2000 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election

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Map of the results for the 2000 Solihull council election. Solihull UK local election 2000 map.png
Map of the results for the 2000 Solihull council election.

The 2000 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2000 to elect members of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party gained overall control of the council from no overall control. [1]

Contents

Campaign

Solihull was a top target for the Conservatives in the 2000 local elections [2] with the party needing 2 gains to win an overall majority. [3] Among the councillors defending seats in the election were the Conservative leader of the council in Castle Bromwich ward and the Labour group leader. [4]

The Conservatives campaigned on promises to protect the green belt and carefully manage the council's finances, while the national party's hard line on asylum seekers was also seen by the party as helping in the election. [5] Labour defended its strongholds in the north of the council area, pledging to target spending on addressing social problems in an area with high unemployment. [5]

Election result

The results saw the Conservatives win a majority of 5 on the council to have majority control for the first time since 1991. [6] [7] [8] Solihull also became the first metropolitan borough with a Conservative majority since the mid-1990s. [9] The Conservative gained Elmdon from the Labour Party, [7] Packwood and Shirley East from the Liberal Democrats and Shirley South where an independent councillor stood down at the election. [10] Meanwhile, the Labour group leader Mick Corser lost the election in Bickenhill after having been deselected in his previous ward of Fordbridge. [8] [10] [11] Overall turnout in the election was 30.1%, a rise from 28.3% in 1999. [12]

The Labour Party blamed the threatened closure of the Longbridge plant for a disappointing performance in the election, [10] [11] while the Conservatives put their success down to local campaigning and the national issue of pensions only going up by 75 pence. [13] Following the election the former deputy group leader Hugh Hendry was elected as the new leader of the Labour group. [14]

Solihull Local Election Result 2000 [12] [15]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Conservative 1140+464.758.927,601+7.9
  Labour 401-123.518.28,524-5.3
  Liberal Democrats 202-211.822.610,608-2.9
  Independent Labour 00000.00.3158+0.3

This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections : [16]

PartyPrevious councilNew council
Conservatives2428
Labour1514
Liberal Democrat119
Independent Ratepayers & Residents10
Total5151
Working majority -3  5 

Ward results

Bickenhill [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Robert Sleigh2,07066.0+7.4
Labour Michael Corser85427.2−7.6
Liberal Democrats Linda Whitlock2136.8+0.1
Majority 1,21638.8+15.0
Turnout 3,13731.5+1.6
Conservative hold Swing +7.5
Castle Bromwich [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative George Richards2,14974.7+11.7
Labour Florence Nash51818.0−11.1
Liberal Democrats John Knight2117.3−0.6
Majority 1,63156.7+22.8
Turnout 2,87830.4+1.9
Conservative hold Swing +11.4
Chelmsley Wood [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Alfred Hill63053.8−12.7
Conservative Graham Juniper39133.4+9.7
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Wright14912.7+3.1
Majority 23920.4−22.4
Turnout 1,17015.5−0.2
Labour hold Swing -11.2
Elmdon [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative James Wild1,78258.0+5.3
Labour Ann Littley1,08535.3−1.6
Liberal Democrats Anthony Verduyn2086.8−3.7
Majority 69722.7+6.9
Turnout 3,07538.2+4.8
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +3.4
Fordbridge [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Frederick Nash43648.7−17.4
Conservative Graham White31935.6+10.8
Liberal Democrats Christopher Hayes14015.6+6.6
Majority 11713.1−28.2
Turnout 89514.6−0.7
Labour hold Swing -14.1
Kingshurst [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Andrew Montgomerie60846.8−14.6
Conservative Martin Diggins44334.1+5.0
Independent Labour Brian Carter15812.2+12.2
Liberal Democrats Christine Reeves896.9−2.6
Majority 16512.7−19.6
Turnout 1,29822.9+2.2
Labour hold Swing -9.8
Knowle [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Leslie Kyles2,30673.4+4.6
Liberal Democrats Eric Widger51416.4+1.3
Labour Kevin Foster32010.2−5.9
Majority 1,79257.1+4.4
Turnout 3,14035.3+3.2
Conservative hold Swing +1.7
Lyndon [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Irene Chamberlain1,29758.2−1.5
Conservative Alan Vincent64328.8+4.5
Labour Michael Weale29013.0−3.0
Majority 65429.3−6.0
Turnout 2,23028.6−0.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing -3.0
Meriden [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Bell2,06169.0+4.7
Labour Jonathan Maltman50817.0−4.2
Liberal Democrats Peter Whitlock41714.0−0.4
Majority 1,55352.0+8.9
Turnout 2,98632.3+2.0
Conservative hold Swing +4.4
Olton [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Norman Davies1,73450.8−4.8
Conservative Patricia Handslip1,45642.7+6.4
Labour Gerald Cooke2216.5−1.6
Majority 2788.2−11.2
Turnout 3,41135.9+0.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing -5.6
Packwood [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Andrzej Mackiewicz2,51556.1+9.4
Liberal Democrats Robert Reeves1,75239.1−9.4
Labour Margaret Brittin2184.9−0.0
Majority 76317.0+15.2
Turnout 4,48541.1+2.4
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing +9.4
Shirley East [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Neill Watts1,86151.3+6.7
Liberal Democrats June Gandy1,55642.9−2.1
Labour Philip Knowles2125.8−4.6
Majority 3058.4+7.9
Turnout 3,62939.0+4.4
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing +4.4
Shirley South [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Rosemary Worsley2,32567.3+4.1
Labour James Burman62618.1−3.2
Liberal Democrats Douglas Hogg50214.5−0.9
Majority 1,69949.2+7.3
Turnout 3,45326.2+1.4
Conservative gain from Independent Ratepayers Swing +3.7
Shirley West [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Ian Hillas1,69463.0+12.1
Labour David George61722.9−10.0
Liberal Democrats Susan Reeve37914.1−2.1
Majority 1,07740.0+22.0
Turnout 2,69029.5+0.9
Conservative hold Swing +11.0
Silhill [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Peter Hogarth2,32567.7+13.5
Liberal Democrats Barbara Harber69220.2−12.6
Labour Marcus Bennion41612.1−0.8
Majority 1,63347.6+26.1
Turnout 3,43333.7+0.7
Conservative hold Swing +13.0
Smith's Wood [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Graham Craig60555.0−10.4
Conservative Daniel Kettle36132.8+9.3
Liberal Democrats Sandra Oakes13512.3+1.1
Majority 24422.2−19.7
Turnout 1,10114.5+0.2
Labour hold Swing -9.8
St Alphege [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Nicholas Worley2,90074.7+4.0
Liberal Democrats Brenda Chapple62016.0−1.4
Labour Irma Shaw3609.3−2.6
Majority 2,28058.8+5.4
Turnout 3,88034.5−4.9
Conservative hold Swing +2.7

By-elections between 2000 and 2002

Shirley East by-election 28 September 2000 [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Brian Burgess1,19449.0−2.3
Liberal Democrats June Gandy1,11645.8+2.9
Labour James Burman1285.3−0.5
Majority 783.2−5.2
Turnout 2,43826.1−12.9
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing -2.6

References

  1. ↑ "Solihull". BBC News Online . Retrieved 11 December 2010.
  2. ↑ Watson, Roland (10 April 2000). "'Lots to lose', Blair tells local party activists". The Times . p. 10.
  3. ↑ Hetherington, Peter; Watt, Nicholas (25 April 2000). "Armchair rebels threaten Labour hopes: Local elections: Party workers fear disillusionment and apathy as expected low turnouts prompt experiments to woo the voters". The Guardian . p. 8.
  4. ↑ Luck, Deborah (4 May 2000). "Hang on to your seats as election fight begins". Birmingham Post . p. 4.
  5. 1 2 "Battleground Solihull: Conservatives fight for a metropolitan foothold". Financial Times . 5 May 2000. p. 6.
  6. ↑ Frean, Alexandra (5 May 2000). "Tory grass roots burst into life". The Times . p. 1.
  7. 1 2 Gray, Chris (5 May 2000). "Tories win Solihull City socialists axed Knowles out as Labour crumbles". Birmingham Post . p. 1.
  8. 1 2 "Borough still not true Blue". Birmingham Post . 6 May 2000. p. 5.
  9. ↑ "Tories set to revive power base in local government". Financial Times . 5 May 2000. p. 6.
  10. 1 2 3 Walker, Jonathan (5 May 2000). "Labour leader is ousted as Tories regain control". Birmingham Post . p. 3.
  11. 1 2 "Labour vote hit by crisis at Rover". Birmingham Post . 5 May 2000. p. 1.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "Local Election Results - 2000". Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original on 2 September 2000. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
  13. ↑ "Election special: End of a 10-year Tory wait". Birmingham Mail . 5 May 2000. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
  14. ↑ Lissaman, Vicky (8 May 2000). "Labour group appoints leader". Birmingham Mail . p. 6.
  15. ↑ "Election results: local councils". The Times . 5 May 2000. p. 4.
  16. ↑ "Local council results". Financial Times . 6 May 2000. p. 6.
  17. ↑ Lissaman, Vicky (29 September 2000). "Tories tighten grip on council". Birmingham Mail . p. 31.
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