All 47 seats to City of York Council 24 seats needed for a majority
First party
Second party
Third party
Leader
Dafydd Williams
Chris Steward
Keith Aspden
Party
Labour
Conservative
Liberal Democrats
Leader since
11 December 2014
19 December 2013
11 May 2013
Leader's seat
Heworth
Rural West York
Fulford and Heslington
Last election
26
10
8
Seats before
21
10
9
Seats won
15
14
12
Seat change
11
4
4
Popular vote
59,164
65,507
55,331
Percentage
25.6%
28.3%
23.9%
Swing
12.0%
6.0%
2.5%
Map of results of 2015 election
Leader of the Council before election
Dafydd Williams Labour
Leader of the Council after election
Chris Steward Conservative
The 2015 City of York Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of City of York Council in England.[1] The whole council was up for election. Turnout was substantially up across the city due to the election being held on the same day as the general election and other local elections in England.
Since the previous election in 2011 a review of ward boundaries had affected some wards, although the total number of councillors remained at 47. The following wards remained unchanged from 2011: Acomb, Bishopthorpe, Dringhouses and Woodthorpe, Haxby and Wigginton, Holgate, Huntington and New Earswick, Micklegate, Strensall, Westfield and Wheldrake. All other wards saw boundary changes and a new ward, Copmanthorpe, was created from the former Rural West York Ward.
The election saw heavy losses for the ruling Labour Party, which had won overall control of the council in 2011, losing more than 40% of the 26 seats won at the previous election. Several senior Labour councillors were defeated including the party's deputy leader Tracey Simpson-Laing and Cabinet members Dave Merrett and Linsay Cunningham.[2] The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Greens all made gains and two Independent councillors were also elected. A record number of new councillors were elected, almost half of the entire Council, with the York Press reporting that "of the 47 seats contested, 25 were won by candidates with council experience while 22 were won by debutants."[3] Following talks between the political groups after the election, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats agreed to run the Council as a joint administration.[4]
Results Map of the 2015 City of York Council Election.
City of York Council election 2015
Party
Candidates
Votes
Stood
Elected
Gained
Unseated
Net
% of total
%
No.
Net %
Labour
47
15
n/a
n/a
-11
31.9%
25.6%
59,164
-12.0%
Conservative
47
14
n/a
n/a
+4
29.8%
28.3%
65,507
+6.0%
Liberal Democrats
47
12
n/a
n/a
+4
25.5%
23.9%
55,331
-2.5%
Green
47
4
n/a
n/a
+2
8.5%
15.6%
36,114
+3.4%
Independent
10
2
n/a
n/a
+1
4.3%
3.5%
7,986
+3.0%
UKIP
9
0
n/a
n/a
0
0%
2.3%
5,432
+2.2%
TUSC
8
0
n/a
n/a
0
0%
0.7%
1,711
+0.6%
There were boundary changes in 13 wards, which elected 28 city councillors. There were no boundary changes in 8 wards, which elected 19 city councillors.[5]
* Represented the Bootham ward of York City Council, 1982–1996, [12] the Fishergate division of North Yorkshire County Council, 1985–1989, [14] the Bootham ward of City of York Council, 1995–2003, [13][7] and the Clifton ward of City of York Council, 2003–2015[8][9][15]
† Represented the Clifton ward of City of York Council, 2003–2015[8][9][15]
There were no boundary changes to Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward.[5]
* Represented the Foxwood ward of York City Council, 1990–1996, [12] the Foxwood ward of City of York Council, 1995–2003, [13][7] and the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward of City of York Council, 2003–2015[8][9][16]
† Represented the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward of City of York Council, 2011–2015[16]
* Represented the Guildhall division of North Yorkshire County Council, 1985–1996, [14] and the Guildhall ward of City of York Council, 1995–2015[13][7][8][9][19]
† Represented the Acomb ward of York City Council, 1979–1984, the Guildhall ward of York City Council, 1988–1996, [12] the Acomb division of North Yorkshire County Council, 1981–1989, [14] and the Guildhall ward of City of York Council, 1995–2015[13][7][8][9][19]
There were no boundary changes to Micklegate ward.[5]
* Represented the Micklegate ward of City of York Council, 2007–2015[9][29]
† Represented the Bishophill ward of York City Council, 1982–1996, [12] the Bishophill ward of City of York Council, 1995–2003, [13][7] and the Micklegate ward of City of York Council, 2003–2015[8][9][29]
‡ Represented the Rural West York ward of City of York Council, 2007–2015[9][30]
§ Represented the Holgate ward of City of York Council, 2003–2007[8]
Osbaldwick and Derwent ward[]
The parishes of Dunnington, Holtby, Kexby, Murton, and Osbaldwick
* Represented the Skelton, Rawcliffe, and Clifton Without ward of City of York Council, 2011–2015[33]
† Represented the Rawcliffe and Skelton ward of City of York Council, 1999–2003, [7] and the Skelton, Rawcliffe, and Clifton Without ward of City of York Council, 2003–2007[8]
Rural West York ward[]
The parishes of Askham Bryan, Askham Richard, Hessay, Nether Poppleton, Rufforth with Knapton, Skelton, and Upper Poppleton
There were no boundary changes to Westfield ward.[5]
* Represented the Westfield ward of York City Council, 1994–1996, [12] and the Westfield ward of City of York Council, 1999–2011 [7][8][9] and 2014–2015
† Represented the Westfield ward of City of York Council, 2011–2015[23]
Wheldrake ward[]
The parishes of Deighton, Elvington, Naburn, and Wheldrake
11
4
2015 United Kingdom local elections (→ 2016)