1994 United Kingdom local elections

The 1994 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 5 May 1994. The results showed a continued decline for the governing Conservatives — who were now in their 15th successive year of government at Westminster — with the third-placed party, the Liberal Democrats, as the main beneficiaries.

The main opposition, the Labour Party, gained 44 seats, bringing their number of councillors to 9,257. Their projected national vote share was 40%, a 1% increase on the 1993 local elections. The Conservative Party lost 516 seats and were left with 7,286 councillors. Their projected national vote share was 27%, a 4% fall since the previous local elections in 1993. The Liberal Democrats gained 428 seats and had 4,551 councillors after the elections. The Liberals received a 27% share of the national vote, a 2% increase on 1993.

A parliamentary by-election also took place in the Rotherham constituency in South Yorkshire; Labour held the seat. This was the last election to be contested by Labour leader John Smith; He died suddenly a week later.

London boroughs
In all 32 London boroughs the whole council was up for election.

Metropolitan boroughs
All 36 metropolitan borough councils had one third of their seats up for election.

District councils
In 114 districts one third of the council was up for election.

These were the last elections to the district councils of Bristol, Hartlepool, Kingston upon Hull and York before they were made unitary authorities by the Local Government Commission for England (1992).

These were also the last elections to the district councils of Bath, Great Grimsby and Scunthorpe before they were abolished and replaced by unitary authorities by the Local Government Commission for England (1992).

Regional councils
Apart from Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles, these were the last elections to the regional councils before they were abolished by the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994.