1999 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

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Map of the results of the 1999 Wigan council election. Wigan94.png
Map of the results of the 1999 Wigan council election.

The 1999 Elections to Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council were held on 6 May 1999. One-third of the council was up for election. Prior to the election, the Liberal Democrats had gained the seat being fought in Beech Hill from Labour in a by-election, and long-time Labour councillor for Atherton, Jack Sumner, had defected to independent.

Contents

All wards were fought for the first time since 1992, and the election boasted the highest number of candidates excepting the all-out elections of 1973 and 1980. The increase came from the Green Party standing a full-slate, seemingly energised by their third place the previous year, with both Labour and the Conservatives repeating their recent contesting rates. The Lib Dem's showing of six candidates, conversely, resembled a party resigned to fourth place. Elsewhere the aforementioned Independent was fighting Leigh East, and an incumbent Independent Labour candidate sought her fourth term in Hindley.

The previous year had brought about the worst turnout recorded, and this election did little to improve upon it, increasing by just one percent to 18.4%. The general picture too was one of little difference to the preceding election. All three main parties managed to improve their vote upon the previous year's historic lows, but none were able to in a significant manner, and as such, their figures remained at historically poor levels. The party shares were also little changed, with a modest recovery of the Lib Dems and the Greens achieving a new peak mainly at the expense of Labour.

Labour, however, made a net gain as they retook their seat in Beech Hill from last year's by-election victors the Lib Dems, and finally ousted the Independent Labour who'd held her seat in Hindley for more than a decade. Their solitary loss was a shock defeat in their previously safe seat of Hindsford, as the Lib Dems surged on a 21.6% swing to displace Samuel Little from the council – whose incumbency had been uninterrupted in the 25-year-long history of the council up to that point. The comparable record of the independent was ended as he made little progress in Leigh East and the Greens looked no more competitive than the previous year – and actually less in certain areas. [1] [2]

Election results

Wigan Local Election Result 1999
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 2321+195.867.729,012-1.6
  Liberal Democrats 11104.28.93,839+2.2
  Conservative 00000.012.75,428-0.6
  Green 00000.09.34,004+0.6
  Independent Labour 001-10.01.0440+1.0
  Independent 00000.00.3147-1.5

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

PartyPrevious councilNew council
Labour6970
Liberal Democrat22
Conservative00
Green00
Independent Labour10
Independent00
Total7272
Working majority 66  68 

Ward results

Abram [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour B. Hampson89079.0−7.5
Conservative M. Green15513.8+0.3
Green P. Murphy817.2+7.2
Majority 73565.3−7.7
Turnout 1,12612.4+0.6
Labour hold Swing -3.9
Ashton-Golborne [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Hilton1,22770.3+17.5
Conservative F. Parkinson30817.6+8.9
Green L. Maile21112.1+12.1
Majority 91952.6+35.0
Turnout 1,74617.0−2.4
Labour hold Swing +4.3
Aspull-Standish [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Davies1,37558.2−8.2
Liberal Democrats J. Beswick49921.1+21.1
Conservative E. Mather34514.6−5.8
Green D. Schanzi1456.1−7.1
Majority 87637.09.0
Turnout 2,36420.3+1.0
Labour hold Swing -14.6
Atherton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour R. Holmes1,18874.7+2.7
Conservative N. Isherwood26016.3−0.6
Green P. Brown1428.9−2.1
Majority 92858.4+3.2
Turnout 1,59018.4+1.0
Labour hold Swing +1.6
Bedford-Astley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Lea1,11071.2−4.7
Conservative N. Dugmore27517.7+17.7
Green K. Barry17311.1−12.9
Majority 83553.6+1.7
Turnout 1,55818.4+2.7
Labour hold Swing -11.2
Beech Hill [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Collins1,38656.9+3.1
Liberal Democrats T. Beswick1,01241.5−4.7
Green A. Deardon391.6+1.6
Majority 37415.3+7.7
Turnout 2,43727.1+0.5
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing +3.9
Bryn [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour R. Atkinson1,39677.8+2.0
Conservative A. Davies27515.3+0.7
Green D. Sanderson1236.8−2.7
Majority 1,12162.5+1.2
Turnout 1,79418.1+0.3
Labour hold Swing +0.6
Hindley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Topping1,12066.7−0.5
Independent Labour E. Edwardson44026.2+26.2
Green C. Littler1197.1−25.6
Majority 68040.5+6.0
Turnout 1,67916.7+2.6
Labour gain from Independent Labour Swing -13.3
Hindley Green [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour P. Turner1,19777.2+2.2
Conservative D. Morris21914.1−4.3
Green E. Brown1348.6+2.0
Majority 97863.1+6.5
Turnout 1,55014.2+0.3
Labour hold Swing +3.2
Hindsford [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats R. Bleakley1,29953.4+20.3
Labour S. Little96639.7−22.9
Conservative L. Dugmore1144.7+4.7
Green W. Jolly522.1−2.1
Majority 33313.7−15.9
Turnout 2,43122.8+4.6
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing +21.6
Hope Carr [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour C. Hale1,38249.9+0.8
Green C. Maile80729.1−4.6
Conservative A. Oxley58020.9+3.8
Majority 57520.8+5.4
Turnout 2,76927.3+1.5
Labour hold Swing
Ince [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour D. Molyneux1,02187.4−2.7
Green N. Maile816.9+6.9
Conservative H. Topping665.6−4.3
Majority 94080.5+0.3
Turnout 1,16815.2+1.0
Labour hold Swing -4.8
Langtree [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour M. Crosby1,36965.5−3.9
Liberal Democrats F. Graham58327.9+2.8
Green E. Kismul1386.6+1.1
Majority 78637.6−6.7
Turnout 2,09017.9+1.1
Labour hold Swing -3.3
Leigh Central [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour B. Thomas1,17478.7−1.8
Green S. Critchley16711.2+0.5
Conservative T. Matthews15010.0+1.4
Majority 1,00767.5−2.3
Turnout 1,49117.3−0.0
Labour hold Swing -1.1
Leigh East [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour K. Cunliffe1,11268.7−5.0
Conservative D. Davies25415.7−3.2
Independent J. Sumner1479.1+9.1
Green N. Howarth1056.5−0.8
Majority 85853.0−1.7
Turnout 1,61815.2+0.2
Labour hold Swing -0.9
Lightshaw [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour B. Strett1,69367.2−6.1
Conservative N. Culshaw59123.5+1.4
Green S. Clarke2349.3+4.7
Majority 1,10243.8−7.5
Turnout 2,51821.3−0.0
Labour hold Swing -3.7
Newtown [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Birch1,03683.1+7.8
Liberal Democrats L. Fain14611.7+0.9
Green H. Wilkinson655.2+2.6
Majority 89071.4+7.4
Turnout 8,64814.4−0.1
Labour hold Swing +3.4
Norley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour S. Parker1,05094.2+3.0
Green D. Smith645.7−3.0
Majority 98688.5+5.9
Turnout 1,11415.6+1.3
Labour hold Swing +3.0
Orrell [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour R. Capstick1,05158.5−1.1
Conservative M. Winstanley63935.6+1.5
Green N. Bird1055.8−0.5
Majority 41222.9−2.6
Turnout 1,79519.7+0.8
Labour hold Swing -1.3
Swinley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Ball1,14352.6−0.9
Conservative J. Davies66130.4+0.2
Liberal Democrats A. Robinson30013.8+1.3
Green D. Saunders673.1−0.7
Majority 48222.2−1.1
Turnout 2,17125.2+2.2
Labour hold Swing -0.5
Tyldesley East [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour S. Hellier1,40674.8N/A
Green P. Thake47325.2N/A
Majority 93349.7N/A
Turnout 1,87916.1N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Whelley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour T. Butler1,34586.1+1.8
Green J. Wilkinson21713.9+7.3
Majority 1,12872.2−3.0
Turnout 1,56219.3+2.5
Labour hold Swing -2.7
Winstanley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Roberts1,29070.1−8.0
Conservative J. Cartwright38120.7−1.2
Green J. Critchley1709.2+9.2
Majority 90949.4−6.8
Turnout 1,84116.4+1.9
Labour hold Swing -3.4
Worsley Mesnes [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Baldwin1,08581.4−1.5
Conservative T. Sutton15511.6−5.4
Green A. Connor926.9+6.9
Majority 93069.8+3.9
Turnout 1,33213.9+0.4
Labour hold Swing +1.9

By-elections between 1999 and 2000

Hindsford By-Election 2 December 1999 [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Graham Lingings92157.1+3.7
Labour 69342.9+3.2
Majority 22714.2+0.5
Turnout 1,61415.0−7.8
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing +0.2

References

  1. "Wigan". BBC News . Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 "Wigan Council results from 1973 to 2008" (PDF). wigan.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  3. "Local Authority Byelection Results". gwydir.demon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2012.