City of York Council election, 2011

Elections to City of York Council were held on Thursday 5 May 2011. The whole council was up for election. The vote took place alongside the United Kingdom Alternative Vote referendum, 2011.

The Labour Party gained overall control of the council from no overall control. Labour had previously won a majority of seats on the new York unitary council in 1995 and again in 1999. The Liberal Democrats had controlled the council outright since 2003 and led a minority administration since the 2007 election.

Andrew Waller, leader of the Liberal Democrats group and former leader of the Council, was not reelected. Councillor Carol Runciman became leader of the Liberal Democrats group but stepped down in May 2013 and was replaced by Councillor Keith Aspden. Councillor Chris Steward became leader of the Conservative group in January 2014, succeeding Councillor Ian Gillies. Councillor James Alexander resigned as leader of the Labour Group and leader of the Council in November 2014, with Councillor Dafydd Williams taking on both of these roles.

In August 2012, Lynn Jeffries, a Labour councillor resigned the whip in protest at the Council's cuts to social care, bringing the number of Independent Councillors to two; she subsequently joined the Liberal Democrat group. Labour Councillor Brian Watson became an independent councillor in May 2014 after being deselected in Guildhall ward. In September 2014, Councillor Helen Douglas resigned from the Labour group and joined the Conservatives leading to Labour losing overall control of the Council. Councillors Ken King and David Scott resigned from the Labour group in October 2014. One seat was vacant following the death of councillor Lynn Jeffries in August 2014. The subsequent by-election held in October 2014 was won by Liberal Democrat former Council leader Andrew Waller. Conservative councillor Joe Watt left the Conservatives group in January 2015 after falling out with party leader Chris Steward.