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Elections to Wigan Council were held on 2 May 2002, with one-third of the council to be re-elected. There had been a number of by-elections in the gap year, with a Labour gain from the Liberal Democrats in Hindsford, effectively cancelling out an earlier loss to them in Atherton. A Labour hold in Hope Carr in-between left both parties unchanged going into the election.
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.
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.
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.
Candidates contesting rose slightly on the prior election's, with the Socialist Alliance's debut eclipsing the Liberal Democrat offering, with 9 candidates to 8, and the newly formed Community Action Party fielding their first handful, as well as a sole BNP contender in Abram. This counteracted the traditional opposition parties - the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats - fielding slightly less this year and one fewer Independent contester than the last election.
The Socialist Alliance was a left-wing electoral alliance in England between 1992 and 2005.
The Community Action Party is a minor political party in the United Kingdom, mostly active in Greater Manchester and Merseyside. It advocates free health care and education provision, a managed public transport infrastructure free to all at the point of use and a moratorium on the use of green belt land for building. It also supports a zero tolerance policy toward crime, and is against the introduction of identity cards and recent anti-terrorist legislation on civil liberties grounds.
The British National Party (BNP) is a far-right, fascist political party in the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in Wigton, Cumbria, and its current leader is Adam Walker. A minor party, it has no elected representatives at any level of UK government. Founded in 1982, the party reached its greatest level of success in the 2000s, when it had over fifty seats in local government, one seat on the London Assembly, and two Members of the European Parliament.
The worrying string of poor turnout seen in recent elections was partially reversed, as turnout rose by a quarter upon the 2000s figure of 19.5%, to 25.2%. The Conservatives and the Independents fell back from their impressive performances in 2000, to the benefit of the newcomers, with Community Action immediately gaining two seats in the previously-unblemished Labour strongholds of Bryn and Lightshaw. Labour successfully defended Orrell from another Tory gain, but suffered a loss in the former Conservative bastion of Swinley, with the Conservatives holding representation in Orrell and Swinley for the first time in just shy of twenty years. Elsewhere, the Lib Dems comfortably captured another seat in Hindsford. These gains reverted Labour's majority to a more normative 58, ending their five-year peak. [1] [2] [3] [4]
Orrell is a village and a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The population of the ward had fallen at the 2011 Census to 11,513. The centre of the area lies 3 miles (4.8 km) to the west of Wigan town centre and serves as a predominantly residential suburb of Wigan. The area is contiguous with the district of Pemberton.
Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | 20 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 83.3 | 56.7 | 32,772 | -0.2% | |
Community Action | 2 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 8.3 | 9.2 | 5,307 | +9.2% | |
Conservative | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4.2 | 17.2 | 9,936 | -7.9% | |
Liberal Democrat | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4.2 | 11.6 | 6,681 | -0.3% | |
Socialist Alliance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.5 | 1,428 | +2.5% | |
Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 859 | -2.9% | |
BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 571 | +1.0% | |
This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the Council after the elections:
Party | Previous council | New council | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | 69 | 65 | |||
Liberal Democrat | 2 | 3 | |||
Community Action | 0 | 2 | |||
Conservative | 1 | 2 | |||
Socialist Alliance | 0 | 0 | |||
Independent | 0 | 0 | |||
BNP | 0 | 0 | |||
Total | 72 | 72 | |||
Working majority | 66 | 58 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Eunice Smethurst | 1,631 | 65.2 | -3.6 | |
BNP | Dennis Shambley | 571 | 22.8 | +22.8 | |
Conservative | Alicia Eccles | 292 | 11.7 | -19.5 | |
Rejected ballots | 7 | 0.3 | |||
Majority | 1,060 | 42.4 | +4.7 | ||
Turnout | 2,501 | 28.1 | +15.7 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -13.2 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Andrew Bullen | 1,313 | 44.3 | -20.1 | |
Community Action | Stanley Barnes | 1,250 | 42.1 | +42.1 | |
Conservative | Jonathan Cartwright | 300 | 10.1 | -25.5 | |
Socialist Alliance | Marian Markham | 100 | 3.4 | +3.4 | |
Rejected ballots | 4 | 0.1 | |||
Majority | 63 | 2.1 | -26.7 | ||
Turnout | 2,967 | 26.9 | +11.1 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -31.1 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | John Hilton | 1,584 | 44.3 | -5.8 | |
Liberal Democrat | Trevor Beswick | 1,091 | 30.5 | +10.8 | |
Conservative | Barry Wolley | 792 | 22.2 | -4.6 | |
Socialist Alliance | Janet Philips | 105 | 2.9 | +2.9 | |
Rejected ballots | 2 | 0.1 | |||
Majority | 493 | 13.8 | -9.6 | ||
Turnout | 3,574 | 30.5 | +9.1 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -8.3 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Susan Loudon | 1,353 | 54.8 | -8.6 | |
Liberal Democrat | Patricia Myler | 827 | 33.5 | +12.7 | |
Conservative | Ann Davies | 155 | 6.3 | -9.5 | |
Independent | David Shallcross | 132 | 5.3 | +5.3 | |
Rejected ballots | 1 | 0.0 | |||
Majority | 526 | 21.3 | -21.3 | ||
Turnout | 2,468 | 28.6 | +8.3 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -10.6 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Frederick Walker | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Garry Rankin | 1,416 | 57.8 | +2.7 | |
Liberal Democrat | Malcolm Hudson | 774 | 31.6 | -7.8 | |
Independent | William Hurst | 252 | 10.3 | +10.3 | |
Rejected ballots | 9 | 0.4 | |||
Majority | 642 | 26.2 | +10.4 | ||
Turnout | 2,451 | 27.1 | +1.0 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +5.2 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Community Action | John Hodgkinson | 1,397 | 48.0 | +48.0 | |
Labour | Alan Melling | 1,311 | 45.0 | -24.4 | |
Conservative | Marion Green | 200 | 6.9 | -23.7 | |
Rejected ballots | 3 | 0.1 | |||
Majority | 86 | 2.9 | -36.0 | ||
Turnout | 2,911 | 29.4 | +12.2 | ||
Community Action gain from Labour | Swing | +36.2 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Stuart Shaw | 1,656 | 73.7 | +24.1 | |
Conservative | Andre Walker | 567 | 25.2 | +13.4 | |
Rejected ballots | 25 | 1.1 | |||
Majority | 1,089 | 48.4 | +37.5 | ||
Turnout | 2,248 | 21.3 | +3.8 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +5.3 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Stanley Simmons | 1,535 | 71.7 | +23.2 | |
Conservative | Rosina Oxley | 580 | 27.1 | +8.1 | |
Rejected ballots | 27 | 1.3 | |||
Majority | 955 | 44.6 | +28.7 | ||
Turnout | 2,142 | 19.6 | +3.6 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +7.5 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrat | Neil Hogg | 1,724 | 55.4 | +8.9 | |
Labour | Philip Loudon | 1,024 | 32.9 | -11.3 | |
Independent | Stephen Hall | 234 | 7.5 | +3.2 | |
Conservative | William Graham | 125 | 4.0 | -0.9 | |
Rejected ballots | 4 | 0.1 | |||
Majority | 700 | 22.5 | +20.3 | ||
Turnout | 3,111 | 28.5 | +4.8 | ||
Liberal Democrat gain from Labour | Swing | +10.1 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Kevin Anderson | 1,498 | 52.1 | +13.0 | |
Conservative | Andrew Oxley | 713 | 24.8 | -3.0 | |
Community Action | Peter Solinas | 549 | 19.1 | +19.1 | |
Socialist Alliance | Keith Fry | 104 | 3.6 | +3.6 | |
Rejected ballots | 11 | 0.4 | |||
Majority | 785 | 27.3 | +16.0 | ||
Turnout | 2,875 | 28.1 | +4.3 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +8.0 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Joan Hurst | 1,231 | 76.3 | +1.2 | |
Socialist Alliance | Michael Doherty | 200 | 12.4 | +12.4 | |
Conservative | Robert Rees | 176 | 10.9 | -3.4 | |
Rejected ballots | 6 | 0.4 | |||
Majority | 1,031 | 63.9 | +3.1 | ||
Turnout | 1,613 | 21.2 | +6.2 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -5.6 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | John O'Neill | 1,733 | 51.9 | +4.0 | |
Conservative | Gareth Fairhurst | 988 | 29.6 | -3.9 | |
Liberal Democrat | Freda Graham | 607 | 18.2 | -0.4 | |
Rejected ballots | 11 | 0.3 | |||
Majority | 745 | 22.3 | +7.9 | ||
Turnout | 3,339 | 28.7 | +8.5 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +3.9 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Peter Smith | 1,298 | 71.5 | +1.3 | |
Conservative | Timothy Matthews | 301 | 16.6 | -13.2 | |
Community Action | Daniel Burrows | 212 | 11.7 | +11.7 | |
Rejected ballots | 5 | 0.3 | |||
Majority | 997 | 54.9 | +14.5 | ||
Turnout | 1,816 | 21.5 | +6.8 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +7.2 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Anne Turnock | 1,571 | 76.9 | +22.2 | |
Conservative | Derek Davies | 454 | 22.2 | +2.9 | |
Rejected ballots | 17 | 0.8 | |||
Majority | 1,117 | 54.7 | +25.9 | ||
Turnout | 2,042 | 19.0 | +4.0 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +9.6 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Community Action | Peter Franzen | 1,899 | 44.5 | +44.5 | |
Labour | Tom Sherratt | 1,776 | 41.7 | -18.6 | |
Conservative | James Grundy | 581 | 13.6 | -26.1 | |
Rejected ballots | 8 | 0.2 | |||
Majority | 123 | 2.9 | -17.6 | ||
Turnout | 4,264 | 34.9 | +13.4 | ||
Community Action gain from Labour | Swing | +31.5 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Christine Hitchen | 1,204 | 76.9 | +8.0 | |
Socialist Alliance | Barry Conway | 332 | 21.2 | +21.2 | |
Rejected ballots | 29 | 1.9 | |||
Majority | 872 | 55.7 | +9.5 | ||
Turnout | 1,565 | 18.8 | +5.8 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -6.6 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Jeanette Prescott | 1,017 | 83.5 | N/A | |
Socialist Alliance | William Markham | 195 | 16.0 | N/A | |
Rejected ballots | 6 | 0.5 | |||
Majority | 822 | 67.5 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 1,218 | 17.9 | N/A | ||
Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Ernest Swift | 1,478 | 52.2 | +3.9 | |
Conservative | Stuart Foy | 1,336 | 47.2 | -4.4 | |
Rejected ballots | 15 | 0.5 | |||
Majority | 142 | 5.0 | +1.8 | ||
Turnout | 2,829 | 30.4 | +9.1 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +4.1 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Davies | 1,189 | 40.3 | -1.0 | |
Labour | Susan Turner | 1,084 | 36.8 | -8.4 | |
Liberal Democrat | Alan Robinson | 365 | 12.4 | +0.3 | |
Independent | Stephen Halsall | 241 | 8.2 | +6.7 | |
Socialist Alliance | Frances Thomas | 65 | 2.2 | +2.2 | |
Rejected ballots | 5 | 0.2 | |||
Majority | 105 | 3.6 | -0.2 | ||
Turnout | 2,949 | 34.4 | +7.9 | ||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +3.7 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Brian Wilson | 1,574 | 64.0 | +7.1 | |
Liberal Democrat | Richard Derricutt | 866 | 35.2 | +2.3 | |
Rejected ballots | 19 | 0.8 | |||
Majority | 708 | 28.8 | +4.8 | ||
Turnout | 2,459 | 20.9 | +5.5 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +2.4 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | James Roberts | 1,391 | 70.8 | -4.4 | |
Liberal Democrat | Jean Beswick | 427 | 21.7 | +21.7 | |
Socialist Alliance | Judith Ford | 138 | 7.0 | +7.0 | |
Rejected ballots | 10 | 0.5 | |||
Majority | 964 | 49.0 | -1.2 | ||
Turnout | 1,966 | 24.2 | -1.7 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -13.0 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Evans | 1,667 | 64.6 | -0.7 | |
Conservative | Richard Clayton | 895 | 34.7 | +0.0 | |
Rejected ballots | 20 | 0.8 | |||
Majority | 772 | 29.9 | -0.7 | ||
Turnout | 2,582 | 20.0 | -5.5 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -0.3 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Rotherham | 1,427 | 74.6 | +5.0 | |
Conservative | Thomas Sutton | 292 | 15.3 | -15.1 | |
Socialist Alliance | Jacqueline Pointon | 189 | 9.9 | +9.9 | |
Rejected ballots | 6 | 0.3 | |||
Majority | 1,135 | 59.3 | +20.1 | ||
Turnout | 1,914 | 20.1 | +7.1 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +10.0 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Myra Whiteside | 904 | 62.6 | -8.9 | |
Community Action | Peter Solinas | 392 | 27.1 | +15.4 | |
Conservative | Tim Matthews | 149 | 10.3 | -6.3 | |
Majority | 512 | 35.5 | -19.4 | ||
Turnout | 1,445 | 17.1 | -4.4 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -12.1 | |||
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