title: Taunton Deane Borough Council elections
text: # Taunton Deane Borough Council elections
  
  Taunton Deane Borough Council in Somerset, England was elected every four years. The first elections to the council were held in 1973, ahead of it coming into being in 1974. The last election was held in 2015. The council was abolished in 2019 when the district merged with neighbouring West Somerset district to become Somerset West and Taunton.
  
  ## Political control
  
  From the first election to the council in 1973 until its abolition in 2019, political control of the council was held by the following parties:
  
  | Party in control | Years |
  | - | - |
  | No overall control | 1973–1976 |
  | Conservative | 1976–1991 |
  | Liberal Democrats | 1991–1999 |
  | No overall control | 1999–2003 |
  | Conservative | 2003–2007 |
  | No overall control | 2007–2015 |
  | Conservative | 2015–2019 |
  
  ### Leadership
  
  The leaders of the council from 1974 to 2019 were:
  
  | Councillor | Party | From | To |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | John Meikle | Conservative | 1974 | 1991 |
  | Jefferson Horsley | Liberal Democrats | 1991 | 4 May 2003 |
  | John Williams | Conservative | 14 May 2003 | 16 May 2007 |
  | Ross Henley | Liberal Democrats | 16 May 2007 | 13 May 2010 |
  | John Williams | Conservative | 13 May 2010 | 31 Mar 2019 |
  
  John Williams also served as leader of the shadow authority for Somerset West and Taunton during 2018–2019 ahead of the new council coming into force, but was unsuccessful in securing a seat on the new council at its first elections in May 2019.
  
  ## Council elections
  
  * 1973 Taunton Deane District Council election
  * 1976 Taunton Deane Borough Council election
  * 1979 Taunton Deane Borough Council election (New ward boundaries)
  * 1983 Taunton Deane Borough Council election
  * 1987 Taunton Deane Borough Council election (New ward boundaries & borough boundary changes also took place)
  * 1991 Taunton Deane Borough Council election
  * 1995 Taunton Deane Borough Council election
  * 1999 Taunton Deane Borough Council election (New ward boundaries)
  * 2003 Taunton Deane Borough Council election
  * 2007 Taunton Deane Borough Council election (New ward boundaries increased the number of seats by 2)
  * 2011 Taunton Deane Borough Council election
  * 2015 Taunton Deane Borough Council election
  
  ## District result maps
  
  * 2007 results map
  * 2011 results map
  * 2015 results map
  
  ## By-election results
  
  ### 1995-1999
  
  Lynford By-Election 1 May 1997 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Liberal Democrats | | 1,191 | 44.0 | +15.2 |
  | | Labour | | 981 | 36.6 | -21.6 |
  | | Conservative | | 530 | 19.6 | +6.2 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,172 | 7.4 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,702 | | |
  | | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | | |
  
  Taunton Halcon By-Election 1 May 1997 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Liberal Democrats | | 1,100 | 43.9 | +0.8 |
  | | Labour | | 826 | 33.0 | -12.5 |
  | | Conservative | | 578 | 23.1 | +11.6 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 274 | 10.9 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,504 | | |
  | | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
  
  Bishops Lydeard By-Election 10 July 1997 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Conservative | | 395 | 49.6 | +35.7 |
  | | Liberal Democrats | | 338 | 42.5 | -4.0 |
  | | Labour | | 63 | 7.9 | -7.8 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 57 | 7.1 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 796 | 36.8 | |
  | | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
  
  ### 1999-2003
  
  Monument By-Election 21 March 2002 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Conservative | Chris Tolchard | 430 | 65.3 | -0.5 |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Henley | 228 | 34.7 | +10.0 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 202 | 30.6 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 658 | 40.0 | |
  | | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
  
  Ruishton and Creech By-Election 14 November 2002 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Kim Cooper | 576 | 40.3 | -1.7 |
  | | Conservative | | 518 | 36.3 | -0.4 |
  | | Independent | | 334 | 23.4 | +2.1 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 58 | 4.0 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,428 | 44.0 | |
  | | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
  
  ### 2003-2007
  
  Taunton Eastgate By-Election 5 May 2005 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Simon Coles | 1,030 | 51.5 | +9.0 |
  | | Conservative | Roger Ryan | 621 | 31.1 | +0.6 |
  | | Labour | Martin Peters | 347 | 17.4 | +1.6 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 409 | 20.4 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,998 | 58.9 | |
  | | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
  
  Taunton Monument By-Election 5 May 2005 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Conservative | Christopher Hill | 701 | 58.8 | -13.3 |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Henley | 491 | 41.2 | +13.3 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 210 | 17.6 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,192 | 72.4 | |
  | | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
  
  Wellington Rockwell Green and West By-Election 5 May 2005 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Conservative | John Clark | 1,157 | 38.5 | +10.5 |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Vivienne Stock-Williams | 1,132 | 37.7 | +7.6 |
  | | Labour | David Mitton | 717 | 23.9 | +8.1 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 25 | 0.8 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,006 | 71.4 | |
  | | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
  
  Taunton Blackbrook & Holway By-Election 4 May 2006 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Peter Smith | 1,326 | 75.3 | +26.8 |
  | | Conservative | Martin Seamark | 436 | 24.7 | -9.9 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 890 | 50.9 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,762 | 35.9 | |
  | | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
  
  ### 2007-2011
  
  Comeytrowe By-Election 1 May 2008 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Mollie Floyd | 1,362 | 60.1 | +4.0 |
  | | Conservative | Wendy Skene | 778 | 34.3 | -1.3 |
  | | UKIP | Dorothy Baker | 127 | 5.6 | +5.6 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 584 | 25.8 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,267 | 50.1 | |
  | | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
  
  Ruishton and Creech By-Election 2 October 2008 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Conservative | Kelly Durdan | 902 | 56.3 | +6.8 |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Cilla Owen | 700 | 43.7 | +3.2 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 202 | 12.6 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,602 | | |
  | | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
  
  Lyngford By-Election 15 October 2009 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Nicci Court | 523 | 51.0 | +6.6 |
  | | Conservative | Tonia White | 274 | 26.7 | -1.2 |
  | | Labour | Martin Jevon | 164 | 16.0 | -11.6 |
  | | UKIP | Stephanie Lukins | 64 | 6.2 | +6.2 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 249 | 24.3 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,025 | 25.5 | |
  | | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
  
  Lyngford By-Election 28 January 2010 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Ben Swaine | 390 | 43.7 | -0.7 |
  | | Conservative | John Gage | 253 | 28.4 | +0.4 |
  | | Labour | Martin Jevon | 190 | 21.3 | -6.3 |
  | | UKIP | Charlene Sheriff | 59 | 6.6 | +6.6 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 137 | 15.3 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 892 | 22.3 | |
  | | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
  
  ### 2011-2019
  
  Blackdown by-election 15 December 2016 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Ross Henley | 440 | 71.2 | +49.9 |
  | | Conservative | Giuseppe Farschini | 164 | 22.5 | -30.4 |
  | | Independent | Carl Bennyworth | 39 | 6.3 | N/A |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 276 | 48.7 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | | |
  | | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
  