1999 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election

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Map of the results for the 1999 Solihull council election. Solihull UK local election 1999 map.png
Map of the results for the 1999 Solihull council election.

The 1999 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 6 May 1999 to elect members of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control. [1] [2]

Contents

Campaign

Before the election the Conservative party needed to gain 5 seats in order to take control over the council, which was being run by a Labour led administration. [3] [4] The Conservatives were defending 7 seats at the election, compared to 6 for Labour, 4 for the Liberal Democrats and 1 independent seat. [5] The 2 seats that were to be contested in Shirley West ward after the death of a Labour councillor and the stepping down of an independent councillor at the election were top targets for the Conservatives. [3] [4]

Labour defended their record in control of the council pointing to their record in combating crime and surpassing national targets for reducing class sizes. [5] However the Conservatives were optimistic of making gains and said they could deliver good services, while keeping council tax levels low. [5]

Election result

The results saw the Conservatives make 3 gains to strengthen their position as the largest party on the council with 24 seats, but failed to make the 5 gains they needed to take majority control. [6] The Conservatives easily gained the 2 seats contested in Shirley West and another in Elmdon from Labour, [7] but fell short in another 2 seats. [8] They were just 15 votes from winning Shirley East from the Liberal Democrats, [7] while in Packwood the Liberal Democrats held on by 76 votes over the Conservatives after 2 recounts. [8] Overall turnout in the election was 28.3%. [9]

The Conservatives won over half of the votes in the election, but combined the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties retained more seats. [10] However following the election the Liberal Democrats refused to make any agreement with Labour, thus allowing the Conservatives to take control as the largest party from Labour who had run the council since 1996. [11] [12] Labour councillor Arthur Harper was meanwhile elected mayor, becoming the first Labour councillor to hold the post since 1980. [12]

Solihull Local Election Result 1999 [13]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Conservative 1030+355.551.022,828+6.0%
  Liberal Democrats 400022.225.511,423+2.2%
  Labour 402-222.223.510,518-1.9%

This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections : [14]

PartyPrevious councilNew council
Conservatives2124
Labour1715
Liberal Democrat1111
Independent Ratepayers & Residents21
Total5151
Working majority -9  -3 

Ward results

Bickenhill [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Alan Martin1,76558.6+21.8
Labour Frederick Nash1,04934.8-23.7
Liberal Democrats Christine Reeves2006.6+1.8
Majority71623.8+2.0
Turnout 3,01429.9-5.4
Conservative hold Swing +22.8
Castle Bromwich [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Robin Draycott1,70563.0+0.9
Labour Marcus Brain78829.1+0.2
Liberal Democrats John Knight2147.9-1.2
Majority91733.9+0.7
Turnout 2,70728.5-1.0
Conservative hold Swing +0.3
Chelmsley Wood [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Nicholas Stephens84166.6-3.0
Conservative Graham White30023.8+1.7
Liberal Democrats Bernard Wright1229.7-1.4
Majority54142.8-4.7
Turnout 1,26315.7-0.9
Labour hold Swing -2.3
Elmdon [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Bramham1,43052.7+11.5
Labour Florence Nash1,00336.9-14.1
Liberal Democrats Barbara Harber28310.4+2.5
Majority42715.7+5.8
Turnout 2,71633.4-2.7
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +12.8
Fordbridge [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Kenneth Harrop63866.1-2.2
Conservative Timothy Vernon24024.9+1.7
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Wright879.0+0.5
Majority39841.2-4.0
Turnout 96515.3+0.9
Labour hold Swing -2.0
Kingshurst [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour John Kimberley74561.4+17.1
Conservative Joan Allsopp35329.1+10.0
Liberal Democrats Christopher Hayes1159.5+5.3
Majority39232.3+20.3
Turnout 1,21320.7-0.2
Labour hold Swing +3.5
Knowle [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Don Blake1,97768.8+6.5
Labour C. Cotton46316.1-6.0
Liberal Democrats Douglas Hogg43415.1-0.5
Majority1,51452.7+12.4
Turnout 2,87432.1-0.3
Conservative hold Swing +6.2
Lyndon [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Olive Hogg1,37159.7+3.2
Conservative T. Handslip56024.4-4.3
Labour Kevin Foster36716.0+1.1
Majority81135.3+7.6
Turnout 2,29829.0-1.30
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +3.7
Meriden [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Kenneth Allsopp1,78664.4-4.5
Labour Patricia Harrop59021.3+2.2
Liberal Democrats Peter Whitlock39914.4+2.4
Majority1,19643.1-6.7
Turnout 2,77530.3-2.3
Conservative hold Swing -3.3
Olton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Honor Cox1,91755.6+3.7
Conservative Donald Jones1,25136.3+1.5
Labour Philip Knowles2798.1-0.5
Majority66619.3+2.2
Turnout 3,44735.8-0.6
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +1.1
Packwood [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Peter Lee2,00548.5+5.0
Conservative Robert Sleigh1,92946.6-5.0
Labour William Shaw2034.9+0.0
Majority761.8-6.3
Turnout 4,13738.7-1.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +5.0
Shirley East [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats John Reeve1,47245.0-2.7
Conservative Neill Watts1,45744.6+6.3
Labour Margaret Brittin34010.4+0.5
Majority150.5-9.0
Turnout 3,26934.6-0.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing -4.5
Shirley South [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Fiona Mawson2,10163.2+22.7
Labour Bernard McElholm70921.3+2.2
Liberal Democrats Eric Widger51515.5+6.4
Majority1,39241.9+32.6
Turnout 3,32524.8-2.3
Conservative hold Swing +10.2
Shirley West [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Skelding1,37550.9+18.2
Conservative Ian Hillas1,339
Labour David George88932.9+6.4
Labour Michael Weale798
Liberal Democrats Susan Reeve43716.2+10.2
Liberal Democrats Anthony Verduyn274
Majority48618.0+11.8
Turnout 2,70128.6-1.0
Conservative gain from Independent Ratepayers Swing
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +5.9
Silhill [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Susan Gomm1,83854.3+6.9
Liberal Democrats Robert Reeves1,11132.8-9.0
Labour Richard Sumner43812.9+2.1
Majority72721.5+15.9
Turnout 3,38733.0-3.6
Conservative hold Swing +7.9
Smith's Wood [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Donald Cornock75965.3-4.8
Conservative Daniel Kettle27323.5+2.2
Liberal Democrats Keith Brown13011.2+2.6
Majority48641.8-7.0
Turnout 1,16214.3-1.0
Labour hold Swing -3.5
St. Alphege [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Stuart Davis2,48870.8-0.1
Liberal Democrats Brenda Chapple61117.4-0.9
Labour Marcus Bennion41711.9+1.0
Majority1,87753.4+0.8
Turnout 3,51631.0-2.1
Conservative hold Swing +0.4

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References

  1. "Solihull". BBC News Online . Retrieved 11 December 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "Solihull M. B. C. Election Results Sheet, 6 May 1999", Solihull M.B.C.(1999).
  3. 1 2 Bell, David (9 April 1999). "Labour 'is facing poll meltdown' Birmingham and Solihull council election nominations: Party's appeal waning -report". Birmingham Mail. p. 6.
  4. 1 2 Smith, Lisa (5 May 1999). "Local election countdown: Line polling decider". Birmingham Mail. p. 6.
  5. 1 2 3 Summers, Deborah (22 April 1999). "All to play for in town of scandal". Birmingham Post . p. 4.
  6. Worrall, Boris (8 May 1999). "Middle England takes its revenge". Birmingham Post . p. 3.
  7. 1 2 Smith, Lisa (7 May 1999). "Just a few votes from winning back control". Birmingham Post . p. 7.
  8. 1 2 Smith, Lisa (7 May 1999). "3 key seats swing right". Birmingham Mail. p. 6.
  9. "Local Election Results - 2000". Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original on 2 September 2000. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
  10. Smith, Lisa (11 May 1999). "Tories bid to run council". Birmingham Mail. p. 6.
  11. Smith, Lisa (13 May 1999). "Tories set to seize back Solihull". Birmingham Mail. p. 5.
  12. 1 2 Swingler, Steve (18 May 1999). "Solihull back under control of Tories". Birmingham Post . p. 3.
  13. "Local Councils: Results round-up". The Times . 7 May 1999. p. 4.
  14. "How Britain voted: Council Election Results". The Independent . 8 May 1999. p. 12.