2019 Cotswold District Council election

2019 Cotswold District Council election

← 2015 2 May 2019 (2019-05-02) 2023 →
All 34 seats to Cotswold District Council 18 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Party Liberal Democrats Conservative Last election 10 seats, 33.4% 24 seats, 54.8% Seats won 18 14 Seat change 8 10 Popular vote 12,255 10,727 Percentage 44.5% 38.9% Swing 11.1% 15.9%   Third party Fourth party   Party Independent Green Last election 0 seats, 1.3% 0 seats, 2.7% Seats won 1 1 Seat change 1 1 Popular vote 1,570 1,370 Percentage 5.7% 5.0% Swing 4.4% 2.3%
Map of results of 2019 election, with Cirencester shown inset.
Leader of the council before election Tony Berry Conservative Leader of the council after election Joe Harris Liberal Democrats

The 2019 Cotswold District Council election took place on 2 May 2019 to elect all members of Cotswold District Council, as part of the United Kingdom local elections. The Conservatives had controlled the council since 2003 but lost ten seats. The Liberal Democrats won overall control of the council for the first time since the council's creation in 1974. The Green Party also won their first seat on the council since the council's creation.

The Tetbury Town ward was decided by one vote. The returning officer reportedly decided the seat by allocating a doubtful ballot paper that had the word "BREXIT" written across it with an arrow pointing to the Conservative candidate, Stephen Hirst, in favour of Hirst. The hitherto tied candidate, Independent David Painter, described it as a "travesty of justice" and said "no wonder people are turned off voting". Painter sought to raise £2,500 to begin a legal challenge against the returning officer's decision.^[1] The council maintained that the returning officer's decision was in line with guidance from the Electoral Commission.^[2]