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2024 Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council election
← 2023 2 May 2024 (2024-05-02) Next →
All 72 seats to Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
37 seats needed for a majority
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader Patrick Harley Pete Lowe None
Party Conservative Labour Independent
Leader's seat Kingswinford South Lye and Stourbridge North
Last election 44 seats, 42.4% 27 seats, 43.8% 1 seat, 1.5%
Current seats 41 26 4
Seats needed Steady Increase 11 Increase 33
  Blank
Leader Ryan Priest
Party Liberal Democrats
Leader's seat Cradley and Wollescote
Last election 0 seats, 5.8%
Current seats 1
Seats needed Increase 36
Incumbent Leader

Patrick Harley
Conservative



The 2024 Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council election is scheduled to be held on Thursday 2 May 2024, alongside the other local elections across the United Kingdom being held on the same day.[1]

Background[edit]

History[edit]

The Local Government Act 1972 created a two-tier system of metropolitan counties and districts covering Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, the West Midlands, and West Yorkshire starting in 1974. Dudley was a district of the West Midlands metropolitan county.[2] The Local Government Act 1985 abolished the metropolitan counties, with metropolitan districts taking on most of their powers as metropolitan boroughs. The West Midlands Combined Authority was created in 2016 and began electing the mayor of the West Midlands from 2017, which was given strategic powers covering a region coterminous with the former West Midlands metropolitan county.[3]

Dudley Council has variously been under Labour control, Conservative control and no overall control since it was established. The Conservatives controlled the council from the 2004 election until Labour gained control in the 2012 election. Labour lost overall control in the 2016 election but continued to lead the council until 2017, when the Conservatives led the council, still without a majority. In the 2021 elections, the Conservatives gained a majority on the council, which they have held since.[4]

In the most recent council election in 2023, the Conservatives won 44 of the 72 seats, one less than prior to the election, while Labour won 27 seats, increasing their membership on the council by 1.[5]

Two by-elections were held between the 2023 elections and the 2024 elections. The Cradley and Wollescote ward by-election on 3 August 2023, triggered by the death of Labour councillor Richard Body, saw the Liberal Democrats gain their first seat on the council.[6] The St James's ward by-election on 24 August 2023, triggered by the resignation of Conservative councillor Wayne Sullivan, resulted in the Labour Party gaining the seat.[7][8]

Three councillors changed party affiliation between the 2023 elections and the 2024 elections. In October 2023, Labour councillor Adrian Hughes was suspended by the party following allegations of sexual harassment.[9][10] Conservative councillors Shaun Keasey and Peter Miller quit the party in October 2023 and February 2024 respectively. Keasey cited the Conservative Party's extremity as his reason for resigning from the party, while Miller expressed "disgust" at the party's selection process for the 2024 elections.[11][12] All three councillors have sat as independents on the council since departing their respective parties.

Electoral process[edit]

The council usually elects members in thirds every year except the 4th in a four-year cycle.[13] However, due to a boundary review of the wards by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, all 72 seats to Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council will be up for election.[14][15]

All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in Dudley aged 18 or over will be entitled to vote in the election. People who live at two addresses in different councils, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, are entitled to be registered for and vote in elections in both local authorities. Voting in-person at polling stations will take place from 07:00 to 22:00 on election day, and voters will be able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election.

Previous council composition[edit]

After 2023 election Before 2024 election After 2024 election
Party Seats Party Seats Party Seats
Conservative 44 Conservative 41 TBD
Labour 27 Labour 26
Independent 1 Independent 4
Liberal Democrats 0 Liberal Democrats 1

Changes:

  • 9 May 2023: Richard Body (Labour) dies; by-election scheduled for August 2023.
  • 12 July 2023: Wayne Sullivan (Conservative) resigns; by-election scheduled for August 2023.
  • 3 August 2023: Cradley and Wollescote by-election is won by Ryan Priest; Liberal Democrats gain seat from Labour.
  • 24 August 2023: St James's by-election is won by Caroline Reid; Labour gains seat from Conservatives.
  • 3 October 2023: Shaun Keasey resigns from the Conservative Party due to its "extremity".
  • 24 October 2023: Adrian Hughes is suspended by the Labour Party over sexual harassment allegations.
  • 28 February 2024: Peter Miller resigns from the Conservative Party over "disgust" at the party's local candidate selection process.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Types of elections". www.dudley.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  2. ^ Local Government in England and Wales: A Guide to the New System. London: HMSO. 1974. p. 7. ISBN 0-11-750847-0.
  3. ^ "CONSTITUTION OF THE WEST MIDLANDS COMBINED AUTHORITY" (PDF). Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  4. ^ Farrington, Dayna. "Full election results from Dudley Council as Conservatives gain power". www.expressandstar.com. Retrieved 2022-03-26.
  5. ^ "Dudley result - Local Elections 2023". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  6. ^ "Dudley Council by-election results". Who Can I Vote For?. Archived from the original on 2 Jan 2024. Retrieved 2 Jan 2024.
  7. ^ "Dudley Conservative councillor resigns, triggering by-election". Dudley News. 2023-07-18. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  8. ^ O'Brien, Lisa (2023-08-25). "Labour wins by-election called at Dudley Council". www.expressandstar.com. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  9. ^ Smith, Adam (2023-10-24). "Dudley councillor suspended by party over sexual harassment allegation". www.expressandstar.com. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  10. ^ "Former Labour councillor says he'll sit as an independent amid suspension drama". Dudley News. 2023-10-30. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  11. ^ Andrews, Mark (2023-10-03). "Tory Dudley councillor quits party, claiming it has become 'extreme'". www.expressandstar.com. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  12. ^ "Veteran Tory councillor's shock resignation sparks 'arrogance' row". Stourbridge News. 2024-02-29. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  13. ^ "Composition of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council". Open Councill Data UK. Archived from the original on 2 Jan 2024. Retrieved 2 Jan 2024.
  14. ^ "Local Government Boundary Review". www.dudley.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  15. ^ LGBCE. "Dudley | LGBCE". www.lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Dudley_Metropolitan_Borough_Council_election