Political Control
The Council had been under the control of the Labour Party from 1979 until the 2003 local elections, where no overall control was established. Labour regained control in 2007 and consolidated its position in 2011.
In December 2010 the Council voted to introduce a directly elected mayor with effect from May 2011. On 5 May 2011 Sir Peter Soulsby was elected to the post with 55% of the vote on the first ballot. He will serve for a term of four years.
The results at the 2011 Council Elections were:
| Party | Seats |
|
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 52 | |
| Conservative | 1 | |
| Liberal Democrat | 1 | |
Veejay Patel was the Leader of the Council until May 2011, having replaced Ross Willmott on 25 March 2010. Councillor Willmott served for three spells as Leader: from May 1999 to May 2003; from November 2004 to May 2005; and from May 2007 to March 2010.
The period of minority administration came about due to the collapse of the Liberal Democrat-Conservative coalition in November 2004, when the council was in a state of no overall control following the 2003 elections. The coalition regrouped in 2005, but was later hit by Liberal Democrat infighting, leading to the creation of the splinter 'Focus Team' group which worked with Labour in opposition. Labour returned to power with a landside victory in 2007 and consolidated its position still further in May 2011. Ross Grant is the only remaining Conservative Councillor. Nigel Porter is the only remaining Liberal Democrat Councillor, having defected to the Liberal Democrats from the Conservatives, several weeks prior to the election.
The next Local Election is due to take place on 7 May 2015., although by-elections take place when a seat becomes vacant due to resignation or death of a councillor. As of May 2011, the Council was composed of 53 Labour Councillors (including the City Mayor, who is eligible to take part and vote in Council meetings), 1 Conservative Councillor, and 1 Liberal Democrat Councillor.
Read more about this topic: Leicester City Council
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