Purbeck local elections

One third of Purbeck District Council in Dorset, England is elected each year, followed by one year where there is an election to Dorset County council.

Political control

Since the first election to the council in 1973 political control of the council has been held by the following parties:^[1]

Swanage North By-Election 26 June 1997
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent		502	66.5	+39.0
	Liberal Democrat		253	33.5	+13.5
Majority			249	33.0
Turnout			755
	Independent hold		Swing

Bere Regis By-Election 22 February 2001
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent		322	43.1	+4.9
	Independent		267	35.7	+6.4
	Liberal Democrat		158	21.2	+21.2
Majority			55	7.4
Turnout			747	47.1
	Independent hold		Swing

Lytchett Minster & Upton East By-Election 14 June 2001
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat		1,080	59.1	+28.0
	Conservative		746	40.9	-28.0
Majority			334	18.2
Turnout			1,826	58.0
	Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative		Swing

St Martin By-Election 27 June 2002
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat		598	56.8	+13.0
	Conservative		454	43.2	-2.4
Majority			144	13.6
Turnout			1,052	50.9
	Liberal Democrat gain from Independent		Swing

Castle By-Election 9 June 2005^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Nigel Dragon	418	57.8	+20.0
	Liberal Democrat		230	31.8	-27.7
	Labour		74	10.2	+7.5
Majority			188	26.0
Turnout			722	46.4
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat		Swing

Lytchett Matravers By-Election 9 June 2005^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Michael Peacock	688	63.4	+20.0
	Conservative		397	36.5	-20.1
Majority			291	26.9
Turnout			1,085	37.5
	Liberal Democrat gain from Independent		Swing

Swanage South By-Election 15 June 2006^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Pratt	642	45.4	+9.8
	Liberal Democrat	Anita Chennell	409	28.9	+6.6
	Labour	Cherry Bartlett	363	25.7	-4.3
Majority			233	16.5
Turnout			1,414	30.0
	Conservative hold		Swing