Elections and Political Control
The first election to South Bedfordshire District Council took place on 7 June 1973, with the 45 councillors elected forming a shadow authority until 1 April 1974. Following ward boundary changes, the number of councillors was increased to 53, with an election of the whole council held in 1976. The council resolved to hold elections by thirds thereafter. Councillors had a four-year term of office, and one third of the council was elected in three years out of four. Elections to Bedfordshire County Council took place in years that there were none to the district council. In 2002 the wards were again redrawn, and the size of the council was reduced to 50 members. An election of the whole council was held on the new boundaries. The electoral cycle continued by thirds in later years. The elections due to take place in May 2008 were cancelled, with councillors staying in office until the abolition of the council in 2009.
The first council elected was under no overall control, with the Conservative Party having the largest number of councillors. The party dominated the council for most of its existence, gaining a majority in 1976 which they held until 1995. In 1996 they were supplanted by the Labour Party as the largest grouping on the council, in a year that saw a strong vote against the unpopular Conservative government of John Major. In 1999 the Liberal Democrats briefly became the largest group on the council, which remained under no overall control. The Conservatives staged a recovery in 2000, taking 10 seats from Labour and the Liberal Democrats, and again gaining a plurality of councillors. They subsequently regained their majority, which they held until the council's abolition.
| Year | Conservative | Labour | Liberal/ Liberal Democrat |
Independent | Other | Control | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 17 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 0 | No overall control | |
| 1976 † | 40 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | Conservative gain from no overall control | |
| 1978 | 37 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 0 | Conservative hold | |
| 1979 | 37 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 0 | Conservative hold | |
| 1980 | 35 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 0 | Conservative hold | |
| 1982 | 34 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 0 | Conservative hold | |
| 1983 | 38 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | Conservative hold | |
| 1984 | 41 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | Conservative hold | |
| 1986 | 37 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 0 | Conservative hold | |
| 1987 | 39 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 | Conservative hold | |
| 1988 | 39 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 | Conservative hold | |
| 1990 | 37 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 0 | Conservative hold | |
| 1991 | 34 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 0 | Conservative hold | |
| 1992 | 37 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 1 vacancy | Conservative hold | |
| 1994 | 35 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | Conservative hold | |
| 1995 | 24 | 15 | 11 | 2 | Ratepayers 1 | Conservative loss to no overall control | |
| 1996 | 15 | 24 | 11 | 3 | 0 | No overall control | |
| 1998 | 13 | 21 | 13 | 3 | 0 | No overall control | |
| 1999 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 3 | 0 | No overall control | |
| 2000 | 26 | 7 | 17 | 3 | 0 | No overall control | |
| 2002 † | 28 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 0 | Conservative hold | |
| 2003 | 31 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 0 | Conservative hold | |
| 2004 | 34 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 0 | Conservative hold | |
| 2006 | 35 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 | Conservative hold | |
| 2007 | 34 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 0 | Conservative hold | |
† New ward boundaries
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