In this section we will post various files that provide information about the political composition of local councils.

Council compositions by year is a workbook containing separate worksheets for each year from 1964-2015. The years before 1973 cover only the London boroughs established in 1964. Thereafter, each local authority is listed for each year regardless of whether it held an election. The file takes account of seat changes following by-elections (where we have the information) but it does not consider councillors that are elected for one party but then defect to another. The definition of a council that is ‘No overall control’ ignores such things as the mayor’s casting vote etc. and is simply whether or not a single party has an absolute majority of council seats.  Please read the Notes section.