2000 Torbay Council election

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The 2000 Torbay Council election took place on 4 May 2000 to elect members of Torbay unitary authority in England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative party gained overall control of the council from no overall control. [1]

Contents

Campaign

The election was seen as being a straight fight between the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives. [2] Before the election the Conservatives were optimistic that Torbay would be one of the councils that they would gain in the 2000 local elections [3] and they targeted it as a council that they had to win. [4] This emphasis on the council included two visits by William Hague the Conservative party leader. [5] Pre-election the Liberal Democrats only had control of the council based on the casting vote of the mayor, while the Conservatives needed 5 gains to take control. [5]

Conservative leaflets led with the theme of "Keep the Pound" but locally they accused the Liberal Democrat administration of incompetence and attacked the 22% Council Tax rise over the previous two years. [4] The Liberal Democrats were also attacked over the council's decision to not put on any floral displays in 1999 to save money, which was seen as being an error for an area dependent on tourism. [6] However the Liberal Democrats accused the Conservatives of playing on voters fears about asylum seekers being housed in the area. [4]

Election result

The results saw the Conservatives win 32 of the 36 seats on the council, with the Liberal Democrats reduced to just 4 seats after having run the council since 1991. [4] Liberal Democrat losses included the leader of the council, Anne Williams, and the mayor, John Turner. [4] The Labour party lost both their seats on the council blaming a poor turnout at 33% and the recent rise of only 75 pence in the state pension for their defeat. [4]

The result was seen as being an omen for the next general election, where the sitting Liberal Democrat member of parliament Adrian Sanders only had a majority of 12 over the Conservatives. [4] However the 2001 general election would see the Liberal Democrats hold the parliamentary constituency with an increased majority. [7]

Torbay Local Election Result 2000 [8]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Conservative 32+1988.958.951,091
  Liberal Democrats 4-1411.131.927,672
  Labour 0-208.17,000
 Independent Ratepayers0000.6508
 Best Value for Torbay0000.3251
  Monster Raving Loony 0000.2177
  Independent 0-3000

Ward results

Blatchcombe (3) [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Eric Abercrombie866
Conservative Beverley Brennan828
Conservative Olive Jarmain827
Liberal Democrats Douglas Lentell766
Liberal Democrats John Nicholls757
Liberal Democrats Philip Whitehead714
Labour Roger Ballinger369
Labour Wayne Doidge347
Labour Eric McCaig328
Turnout 5,80224.9
Cockington with Chelston (3) [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Michael Hytche1,688
Conservative Beryl McPhail1,685
Conservative Christine Weston1,628
Liberal Democrats Stewart Foulds720
Liberal Democrats Jerome Betts686
Liberal Democrats Neil King647
Labour Rosalind Royle376
Turnout 7,43035.8
Coverdale (3) [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Goulden1,232
Conservative Alan Hoyle1,197
Conservative James O'Dwyer1,187
Liberal Democrats Ann Williams1,023
Liberal Democrats Richard James917
Liberal Democrats Vincent McCann911
Labour Brenda Hill316
Turnout 6,783
Ellacombe (3) [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Bruce Cowling970
Conservative Peter Long908
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Midgley787
Liberal Democrats John Davis786
Conservative Alan Shepheard768
Liberal Democrats John Dunn750
Independent RatepayersLionel Digby508
Labour Jonathan Haines358
Turnout 5,835
Furzeham with Churston(3) [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Robert Pudner1,846
Conservative Nicholas Bye1,831
Conservative Moira Tapperell1,781
Liberal Democrats Andrea Colborne486
Labour John Robinson403
Labour Christopher Day393
Liberal Democrats Marlene Brown385
Labour William Loader379
Turnout 7,504
Preston (3) [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Jean Turnbull1,999
Conservative Beverley Oxley1,995
Conservative Ronald Morris1,949
Liberal Democrats Timothy Nicholls897
Liberal Democrats Linda Turner871
Liberal Democrats John Pentney729
Labour James Towell335
Turnout 8,775
St Marychurch (3) [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Heather Buckpitt1,531
Conservative Paul Price1,517
Conservative Donald Brook1,490
Liberal Democrats Andrew Blake1,272
Liberal Democrats Hilary Chambers1,212
Liberal Democrats Roger Stringer1,169
Turnout 8,191
St Michaels with Goodrington (3) [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Penelope Barnby1,991
Conservative Maureen1,990
Conservative Keith Bryant1,962
Liberal Democrats John Turner1,133
Liberal Democrats Andrew Douglas-Dunbar989
Liberal Democrats Doreen Urquart935
Labour Edward Harris394
Turnout 9,394
St Peters with St Marys (3) [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Sally Jowett1,339
Conservative Eileen Salloway1,332
Conservative Alan Craig1,285
Labour Michael Morey931
Labour Irene Reade624
Labour Peter Pimie614
Liberal Democrats Frank Lomas404
Liberal Democrats Stuart John403
Liberal Democrats David Morris387
Turnout 7,319
Shiphay (3) [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Steve Darling 1,157
Conservative Mark Kingscote1,120
Liberal Democrats Colin Charlwood1,102
Conservative John Palmer1,084
Liberal Democrats Alan Faulkner1,082
Conservative Gert Eisner1,057
Labour Stephen Turner293
Turnout 6,895
Tormohun (3) [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Damian Barton994
Liberal Democrats Jennider Faulkner924
Conservative Frances Harrison917
Conservative Margaret Stafford891
Liberal Democrats Michael Collins787
Liberal Democrats Michael Wege710
Labour Pauline Cartlidge287
Best Value for TorbayStanley Lewis251
Turnout 5,761
Torwood (3) [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Richard Cuming1,838
Conservative Julian Chandler1,805
Conservative Matthew Phillips1,763
Liberal Democrats Kathleen Hawkins441
Liberal Democrats Eric Blatchford427
Liberal Democrats Adrian Treneary306
Labour Edward Corrigam253
Monster Raving Loony John Rowe177
Turnout 7,010

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References

  1. ↑ "Torbay". BBC News Online . Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  2. ↑ "Reporting from Torbay". BBC News Online . 4 May 2000. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
  3. ↑ Hetherington, Peter (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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 de Bruxelles, Simon (5 May 2000). "Torbay becomes Tory-bay once again". The Times . p. 4.
  5. 1 2 "Battleground Torbay: Tide could be on the turn for true blues along the riviera". Financial Times . 5 May 2000. p. 6.
  6. ↑ Watt, Nicholas (2 May 2000). "Flower power boosts Tories". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
  7. ↑ "Big boost for Kennedy". BBC News Online . 8 June 2001. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
  8. ↑ "Election results: local councils". The Times . 5 May 2000. p. 4.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Torbay Council Elections Thursday 4th May 2000" (PDF). Torbay Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
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