2006 St Albans City and District Council election

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Map of the results of the 2006 St Albans City and District Council election. Liberal Democrats in yellow, Conservatives in blue and Labour in red. St Albans UK local election 2006 map.svg
Map of the results of the 2006 St Albans City and District Council election. Liberal Democrats in yellow, Conservatives in blue and Labour in red.

The 2006 St Albans City and District Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of St Albans District Council in Hertfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats 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 composed of 29 Liberal Democrats, 17 Conservative, 11 Labour and 1 Independent councillors. [3] The Liberal Democrats hoped to win a majority at the election and complained about decisions being delayed by the opposition parties. [3] However the Conservatives were also confident of making gains and said that a hung council with the best councillors from each party making up the cabinet was right for St Albans. [3] Labour meanwhile were hopeful of holding onto their seats, expecting that they would perform better than in recent elections. [3] As well as the 3 main parties on the council, the Green Party also stood candidates in every ward, while targeting Clarence ward as their best chance. [3]

Election result

The Liberal Democrats regained overall control of the council that they had lost at the 1999 election after making a net gain of 2 seats. [4] [5] They gained 3 seats from Labour and 2 from the Conservatives, but also lost 3 seats in Marshalswick South, Redbourn and Verulam to the Conservatives. [2] The 3 defeats for Labour included one in Sopwell ward, which they lost for what was described as "the first time in living memory". [6] The results meant that the Liberal Democrats had a majority over the other parties of 4 seats after previously only having half of the councillors before the election, [7] however the Conservatives did win more votes at the election than the Liberal Democrats. [2] Overall turnout at the election was 45.1%. [2]

In Wheathampstead ward the election ended in a tie after 3 recounts. [8] The winner in the ward was decided by getting the 2 candidates to pick the longer pencil resulting in the Liberal Democrat Judith Shardlow defeating the Conservative former mayor Keith Stammers. [4] [9] Meanwhile, the Conservative group on the council was reduced, when councillor John Newman, left the party to sit as an independent councillor after having recently being replaced as Conservative group leader on the council by Teresa Heritage. [2] [10]

St Albans local election result 2006 [11] [12]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Liberal Democrats 1053+250.035.715,694-2.5%
  Conservative 832+140.041.718,348+2.1%
  Labour 203-310.014.66,426-2.5%
  Green 000008.13,549+7.3%

Ward results

Ashley [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Anthony Rowlands 844 38.1 −3.1
Labour Malachy Pakenham59726.9−5.3
Conservative Rafat Khan55124.9+4.3
Green Stephen Clough22410.1+10.1
Majority24711.2+2.2
Turnout 2,21643.7−0.7
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing
Batchwood [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Roma Mills 827 38.6 +1.5
Liberal Democrats Allan Witherick58727.4−7.9
Conservative Sara Cadish52424.5−3.1
Green Gillian Mills2049.5+9.5
Majority24011.2+9.4
Turnout 2,14242.4+2.3
Labour hold Swing
Clarence [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Joyce Lusby 918 42.7 −4.3
Conservative Katharine Lifely59627.7+3.2
Labour David Lee33915.8−4.1
Green Simon Grover 29813.9+5.3
Majority32215.0−7.5
Turnout 2,15147.3+0.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Colney Heath [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Ian Day 823 49.3 −8.8
Conservative Alan Cloke61636.9+5.7
Labour Gordon Watson1468.7−2.0
Green Peter Eggleston845.0+5.0
Majority20712.4−14.5
Turnout 1,66941.8−1.9
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Cunningham [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Robert Prowse 898 41.5 −15.7
Conservative James Vessey65430.2+3.9
Labour Abdul Kadir41419.1+2.6
Green Rosalind Hardy2009.2+9.2
Majority24411.3−19.6
Turnout 2,16646.5+1.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Harpenden East [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Alison Steer 1,135 45.6 −4.8
Conservative Michael Wakely1,04442.0+2.5
Labour David Crew1696.8−3.3
Green Denise Taylor-Roome1405.6+5.6
Majority913.6−7.3
Turnout 2,48848.2+0.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Harpenden North [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Geoffrey Turner 1,236 58.1 +1.2
Liberal Democrats Jeffrey Phillips57827.2−5.6
Labour Rosemary Ross1667.8−2.5
Green Sasha Bradbury1476.9+6.9
Majority65830.9+6.8
Turnout 2,12742.6−0.8
Conservative hold Swing
Harpenden South [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Teresa Heritage 1,606 72.1 +5.9
Liberal Democrats Mary Carden31314.0−10.0
Labour Linda Spiri1607.2−2.6
Green Eric Harber1506.7+6.7
Majority1,29358.1+15.9
Turnout 2,22944.1−0.2
Conservative hold Swing
Harpenden West [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Allen Chamberlain 1,606 67.5 +9.8
Liberal Democrats Mary Skinner41017.2−10.6
Green Marc Scheimann2078.7+3.5
Labour Elizabeth Rayner1586.6−2.7
Majority1,19650.3+20.4
Turnout 2,38144.9−1.6
Conservative hold Swing
London Colney [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Etheldreda Gordon 960 44.7 +1.0
Conservative David Winstone79036.8+1.0
Liberal Democrats Carol Prowse24111.2−9.3
Green Kate Metcalf1557.2+7.2
Majority1707.90.0
Turnout 2,14635.1−0.5
Labour hold Swing
Marshalswick North [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Thomas Clegg 1,186 50.6 −1.2
Conservative John Foster81134.6−4.4
Labour John Baughan1787.6−1.6
Green Rosalind Paul1707.2+7.2
Majority37516.0+3.2
Turnout 2,34550.1+2.6
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Marshalswick South [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mehmet Gaygusuz 985 38.9 −1.6
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Hale95337.6−9.5
Labour Anthony Nicholson34313.5+1.1
Green Mark Ewington2519.9+9.9
Majority321.3
Turnout 2,53251.1−0.3
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Park Street [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Aislinn Lee 1,233 52.0 +1.6
Conservative Margaret Griffiths86836.6−0.5
Labour Patricia Allen1707.2−5.2
Green Jack Easton1014.3+4.3
Majority36515.4+2.1
Turnout 2,37246.2+4.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Redbourn [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Susan Carr 1,039 50.7 +22.7
Liberal Democrats Ann Manning74536.4+36.4
Labour Edward Hill1386.7−1.8
Green Gregory Riener1266.2+6.2
Majority29414.3
Turnout 2,04844.8−0.9
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Sandridge [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Beric Read 880 55.8 +1.1
Liberal Democrats Janet Churchard40325.6−7.5
Labour Michael Mulholland1519.6−2.6
Green Lorna-May Caddy1439.1+9.1
Majority47730.2+8.6
Turnout 1,57742.8+3.3
Conservative hold Swing
Sopwell [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats David Poor 671 33.2 +3.2
Labour Dawn Pratley60529.9−10.1
Conservative Heather Rench51625.5−4.5
Green Thomas Hardy23011.4+11.4
Majority663.3
Turnout 2,02240.3+4.3
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing
St Peters [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Michael Green 915 45.4 −1.9
Labour Winifred Dunleavy46423.0−6.4
Conservative Debashis Mukherjee39819.7+1.2
Green Kristian Tizzard24011.9+11.9
Majority45122.4+4.5
Turnout 2,01739.7−2.2
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing
St Stephen [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Patricia Garrard 1,329 58.4 −2.2
Liberal Democrats David Parry59326.1−4.9
Labour Janet Blackwell2018.8+0.5
Green Margaret Davis1536.7+6.7
Majority73632.3+2.7
Turnout 2,27646.5−1.2
Conservative hold Swing
Verulam [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Irene Willcocks 1,167 44.2 −1.5
Liberal Democrats Susan Campbell1,11642.3+2.7
Green Margaret Grover2118.0+8.0
Labour Jane Cloke1465.5−1.6
Majority511.9−4.2
Turnout 2,64053.5−0.3
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Wheathampstead [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Judith Shardlow 1,132 45.8 −2.5
Conservative Keith Stammers1,13245.8+0.7
Green Gillian Patrick1154.7+4.7
Labour Peter Woodhams943.8−2.9
Majority00−3.2
Turnout 2,47354.1+2.4
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

References

  1. "Local elections: St Albans". BBC News. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Lewis, Alex (5 May 2006). "'Life made easier' for Lib Dems". Hertfordshire County Publications via NewsBank.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Election looms". The Herts Advertiser. 27 April 2008. Retrieved 21 November 2009.[ dead link ]
  4. 1 2 Bentham, Martin (5 May 2006). "It's a draw, so person with longest pencil wins". Evening Standard. London. p. 6.
  5. Morris, Nigel (6 May 2006). "Campbell: Lib Dem results 'mixed'". The Independent. p. 9.
  6. "LibDems win control". The Herts Advertiser. 6 May 2006. Retrieved 21 November 2009.[ dead link ]
  7. "Night of the long pencils". St Albans & Harpenden Review. 5 May 2006. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
  8. "Seat won by pencil test after tie". BBC News. 5 May 2006. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
  9. "Local elections IN BRIEF: Short pencil ousts ex-mayor". The Independent. 6 May 2006. p. 11.
  10. Lewis, Alex (18 May 2006). "Former Tory council leader to go on trial". Hertfordshire County Publications via NewsBank.
  11. Wilson, Graeme (5 May 2006). "Conservatives Cameron's crusade puts Tories back on victory trail". The Daily Telegraph. p. 4.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "District Council Election Results 4th May 2006". St Albans District and City Council. Retrieved 29 January 2015.