English county and borough council elections 2021

Heading into the local elections, the majority of recent polls indicated a clear lead for the Conservative Party at a national level. This came to fruition on Thursday as the Conservatives performed well across England in the county and borough council elections. Of the 143 councils up for election, the Conservative Party gained control of thirteen councils, while Labour lost eight.

The Conservative Party’s success last week, while certainly not unprecedented, was highly unusual as local elections are customarily used as a protest against the ruling party in Westminster. The results may be considered even more significant as the most substantial Conservative gains were in the Midlands, Cornwall, and County Durham – areas with different demographics and priorities. The Conservatives electoral success in the English counties demonstrates that the Party has not only maintained its momentum from the 2019 General Election but is making further inroads into Labour heartlands.

It was the Labour Party that was most severely impacted by the local elections, losing 328 seats across England, contributing to the Conservative Party 233 gains and the Green Party’s 88. Amongst the most surprising losses for Labour was County Durham, which had been under Labour control for more than 100 years, since 1919. The Labour Party’s lacklustre performance was described by the Leader of the Opposition Keir Starmer as “bitterly disappointing”. Nevertheless, there may be scope for some optimism in encouraging results across parts of South England, suggesting that the current political realignment is not as simple as many suggest.

Beyond the Conservatives and Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats results were also noteworthy. Despite a decline in seats in Westminster in 2019 and against the backdrop of the Conservatives local election achievement, the party managed to keep their heads above the parapet with modest success in Conservative strongholds. Among their gains were Wiltshire where they won six seats off the Conservatives, and Cambridgeshire, where they won five seats and took the council from a Tory majority to no overall control.

In short, the local election results demonstrate another triumph for Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party and a source of frustration and concern for Labour.

Click here to go back to the FTI Consulting Public Affairs Snapshot – 2021 Mayoral, Scottish, Welsh and Local Elections Analysis.