2000 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

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Map of the results of the 2000 Wigan council election. Wigan95.png
Map of the results of the 2000 Wigan council election.

Elections to Wigan Borough Council were held on 4 May 2000. One-third of the council was up for election, as well as an extra vacancy in Norley - both of which were uncontested. Since the election, there had been a by-election in which the Liberal Democrats gained the seat being fought in Hindsford from Labour.

Contents

The previous year had seen a peak in candidates contesting, but with the absence of the Greens, who had fielded a full slate last time around, candidates returned to a normal level. Some of those who'd stood for the Greens decided to run on an independent list, covering a quarter of the wards. There were a further handful of Independent candidates elsewhere, including the return of John Vickers in Hindley Green after an eight-year absence, and a second attempt of Jack Sumner in Leigh East, to produce the highest number of Independents contesting since 1973. The Conservatives fielded their highest amount, at 21, since 1982, and the Lib Dems - whilst still much reduced from their Alliance years - produced a stronger showing than recent years of ten candidates. Labour, as usual, contested every seat.

Turnout followed recent trends, at a slightly improved 19.5%, although the three wards that trailed postal voting seen marked increases. [1] Similarities ended there, as the Conservatives seen a dramatic recovery in their fortunes, with their voter share rising to the highest since 1980, and their vote near double recent years figures. Labour, in turn, suffered double-digit swings against them in most wards, with a sharp fall in their vote share to pre-peak levels and their lowest vote figure since the council's inception, narrowly surpassing the previous figure set in 1975. The Lib Dems seen another year of modest improvement in their vote, and the two returning Independents, as well as a third in Hindley garnered large swings towards them.

In all, there were two gains on the night, with Labour gaining in Beech Hill to return it to full Labour representation after a decade of Lib Dem inroads, and a loss to the Conservatives who won back representation on the council by way of their first win in Orrell since 1982. The Lib Dems narrowly held onto their newly won seat in Hindsford, with a 56-vote majority. [2] [3]

Election results

Wigan local election result 2000
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 2311092.056.925,190-10.8
  Conservative 110+14.025.111,108+12.4
  Liberal Democrats 101-14.011.95,281+3.0
  Independent 00000.04.41,956+4.1
  Independent Green 00000.01.6712+1.6

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

PartyPrevious councilNew council
Labour6969
Liberal Democrat32
Conservative01
Independent00
EIE00
Total7272
Working majority 66  66 

Ward results

Abram [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Bennett76968.8−10.2
Conservative M. Parr34831.1+17.4
Majority 42137.7−27.6
Turnout 1,11712.4+0.0
Labour hold Swing -13.8
Ashton-Golborne [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour N. Ash1,06564.4−5.8
Conservative R. Rees58835.6+17.9
Majority 47728.8−23.8
Turnout 1,65315.7−1.3
Labour hold Swing -11.8
Aspull-Standish [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour C. Ready1,25650.2−8.0
Conservative T. Peet67126.8+12.2
Liberal Democrats J. Beswick49319.7−1.4
Independent Green D. Schanzl823.3+3.3
Majority 58523.4−13.7
Turnout 2,50221.4+1.1
Labour hold Swing -10.1
Atherton [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Clarke1,10863.4−11.3
Liberal Democrats C. Thomson36320.8+20.8
Conservative R. Oxley27615.8−0.5
Majority 74542.6−15.7
Turnout 1,74720.3+1.8
Labour hold Swing -16.0
Bedford-Astley [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour C. Rigby1,23054.4−16.8
Conservative N. Dugmore65629.0+11.4
Liberal Democrats F. Graham28112.4+12.4
Independent Green L. Maile944.1+4.1
Majority 57425.4−28.2
Turnout 2,26126.8+8.4
Labour hold Swing -14.1
Beech Hill [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour T. Halliwell1,28655.1−1.8
Liberal Democrats T. Beswick91839.3−2.2
Conservative J. Pietre1305.6+5.6
Majority 36815.8+0.4
Turnout 2,33426.1−1.0
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing +0.2
Bryn [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour M. Millington1,17869.4−8.3
Conservative M. Green51830.5+15.2
Majority 66038.9−23.6
Turnout 1,69617.2−0.9
Labour hold Swing -11.7
Hindley [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Robinson87749.5−17.1
Independent B. Worthington68338.6+38.6
Conservative S. Isherwood21011.9+11.9
Majority 19411.0−29.5
Turnout 1,77017.5+0.7
Labour hold Swing -27.8
Hindley Green [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour S. Murphy84348.4−28.8
Independent J. Vickers56632.5+32.5
Conservative A. Davies33119.0+4.9
Majority 27715.9−47.2
Turnout 1,74016.0+1.9
Labour hold Swing -30.6
Hindsford [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats G. Lingings1,16346.5−6.9
Labour M. Aldred1,10744.2+4.5
Conservative D. Angell1244.9+0.3
Independent T. Norris1084.3+4.3
Majority 562.2−11.5
Turnout 2,50223.7+0.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing -5.7
Hope Carr [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour L. Liptrot94639.1−10.8
Conservative A. Oxley67227.8+6.8
Liberal Democrats P. Hough51121.1+21.1
Independent Green C. Maile28911.9+11.9
Majority 27411.3−9.4
Turnout 2,41823.7−3.6
Labour hold Swing -8.8
Ince [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour K. Baldwin86475.1−12.3
Conservative A. Eccles16514.3+6.7
Independent Green N. Maile12110.5+10.5
Majority 69960.8−19.7
Turnout 1,15014.9−0.2
Labour hold Swing -9.5
Langtree [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour D. Brown1,12947.9−17.6
Conservative J. Peet78933.5+33.5
Liberal Democrats H. Wagner43818.6−9.3
Majority 34014.4−23.2
Turnout 2,35620.2+2.3
Labour hold Swing -25.5
Leigh Central [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour K. Thomas87770.2−8.5
Conservative N. Isherwood37229.8+19.7
Majority 50540.4−27.1
Turnout 1,24914.7−2.6
Labour hold Swing -14.1
Leigh East [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour B. Jarvis87754.7−14.0
Independent J. Sumner41626.0+16.9
Conservative D. Davies30919.3+3.6
Majority 36128.8−24.2
Turnout 1,60215.0−0.2
Labour hold Swing -15.4
Lightshaw [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour D. Kelly1,55260.2−7.0
Conservative J. Grundy1,02439.8+16.3
Majority 52820.5−23.3
Turnout 2,57621.5+0.2
Labour hold Swing -11.6
Newtown [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour M. Coghlin75868.9−14.2
Liberal Democrats M. McGowan25022.7+11.0
Independent Green N. Bird928.4+8.4
Majority 50846.2−25.2
Turnout 1,10013.0−1.4
Labour hold Swing -12.6
Norley [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour B. BourneUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour J. PrescottUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Orrell [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative M. Winstanley1,00351.6+16.0
Labour E. Swift94048.4−10.2
Majority 633.2−19.7
Turnout 1,94321.3+1.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +13.1
Swinley [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Walsh1,02045.1−7.5
Conservative J. Davies93441.3+10.9
Liberal Democrats A. Robinson27212.0−1.8
Independent Green D. Saunders341.5+1.5
Majority 863.8−18.4
Turnout 2,26026.5+1.3
Labour hold Swing -9.2
Tyldesley East [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Stephenson1,02356.9−17.9
Liberal Democrats C. Jones59232.9+32.9
Independent A. Vickers18310.2+10.2
Majority 43124.0−25.7
Turnout 1,79815.3−0.8
Labour hold Swing -25.4
Whelley [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Coyle1,56575.1−11.0
Conservative E. Mather51824.9+24.9
Majority 1,04750.2−21.9
Turnout 2,08325.8+6.5
Labour hold Swing -17.9
Winstanley [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour R. Winkworth2,05965.3−4.8
Conservative J. Cartwright1,09434.7+14.0
Majority 96530.6−18.8
Turnout 3,15325.4+9.0
Labour hold Swing -9.4
Worsley Mesnes [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Brogan86169.6−11.8
Conservative T. Sutton37630.4+18.7
Majority 48539.2−30.6
Turnout 1,23713.1−0.8
Labour hold Swing -15.2

By-elections between 2000 and 2002

Atherton By-Election 5 April 2001 [4] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Bob Splaine83049.1+28.3
Labour Mark Aldred79647.0−16.4
Conservative Rosina Oxley663.9−11.9
Majority 342.1−40.5
Turnout 1,69219.9−0.4
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing +22.3
Hope Carr By-Election 7 June 2001 [5] [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour John O'Brien2,56946.4+7.3
Liberal Democrats Peter Hough1,88734.1+13.0
Conservative James Grundy1,00218.1−9.7
Socialist Alliance Keith Fry821.5+1.5
Majority 68212.3+1.0
Turnout 5,54053.4+29.7
Labour hold Swing -2.8
Hindsford By-Election 25 October 2001 [5] [7] [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Mark Aldred1,05950.9+6.7
Liberal Democrats Neil Hogg94545.5−1.0
Conservative Nigel Dugmore753.6−1.3
Majority 1145.4+3.2
Turnout 2,07919.5+4.2
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing +3.8

References

  1. ↑ "Local Elections 2000 - Report on Postal Ballot Pilot Scheme". wiganmbc.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 25 September 2000. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  2. ↑ "Wigan". BBC News Online . Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  3. 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.
  4. ↑ "Lib-Dem election cheer". Bolton Evening News. 6 April 2001. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 "Local Authority Byelection Results". gwydir.demon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
  6. ↑ "Andy secures place at No 10". Lancashire Evening Telegraph . 15 June 2001. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  7. ↑ "Fourth time lucky for Aldred". leighreporter.co.uk. 1 November 2001. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  8. ↑ "Tories win Richmondshire". The Guardian . London. 26 October 2001. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
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