2004 South Lakeland District Council election

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The 2004 South Lakeland District Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of South Lakeland District Council in Cumbria, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control. [1]

Contents

After the election, the composition of the council was

Campaign

Before the election the Liberal Democrats had 22 seats, the Conservatives 18, Labour 8 and independents 2, with a further 2 seats being vacant. [3] The 2 vacant seats were in Milnthorpe, after the resignation of the Liberal Democrat councillor Malcolm Alston, and Ulverston East, following the death of Labour councillor Bob Bolton. [4] 18 seats were being contested in the 2004 election, with 6 of them being in Ulverston. [5] Apart from the 2 vacant seats, the Conservatives defended 7 seats, the Liberal Democrats 6, Labour 2 and 1 independent. [4]

Issues for the 3 parties represented on the council included the council tax, improving facilities, attracting more businesses to the area, street cleaning and plans to upgrade the Furness Line and create an A590 bypass. [6] There was controversy at the election over the decision of the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Westmorland and Lonsdale Tim Farron to stand in the election for Milnthorpe. [7] The Conservatives attacked the decision saying it was an indication the Liberal Democrats would not win the parliamentary seat, but Tim Farron said there would be no problem with him doing both roles. [7]

The election in South Lakeland, along with all of North West England, had a trial of all postal voting. [3]

Election result

The results saw no party win a majority, but the Conservatives made 2 gains. [8] They took Grange-over-Sands from the Liberal Democrats by 1,129 votes to 1,054 and gained Ulverston Central from Labour by 263 votes to 226. [8] Successful candidates included the Conservative leader of the council Colin Hodgson and the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Tim Farron. [8] Overall turnout in the election was 55.88%. [9]

South Lakeland Local Election Result 2004 [2] [9]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Conservative 920+250.047.39,021-2.4%
  Liberal Democrats 601-133.337.67,169-6.1%
  Labour 201-111.17.01,340+5.8%
  Independent 10005.65.81,103+0.4%
  Green 000001.7316+1.7%
  UKIP 000000.7137+0.7%

Ward results

Arnside and Beetham [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Ian Stewart* 1,133 51.9 −4.0
Conservative David Clark1,05148.1+4.0
Majority823.8−8.0
Turnout 2,18461.4+12.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Burton and Holme [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Roger Bingham* 923 75.0 −7.4
Liberal Democrats Antony Jolley30825.0+7.4
Majority61550.0−14.8
Turnout 1,23156.3+10.5
Conservative hold Swing
Coniston [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Doreen Hall* 557 59.8 +3.8
Liberal Democrats John Hemingway37540.2−3.8
Majority18219.6+7.6
Turnout 93263.2+7.6
Conservative hold Swing
Grange [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative William Wearing 1,129 48.4 +11.3
Liberal Democrats Robert Leach*1,05445.1−17.8
Independent Anthony Coles1526.5N/A
Majority753.3
Turnout 2,33563.9+19.0
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Hawkshead [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Gordon Jenkinson* 404 52.5 +2.4
Conservative Richard Lancaster36647.5−2.4
Majority385.0+4.8
Turnout 77057.1+13.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Levens [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Brenda Woof* 684 70.2 +13.6
Conservative Melvin Mackie29029.8−13.6
Majority39440.4+27.2
Turnout 97466.0+12.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Low Furness and Swarthmoor [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent David Foot* 863 50.2 −1.5
Conservative Janice Bell49128.6−19.7
Liberal Democrats Lawson Short36521.2N/A
Majority37221.6+18.2
Turnout 1,71949.9+10.9
Independent hold Swing
Lyth Valley [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Robin Brown 605 65.3 +4.1
Liberal Democrats Margaret Smith32234.7−4.1
Majority28330.6+8.2
Turnout 92755.8+16.2
Conservative hold Swing
Milnthorpe [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Timothy Farron 723 66.6 −11.2
Conservative Andrew Coates27425.2+3.0
Labour David Ryder898.2N/A
Majority44941.4−14.2
Turnout 1,08664.2+29.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Natland [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Brenda Gray 605 56.5 +1.2
Conservative Enid Robinson**46543.5−1.2
Majority14013.0+2.4
Turnout 1,07065.7+11.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Staveley-in-Cartmel [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Michael Bentley* 425 48.4 −4.7
Liberal Democrats Ronald Mein36541.6−5.3
Independent Edward Walsh8810.0N/A
Majority606.8+0.6
Turnout 87858.3+15.4
Conservative hold Swing
Staveley-in-Westmorland [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Stanley Collins* 679 71.2 −7.6
Conservative George Richardson27528.8+7.6
Majority40442.4−15.2
Turnout 95456.5+13.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Ulverston Central [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Norman Bishop-Rowe 263 41.0 +2.6
Labour David Miller*22635.3−26.3
Liberal Democrats Peter Metcalfe15223.7N/A
Majority375.7
Turnout 64142.4+10.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Ulverston East [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Philip Lister** 281 59.0 −18.1
Conservative Peter Hornby19541.0+18.1
Majority8618.0−36.2
Turnout 47634.0+5.8
Labour hold Swing
Ulverston North [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Colin Hodgson* 434 57.9 −10.8
Green Karen Stack31642.1N/A
Majority11815.8−21.6
Turnout 75052.8+15.3
Conservative hold Swing
Ulverston South [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Alfred Jarvis* 437 66.3 +4.0
Labour Bhareth Rajan22233.7−4.0
Majority21532.6+8.0
Turnout 65948.1+16.1
Conservative hold Swing
Ulverston Town [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Graham Donning 301 47.4 −27.1
Conservative George Bell20031.5+6.0
UKIP Alan Beach13421.1N/A
Majority10115.9−33.1
Turnout 63542.7−0.2
Labour hold Swing
Ulverston West [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Janette Jenkinson* 641 74.4 −3.5
Labour Fay Plant22125.6+3.5
Majority42048.8−7.0
Turnout 86252.6+20.1
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. "South Lakeland council". BBC News. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
  2. 1 2 "Local elections 2004" (PDF). House of Commons Library. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
  3. 1 2 Hawkins, Justin (4 June 2004). "Ballot papers arrive on time". The Westmorland Gazette . Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  4. 1 2 Robinson-Tate, Michaela (14 May 2004). "Is this the year for change?". The Westmorland Gazette . Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  5. "Postal voting a big success". The Westmorland Gazette . 9 June 2004. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  6. "Political groups set out their priorities". The Westmorland Gazette . 28 May 2004. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  7. 1 2 Robinson-Tate, Michaela (14 May 2004). "Parties in row over Farron's decision". The Westmorland Gazette . Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 Hawkins, Justin (11 June 2004). "Two seats lost in SLDC elections". The Westmorland Gazette . Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 "South Lakeland District Council Elections - 10 June 2004: Election Results". South Lakeland District Council. Archived from the original on 21 September 2004. Retrieved 9 August 2011.