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No overall control
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Within the context of local councils of the United Kindgom the term No Overall Control (abbreviated to NOC) refers to where no single party achieves a majority of seats, analogous to a hung parliament. Of the 310 councils who had members up for election in the United Kingdom local elections, 2007, 85 (just over a quarter) resulted in a NOC administration.
Typically under the circumstances that no party achieves overall control of a council the largest grouping will form alliances to create an ad hoc governing coalition. Due to local council elections tending to return larger numbers of smaller party (such as the Green Party) and independent candidates this can allow these groups more influence than their numerical representation would otherwise allow.
Examples exist of alliances between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives (Birmingham City Council), Lib-Dems and Labour and between all major parties and independents or residents associations .
A misplaced alliance can result in a backlash against a party - the Isle of Wight Council elections, 2001, resulted in a NOC administration, prompting the Liberal Democrats and Independents to form a governing group called 'Island First' this was met by some consternation by residents and may have led in part to the significant losses suffered by both groups at the 2005 elections at which Lib Dem membership of the council fell from 19 to 5 seats.
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