The 2007 Worthing Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Worthing Borough Council in West Sussex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council. [1]
Worthing is a large seaside town in England, and district with borough status in West Sussex. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, 10 miles (16 km) west of Brighton, and 18 miles (29 km) east of the county town of Chichester. With an estimated population of 104,600 and an area of 12.5 square miles (32.37 km2) the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation, which makes it part of the 15th most populous urban area in the United Kingdom. Since 2010 northern parts of the borough, including the Worthing Downland Estate, have formed part of the South Downs National Park.
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering East Sussex to the east, Hampshire to the west and Surrey to the north, and to the south the English Channel.
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to the west and Scotland to the north-northwest. The Irish Sea lies west of England and the Celtic Sea lies to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the North Atlantic, and includes over 100 smaller islands, such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.
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Candidates from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, Labour and the United Kingdom Independence Party stood in the election. [2] There was also one candidate, Dawn Smith, standing as a "Stop Durrington's Overdevelopment - Save Titnore's Trees" candidate as a protest against plans to build 875 houses near Worthing. [3]
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 Member of Parliament in the House of Commons, one representative in the House of Lords, and three Members of the European Parliament. It has various councillors in UK local government and two members of the London Assembly.
The Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom which 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. Labour is a full member of the Party of European Socialists and Progressive Alliance, and holds observer status in the Socialist International. As of 2017, the party was considered the "largest party in Western Europe" in terms of party membership, with more than half a million members.
The Liberal Democrats had been hoping to gain three seats, [2] but the results saw the Conservatives gain one seat from the Liberal Democrats to strengthen their majority on the council. [4] The Liberal Democrat defeat came by 12 votes in Selden ward where their candidate James Doyle was upset over the Conservatives using the description "Conservative, Stop Hospital Cuts" on the ballot paper. [5] Conservative Kevin Skepper retained his seat in Broadwater, which he had previously won as a Liberal Democrat before defecting to the Conservatives. [5] This was the first time since 1975 that a Conservative had won in Broadwater. [5] Meanwhile, in Castle ward the Liberal Democrats held both the seats in Castle ward after 3 recounts. [5] Overall voter turnout in the election was 35.41%. [6]
A ballot is a device used to cast votes in an election, and may be a piece of paper or a small ball used in secret voting. It was originally a small ball used to record decisions made by voters.
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election. Eligibility varies by country, and the voting-eligible population should not be confused with the total adult population. Age and citizenship status are often among the criteria used to determine eligibility, but some countries further restrict eligibility based on sex, race, or religion.
After the election, the composition of the council was
- Conservative 24
- Liberal Democrat 12
- Independent 1 [7]
The Conservative Party, officially the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom. Presently led by Theresa May, it has been the governing party since 2010. It presently has 314 Members of Parliament in the House of Commons, 249 members of the House of Lords, and 18 members of the European Parliament. It also has 31 Members of the Scottish Parliament, 12 members of the Welsh Assembly, eight members of the London Assembly and 9,008 local councillors. One of the major parties of UK politics, it has formed the government on 45 occasions, more than any other party.
The Liberal Democrats are a liberal, centrist political party in the United Kingdom. They presently have 11 Members of Parliament in the House of Commons, 96 members of the House of Lords, and one member of the European Parliament. They also have five Members of the Scottish Parliament and a member each in the Welsh Assembly and London Assembly. The party reached the height of its influence in the early 2010s, forming a junior partner in a coalition government from 2010 to 2015. It is presently led by Vince Cable.
