Skip to content

Election results: 'Mixed' results for Tories in new unitary councils

BBC BCP election countBBC
Before the merger all the Dorset councils were Conservative-run

The Conservatives have failed to secure one of two new Dorset councils in the authorities' first-ever elections.

Unitary authorities Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) and Dorset Council formally took control last month after nine previous councils were merged.

Predecessor councils had all been Conservative.

But while the Tories won Dorset Council, the elections resulted in a hung council for BCP.

BCP Council has 36 Conservatives, 15 Lib Dems, 11 independents, seven Poole People councillors, three Labour, two Greens, one Alliance for Local Living and one UKIP councillor.

Dorset Council has 43 Conservatives, 29 Lib Dems, four Greens, four independents and two Labour.

John Beesley and Conor Burns
Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns (right with council leader John Beesley) called on Theresa May to resign

Conor Burns, Conservative MP for Bournemouth West, said there had been a "very mixed situation locally" for his party, but that it had done "slightly better" than he expected.

He said: "There's enormous anger out there in the public [that we haven't left the EU yet]. Our local candidates have borne the brunt of that. They're trying to send a message, a frustrated, anguished, annoyed message."

He also called on Theresa May to resign.

"This prime minister is now an impediment to us getting back to the business of governing day to day in peoples' interests. We also need a new prime minister who can try and reset the Brexit process.

"I think that every day that Theresa May remains in Number 10 now is a wasted day for Britain."

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The former Dorset County, East Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, Weymouth and Portland and West Dorset councils formed the new Dorset Council.

Previous councils in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole combined for the BCP authority.

The merger reduced the total number of council seats in the county from 333 to 158.

Either search using your postcode or council name or click around the map to show local results.