Political Composition of the Council

When Councillors are elected to office, many are representing a political party. Upon election, two or more councillors may form political groups, which may be the same or different to their political party. The calculated allocation of seats on committees is based on the representation of these political groups.


The current political composition of the council is:

Liberal Democrat 42 Councillors                                            
Conservative 30 Councillors                            
Green 4 Councillors     
Independents for Dorset 4 Councillors     
Labour 2 Councillors   

Political Group Leaders

There are currently five political groups formed within Dorset Council - The Liberal Democrat Group, The Conservative Group, The Green Party Group, The Independents for Dorset Group and The Labour Group, and each has appointed a Leader and Deputy Leader.


The table below will provide details of the leaders and deputy leaders of each of the respective political groups in due course

Political Group

Group Leader

Deputy Group Leader

Liberal Democrat Councillor Nick Ireland Councillor Andy Canning
Conservative Councillor Andrew Parry Councillor Gary Suttle
Green Party Councillor Clare Sutton Councillor Jon Orell
Independents for Dorset Councillor Les Fry Councillor Rob Hughes
Labour Councillor Kate Wheller