Lewes District Council elections

Lewes District Council in East Sussex, England is elected every four years. Since the last boundary changes in 2019, 41 councillors are elected from 21 wards.

Following the elections in May 2015, on 2 May 2019 and on 4 May 2023, the Council was composed as follows

Year	Conservative	Liberal Democrat	Green Party	Independent	Labour	UKIP
2015	24	11	3	2	0	1
2019^[1]	19	8	9	2	3	0
2023^[2]	0	15	17	0	9	0

Political parties

From its formation, until 2013, the council comprised mainly Conservative and Liberal Democrat or Liberal councillors, with a small number of independents and some Labour councillors at different points. However, in 2013 two Conservative members of the council crossed the floor and joined UKIP, giving the party its first Lewes District councillors. This also meant that the Conservatives lost control of the council, putting it in No overall control. In 2015, neither of the previous UKIP members were re-elected; however, a new UKIP District Councillor was elected to the council, and, for the first time in its history, three Green Party councillors.

2019 saw the Conservative Party return 19 councillors, and the Green Party increase their representation to nine councillors, becoming the second largest party, ahead of the Liberal Democrats, who managed eight. The Labour Party elected three councillors, and they were joined by two Independents.

However in 2021, one Green Party Councillor left the Green Party to join the Liberal Democrats on Lewes Council, making the Liberal Democrats the second largest party.^[3] In 2022 the Labour Party gained a seat from the Conservatives in a by-election. Then, in the 2023 local elections for all 41 Council seats, the Conservatives and Independents lost all of their remaining seats of Lewes Council, leaving the Green Party as the largest group, the Liberal Democrats as the second largest group, and the Labour Party as the remaining group.

Council elections

1973 Lewes District Council election
1976 Lewes District Council election
1979 Lewes District Council election
1983 Lewes District Council election (New ward boundaries)^[4]
1987 Lewes District Council election
1991 Lewes District Council election
1995 Lewes District Council election (District boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)^[5]
1999 Lewes District Council election
2003 Lewes District Council election (New ward boundaries reduced the number of seats by 7)^[6]^[7]
2007 Lewes District Council election
2011 Lewes District Council election
2015 Lewes District Council election
2019 Lewes District Council election (New ward boundaries)
2023 Lewes District Council election

Results maps

2019 results map
2023 results map

By-election results

1999-2003

Peacehaven North By-Election 6 December 2001
Party		Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	450	49.3	+10.1
	Labour	293	32.1	+10.5
	Liberal Democrats	169	18.5	−20.7
Majority		157	17.2
Turnout		912	16.3
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats	Swing

2003-2007

Peacehaven North By-Election 15 December 2005^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Chistopher Bishop	406	64.6	+12.7
	Liberal Democrats	Carla Butler	113	18.0	−12.0
	Labour	John Carden	109	17.4	−0.8
Majority			293	46.6
Turnout			628	18.2
	Conservative hold		Swing

Ouse Valley and Ringmer By-Election 17 August 2006^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Peter Gardiner	715	43.7	+21.6
	Conservative	Paul Gander	521	31.8	+6.5
	Seagulls	Edward Bassford	359	21.9	+21.9
	Labour	Trevor Hopper	41	2.5	−10.7
Majority			194	12.9
Turnout			1,636	33.4
	Liberal Democrats gain from Independent		Swing

2015-2019

Lewes Bridge by-election 2 June 2016^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Will Elliott	543	44.6	+17.1
	Green	Johnny Denis	345	28.3	+7.7
	Labour	Richard Hurn	212	17.4	+1.3
	Conservative	Roy Burman	117	9.6	−2.4
Majority			198	16.3
Turnout			1,217
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing

Seaford West by-election 8 June 2017^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Liz Boorman	1,573	51.8	+6.6
	Liberal Democrats	Will Elliott	806	26.6	−0.5
	Labour	Barbara Hayes	363	12.0	+12.0
	UKIP	Eric Woodward	152	5.0	−14.2
	Green	Zoe Ford	141	4.6	−3.9
Majority			767	25.3
Turnout			3,035
	Conservative hold		Swing

Ouse Valley & Ringmer by-election 7 September 2017^[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Green	Johnny Denis	835	38.7	+22.3
	Conservative	Clare Herbert	660	30.6	+1.6
	Liberal Democrats	James Gardiner	457	21.2	−8.0
	Labour	Tim Telford	167	7.7	−4.4
	UKIP	Phil Howson	38	1.8	−11.5
Majority			175	8.1
Turnout			2,161	42
	Green gain from Conservative		Swing

Chailey and Wivelsfield by-election 2 July 2018^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Nancy Bikson	563	53.6	+4.9
	Liberal Democrats	Marion Hughes	324	30.8	+5.0
	Labour	Nicholas Belcher	104	9.9	+9.9
	Green	Brenda Barnes	60	5.7	−6.4
Majority			239	22.7
Turnout			1,051
	Conservative hold		Swing

2019-2023

Seaford East by-election 6 May 2021^[14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Richard Turner	820	47.5	+6.8
	Green	James Meek	452	26.2	+4.1
	Liberal Democrats	Pinky Adil	347	20.1	+20.1
	Labour	Ann Biddle	109	6.3	−10.2
Majority			368	21.3
Turnout			1,728
	Conservative hold		Swing

Seaford West by-election 6 May 2021^[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Linda Wallraven	1,028	56.3	+9.9
	Liberal Democrats	Olivia Honeyman	401	22.0	+22.0
	Green	Gemma McFarlane	277	15.2	−19.0
	Labour	Chris Purser	120	6.6	−12.8
Majority			627	34.3
Turnout			1,826
	Conservative hold		Swing

Peacehaven West by-election 12 May 2022^[16]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Ciarron Clarkson	641	54.7	+54.7
	Conservative	Katie Sanderson	467	39.8	+13.8
	Green	Holly Atkins	32	2.7	−14.9
	Liberal Democrats	Elizabeth Lee	32	2.7	−13.8
Majority			174	14.8
Turnout			1,172
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

2023-2027

Wivelsfield by-election 10 October 2024^[17]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Green	Sue Morris	315	42.3	−10.6
	Liberal Democrats	Nadine Stothard	216	29.0	+18.2
	Conservative	Sarah Webster	213	28.6	−7.9
Majority			99	13.3
Turnout			744
	Green hold		Swing

References

^ "Full Results Notice (Lewes District District Council) - 2 May 2019" (PDF). Retrieved 4 May 2019.
^ "Full Results Notice (Lewes District District Council) - 4 May 2023" (PDF). Retrieved 5 May 2023.
^ "Council's mental health champion resigns from Lewes Green group". sussexexpress.co.uk. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
^ legislation.gov.uk - The District of Lewes (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1979. Retrieved on 19 November 2015.
^ legislation.gov.uk - The East Sussex, West Sussex and Kent (County Boundaries) Order 1992. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
^ "Lewes". BBC Online. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
^ legislation.gov.uk - The District of Lewes (Electoral Changes) Order 2001. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
^ "Lib Dem infighting sees mixed byelection results". guardian.co.uk. 16 December 2005. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
^ "By-election - Lewes District Council" (PDF). Lewes District Council. Retrieved 12 February 2009. ^{[dead link‍]}
^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Lewes Bridge Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Seaford West Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
^ "Result of poll" (PDF). Lewes District Council. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Chailey and Wivelsfield Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Seaford East Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Seaford West Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Peacehaven West Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Wivelsfield Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2024.

By-election results

External links

Lewes District Council

[1] "Full Results Notice (Lewes District District Council) - 2 May 2019" (PDF). Retrieved 4 May 2019.

[2] "Full Results Notice (Lewes District District Council) - 4 May 2023" (PDF). Retrieved 5 May 2023.

[greendefect-3] "Council's mental health champion resigns from Lewes Green group". sussexexpress.co.uk. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.

[4] slation.gov.uk - The District of Lewes (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1979. Retrieved on 19 November 2015.

[5] slation.gov.uk - The East Sussex, West Sussex and Kent (County Boundaries) Order 1992. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.

[lewes-6] "Lewes". BBC Online. Retrieved 12 February 2009.

[7] slation.gov.uk - The District of Lewes (Electoral Changes) Order 2001. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.

[infighting-8] "Lib Dem infighting sees mixed byelection results". guardian.co.uk. 16 December 2005. Retrieved 22 October 2009.

[ouse-9] "By-election - Lewes District Council" (PDF). Lewes District Council. Retrieved 12 February 2009. ^{[dead link‍]}

[10] "Local Elections Archive Project — Lewes Bridge Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2022.

[11] "Local Elections Archive Project — Seaford West Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2022.

[12] "Result of poll" (PDF). Lewes District Council. Retrieved 18 August 2017.

[13] "Local Elections Archive Project — Chailey and Wivelsfield Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2022.

[14] "Local Elections Archive Project — Seaford East Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2022.

[15] "Local Elections Archive Project — Seaford West Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2022.

[16] "Local Elections Archive Project — Peacehaven West Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2022.

[17] "Local Elections Archive Project — Wivelsfield Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2024.

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v t e Council elections in East Sussex
East Sussex 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 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025
Brighton and Hove City Council	1996 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Eastbourne 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 2011 2015 2019 2023
Hastings Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2021 2022 2024
Lewes District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Rother District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Wealden District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Brighton Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 Abolished
Hove Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 Abolished
See also: Wards Boundary changes