2002 Wyre Forest District Council election

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Map of the results of the 2002 Wyre Forest District Council election. Health Concern in pink, Conservatives in blue, Liberal in olive and Labour in red. Wards in grey were not contested in 2002. Wyre Forest UK local election 2002 map.png
Map of the results of the 2002 Wyre Forest District Council election. Health Concern in pink, Conservatives in blue, Liberal in olive and Labour in red. Wards in grey were not contested in 2002.

The 2002 Wyre Forest District Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Wyre Forest District Council in Worcestershire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern party gained overall control of the council from no overall control. [1]

Contents

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Campaign

Before the election the council was run by a coalition of Health Concern, Conservative, Liberal Democrats and Liberal councillors. [3] 14 seats were initially expected to be contested with the Conservatives unopposed in Chaddesley ward. [3] However, in mid April the defending Liberal Democrat councillor for Sutton Park, Steve Roberts, died meaning that the election in that ward was postponed until a by-election could be held. [4] With Labour defending 6 of the seats which were being contested there was an expectation that the Health Concern group could gain a majority on the council. [3] [5] Since the last election in 2000, Richard Taylor from Health Concern had gained the parliamentary constituency from Labour in the 2001 general election. [6]

The issue of the downgrading of the local Kidderminster hospital, which had dominated the last two council election, continued to remain a significant theme of the campaign. [5] [7] Another issue which was raised in the campaign was concern over plans to establish a new incinerator in Kidderminster, [7] which was opposed by all the parties contesting the election. [5]

Election result

The results saw the Health Concern party gain control of the council after making a net gain of five seats. [6] [8] This meant that Health Concern had 21 seats, [9] 15 more than any other party. [6] They thus had control of the council on the chairman's casting vote. [10]

The gains for Health Concern were mainly at the expense of Labour who lost five seats, with the Liberal Democrats also losing a seat. [6] However both the Conservative and Liberal parties gained one seat each. [6] Overall turnout at the election was 32%. [10]

Wyre Forest local election result 2002 [2] [11]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Health Concern 761+553.829.65,837
  Conservative 310+123.125.14,947
  Liberal 210+115.413.02,569
  Labour 105-57.724.84,892
  Liberal Democrats 001-106.31,233
  Independent 001-101.1221

Ward results

Aggborough and Spennells [11] [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Health Concern Keith Robertson78134.2
Liberal Democrats Peter Dyke71231.2
Conservative Keith Fletcher56024.6
Labour Mari Jones1546.8
Liberal Kevin Hill743.2
Majority693.0
Turnout 2,281
Health Concern gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Areley Kings [11] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Albert Adams69446.6
Conservative Michael Partridge57538.6
Independent Jim Millington22114.8
Majority1198.0
Turnout 1,490
Labour hold Swing
Bewdley [11] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Stephen Clee83654.7
Labour Paul Gittins69245.3
Majority1449.4
Turnout 1,528
Conservative hold Swing
Broadwaters [11] [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Health Concern Marion Spragg59146.6
Labour John Stevens30624.1
Liberal Rob Wheway18914.9
Conservative John Friend1209.5
Liberal Democrats Michael Gay624.9
Majority28522.5
Turnout 1,268
Health Concern gain from Labour Swing
Chaddesley Corbett [11] [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Stephen Williamsunopposed
Conservative hold Swing
Franche [11] [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Health Concern Kimberley Poller81948.1
Labour Nigel Knowles54932.2
Conservative Kevin Ruddy29917.5
Liberal Democrats Nigel Goodman372.2
Majority27015.9
Turnout 1,704
Health Concern gain from Labour Swing
Greenhill [11] [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Paul Harrison96057.2
Health Concern Mike Shellie36421.7
Labour John Gretton22413.3
Conservative Geoff Bulmer1317.8
Majority59635.5
Turnout 1,679
Liberal gain from Health Concern Swing
Habberley and Blakebrook [11] [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Health Concern Howard Eeles1,03653.1
Labour Lynn Hyde65633.6
Conservative Neil Anderson22011.3
Liberal Democrats Mike Price402.0
Majority38019.5
Turnout 1,952
Health Concern gain from Labour Swing
Lickhill [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Health Concern Jill Fairbrother-Millis92053.2
Conservative Gary Talbot46326.8
Labour Graham Whitefoot34620.0
Majority45726.4
Turnout 1,729
Health Concern hold Swing
Mitton [11] [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Health Concern Maureen Aston66544.5
Conservative David Little47331.7
Labour Mick Grinnall35623.8
Majority19212.8
Turnout 1,494
Health Concern gain from Labour Swing
Offmore [11] [21]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Mike Oborski1,34674.2
Labour Adrian Sewell24013.2
Conservative Margaret Gregory22912.6
Majority1,10661.0
Turnout 1,815
Liberal hold Swing
Oldington and Foley Park [11] [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Nathan Desmond54343.3
Liberal Democrats Clare Cassidy38230.5
Labour William Bradley32826.2
Majority16112.8
Turnout 1,253
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Wribbenhall and Arley [11] [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Health Concern Tony Greenfield66143.9
Conservative Louise Edginton49833.1
Labour Barry McFarland34723.0
Majority16310.8
Turnout 1,506
Health Concern gain from Independent Swing

By-elections between 2002 and 2003

A by-election was held in Sutton Park on 13 June 2002 after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Steve Roberts. [24] The seat was gained for the Conservatives by Marcus Hart with a majority of 77 votes over Health Concern candidate Jennifer Harrison. [24] This meant Health Concern no longer had a majority on the council, but continued to run the council with the casting vote of the council chairman, as they had 21 of the 42 seats on the council. [24]

Sutton Park by-election 13 June 2002 [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Marcus Hart58338.1+29.7
Health Concern Jennifer Harrison50633.1−20.9
Liberal Democrats Clare Cassidy25316.5−12.4
Labour William Bradley18712.2+3.5
Majority775.0
Turnout 1,52931.8
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

References

  1. ↑ "Wyre Forest". BBC News. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  2. 1 2 "Election results; Local Elections". The Times. 3 May 2002. p. 6.
  3. 1 2 3 "Labour control on a knife-edge ; Mail focus on the May 2 local council elections". Birmingham Mail . 12 April 2002. p. 8.
  4. ↑ "Sudden death of former mayor and top Liberal". Birmingham Mail . 15 April 2002. p. 5.
  5. 1 2 3 "Health Concern look for control". Birmingham Mail . 1 May 2002. p. 2.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Lister, Sam (3 May 2002). "Council falls to party fighting on health issues". The Times. p. 7.
  7. 1 2 Brady, Emma (30 March 2002). "Local Elections 2002: Councillor's death could make it a low-key campaign". Birmingham Post . p. 4.
  8. ↑ "Poll success for health campaigners". BBC News. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
  9. ↑ McSmith, Andy (3 May 2002). "Hospital party takes control". The Daily Telegraph. p. 4.
  10. 1 2 Smith, Sue (3 May 2002). "Local Election Results 2002: Protest's healthy majority". Birmingham Mail . p. 17.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Wyre Forest". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  12. ↑ "Aggborough and Spennells". Malvern Gazette . 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  13. ↑ "Areley Kings". Malvern Gazette . 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  14. ↑ "Bewdley". Malvern Gazette . 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  15. ↑ "Broadwaters". Malvern Gazette . 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  16. ↑ "Chaddesley Corbett". Malvern Gazette . 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  17. ↑ "Franche". Malvern Gazette . 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  18. ↑ "Greenhill". Malvern Gazette . 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  19. ↑ "Habberley and Blakebrook". Malvern Gazette . 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  20. ↑ "Mitton". Malvern Gazette . 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  21. ↑ "Offmore". Malvern Gazette . 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  22. ↑ "Oldington and Foley Park". Malvern Gazette . 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  23. ↑ "Wribbenhall and Arley". Malvern Gazette . 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  24. 1 2 3 4 "Changing vote claim". Worcestershire, West Midlands, Herefordshire, and Shropshire Counties Publications. 20 June 2002 – via NewsBank.
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