2004 West Lancashire District Council election

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Results of the 2004 West Lancashire District Council election West Lancashire UK ward map 2004.svg
Results of the 2004 West Lancashire District Council election

The 2004 West Lancashire District Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of West Lancashire District Council in Lancashire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council. [1]

Contents

After the election, the composition of the council was:

PartySeats  ±  
Conservative 29+1
Labour 25-1

[2]

Campaign

Before the election the Conservatives held 28 seats compared to 26 for Labour. [3] 18 seats were contested in the election, with 9 seats being defended by each of the 2 parties. [3] As well as candidates from the Conservative and Labour parties, there were also 7 independents, 4 Greens, 1 Liberal Democrat and 1 from the new Ormskirk party. [4] Both the Liberal Democrat and Ormskirk party candidates were standing in Derby ward, which was seen as being one of the critical contests in the election. [4]

A major issue in the election was privatisation, which the Conservatives supported saying it would improve efficiency, however Labour criticised the Conservatives plans saying investment should be kept in the area. [3] The Conservatives called on voters to back their moves to establish litter free zones, create secure leisure facilities for young people and refurbish parks. [4] However Labour attacked plans to sell council housing and the handing of a local park to a private developer. [4] Other issues included crime, anti-social behaviour, CCTV and plans to move the accident and emergency department of Ormskirk hospital to Southport hospital. [5]

Election result

The results saw the Conservatives hold on to control of the council after making 1 gain from Labour. [6] This meant the Conservatives held 29 seats compared to 25 for Labour and the election was described as a "vindication of Conservative policies running West Lancs" by the Conservative leader of the council, Geoff Roberts. [6] Meanwhile, Labour's group leader on the council, Alan Bullen, only narrowly held his own seat on the council in Skelmersdale North. [6] Overall turnout in the election was up by 14% at 42.47%. [6]

West Lancashire Local Election Result 2004 [7] [8]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Conservative 1010+155.647.413,309+1.3%
  Labour 801-144.436.910,346-3.0%
  Independent 0000010.62,979-0.5%
  Green 000003.3937+0.4%
 Ormskirk Party000001.1298+1.1%
  Liberal Democrats 000000.7190+0.7%

Ward results

Ashurst

Ashurst [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Donna Duffy91157.4+4.3
Independent Patrick McElhinney34721.9−7.6
Conservative David Meadows33020.8+3.4
Majority 56435.5+11.9
Turnout 1,58833.4+14.7
Labour hold Swing

Aughton and Downholland

Aughton and Downholland [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Una Atherley1,72577.4+16.7
Labour David McKay50322.6−16.7
Majority 1,22254.8+33.4
Turnout 2,22849.4+15.4
Conservative hold Swing

Birch Green

Birch Green [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Mary Pendleton67681.0−3.6
Conservative Susan Cropper15919.0+3.6
Majority 51762.0−7.2
Turnout 83527.8+14.9
Labour hold Swing

Burscough

Burscough East [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Florence Westley90060.6
Labour Anne Carter58439.4
Majority 31621.2
Turnout 1,48449.7
Conservative hold Swing

Burscough West

Burscough West [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Cynthia Dereli83252.2
Conservative Graham Jones76347.8
Majority 694.4
Turnout 1,59541.6
Labour hold Swing

Derby

Derby [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Adrian Owens98745.5−2.0
Labour Alan Williams55025.3−16.3
Ormskirk PartyMargaret Heslegrave29813.7+13.7
Liberal Democrats Julian Reid1908.8+8.8
Green Anne Doyle1466.7−4.1
Majority 43720.2+14.3
Turnout 2,17147.0+18.8
Conservative hold Swing

Digmoor

Digmoor [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Terence Aldridge71072.9−2.6
Independent Alan Spears14715.1+0.9
Conservative Irene O'Donnell11712.0+1.7
Majority 56357.8−3.5
Turnout 97431.0+14.6
Labour hold Swing

Halsall

Halsall [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Doreen Stephenson45955.4−18.4
Independent Raymond Brookfield37044.6+44.6
Majority 8910.8−36.8
Turnout 82947.0
Conservative hold Swing

Hesketh-with-Becconsall

Hesketh-with-Becconsall [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Martin Forshaw82063.8
Independent Nadine Ashcroft46636.2
Majority 35427.6
Turnout 1,28642.8
Conservative hold Swing

Knowsley

Knowsley [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Peter Lea1,36061.4+4.8
Labour Francis Williams65229.4−2.8
Green John Watt2049.2−2.0
Majority 70832.0+7.6
Turnout 2,21649.2+20.8
Conservative hold Swing

Moorside

Moorside [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Stephen Hanlon66482.3
Conservative Malcolm Barron14317.7
Majority 52164.6
Turnout 80729.2
Labour hold Swing

Rufford

Rufford [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Joan Colling60977.7+2.4
Labour Shan Annis17522.3−2.4
Majority 43455.4+4.8
Turnout 78447.3
Conservative hold Swing

Scott

Scott [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Cyril Ainscough1,04448.1+10.4
Labour Noel Delaney82037.8−0.5
Green Maurice George30514.1+4.6
Majority 22410.3
Turnout 2,16947.0+14.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Skelmersdale North

Skelmersdale North [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Alan Bullen53145.7−15.4
Independent Joan Morrison47340.7+14.2
Conservative Joan Witter15713.5+1.0
Majority 585.0−29.6
Turnout 1,16137.4+13.9
Labour hold Swing

Skelmersdale South

Skelmersdale South [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Sydney Jones1,07763.6−10.2
Conservative Richard Shepherd33419.7+5.5
Green Martin Lowe28216.7+4.7
Majority 74343.9−15.7
Turnout 1,69333.9+15.3
Labour hold Swing

Tarleton

Tarleton [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Mee1,43163.9+4.6
Independent John Hodson81036.1−4.6
Majority 62127.8+9.2
Turnout 2,24150.5+13.5
Conservative hold Swing

Up Holland

Up Holland [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Margaret Skilling1,06648.0−7.2
Conservative Ruth Pollock78735.5−9.3
Independent Karen Horrocks36616.5+16.5
Majority 27912.5+2.1
Turnout 2,21945.2+14.9
Labour hold Swing

Wrightington

Wrightington [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Peter Gartside1,18466.6+17.4
Labour Pauline Bailey59533.4−17.4
Majority 58933.2
Turnout 1,77952.7+15.5
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. ↑ "West Lancashire council". BBC News. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  2. ↑ "Elections 2004: Election results". The Independent. 11 June 2004. p. 4.
  3. 1 2 3 "Elections 2004: West Lancs". Liverpool Daily Post . 13 May 2004. p. 15.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Labour battles to seize back West Lancs from Tories". Liverpool Daily Post . 28 May 2004. p. 17.
  5. ↑ Murton, Nick (25 May 2004). "Vote 2004: Vital Issues for families; Nick Murton canvasses opinion from people in West Lancashire and Halton in the days leading up to the local elections". Liverpool Echo. p. 10.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Vote 2004: West Lancs". Liverpool Echo. 11 June 2004. p. 11.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "Election results - 10 Jun 2004". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
  8. ↑ "Ballot box". The Times. London. 12 June 2004. p. 26.
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