Tories lose Poole majority but gain seats across Dorset
- Published
The Conservatives easily held on to control of Bournemouth council
The Conservatives have lost their majority on Poole council - but gained at least 18 seats elsewhere in Dorset from the Lib Dems.
The Conservatives lost one seat to the Liberal Democrats in Poole - leaving the party with no overall control.
The Tories have 21 seats in the unitary authority and the Lib Dems have 18.
Elsewhere in Dorset, the Tories held Bournemouth, Christchurch, North Dorset, East Dorset and West Dorset, making gains from the Lib Dems.
Weymouth and Portland council remains in no overall control with Labour gaining two seats - one each from the Tories and the Lib Dems.
In Purbeck, the council also remained without a party claiming a majority, with the Tories taking a single Lib Dem seat.
Lib Dem losses
In Bournemouth, where all councillors were up for re-election, recounts took place for the wards of Kinson North, Kinson South and Queens Park.
The Conservatives won 45 seats, the Lib Dems three seats and independent candidates three seats. The Lib Dems lost five seats to the Tories.
In North Dorset, the Lib Dems lost seven seats - six to the Conservatives - while in East Dorset they lost five seats to the Conservatives.
In both the West Dorset and Christchurch elections, the Lib Dems lost three seats to the Tories.
Only one Lib Dem councillor now sits on Christchurch Borough Council.
In Purbeck, the Lib Dems lost one seat to the Conservatives.
In Poole, The Poole People party also secured three seats.