2012 Coventry City Council election

Map of the 2012 Coventry election. Conservatives in blue, Labour in red

Elections for Coventry City Council were held on Thursday, 3 May 2012, the same day as other 2012 local elections in the United Kingdom. As the council is elected by thirds, one seat in each of the city's 18 wards was up for election. The Labour Party won the seat in 15 of the wards, gaining a total of 8 and increasing their majority to 32 seats. ^[1] The Conservative Party won the remaining three seats, losing six, with the Liberal Democrats and the Socialist Party both losing their only seat on the council. ^[2]

The election coincided with a local referendum on whether to have an elected mayor. ^[3]

Campaign

The Conservative party focused their efforts on retaining their existing seats, campaigning on issues like the closure of Sure Start centres, disruption caused by rebuilding the city centre, and an alternative budget proposal. ^[4] Labour focused on their aim of protecting frontline services, rebuilding the city centre for the Olympics (Coventry hosted several football events), and fixing potholes. Liberal Democrat councillor Russell Field focused on his record in working for his ward. The Socialists supported an independent candidate in Foleshill who is campaigning against the planned closure of a local sports centre. They focused on "stiffening the resistance to coalition cuts to this city" and accused Labour of signing up to coalition austerity plans. The Greens focused on alternative plans for the city, including an insulation scheme for homes and instituting a Living Wage for council employees. UKIP was focussing on local issues. ^[4]

Results

Voter turnout was 26%. ^[5]

Coventry City Council Election, 2012

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Labour	15	8	0	+8	83%	53.72%	32,414	-0.88%
	Conservative	3	0	6	-6	17%	26.36%	16,755	-0.14%
	Socialist Alternative	0	0	1	-1	0	5.35%	3401	+1.66%
	Green	0	0	0	0	0	5.05%	3212	+0.11%
	Liberal Democrats	0	0	1	-1	0	3.91%	2486	-1.27%
	BNP	0	0	0	0	0	2.70%	1718	-0.95%
	UKIP	0	0	0	0	0	2.29%	1457	+1.44%
	Independent	0	0	0	0	0	1.71%	1085	+1.13%
	Christian Movement for Great Britain	0	0	0	0	0	0.80%	511	N/A
	TOTAL	18	8	8	0		100%	63,572

Council composition

The composition of the council before and after the election can be found in the following table:

Party		Previous council	Staying councillors	Seats up for election	Election result	New council
	Labour	35	28	7	15	43
	Conservatives	17	8	9	3	11
	Socialist Alternative	1	0	1	0	0
	Green	0	0	0	0	0
	Liberal Democrats	1	0	1	0	0
	British National Party	0	0	0	0	0
	UKIP	0	0	0	0	0
	Christian Movement for Great Britain	0	0	0	0	0
	Independent	0	0	0	0	0
Total		54	36	18	18	54

Results by ward

Note: For all wards, the percentage change is calculated from the council local election in 2011 (the last time the ward was contested), whilst the gains, losses, and holds are calculated from 2008 (the last time these particular seats were contested).

Bablake Ward ^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David John Galliers	1502	37.3%	−11.6%
	Conservative	Jaswant Singh Birdi	1302	32.3%	−1.8%
	Independent	John Gazey	669	16.6%	N/A
	BNP	Betty Booton	179	4.4%	+0.6%
	Green	Walter William Milner	141	3.5%	−0.7%
	Liberal Democrats	Peter Simpson	122	3.0%	−1.2%
	Socialist Alternative	Jethro Waldron	48	1.2%	+0.4%
	Christian Movement for Great Britain	Louise Lebar	35	0.9%	N/A
Majority			200	5.0%
Turnout			4028	32.38%	−10.27%
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Note for Bablake ward: Independent candidate John Gazey was the sitting councillor for the Conservative party. After being deselected he decided to run as an independent. ^[7]

Binley and Willenhall Ward ^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Dave Chater	1898	58.29%	−0.07%
	Conservative	Linda Ann Reece	570	17.51%	−5.73%
	UKIP	Colin Aldous Stubbs	503	15.45%	+7.57%
	BNP	David Clarke	100	3.07%	−1.89%
	Green	Justin Wood	95	2.92%	−0.03%
	Socialist Alternative	Ross Armstrong	67	2.06%	+0.17%
Majority			1328	40.79%	−5.67%
Turnout			3256	25.43%	−7.73%
	Labour hold		Swing

Cheylesmore Ward ^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Hazel Margaret Noonan	1992	48.46%	+0.27%
	Labour	Anne Frances Arlidge	1688	41.06%	−1.24%
	Green	John Verdult	266	6.47%	+0.07%
	Socialist Alternative	Judy Griffiths	141	3.43%	+0.32%
Majority			304	7.39%	+2.8%
Turnout			4111	25.04%	−16.92%
	Conservative hold		Swing

Earlsdon Ward ^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Allan Robert Andrews	2137	46.29%	+3.21%
	Labour	Bilal Akhtar	1442	31.23%	−9.96%
	Green	Scott Gordon Redding	327	7.08%	+1.39%
	UKIP	James Michael Bowes	272	5.89%	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Derek Stephen Benefield	261	5.65%	−2.13%
	Socialist Alternative	Fiona Pashazadeh	116	2.51%	+0.25%
	Christian Movement for Great Britain	William Sidhu	43	0.93%	N/A
Majority			695	15.05%	+13.16%
Turnout			4617	37.03%	−11.73%
	Conservative hold		Swing

Foleshill Ward ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Malkiat Singh Auluck	2112	57.33%	−9.57%
	Conservative	Shabbir Ahmed	1114	30.24%	+6.62%
	Independent	William Bromwich	213	5.78%	N/A
	Green	Rana Sumra	80	2.17%	−0.62%
	Christian Movement for Great Britain	Ron Lebar	71	1.93%	N/A
	BNP	Hunter Helmsley	61	1.66%	−0.97%
Majority			998	27.09%
Turnout			3684	29.70%	−9.65%
	Labour hold		Swing

Henley Ward ^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Ed Ruane	2036	60.42%	+3.06%
	Liberal Democrats	Brian David Patton	488	14.48%	−13.38%
	Conservative	Steven Henry Charles Keough	393	11.66%	N/A
	BNP	Rose Morris	243	7.21%	−0.81%
	Green	George Robinson	121	3.59%	−0.48%
	Socialist Alternative	Siobhan Friel	80	2.37%	−0.32%
Majority			1548	45.93%
Turnout			3370	25.10%	−7.08%
	Labour hold		Swing

Holbrook Ward ^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Rachel Elizabeth Lancaster	2087	68.63%	+3.2%
	Conservative	Val Stone	404	13.29%	−7.72%
	Green	Stephen Gray	215	7.07%	+1.38%
	BNP	Mark Badrick	211	6.94%	+1.04%
	Socialist Alternative	Jim Hensman	99	3.26%	+1.92%
Majority			1683	55.34%
Turnout			3041	24.18%	−10.22%
	Labour hold		Swing

Longford Ward ^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	George Duggins	2409	72.30%	−0.23%
	Christian Movement for Great Britain	Raj Kumar	362	10.86%	N/A
	BNP	Frankie Bates	203	6.09%	+0.05%
	Green	Paul Andrew	163	4.89%	+0.95%
	Socialist Alternative	Craig Davenport	111	3.33%	+0.92%
	Conservative	Dial Masih	58	1.74%	−12.64%
Majority			2047	61.43%
Turnout			3332	24.68	−6.72%
	Labour hold		Swing

Lower Stoke Ward ^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Catherine Elizabeth Miks	1748	54.20%	−2.99%
	Conservative	Michael Arthur Ballinger	484	15.01%	−7.31%
	Socialist Alternative	Rob McArdle	310	9.61%	+3.23%
	UKIP	John Bevan	233	7.22%	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	James Henry White	168	5.21%	N/A
	Green	Laura Vesty	161	4.99%	−2.75%
	BNP	Keith Oxford	101	3.13%	−2.59%
Majority			1264	39.19%
Turnout			3225	23.85%	−10.85%
	Labour hold		Swing

Radford Ward ^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Mal Mutton	1896	65.47%	+0.6%
	Conservative	Mary Taylor	498	17.20%	−0.19%
	Green	Gavin Collins	210	7.25%	+1.63%
	Socialist Alternative	Glen Watson	142	4.90%	+2.56%
	BNP	Ian Wankling	126	4.35%	−0.75%
Majority			1398	48.27%
Turnout			2896	21.44%	−8.51%
	Labour hold		Swing

Sherbourne Ward ^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Alison Jane Gingell	1833	57.21%	+2.04%
	Conservative	Leon Victor Emirali	705	22.00%	−5.12%
	Green	John Griffiths	225	7.02%	+2.36%
	BNP	Leisel Wagstaff	173	5.40%	+1.27%
	Socialist Alternative	Jason Toynbee	145	4.53%	+2.05%
	Liberal Democrats	Christopher Glenn	96	3.00%	−2.95%
Majority			1128	35.21%
Turnout			3204	25.08%	−12.57%
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

St. Michael's Ward ^[18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Naeem Akhtar	1,673	49.03%	−9.04%
	Socialist Alternative	Dave Nellist	1,469	43.05%	+12.73%
	Conservative	Christian Michael Cliffe	243	7.12%	−3.3%
Majority			204	5.98%
Turnout			3413	21.19	−5.48%
	Labour gain from Socialist Alternative		Swing

Upper Stoke Ward ^[19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Kamran Asif Caan	2024	57.85%	−0.84%
	Liberal Democrats	Russell David Field	682	19.49%	+1.00%
	Conservative	Denise Beech	275	7.86%	−3.90%
	Green	John Halpin	213	6.09%	+2.41%
	BNP	John Hurren	156	4.46%	+2.26%
	Socialist Alternative	Paul Smith	120	3.43%	+1.23%
Majority			1342	38.35%
Turnout			3499	26.00%	−7.00%
	Labour gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing

Wainbody Ward ^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Anthony Blundell	1540	42.09%	−1.49%
	Labour	Martin Patrick Hartnett	1214	33.19%	−0.74%
	UKIP	Mark Taylor	449	12.27%	+5.53%
	Green	Danny Foulstone	210	5.74%	−1.25%
	Liberal Democrats	Napier Penlington	172	4.70%	−2.59%
	Socialist Alternative	Dan Crowter	54	1.48%	0.00%
Majority			326	8.91%
Turnout			3659	28.45%	−16.55%
	Conservative hold		Swing

Westwood Ward ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Maya Ali	1418	41.73%	−5.15%
	Conservative	Marcus Edgar Lapsa	1346	39.61%	+1.13%
	Green	Merle Gering	183	5.39%	−0.86%
	BNP	Darren Thomas	165	4.86%	−0.63%
	Liberal Democrats	Greg Judge	145	4.27%	N/A
	Socialist Alternative	Jim Donnelly	122	3.59%	+1.55%
Majority			72	2.19%
Turnout			3398	25.65%	−10.35%
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Whoberley Ward ^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jayne Elisabeth Innes	1693	49.37%	−1.08%
	Conservative	Roger Maurice James Bailey	1014	29.57%	+2.15%
	Green	Rachel Adshead	320	9.33%	+2.83%
	Socialist Alternative	Richard Groves	206	6.01%	+3.86%
	Liberal Democrats	Brian Rees Lewis	160	4.67%	−1.14%
Majority			679	19.80%
Turnout			3429	27.34%	−13.57%
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Woodlands Ward ^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Steven Peter Thomas	1853	47.35%	+4.39%
	Conservative	Heather Johnson	1534	39.20%	+2.14%
	Green	Dan Gower	222	5.67%	+2.16%
	Liberal Democrats	Jacqueline Bridget Basu	192	4.91%	−5.41%
	Socialist Alternative	Sunara Begum	82	2.10%	+1.27%
Majority			319	8.15%
Turnout			3913	29.36%	−11.54%
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Wyken Ward ^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Robert Richard Thay	1888	53.82%	+0.42%
	Conservative	Susanna Dixon	1146	32.67%	−2.72%
	Independent	Adrian Roll	203	5.79%	+1.57%
	Green	Cathy Wattebot	160	4.56%	+0.05%
	Socialist Alternative	Jodie Hannis	89	2.54%	+0.06%
Majority			742	21.15%
Turnout			3508	26.65%	−11.95%
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

References

1. "Labour gain in Coventry and Nuneaton and Bedworth". BBC News. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
2. "Coventry votes no to an elected Mayor". Coventry City Council. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
3. "Referendum in May 2012 to vote on Coventry elected mayor". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
4. Reid, Les (27 April 2012). "Battle on for seats in Coventry and Warwickshire council elections". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
5. Carpenter, Steve (4 May 2012). "Labour in control at Coventry City Council elections". Coventry Observer. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
6. Coventry City Council (4 May 2012). "Coventry City Council (local) election results – May 3, 2012" . Retrieved 4 May 2012.
7. Bigot, Martin (21 March 2012). "John Gazey set to take on Coventry's Tory party at May elections". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
8. Coventry City Council (4 May 2012). "Coventry City Council (local) election results – May 3, 2012" . Retrieved 4 May 2012.
9. Coventry City Council (4 May 2012). "Coventry City Council (local) election results – May 3, 2012" . Retrieved 4 May 2012.
10. Coventry City Council (4 May 2012). "Coventry City Council (local) election results – May 3, 2012" . Retrieved 4 May 2012.
11. Coventry City Council (4 May 2012). "Coventry City Council (local) election results – May 3, 2012" . Retrieved 4 May 2012.
12. Coventry City Council (4 May 2012). "Coventry City Council (local) election results – May 3, 2012" . Retrieved 4 May 2012.
13. Coventry City Council (4 May 2012). "Coventry City Council (local) election results – May 3, 2012" . Retrieved 4 May 2012.
14. Coventry City Council (4 May 2012). "Coventry City Council (local) election results – May 3, 2012" . Retrieved 4 May 2012.
15. Coventry City Council (4 May 2012). "Coventry City Council (local) election results – May 3, 2012" . Retrieved 4 May 2012.
16. Coventry City Council (4 May 2012). "Coventry City Council (local) election results – May 3, 2012" . Retrieved 4 May 2012.
17. Coventry City Council (4 May 2012). "Coventry City Council (local) election results – May 3, 2012" . Retrieved 4 May 2012.
18. Coventry City Council (4 May 2012). "Coventry City Council (local) election results – May 3, 2012" . Retrieved 4 May 2012.
19. Coventry City Council (4 May 2012). "Coventry City Council (local) election results – May 3, 2012" . Retrieved 4 May 2012.
20. Coventry City Council (4 May 2012). "Coventry City Council (local) election results – May 3, 2012" . Retrieved 4 May 2012.
21. Coventry City Council (4 May 2012). "Coventry City Council (local) election results – May 3, 2012" . Retrieved 4 May 2012.
22. Coventry City Council (4 May 2012). "Coventry City Council (local) election results – May 3, 2012" . Retrieved 4 May 2012.
23. Coventry City Council (4 May 2012). "Coventry City Council (local) election results – May 3, 2012" . Retrieved 4 May 2012.
24. Coventry City Council (4 May 2012). "Coventry City Council (local) election results – May 3, 2012" . Retrieved 4 May 2012.