2000 Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Gateshead Council in Tyne and Wear, England were held on 4 May 2000. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour Party kept overall control of the council. ^[1]

As part of an experiment to try to raise turnout, Bensham and Whickham North wards saw postal voting allowed for all voters. ^[2] Turnout in Bensham ward rose from 20% in 1999 to 46% in this election, while Whickham North saw a turnout of 61%. ^[3]

After the election, the composition of the council was:

• Labour 47
• Liberal Democrat 18
• Liberal 1 ^[4]

Election result

Gateshead Local Election Result 2000 ^[4]

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Labour	14			-2	63.6
	Liberal Democrats	7			+2	31.8
	Liberal	1			0	4.5

References

1. "Gateshead". BBC Online . Retrieved 9 May 2009.
2. Unwin, Bruce (29 April 2000). "Marking her card at sweet seventeen". The Northern Echo. p. 8.
3. "Apathy may prove to be Blair's biggest enemy: Cathy Newman and Alan Pike outline government experiments to boost poll turnouts". Financial Times. 5 May 2000. p. 6.
4. "Election results: local councils". The Times . 6 May 2000. p. 10.

External links

• Official report on the electoral pilot at Gateshead elections published

Preceded by 1999 Gateshead Council election

Gateshead local elections

Succeeded by 2002 Gateshead Council election