Blyth Valley Borough Council elections

Blyth Valley Borough Council elections were generally held every four years between the council's creation in 1974 and its abolition in 2009. Blyth Valley was a non-metropolitan district in Northumberland, England. The council was abolished and its functions transferred to Northumberland County Council with effect from 1 April 2009.

Political control

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. From 1973 until its abolition in 2009 political control of the council was held by the following parties:^[1]

Party in control		Years
	Labour	1973–1976
	No overall control	1976–1979
	Labour	1979–1987
	SDP–Liberal Alliance	1987–1988
	Social and Liberal Democrats	1988–1989
	Liberal Democrats	1989–1991
	Labour	1991–2009

Council elections

1973 Blyth Valley Borough Council election
1976 Blyth Valley Borough Council election
1979 Blyth Valley Borough Council election (New ward boundaries)^[2]
1983 Blyth Valley Borough Council election
1987 Blyth Valley Borough Council election
1991 Blyth Valley Borough Council election (New ward boundaries)^[3]
1995 Blyth Valley Borough Council election (Borough boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)^[4]
1999 Blyth Valley Borough Council election (New ward boundaries)^[5]
2003 Blyth Valley Borough Council election
2007 Blyth Valley Borough Council election

By-election results

1995-1999

Plessey By-Election 16 May 1996
Party		Votes	%
	Independent	503	46.3
	Labour	450	41.3
	Liberal Democrats	98	9.0
	Conservative	36	3.3
Majority		53	5.0
Turnout		1,087
	Independent gain from Labour	Swing

Newsham & New Delaval By-Election 19 June 1997
Party		Votes	%	±%
	Labour	396	52.5	−7.6
	Liberal Democrats	333	44.2	+8.7
	Conservative	25	3.3	−1.1
Majority		63	8.3
Turnout		754	20.7
	Labour hold	Swing

Cramlington East By-Election 23 April 1998
Party		Votes	%	±%
	Labour	438	70.2	−15.0
	Liberal Democrats	96	15.4	+0.6
	Independent	55	8.8	+8.8
	Conservative	35	5.6	+5.6
Majority		342	54.8
Turnout		624	18.8
	Labour hold	Swing

Parkside By-Election 16 July 1998
Party		Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	350	35.2	−13.7
	Conservative	339	34.2	+23.2
	Labour	303	30.5	−10.4
Majority		11	1.0
Turnout		992	16.6
	Liberal Democrats hold	Swing

1999-2003

Cowpen By-Election 13 April 2000
Party		Votes	%	±%
	Labour	285	55.4	−18.3
	Liberal Democrats	190	37.0	+10.7
	Conservative	39	7.6	+7.6
Majority		95	18.4
Turnout		514	14.7
	Labour hold	Swing

Croft By-Election 27 September 2001
Party		Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	317	54.3	+32.5
	Labour	242	41.4	−26.2
	Conservative	25	4.3	−6.3
Majority		75	12.9
Turnout		584	16.0
	Liberal Democrats gain from Labour	Swing

Plessey By-Election 27 September 2001
Party		Votes	%	±%
	Labour	319	45.8	+8.5
	Independent	301	43.2	−19.5
	Liberal Democrats	60	8.6	+8.6
	Conservative	16	2.3	+2.3
Majority		18	2.6
Turnout		696	17.3
	Labour gain from Independent	Swing

Cramlington East By-Election 25 October 2001
Party		Votes	%	±%
	Labour	431	75.0	+1.6
	Independent	70	12.2	+12.2
	Liberal Democrats	42	7.3	−19.3
	Conservative	32	5.6	+5.6
Majority		361	62.8
Turnout		575	13.5
	Labour hold	Swing

2003-2007

Cowpen By-Election 23 September 2004
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Grant Davey	764	69.0	+1.1
	Liberal Democrats	Peter Hampton	226	20.4	−11.7
	Conservative	Patricia Holt	118	10.6	+10.6
Majority			538	48.6
Turnout			1,108	32.5
	Labour hold		Swing

Cramlington Village By-Election 23 September 2004
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Barrie Crowther	702	44.2	+13.7
	Labour	Ian Ayres	622	39.2	−3.2
	Conservative	Brian Pickering	263	16.6	−10.6
Majority			80	5.0
Turnout			1,587	41.8
	Liberal Democrats gain from Labour		Swing

Cramlington North By-Election 4 May 2006
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Brian Pickering	929	63.7	+30.3
	Liberal Democrats	Geoffrey Wilkin	342	23.4	+10.6
	Labour	Trevor Ambrose	188	12.9	−1.2
Majority			587	40.3
Turnout			1,459	34.9
	Conservative hold		Swing

Hartley By-Election 26 October 2006
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour		413	39.0	−9.1
	Liberal Democrats	Anita Romer	361	34.1	+16.5
	Conservative		285	26.9	−7.3
Majority			52	4.9
Turnout			1,059	27.2
	Labour hold		Swing

2007-2009

Croft By-Election 10 July 2008^[6]
Party		Votes	%	±%
	Labour	439	48.1	−8.9
	Independent	266	29.1	+29.1
	Liberal Democrats	176	19.3	−7.0
	Conservative	32	3.5	−13.2
Majority		173	18.9
Turnout		913
	Labour hold	Swing

References

^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
^ The Borough of Blyth Valley (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976
^ legislation.gov.uk – The Borough of Blyth Valley (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1988. Retrieved on 4 November 2015.
^ legislation.gov.uk – The Northumberland and Tyne and Wear (County and District Boundaries) Order 1992. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
^ legislation.gov.uk – The Borough of Blyth Valley (Electoral Changes) Order 1998. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Croft Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2024.

[1] "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 10 August 2022.

[2] The Borough of Blyth Valley (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976

[3] slation.gov.uk – The Borough of Blyth Valley (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1988. Retrieved on 4 November 2015.

[4] slation.gov.uk – The Northumberland and Tyne and Wear (County and District Boundaries) Order 1992. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.

[5] slation.gov.uk – The Borough of Blyth Valley (Electoral Changes) Order 1998. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.

[6] "Local Elections Archive Project — Croft Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2024.

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