County Council Elections

The County Council elections were held on 5 May 2005.

These were the first elections held since the Boundary Committee for England completed their review of Staffordshire County Council's electoral arrangements which were agreed by the Electoral Commission on 27 April 2004.  The review began on 9 July 2002.

Electoral reviews don't happen very often but are necessary because of changes in the electorate within the local authority areas.   They ensure that, within each principal local authority area, the number of electors represented by each councillor is, as nearly as possible, the same.  For most councils it has been 20 to 25 years since the last review was undertaken.

The review reduced the number of divisions in the County from 62 to 59, although the number of Councillors remains at 62.  There are now three divisions which have two County Councillors.  These are Hednesford and Rawnsley in the Cannock Chase area, Kidsgrove and Talke in the Newcastle area and Cheslyn Hay, Essington and Great Wyrley in the South Staffordshire area.

 A full list of the election results can be viewed here.

Following the May 2005 elections the political balance of the County Council is:-

Labour - 32 members
Conservative - 28 members
Liberal Democrats - 2 members

Since 2005 we have had two by-elections, in Cheadle and Checkley (Staffordshire Moorlands) and Keele and Westlands (Newcastle-under-Lyme) following the sad deaths of two members.  The political balance remained unchanged.  A Conservative Member has, since the election, become Independent so our political balance is now:- 

Labour - 32 members
Conservative - 27 members
Liberal Democrats - 2 members
Independent - 1 member

On 25 March 2008, Robert Edwards, Conservative Member for the Newcastle Rural Division resigned following a long period of ill-health.  There will be a by-election on 1 May 2008 in Newcastle.

The Leaders' of our three three main parties are:

Labour Group Leader - John Taylor
Conservative Group Leader - Philip Atkins
Liberal Democrat Group Leader - Christina Jebb

Last Modified: 27/03/2008 10:10:03
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