2012 Harlow District Council election

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2012 Harlow District Council election
  2011 3 May 2012 2014  

11 of the 33 seats to Harlow District Council
17 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Party Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats
Seats before14172
Seats won740
Seats after20130
Seat changeIncrease2.svg6Decrease2.svg4Decrease2.svg2
Popular vote9,7227,0831,467
Percentage52.1%38.0%7.9%

Harlow UK local election 2011 map.svg
Map showing the results of contested wards in the 2012 Harlow District Council elections.

Council control before election

Conservative

Council control after election

Labour

The 2012 Harlow District Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of Harlow District Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour Party gained overall control of the council from the Conservative Party. [1]

Contents

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Background

After the last election in 2011 the Conservatives remained in control of the council with 17 councillors, compared to 14 for Labour and 2 for the Liberal Democrats. [3] However, in October 2011 one of the two Liberal Democrat councillors, John Strachan of Staple Tye ward defected to the Labour party. [4]

Harlow was reported in the national press to be one of Labour's top targets in the 2012 local elections. [5] [6] [7]

Election result

The Labour Party gained control of Harlow from the Conservatives after gaining 5 seats including 4 from the Conservatives. [8] The Labour gains from the Conservatives came in Harlow Common, Little Parndon and Hare Street, Netteswell and Toddbrook and meant Labour won 8 of the 12 seats contested. [9] The Conservatives had controlled the council since winning a majority at the 2008 election. [10]

The other Labour gain came from the Liberal Democrats in Mark Hall ward and meant the Liberal Democrats no longer had any councillors in Harlow. [8] [9] The Liberal Democrats did not come close to taking any of the seats contested, with some candidates getting less than 100 votes. [9] Overall turnout at the election was 28.43%, [11] the lowest turnout ever for a local election in Harlow. [9]

Harlow local election result 2012 [2] [11]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 850Increase2.svg566.752.19,722Increase2.svg6.0
  Conservative 404Decrease2.svg433.338.07,083Decrease2.svg4.3
  Liberal Democrats 001Decrease2.svg107.91,467Decrease2.svg2.9
  UKIP 000Steady2.svg01.3236Increase2.svg0.5
  Independent 000Steady2.svg00.8149Increase2.svg0.8

Ward results

Bush Fair (2 seats)

Location of Bush Fair ward Bush Fair ward in Harlow 2002.svg
Location of Bush Fair ward
Bush Fair (2 seats) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Manny Doku 1,021
Labour Daniella Pritchard 877
Conservative Michael Hardware259
UKIP Donald Crane236
Conservative Andy Shannon182
Liberal Democrats Ian Jackson109
Liberal Democrats Roy Jackson90
Turnout 2,77428.0−8.4
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Church Langley

Location of Church Langley ward Church Langley ward in Harlow 2002.svg
Location of Church Langley ward
Church Langley [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Simon Carter 1,007 65.3 −0.8
Labour Ken Lawrie45429.4+1.4
Liberal Democrats Laura Rideout825.3−0.6
Majority55335.8−2.4
Turnout 1,54324.3−9.8
Conservative hold Swing

Great Parndon

Location of Great Parndon ward Great Parndon ward in Harlow 2002.svg
Location of Great Parndon ward
Great Parndon [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Eddie Johnson 774 47.8 −4.2
Labour Norman Knight74946.2+5.5
Liberal Democrats Lesley Rideout976.0−1.2
Majority251.5−9.8
Turnout 1,62031.6−9.5
Conservative hold Swing

Harlow Common

Location of Harlow Common ward Harlow Common ward in Harlow 2002.svg
Location of Harlow Common ward
Harlow Common [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Emma Toal 902 51.3 +0.3
Conservative Clive Souter63736.2−5.3
Independent Gary Roberts1498.5+8.5
Liberal Democrats Chris Millington724.1−3.4
Majority26515.1+5.7
Turnout 1,76031.7−8.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Little Parndon and Hare Street

Location of Little Parndon and Hare Street ward Little Parndon ward in Harlow 2002.svg
Location of Little Parndon and Hare Street ward
Little Parndon and Hare Street [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jon Clempner 1,099 63.9 +4.2
Conservative Shona Johnson52130.3−3.6
Liberal Democrats Neil Kerlen1005.8−0.6
Majority57833.6+7.9
Turnout 1,72028.4−7.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Mark Hall

Location of Mark Hall ward Mark Hall ward in Harlow 2002.svg
Location of Mark Hall ward
Mark Hall [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jacqui Cross 849 53.0 +7.6
Conservative Jane Steer44027.5+0.5
Liberal Democrats James Rideout31219.5−8.1
Majority40925.5+7.7
Turnout 1,60130.5−9.0
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Netteswell

Location of Netteswell ward Netteswell ward in Harlow 2002.svg
Location of Netteswell ward
Netteswell [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Waida Forman 818 55.4 +2.2
Conservative Mark Gough53836.4+1.1
Liberal Democrats Kuzna Jackson1208.1−3.3
Majority28019.0+1.1
Turnout 1,47626.7−6.2
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Old Harlow

Location of Old Harlow ward Old Harlow in Harlow 2002.svg
Location of Old Harlow ward
Old Harlow [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Muriel Jolles 934 51.6 −2.4
Labour Tom Newens77142.6+3.1
Liberal Democrats Mary Wiltshire1055.8−0.6
Majority1639.0−5.5
Turnout 1,81033.2−8.4
Conservative hold Swing

Staple Tye

Location of Staple Tye ward Staple Tye in Harlow 2002.svg
Location of Staple Tye ward
Staple Tye [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Patrick McCabe 657 50.9 +6.3
Conservative Stevie Souter45034.8+0.3
Liberal Democrats Cheryl Hickey18514.3−6.6
Majority20716.0+5.9
Turnout 1,29224.3−9.8
Labour hold Swing

Summers and Kingsmoor

Location of Summers and Kingsmoor ward Summers and Kingsmoor in Harlow 2002.svg
Location of Summers and Kingsmoor ward
Summers and Kingsmoor [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Russell Perrin 687 49.1 −0.6
Labour Dan Long62344.6+2.6
Liberal Democrats Brenda Nichols886.3−2.0
Majority644.6−3.0
Turnout 1,39825.7−8.3
Conservative hold Swing

Toddbrook

Location of Toddbrook ward Toddbrook in Harlow 2002.svg
Location of Toddbrook ward
Toddbrook [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Phil Waite 902 54.2 +5.0
Conservative Joel Charles65439.3−3.9
Liberal Democrats Christopher Robins1076.4−1.2
Majority24814.9+8.8
Turnout 1,66329.2−8.4
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

By-elections between 2012 and 2014

A by-election was held in Toddbrook on 15 November 2012 after Labour councillor Bob Davis resigned from the council. [12] The seat was held for Labour by Christine O'Dell with a majority of 221 votes over the Conservatives. [12]

Toddbrook by-election 15 November 2012 [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Christine O'Dell 604 52.5 −1.7
Conservative Clive Souter38333.3−6.0
UKIP Bill Pryor1119.6+9.6
Liberal Democrats Roy Jackson534.6−1.8
Majority22119.2+4.3
Turnout 1,15120.2−9.0
Labour hold Swing

References

  1. "Vote 2012". BBC News. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Election results 2012: Non-Metro". The Guardian. 5 May 2012 via NewsBank.
  3. "England council elections". BBC News. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  4. Moss, Chris (20 October 2011). "Lib Dem councillor defects to Labour in protest at NHS reforms". Harlow Star. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  5. Watt, Nicholas (2 May 2012). "Education: 'On policy we win. On personality it is tough': Taxation Schools Libraries Transport Social care & the elderly: Miliband prepares for a challenging London result Labour party plays down high seat expectations". The Guardian via NewsBank.
  6. Grice, Andrew (2 May 2012). "Threat of London defeat prompts Miliband to attack 'typical Tory'". The Independent via NewsBank.
  7. Sherman, Jill; Coates, Sam (3 May 2012). "Cameron lets slip as Tories prepare for poll defeats". The Times. London. p. 13 via NewsBank.
  8. 1 2 Watt, Nicholas (4 May 2012). "Great expectations as Labour ends 'southern discomfort': Miliband's party wins big victory in Birmingham But Boris looks set to fend off Ken's London challenge". The Guardian via NewsBank.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Moss, Chris (4 May 2012). "Labour take control of Harlow Council". Harlow Star. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  10. "Labour take Harlow council from Conservatives". BBC News. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Harlow Council Elections 2012 Results". Harlow District Council. Archived from the original on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 "Labour wins Toddbrook by-election". Harlow Star. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2015.