Colchester Borough Council election, 2015

Colchester Borough Council election, 2015

← 2014 7 May 2015 (2015-05-07) 2016 →
20 seats (out of 60 seats) 31 seats seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Party Conservative Liberal Democrat Labour Last election 23 25 9 Seats before 23 24 9 Seats won 27 20 9 Seat change 4 4 0 Popular vote 28,023 13,827 12,940 Percentage 40.1 19.8 18.5 Swing 7.5 3.2 2.3   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Party Independent UKIP Green Last election 3 0 0 Seats before 4 0 0 Seats won 4 0 0 Seat change 0 0 0 Popular vote 1,643 7,775 5,767 Percentage 2.4 11.1 8.2 Swing 0.5 4.7 0.4
Ward results map. Wards coloured dark grey were not electing this year.

The 2015 Colchester Borough Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect one third of the members of Colchester Borough Council in England. This was the same day as other local elections and as the General Election. Colchester Borough Council is made up of 60 councillors: 20 councillors were up for election.

Prior to the elections, Liberal Democrat councillor for New Town ward, Theresa Higgins, was appointed Mayor of Colchester for a term of one-year.

After the 2014 election, 25 councillors were Liberal Democrats, 23 were Conservatives, 8 were Labour, 3 were independent, and there was one vacancy. Following the 2014 election, a Liberal Democrat councillor defected from their grouping and sat as an independent.

Liberal Democrats

Conservative Party

Labour Party

Green Party of England and Wales

UK Independence Party

Independent

Patriotic Socialist Party

The Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Labour Party and Green Party all stood a full slate of 20 candidates. UKIP stood 15 candidates, 2 independents stood for election and a final candidate stood for the Patriotic Socialist Party.

With 30 seats required for a dead-heat majority (of 0), no single grouping of councillors remained in overall control of policy decision-making. Conservatives fell 3 short this time whereas at the last election a five-becoming-six seat deficit existed during the four-year term for the largest grouping which had been the Liberal Democrats.

In June 2015, in accordance with the Local Government Act 1972, former Conservative councillor Mark Cable "ceased to be a member of the council" after failing to attend a council meeting since December 2014 (6 months). A by-election was called and the ward was subsequently held by the Conservatives.