Local Elections 2017: Suffolk

There are elections for 75 new councillors on Suffolk County Council.

The Conservatives have increased their overall majority on Suffolk County Council from the 3 they achieved in 2013 to 29 in this election

Suffolk elects 75 councillors in all.

County Council elections are held every four years and in the last election in 2013, the Conservatives saw their overall majority of 35 won at the previous election cut to just three.

That overall majority was whittled away in by-elections since 2013 and the council has become hung although the Conservatives run a minority administration.

When a council is hung or there is "no overall control" it means that no one party had enough councillors to out-vote all the other councillors from other parties.

Your new councillors on Suffolk County Council

Changes compared with winners of 2013 election

  • Aldeburgh & Leiston - Russ Rainger (Con hold)

  • Beccles (2 seats) - Mark Bee (Con hold) and Elfreda Brambley-Crawshaw (Green gain from Con)

  • Belstead Brook - Christopher Hudson (Con gain from Lib Dem)

  • Bixley - Paul West (Con hold)

  • Blackbourne - Joanna Spicer (Con hold)

  • Blything - Richard Smith (Con hold)

  • Bosmere - Anne Whybrow (Con gain from Lib Dem)

  • Brandon - Victor Lukaniuk (Ind gain from UKIP)

  • Bridge - Jack Abbott (Lab hold)

  • Bungay - David Richie (Con hold)

  • Carlford - Robin Vickery (Con hold)

  • Chantry (2 seats) - Helen Armitage and Peter Gardiner (Lab holds)

  • Clare - Mary Evans (Con hold)

  • Cosford - Robert Lindsay (Green gain from Con)

  • Eastgate & Moreton Hall - Trevor Beckwith (Ind hold)

  • Exning & Newmarket - Rachel Hood (Con gain from UKIP)

  • Felixstowe Coastal (2 seats) - Steve Wiles and Graham Newman (Con holds)

  • Felixstowe North & Trimley - Stuart Bird (Con hold)

  • Framlingham - Stephen Burroughes (Con hold)

  • Gainsborough - Kim Clements (Lab hold)

  • Gipping Valley - John Field (Lib Dem hold)

  • Great Cornard - Peter Beer (Con hold)

  • Gunton (2 seats) - Keith Patience (Lab hold) and Steve Ardley (Con gain from Lab)

  • Hadleigh - Mick Fraser (Con hold)

  • Halesworth - Tony Goldson (Con hold)

  • Hardwick - Richard Rout (Con hold)

  • Hartismere - Jessica Fleming (Con hold)

  • Haverhill Cangle (2 seats) - Paula Fox and Quillon Fox (Con hold and Con gain from UKIP)

  • Haverhill East & Kedington - David Roach (Con gain from UKIP)

  • Hoxne & Eye - Guy McGregor (Con hold)

  • Kesgrave & Rushmere St Andrew (2 seats) - Stuart Lawson and Robert Whiting (Con holds)

  • Kessingland & Southwold - Michael Ladd (Con hold)

  • Lowestoft South (2 seats) - Jamie Starling and Jenny Ceresa (Con gains from UKIP)

  • Martlesham - Patrick O'Brien (Con hold)

  • Melford - Richard Kemp (Ind hold)

  • Mildenhall - Louis Busuttil (Con hold)

  • Newmarket & Red Lodge - Robin Millar (Con hold)

  • Oulton (2 seats) - James Reeder and Keith Robinson (Con gain from Lab and Con gain from UKIP)

  • Pakefield (2 seats) -Craig Rivett and Melanie Vigo Di Gallidoro (Con gains from Lab)

  • Peninsula - Dave Wood (Lib Dem hold)

  • Priory Heath - Bill Quinton (Lab hold)

  • Row Heath - Colin Noble (Con hold)

  • Rushmere - Sandra Gage (Lab hold)

  • Samford - Gordon Jones (Con hold)

  • St Helen's - Mandy Gaylard (Lab hold)

  • St John's - Sandy Martin (Lab hold)

  • St Margaret's & Westgate (2 seats) - Chris Chambers (Con gain from Lab) and Inga Lockington (Lib Dem hold)

  • Stour Valley - James Finch(Con hold)

  • Stowmarket North & Stowupland - Gary Green (Con hold)

  • Stowmarket South - Nicholas Gowrley (Con gain from UKIP)

  • Sudbury - Jack Owen(Lab gain from Con)

  • Sudbury East & Waldingfield -Colin Spence(Con hold)

  • Thedwastre North - Jane Storey (Con hold)

  • Thedwastre South - Penny Otten (Lib Dem hold)

  • Thingoe North - Beccy Hopfensperger(Con hold)

  • Thingoe South - Karen Soons (Con hold)

  • Thredling - Matthew Hicks (Con hold)

  • Tower (2 seats) - David Nettleton (Ind hold) and Robert Everitt(Con gain from Green)

  • Upper Gipping - Andrew Stringer(Green hold)

  • Whitehouse & Whitton (2 seats) - Kathy Bole(Lab hold) andDavid Goldsmith(Con gain from UKIP)

  • Wickham - Alexander Nicholl (Con hold)

  • Wilford - Andrew Reid(Con hold)

  • Woodbridge - Caroline Page (Lib Dem hold)

The Conservatives have had a working majority on Suffolk County Council 2005 until recently but no other party has controlled the council since local government re-organisation in 1973.

At the last election in 2013, the Conservatives' share of the votes dropped to a record low in Suffolk at 35% as UKIP surged ahead with 20% of the votes and nine seats.

Four years ago Labour took a 22% share with the Liberal Democrats on 10.5%

While there are 75 councillors in Suffolk, there are only 63 electoral divisions which means some areas are represented by two councillors.

Any one party needs to win at least 38 council seats to form a working majority and take control of the council.

The result of the last County Council election in Suffolk in 2013.