2007 Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council election

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Map of the results of the 2007 Sandwell council election. Labour in red, Conservatives in blue and Liberal Democrats in yellow. Sandwell UK local election 2007 map.svg
Map of the results of the 2007 Sandwell council election. Labour in red, Conservatives in blue and Liberal Democrats in yellow.

The 2007 Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands, 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:

Campaign

Before the election Labour ran the council with 50 councillors, compared to 12 for the Conservatives, 5 Liberal Democrats, 4 British National Party and 1 independent. [3] Labour defended 19 of the seats being contested, with the other parties hoping to make gains from Labour. [4]

The British National Party put up 15 candidates, aiming to build on the 3 gains they had made in the 2006 election. [4] The party campaigned on immigration, housing and crime and were hoping to take all 3 seats in Princes End ward for the first time anywhere in the United Kingdom. [5] However the British National Party was accused of "distortion and lies" by Labour and the Conservatives described the British National Party's councillors as an "embarrassment". [5]

In the last couple of days before polling day, the council sent an advertising van around the area to remind voters about the election. [6]

Election result

The results saw the Labour party easily stay in control of the council, with the Labour leader of the council describing the results as "remarkable". [7] Labour gained one seat from the Conservatives in St Pauls ward to move to 51 seats after winning 20 of the seats contested. [8] [9] The Conservatives also lost a seat in Yew Tree to the Liberal Democrats. [8] They meant both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats won 2 seats each in the election, [9] with the Conservatives dropping to 10 seats and the Liberal Democrats going up to 6. [8]

The British National Party failed to win any seats, staying on 4 councillors, [10] coming closest to victory in Princes End where they were 20 votes behind Labour. [8] A further seat was vacant after independent councillor Alan Burkitt was automatically disqualified after having been given a suspended sentence. [11]

Sandwell Local Election Result 2007 [12] [13]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 2010+183.345.134,616+0.9%
  Conservative 202-28.327.320,947+0.2%
  Liberal Democrats 210+18.311.28,639-3.8%
  BNP 0000015.211,646+2.8%
  Green 000000.7504+0.3%
  Independent 000000.5379-0.3%
 Red and Green Alliance Party000000.166+0.1%

Ward results

Abbey [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Steven Elling1,83554.5+5.6
Liberal Democrats David Nikel81024.0+2.6
Conservative Ewart Johnson72521.5−8.2
Majority1,02530.4+11.2
Turnout 3,370
Labour hold Swing
Blackheath [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Robert Price1,34142.8−1.4
Conservative Debbie Elwell1,02732.8−13.7
BNP Ryan Brigdale63320.2+20.2
Green Aldo Mussi1324.2+4.2
Majority31410.0
Turnout 3,133
Labour hold Swing
Bristnall [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Mary Griffin1,25545.2−4.7
Conservative Terry Grainger1,14941.3+4.7
Liberal Democrats Sandra Berisford37513.50.0
Majority1063.8−9.6
Turnout 2,779
Labour hold Swing
Charlemont with Grove Vale [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Anne Hughes1,46037.5−11.1
Labour Ralph Perkins97024.9+3.9
BNP Arthur Copson78820.3+20.3
Liberal Democrats Martin Roebuck67117.3−5.9
Majority49012.6−12.8
Turnout 3,889
Conservative hold Swing
Cradley Heath and Old Hill [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Ann Shackleton1,48345.1−7.9
Conservative Alan Nugent98930.1−16.9
BNP Martin Phillips58417.8+17.8
Green Theresa Yates2307.0+7.0
Majority49415.0+9.1
Turnout 3,286
Labour hold Swing
Friar Park [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Joy Edis1,16841.7−6.2
BNP Scott Dale86831.0+31.0
Conservative Barry Nelson62022.1−16.3
Liberal Democrats Dorothy Brayshaw1455.2−8.5
Majority30010.7+1.2
Turnout 2,801
Labour hold Swing
Great Barr with Yew Tree [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Keith Allcock1,20732.5+1.0
Labour Steve Melia95525.7+0.8
BNP Terry Lewin80721.7−3.5
Conservative Margaret Macklin74720.1+1.8
Majority2526.8+0.5
Turnout 3,716
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Great Bridge [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Peter Allen1,41745.3+6.6
BNP Jenny Howells94130.1−15.0
Conservative Mac Beckley52816.9+16.9
Independent Raymond Crawford1384.4+4.4
Liberal Democrats Philip Roberts1043.3−13.0
Majority47615.2
Turnout 3,128
Labour hold Swing
Greets Green and Lyng [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Gurchuran Sidhu1,44847.5+1.0
BNP Gordon Howells76425.0−2.5
Conservative Elaine Fitzpatrick62020.3+3.8
Liberal Democrats Dot Jones2187.1−1.4
Majority68422.4+3.4
Turnout 3,050
Labour hold Swing
Hateley Heath [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Yvonne Davies1,59148.7+3.6
BNP Alice Dale96429.5−0.9
Conservative Stephanie Page44413.6+2.4
Liberal Democrats Richard Mitchener2708.3−5.0
Majority62719.2+4.5
Turnout 3,269
Labour hold Swing
Langley [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Martin Prestidge1,45347.3+7.5
Conservative Ronald Griffiths72923.7−0.8
BNP David Howells66621.7−5.9
Liberal Democrats Michael Allcock2267.4−0.7
Majority72423.6+11.4
Turnout 3,074
Labour hold Swing
Newton [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Martyn Smith1,32742.3−0.6
Labour David Hosell1,07534.3+0.6
Conservative Valerie Ward73323.40.0
Majority2528.0−1.2
Turnout 3,135
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Oldbury [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Elaine Giles2,04164.4−0.1
Conservative Abdul Qayyum1,12935.6+8.4
Majority91228.8−8.5
Turnout 3,170
Labour hold Swing
Old Warley [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Trevor Crumpton1,57245.8+6.8
Conservative David Hadley1,40140.8−2.9
Liberal Democrats Christopher Reed46213.4−3.9
Majority1715.0
Turnout 3,435
Labour hold Swing
Princes End [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Raymond Howes89835.7−4.8
BNP Karen Parkes87834.9−8.6
Conservative Beatrice Owen49819.8+3.8
Independent June Newell2419.6+9.6
Majority200.8
Turnout 2,515
Labour hold Swing
Rowley [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Barbara Price1,51152.1−4.0
Conservative Chris Kelly76026.2−17.7
BNP John Salvage48916.9+16.9
Green Vicky Dunn1424.9+4.9
Majority75125.9+13.7
Turnout 2,902
Labour hold Swing
St Pauls [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Patricia Davies2,37860.8+7.3
Conservative Nahim Rubani1,53439.2+5.8
Majority84421.6+1.5
Turnout 3,912
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Smethwick [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Keith Davies1,61153.6−8.1
Conservative Bhervinder Singh81026.9+26.9
Liberal Democrats Roger Prior58719.5−11.1
Majority80126.6−4.5
Turnout 3,008
Labour hold Swing
Soho and Victoria [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Roger Horton1,69755.6−9.5
Liberal Democrats Shamim Ahmed98232.2+8.3
Conservative Victoria Barnett30510.0+10.0
Red and Green Alliance PartyShari Temochin662.2+2.2
Majority71523.4−18.2
Turnout 3,050
Labour hold Swing
Tipton Green [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Syeda Khatun 1,66747.1+11.4
BNP Steven Parkes1,02428.9−4.7
Conservative Gaz Khan58116.4−14.3
Liberal Democrats Ronald Hackett2667.5+7.5
Majority64318.2+16.1
Turnout 3,538
Labour hold Swing
Tividale [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour David Hinton1,30941.6+5.6
BNP Sharon Butler93829.8−7.2
Conservative Robert Lawrence56718.0+0.5
Liberal Democrats Diane Gorton33310.6+1.0
Majority37111.8
Turnout 3,147
Labour hold Swing
Wednesbury North [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Elaine Costigan1,55955.9−5.7
Labour Tony Mallam72626.0−0.5
BNP Derrick Dale50418.1+18.1
Majority83329.9−5.2
Turnout 2,789
Conservative hold Swing
Wednesbury South [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour George Turton1,36540.7+1.3
Conservative Michael Middleton99629.7+3.9
BNP Mark Paskin79823.8−4.0
Liberal Democrats Bob Smith1985.9−1.1
Majority36911.0−0.6
Turnout 3,357
Labour hold Swing
West Bromwich Central [12] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Bawa Dhallu1,85055.3+1.2
Conservative Robert White1,03631.0+17.4
Liberal Democrats Jarnail Sandhu45813.7−18.6
Majority81424.3+2.5
Turnout 3,344
Labour hold Swing

References

  1. "Sandwell". BBC News. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  2. "National: Elections 2007: Town and country go to the polls". The Guardian. 4 May 2007. p. 6.
  3. Johnson, Steve (5 April 2007). "It's your decision; Tories facing uphill struggle for power: Nominations May 3 elections". Birmingham Mail . p. 6.
  4. 1 2 Williams, Dale; Deeley, Tony (2 May 2007). "Big battalions go for total victory; Local elections: Labour and Tories aim for clean sweep of town halls". Birmingham Mail . p. 23.
  5. 1 2 Hardy, James (20 April 2007). "Are BNP set for Sandwell gains?". BBC News. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  6. "Roving reminder for voters". Birmingham Mail . 2 May 2007. p. 23.
  7. Deeley, Tony (4 May 2007). "Snub for BNP in elections". Birmingham Mail . p. 1.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Deeley, Tony (4 May 2007). "Labour still on top; Election results round-up Sandwell:Bad night for Tories as controlling party gain seat". Birmingham Mail . p. 29.
  9. 1 2 "No change as two councils declare". BBC News. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  10. "BNP fails to turn votes into seats". Evening Standard. London. 4 May 2007. p. 1.
  11. Deeley, Tony (10 May 2007). "June bid for by-election; West Bromwich: High hopes after shamed councillor sacked". Birmingham Mail . p. 24.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 "Sandwell". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  13. "Results". The Times. London. 5 May 2007. p. 83.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 "Local election results round-up". Express & Star . 4 May 2007. Retrieved 27 February 2011.