2019 North Somerset Council election
The 2019 North Somerset Council election took place on 2 May 2019 to elect members of North Somerset Council in England.
North Somerset unitary council is elected every four years, with fifty councillors to be elected. Since the first election to the unitary authority in 1995, the council has either been under Conservative Party control, or no party has held a majority. The Conservatives gained a majority at the 2007 election and retained control for 12 years. Following these elections, a "rainbow coalition" of Independents, Liberal Democrats, Labour and Green councillors replaced the previous Conservative administration.
Background
North Somerset Council held local elections on 2 May 2019 along with councils across England as part of the 2019 local elections. The council elects its members in all-out elections, with all fifty of its councillors up for election every four years. Councillors defending their seats in this election were previously elected in 2015. In that election, thirty-six Conservative councillors, six independent councillors, four Liberal Democrat councillors, three Labour councillors and one Green councillor were elected. In subsequent by-elections, Labour gained one seat from the Conservatives.In the build up to the 2019 election, ten incumbent councillors made up of eight Conservative councillors, one Liberal Democrat councillor and the sole Green councillor announced they would not be seeking re-election. Additionally, a group of independent councillors representing the town of Portishead received approval from the Electoral Commission to be listed as "Portishead Independents" on ballots, and the group listed candidates in three of the four wards in their town.