.

[12] "Local Elections Archive Project — Whitehaven Central Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 6 October 2022.

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v t e Council elections in Cumbria
Cumberland Council	2022
Westmorland and Furness Council	2022
Cumbria County Council	1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 Abolished
Allerdale Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 Abolished
Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2015 2019 Abolished
Carlisle City Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 Abolished
Copeland Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 Abolished
Eden District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 Abolished
South Lakeland District Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 Abolished
Cumberland County Council	1889 1892 1895 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1937 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1961 1964 1967 1970 Abolished
Westmorland County Council	1889 1892 1895 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1937 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1961 1964 1967 1970 Abolished
See also: Wards Boundary changes