Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election, 1999

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Map of the results of the 1999 Wigan council election. Wigan94.png
Map of the results of the 1999 Wigan council election.

Elections to Wigan Council were held on 6 May 1999. One-third of the council was up for election. Prior to the election, the Liberal Democrats had gained the seat being fought in Beech Hill from Labour in a by-election, and long-time Labour councillor for Atherton, Jack Sumner, had defected to independent.

Metropolitan Borough of Wigan Metropolitan borough in England

The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. It is named after its largest component town and former county borough, Wigan and includes the towns and villages of Leigh, part of Ashton-in-Makerfield, Ince-in-Makerfield, Hindley, Orrell, Standish, Atherton, Tyldesley, Golborne, Lowton, Billinge, Astley, Haigh and Aspull. The borough was formed in 1974 and is an amalgamation of several former local government districts and parishes. The borough has three civil parishes and lies directly to the west of the City of Salford and southwest of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton. The local authority is Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council.

Liberal Democrats (UK) Political party in the United Kingdom

The Liberal Democrats are a liberal political party in the United Kingdom. It is currently led by Vince Cable. They have 11 Members of Parliament in the House of Commons, 96 members of the House of Lords, one member of the European Parliament, five Members of the Scottish Parliament and one member in the Welsh Assembly and London Assembly. At the height of its influence, the party formed a coalition government with the Conservative Party from 2010 to 2015 with its leader Nick Clegg serving as Deputy Prime Minister.

The Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom that has been described as an alliance of social democrats, democratic socialists and trade unionists. The party's platform emphasises greater state intervention, social justice and strengthening workers' rights.

Contents

All wards were fought for the first time since 1992, and the election boasted the highest number of candidates excepting the all-out elections of 1973 and 1980. The increase came from the Green Party standing a full-slate, seemingly energised by their third place the previous year, with both Labour and the Conservatives repeating their recent contesting rates. The Lib Dem's showing of six candidates, conversely, resembled a party resigned to fourth place. Elsewhere the aforementioned Independent was fighting Leigh East, and an incumbent Independent Labour candidate sought her fourth term in Hindley.

Green Party of England and Wales Political party in England and Wales

The Green Party of England and Wales is a green, left-wing political party in England and Wales. Headquartered in London, since September 2018, its co-leaders are Siân Berry and Jonathan Bartley. The Green Party has one representative in the House of Commons, one in the House of Lords, and three in the European Parliament. In addition, it has various councillors in UK local government and two members of the London Assembly.

Conservative Party (UK) Political party in the United Kingdom

The Conservative Party, officially the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom. The governing party since 2010, it is the largest in the House of Commons, with 313 Members of Parliament, and also has 249 members of the House of Lords, 18 members of the European Parliament, 31 Members of the Scottish Parliament, 12 members of the Welsh Assembly, eight members of the London Assembly and 8,916 local councillors.

Hindley, Greater Manchester town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England

Hindley is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. Lying three miles (5 km) east of Wigan it covers an area of 1044 hectares. Historically in Lancashire, Hindley borders the towns of Ince-in-Makerfield, Aspull, Westhoughton, Atherton and Westleigh in the former borough of Leigh. In 2001, Hindley had a population of 23,457, increasing to 28,000 at the 2011 Census. It forms part of the wider Greater Manchester Urban Area.

The previous year had brought about the worst turnout recorded, and this election did little to improve upon it, increasing by just one percent to 18.4%. The general picture too was one of little difference to the preceding election. All three main parties managed to improve their vote upon the previous year's historic lows, but none were able to in a significant manner, and as such, their figures remained at historically poor levels. The party shares were also little changed, with a modest recovery of the Lib Dems and the Greens achieving a new peak mainly at the expense of Labour.

Labour, however, made a net gain as they retook their seat in Beech Hill from last year's by-election victors the Lib Dems, and finally ousted the Independent Labour who'd held her seat in Hindley for more than a decade. Their solitary loss was a shock defeat in their previously safe seat of Hindsford, as the Lib Dems surged on a 21.6% swing to displace Samuel Little from the council – whose incumbency had been uninterrupted in the 25-year-long history of the council up to that point. The comparable record of the independent was ended as he made little progress in Leigh East and the Greens looked no more competitive than the previous year – and actually less in certain areas. [1] [2]

Election result

Wigan Local Election Result 1999
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 23 2 1 +1 95.8 67.7 29,012 -1.6%
  Liberal Democrat 1 1 1 0 4.2 8.9 3,839 +2.2%
  Conservative 0 0 0 0 0.0 12.7 5,428 -0.6%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0.0 9.3 4,004 +0.6%
  Independent Labour 0 0 1 -1 0.0 1.0 440 +1.0%
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.3 147 -1.5%

This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the Council after the elections:

PartyPrevious councilNew council
Labour 69 70
Liberal Democrat 2 2
Conservative 0 0
Green 0 0
Independent Labour 1 0
Independent 0 0
Total 72 72
Working majority 66  68 

Ward results

Abram [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour B. Hampson 890 79.0 -7.5
Conservative M. Green 155 13.8 +0.3
Green P. Murphy 81 7.2 +7.2
Majority 735 65.3 -7.7
Turnout 1,126 12.4 +0.6
Labour hold Swing -3.9
Ashton-Golborne [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour J. Hilton 1,227 70.3 +17.5
Conservative F. Parkinson 308 17.6 +8.9
Green L. Maile 211 12.1 +12.1
Majority 919 52.6 +35.0
Turnout 1,746 17.0 -2.4
Labour hold Swing +4.3
Aspull-Standish [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour G. Davies 1,375 58.2 -8.2
Liberal Democrat J. Beswick 499 21.1 +21.1
Conservative E. Mather 345 14.6 -5.8
Green D. Schanzi 145 6.1 -7.1
Majority 876 37.0 9.0
Turnout 2,364 20.3 +1.0
Labour hold Swing -14.6
Atherton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour R. Holmes 1,188 74.7 +2.7
Conservative N. Isherwood 260 16.3 -0.6
Green P. Brown 142 8.9 -2.1
Majority 928 58.4 +3.2
Turnout 1,590 18.4 +1.0
Labour hold Swing +1.6
Bedford-Astley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour J. Lea 1,110 71.2 -4.7
Conservative N. Dugmore 275 17.7 +17.7
Green K. Barry 173 11.1 -12.9
Majority 835 53.6 +1.7
Turnout 1,558 18.4 +2.7
Labour hold Swing -11.2
Beech Hill [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour A. Collins 1,386 56.9 +3.1
Liberal Democrat T. Beswick 1,012 41.5 -4.7
Green A. Deardon 39 1.6 +1.6
Majority 374 15.3 +7.7
Turnout 2,437 27.1 +0.5
Labour gain from Liberal Democrat Swing +3.9
Bryn [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour R. Atkinson 1,396 77.8 +2.0
Conservative A. Davies 275 15.3 +0.7
Green D. Sanderson 123 6.8 -2.7
Majority 1,121 62.5 +1.2
Turnout 1,794 18.1 +0.3
Labour hold Swing +0.6
Hindley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour J. Topping 1,120 66.7 -0.5
Independent Labour E. Edwardson 440 26.2 +26.2
Green C. Littler 119 7.1 -25.6
Majority 680 40.5 +6.0
Turnout 1,679 16.7 +2.6
Labour gain from Independent Labour Swing -13.3
Hindley Green [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour P. Turner 1,197 77.2 +2.2
Conservative D. Morris 219 14.1 -4.3
Green E. Brown 134 8.6 +2.0
Majority 978 63.1 +6.5
Turnout 1,550 14.2 +0.3
Labour hold Swing +3.2
Hindsford [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Liberal Democrat R. Bleakley 1,299 53.4 +20.3
Labour S. Little 966 39.7 -22.9
Conservative L. Dugmore 114 4.7 +4.7
Green W. Jolly 52 2.1 -2.1
Majority 333 13.7 -15.9
Turnout 2,431 22.8 +4.6
Liberal Democrat gain from Labour Swing +21.6
Hope Carr [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour C. Hale 1,382 49.9 +0.8
Green C. Maile 807 29.1 -4.6
Conservative A. Oxley 580 20.9 +3.8
Majority 575 20.8 +5.4
Turnout 2,769 27.3 +1.5
Labour hold Swing
Ince [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour D. Molyneux 1,021 87.4 -2.7
Green N. Maile 81 6.9 +6.9
Conservative H. Topping 66 5.6 -4.3
Majority 940 80.5 +0.3
Turnout 1,168 15.2 +1.0
Labour hold Swing -4.8
Langtree [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour M. Crosby 1,369 65.5 -3.9
Liberal Democrat F. Graham 583 27.9 +2.8
Green E. Kismul 138 6.6 +1.1
Majority 786 37.6 -6.7
Turnout 2,090 17.9 +1.1
Labour hold Swing -3.3
Leigh Central [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour B. Thomas 1,174 78.7 -1.8
Green S. Critchley 167 11.2 +0.5
Conservative T. Matthews 150 10.0 +1.4
Majority 1,007 67.5 -2.3
Turnout 1,491 17.3 -0.0
Labour hold Swing -1.1
Leigh East [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour K. Cunliffe 1,112 68.7 -5.0
Conservative D. Davies 254 15.7 -3.2
Independent J. Sumner 147 9.1 +9.1
Green N. Howarth 105 6.5 -0.8
Majority 858 53.0 -1.7
Turnout 1,618 15.2 +0.2
Labour hold Swing -0.9
Lightshaw [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour B. Strett 1,693 67.2 -6.1
Conservative N. Culshaw 591 23.5 +1.4
Green S. Clarke 234 9.3 +4.7
Majority 1,102 43.8 -7.5
Turnout 2,518 21.3 -0.0
Labour hold Swing -3.7
Newtown [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour J. Birch 1,036 83.1 +7.8
Liberal Democrat L. Fain 146 11.7 +0.9
Green H. Wilkinson 65 5.2 +2.6
Majority 890 71.4 +7.4
Turnout 8,648 14.4 -0.1
Labour hold Swing +3.4
Norley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour S. Parker 1,050 94.2 +3.0
Green D. Smith 64 5.7 -3.0
Majority 986 88.5 +5.9
Turnout 1,114 15.6 +1.3
Labour hold Swing +3.0
Orrell [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour R. Capstick 1,051 58.5 -1.1
Conservative M. Winstanley 639 35.6 +1.5
Green N. Bird 105 5.8 -0.5
Majority 412 22.9 -2.6
Turnout 1,795 19.7 +0.8
Labour hold Swing -1.3
Swinley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour J. Ball 1,143 52.6 -0.9
Conservative J. Davies 661 30.4 +0.2
Liberal Democrat A. Robinson 300 13.8 +1.3
Green D. Saunders 67 3.1 -0.7
Majority 482 22.2 -1.1
Turnout 2,171 25.2 +2.2
Labour hold Swing -0.5
Tyldesley East [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour S. Hellier 1,406 74.8N/A
Green P. Thake 473 25.2N/A
Majority 933 49.7N/A
Turnout 1,879 16.1N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Whelley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour T. Butler 1,345 86.1 +1.8
Green J. Wilkinson 217 13.9 +7.3
Majority 1,128 72.2 -3.0
Turnout 1,562 19.3 +2.5
Labour hold Swing -2.7
Winstanley [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour G. Roberts 1,290 70.1 -8.0
Conservative J. Cartwright 381 20.7 -1.2
Green J. Critchley 170 9.2 +9.2
Majority 909 49.4 -6.8
Turnout 1,841 16.4 +1.9
Labour hold Swing -3.4
Worsley Mesnes [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Labour J. Baldwin 1,085 81.4 -1.5
Conservative T. Sutton 155 11.6 -5.4
Green A. Connor 92 6.9 +6.9
Majority 930 69.8 +3.9
Turnout 1,332 13.9 +0.4
Labour hold Swing +1.9

By-elections between 1999 and 2000

Hindsford By-Election 2 December 1999 [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Liberal Democrat Graham Lingings 921 57.1 +3.7
Labour 693 42.9 +3.2
Majority 227 14.2 +0.5
Turnout 1,614 15.0 -7.8
Liberal Democrat gain from Labour Swing +0.2

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References

  1. "Wigan". BBC News Online . Retrieved 2009-12-17.
  2. 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 "Wigan Council results from 1973 to 2008" (PDF). wigan.gov.uk. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  3. "Local Authority Byelection Results". gwydir.demon.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-06-13.