What does No Total Control mean? The local equivalent of parliament manic explained

With local elections due on Thursday (May 5), it remains to be seen how the political landscape at council level will change across the UK.

While there will be clear winners on some councils, others may move to No Total Control (NOC) status.

In the UK, there are 24 councils that currently do not have General Control holding elections this year.

Here we explain what No Total Control means, how many boards have this type of governance and how it is run.

The term No Overall Control refers to a situation in which no political group achieves a majority of seats.

It is the local equivalent of a “hanging parliament” at Westminster.

Some councils have minority government, usually led by a party with half or almost half of the seats and they are the largest party.

Elsewhere, coalitions are formed where votes are distributed a little more evenly.

In some assemblies, however, the largest political party was unable to form a minority government because a coalition of smaller parties had gathered together.

The UK’s “first and foremost” system tends to favor the larger parties, so it’s usually easier for a party with an overall majority.

Where alternative voting systems are used, such as in Scotland or Northern Ireland, multiple parties often win a substantial number of seats.

In Scotland, it is very difficult for any party to have a majority in government.

Usually, if no party gains overall control of a council, the largest group with the most votes forms a coalition to create a governing coalition.

Local governments often have a smaller proportion of party members and larger independents than the House of Representatives, so when there is no overall control in local elections, it often leads to small groups with many more influence.

Jonathan Carr-West, Director of the Local Government Information Unit explains: “Councils with No Overall Control are a mismanagement of local government that can confuse residents.

“But it doesn’t mean that no one makes the decision.”

He added: “In most cases, one side will be able to form a cabinet, either with support from the other parties or because the other parties do not agree enough to effectively counter them.

“That may sound volatile but in reality NOC boards have a pretty good track record of getting the business done efficiently.”

Of the councils holding elections in the UK this year, 24 are currently not under Overall Control.

Labor and Conservatives both run six councils, each of which is a minority government, with the Liberal Democrats having only one.

Labor is allied with independents on one council, with the Greens on the other and with the Liberal Democrats on three councils.

Conservatives allied with independents on three councils and shared power with the Liberal Democrats and Independents in a multi-party coalition on one council.

Of the councils holding elections in Scotland this year, 29 are currently operating under General Control.

The Labor-SNP coalition holds power in five councils, while the Conservatives have two party coalitions with the Liberal Democrats and independent parties in each – and with both of the three councils.

Labor is also in the multi-party coalition in three other councils and the SNP in one.

Of the councils holding elections in Wales this year, 11 are currently not under General Control.