Voters across England flocked to polling stations on Thursday 2nd of May, as more than 2,600 local council seats were up for grabs alongside 37 police and crime commissioners (PCC), 10 metro Mayors, and 25 London Assembly members.

Amidst a backdrop of historically low turnout, the Conservative Party faced a significant blow, experiencing its worst local results in over 40 years—losing 474 council seats. In contrast, Keir Starmer’s Labour Party made gains, securing 186 additional seats. The Liberal Democrats also saw a rise, gaining 104 seats and now represent England’s second-largest party at council level, with 6 additional seats over the Conservatives.

Success also came for The Green Party of England and Wales, which saw an additional 74 councillors elected, bringing their total to 181. The left-wing environmentalist party gained their first-ever councillors in Newcastle and Redditch, taking seats from both Labour and Conservative candidates. Locally, the Labour Party has lost overall control of Norwich City Council, losing two seats to the Greens in Wensum and Mile Cross. This marks a distinct turning point in the Greens’ gradual rise in popularity across the city and the first time since 2012 that Labour has not had full council control. The closest contest in the city was in Town Close ward, where a bitter campaign ensued between Ian Stutely – one of the ex-Labour councillors who became an independent last year – and Labour’s new candidate, Chris Smith. On the evening of polling day, Norwich City Council’s returning officer passed on allegations of a breach of data protection rules to the Police after Norwich Labour circulated a letter accusing Mr Stutely of “unacceptable personal behaviour”. At the time of printing, Norfolk Police have not commented on the matter, but officers are assessing whether or not to launch an official investigation into the claims. Standing as an independent, Mr Stutely lost his seat by just 49 votes to Labour’s Chris Smith.

This year’s elections also saw members of Reform UK – a far-right party started by Nigel Farage – stand for election in Norwich for the first time. Nick Taylor – Reform’s candidate for Crome ward – said the party aimed to build its profile through the local elections, adding, “Next time, we will be standing in every ward in Norwich”.

In another first for the wider region, Norfolk elected its first-ever Labour Police and Crime Commissioner since the role’s creation in 2012. Sarah Taylor received 52,445 votes ahead of her predecessor, Conservative Giles Orpen-Smellie, on 50,567.

The Green Party also won a by-election at South Norfolk Council – beating the Conservatives by just 10 votes, meaning the South Norfolk Conservatives lost their slim majority.

Closer to campus, Labour’s Emma Hampton has been reelected to Univeristy Ward with a majority of almost 600. First elected in 2021, Hampton holds the council’s cabinet position for Climate Change and sits alongside two other Labour councillors in the ward – Matthew Fulton-McAlister and Beth Jones – who were last elected in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

The Liberal Democrats came in second, with UEA student James Hawketts receiving 637 votes—150 more than the Green Party’s Sean Gough. Hawketts also stood for the ward in 2023, receiving 512 – highlighting a 24% increase in his vote share this year. The third-year PPL student told Concrete, “While I’m disappointed not to win, this result cements the Lib Dems as the main opposition in University Ward. I’m especially pleased to have received the support of so many students, who, by our account, voted for me in their droves”. Commenting on Norwich Labour, he said, “Both locally and nationally [Labour], is taking young people’s views and interests for granted. I will continue to do my utmost to provide us with a voice in the running of our fine city. It’s all to play for next year.”

Another UEA student stood as the Conservative candidate for University Ward, coming in fourth place. Cody Butler – a first-year PPL student, told Concrete, “University Ward has consistently provided a crucial platform for student engagement, emphasising the importance of young people remaining involved in local politics regardless of their political leanings”. Asked about his experience of the election process, Butler remarked “I’m grateful to have been part of this engagement. Despite not winning, my overall experience of the election was highly positive. It provided a valuable platform to address key issues, such as affordable housing, combatting hate crimes, and advocating for the return of a new pharmacy” and concluding, “I remain committed to continuing these efforts in the coming months.”

The ward received one of the lowest turnouts in the city, with just 27.75% of the eligible population choosing to cast their vote on polling day.

With a three-year term cycle in place for local council seats, Labour’s Matthew Fulton-McAlister’s current seat will be up for election in May 2025.

Councillor Hampton and Norwich Labour were contacted for comment but did not respond.

National (England) results: total number of councilors; gains and losses in 2024

Norwich City Council New make-up (No. of councilors)

• Labour – 19

• Green – 15

• Liberal Democrat – 3

• Independents – 2

20 seats needed by one party to hold control

You can view the full results of the Norwich City Council elections by visiting norwich.gov.uk

Image: Concrete/Matthew Stothard