Dudley Council has variously been under Labour control, Conservative control andno overall control since it was established. The Conservatives controlled the council from the2004 election until Labour gained control in the2012 election. Labour lost overall control in the2016 election but continued to lead the council until 2017, when the Conservatives led the council, still without a majority. In themost recent election in 2021, the Conservatives gained twelve seats at the expense of Labour and theUK Independence Party to hold an overall majority of seats, with 46 of the 72 total. Labour held 24 of the remaining seats, and there were two independents.[3]
Positions up for election in 2022 were lastelected in 2018. In that election the Conservatives won 14 seats and Labour won 10.[4]
The Labour Party suspended the councillor Zahir Islam in March 2022.[5] The Labour Against Antisemitism campaign had submitted a complaint against him in September 2021 over social media posts.[6]
The council elects its councillors in thirds, with a third being up for election every year for three years, with no election in the fourth year.[7][8] The election will take place byfirst-past-the-post voting, with wards generally being represented by three councillors, with one elected in each election year to serve a four-year term.
Allregistered electors (British,Irish,Commonwealth andEuropean Union citizens) living in Dudley aged 18 or over will be entitled to vote in the election. People who live at two addresses in different councils, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, are entitled to be registered for and vote in elections in both local authorities. Voting in-person at polling stations will take place from 07:00 to 22:00 on election day, and voters will be able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election.
Peter Walker, the political correspondent forThe Guardian, wrote that Labour would want to "show progress" in the council.[9] The Conservative council leader Patrick Harley said he was confident that his party would gain seats in the election.[10]
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Council elections in theWest Midlands
