The results of this week’s local elections for Cambridge saw Labour hold onto their majority in the Cambridge City Council, while the Conservatives lost their majority status in the Cambridgeshire County Council, in which the Liberal Democrats made significant gains.

Cambridge residents took to the polls on Thursday (06/05), voting in four elections for the City Council, County Council, Police and Crime Commissioner, and Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

Elections took place in 143 councils across England after the UK government postponed local elections last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Polling stations operated using social distancing measures, with voters also asked to bring their own pen or pencil to complete their ballot. Voters were also asked to wear face coverings when inside their polling station.

The results for Mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, as well as for Police and Crime Commissioner, are expected to be released later today.

CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL

Labour returned the most seats in the City Council elections with 27 councillors elected and 41% of the total vote. The Liberal Democrats, the second-largest party in the council, won 12 seats with 26% of the total votes.

This marks an increase of one seat for the Labour party, and a decrease of three for the Liberal Democrats. The Green party has also successfully had two candidates elected to the City Council.

The turnout for the City Council election was 42.7%.

Councillor Lewis Herbert, leader of Labour on the City Council, said in a speech that he was “very pleased” with the results. He said he was proud of Labour’s previous action on “housing, homelessness, poverty, climate change” and was looking forward to “working hard” for Cambridge residents.

Meanwhile Councillor Tim Bick, leader of the Lib Dems on the City Council, stated in a press release: that he was “naturally disappointed” that his party had failed to surpass the Labour majority on the City Council and “very sorry” to bid farewell to “valued and hardworking colleagues″.

Bick also offered his congratulations to “those who won seats from all parties and look forward to working with them in the future. For all concerned, this was a difficult election conducted under unusual circumstances.”

“We will be continuing to argue for the priorities we campaigned on,” he said of the Lib Dems’ plans, “as well as to hold the Labour administration to account.”

No Conservative councillors were elected to the City Council, though overall the party did receive 12% of votes.

At the last City Council elections in 2019, which only elected part of the council, Labour won eight seats with 34% of the total votes, while the Lib Dems won seven seats with a slightly greater share of the votes at 35%. One candidate for the Labour and Co-operatives also won a seat.

There are 14 wards in Cambridge, each with 3 councillors sitting on the City Council. All 42 seats in these wards were up for election. In recent years Labour has typically been the most dominant party, with Lib Dems forming the strongest opposition.

CAMBRIDGESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

The Conservative Party lost its previous majority in the County Council elections. However, they remain the largest party, with 28 of the 61 seats available, a decrease from the 34 seats held previously.

Meanwhile, the Lib Dems gained five seats, giving them a total of 20 seats on the county council.

The Labour party will hold 9 seats on the council, having secured three new seats, while independents will hold four.

These results mean that no party will have an overall majority of the county council.

Labour did not put forward any candidate for six South Cambridgeshire seats, citing the pandemic as having created organisational difficulties. All six seats went to the Liberal Democrats.