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 result

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
Majority42137.7-27.6
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
Majority47728.8-23.8
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
Majority58523.4-13.7
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
Majority74542.6-15.7
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
Majority57425.4-28.2
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
Majority36815.8+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
Majority66038.9-23.6
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
Majority19411.0-29.5
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
Majority27715.9-47.2
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
Majority562.2-11.5
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
Majority27411.3-9.4
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
Majority69960.8-19.7
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
Majority34014.4-23.2
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
Majority50540.4-27.1
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
Majority36128.8-24.2
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
Majority52820.5-23.3
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
Majority50846.2-25.2
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
Majority633.2-19.7
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
Majority863.8-18.4
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
Majority43124.0-25.7
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
Majority1,04750.2-21.9
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
Majority96530.6-18.8
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
Majority48539.2-30.6
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
Majority342.1-40.5
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
Majority68212.3+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
Majority1145.4+3.2
Turnout 2,07919.5+4.2
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing +3.8

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