2002 Crawley Borough Council election

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The 2002 Crawley Borough Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Crawley Borough Council in West Sussex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour Party stayed in overall control of the council. [1]

Contents

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Background

Before the election Labour controlled the council with 24 seats, compared to 5 for the Conservatives and 2 Liberal Democrats, with a further seat being vacant. [3] 10 wards were contested, with 2 seats being elected in Pound Hill North. [3] [4]

Issues at the election included the growth of Crawley, parking, litter, street lights and a possible second runway at Gatwick Airport, with issues to do with the national Labour government also being raised. [4]

Election result

Labour remained in control of the council with 23 councillors after holding 7 of the 11 seats contested, despite losing 1 seat to the Conservatives. [5] The Conservative gain came in Furnace Green, where Brenda Blackwell defeated the former Labour mayor Ray Calcott by 1,269 votes to 895. [6] This took to the Conservatives to 7 seats, as they also held the 2 seats contested in Pound Hill North, while the Liberal Democrats remained on 2 seats after holding Northgate. [5] [6]

The election had a trial of all postal voting in the 4 wards of Bewbush, Broadfield, Ifield and Southgate in an attempt to increase turnout. [7] Overall turnout across Crawley was 30.09%, a rise from 23.2% at the 2000 election, [8] and in the wards that trialed all postal voting, turnout increased by an average of 15.7%. [7]

Crawley local election result 2002 [9] [2]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 701-163.648.29,386
  Conservative 310+127.331.26,079
  Liberal Democrats 10009.117.43,395
  Independent 000001.5285
  Socialist Labour 000000.8154
 Justice Party000000.364
  Monster Raving Loony 000000.248
  Socialist Alliance 000000.246

Ward results

Bewbush [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Doug Murdoch 1,008 60.7
Conservative Corinne Bowen33520.2
Liberal Democrats Kevin Osborne20712.5
Justice PartyArshad Kahn643.9
Socialist Alliance Muriel Hirsh462.8
Majority67340.5
Turnout 1,66027.8+10.6
Labour hold Swing
Broadfield [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Brian Quinn 1,477 58.4
Conservative David Bowen68827.2
Liberal Democrats Victoria Jones27510.9
Socialist Labour Martyn Badger893.5
Majority78931.2
Turnout 2,52929.5+15.7
Labour hold Swing
Furnace Green [9] [10] [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Brenda Brockwell 1,269 47.4
Labour Ray Calcott89533.4
Liberal Democrats Roger McMurray51619.3
Majority37414.0
Turnout 2,68025.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Ifield [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Ben Clay 1,294 49.5
Conservative Christina Belben54821.0
Liberal Democrats Barry Hamilton48518.6
Independent Richard Symonds28510.9
Majority74628.5
Turnout 2,61240.3+17.8
Labour hold Swing
Langley Green [9] [10] [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Brenda Smith 918 71.2
Conservative Keith Brockwell21216.4
Liberal Democrats Edward Reay15912.3
Majority70654.8
Turnout 1,28923.9
Labour hold Swing
Northgate [9] [10] [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Linda Seekings 705 63.2
Labour Nicholas Webber30727.5
Conservative John Rolf1049.3
Majority39835.7
Turnout 1,11631.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Pound Hill North (2) [9] [10] [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Henry Smith 866
Conservative Sally Blake 844
Labour David Green462
Labour John Stephens451
Liberal Democrats Nigel Aldridge198
Liberal Democrats David Barry154
Monster Raving Loony Christopher Hanlon48
Turnout 3,02330.9
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Southgate [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Mary Mayne 1,225 50.6
Conservative Lee Burke78432.4
Liberal Democrats Howard Llewelyn41317.1
Majority44118.2
Turnout 2,42239.7+18.7
Labour hold Swing
Tilgate [9] [10] [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Colin Lloyd 720 59.2
Conservative Duncan Crow24620.2
Liberal Democrats Darren Wise18515.2
Socialist Labour Derek Issacs655.3
Majority47439.0
Turnout 1,21627.0
Labour hold Swing
West Green [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Bert Crane 629 69.1
Conservative Lisa Noel18320.1
Liberal Democrats Lyndon Hamill9810.8
Majority44649.0
Turnout 910
Labour hold Swing

References

  1. "Crawley". BBC News. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Election results; Local Election". The Times. 4 May 2002. p. 16.
  3. 1 2 "Crawley goes to the polls". The Argus . 2 May 2002. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Election fight on". Crawley and Horley Observer. 10 April 2002. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  5. 1 2 "Postal voting declared a winner". The Argus . 3 May 2002. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  6. 1 2 "Tories gain vital seat". Crawley and Horley Observer. 8 May 2002. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Pilot scheme evaluation: Crawley Borough Council 2 May 2002" (PDF). Electoral Commission . Crawley Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  8. "Postal vote success". Crawley and Horley Observer. 8 May 2002. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Election results". Crawley and Horley Observer. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Crawley". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "Crawley Council Election Results - 2003" (PDF). Crawley Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2012 via Political Science Resources.