1994 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

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Map of the results of the 1994 Wigan council election. Wigan92.png
Map of the results of the 1994 Wigan council election.

Elections to the Wigan council were held on Thursday, 5 May 1994, with one third of the seats up for election. Prior to the election, Labour had defended their seats in two by-elections for Abram and Hindley. The election suffered from a mixture of a poor contesting rate and low voter turnout. The number of candidates contesting was just 50, the lowest since 1975, with four wards going unopposed, and Lib Dems back to fighting a half of the seats, and the Conservatives less than two-thirds. The only other opposition standing were three Independent Labour candidates, one of which was the previous - but since deselected - Labour incumbent for the seat being fought in Worsley Mesnes. Voter turnout rose from the previous election's nadir, but at 30.4%, still well below average.

Contents

Labour achieved their highest vote share to date, with an overwhelming 70.3% of votes cast. Conversely the Conservatives obtained both their lowest vote share, and lowest vote figure, on record. The Lib Dems, whilst suffering a drop to 16% - a figure below average for results in recent years - witnessed nothing as dramatic. Party seat totals remained unchanged, with Labour and the Lib Dems gaining a seat from each other. The Lib Dem narrowly gained (by just four votes) their third in Beech Hill, turning a ward entirely represented by Labour from the early to mid eighties, into solely Lib Dem for the first time. Labour elsewhere regained a seat in Hope Carr, returning that to entirely Labour. [1]

Election result

Wigan Local Election Result 1994
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 2311095.870.341,704+14.6%
  Liberal Democrats 11104.216.09,520-4.1%
  Conservative 00000.011.36,729-10.2%
  Independent Labour 00000.02.31,343+1.4%

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

PartyPrevious councilNew council
Labour6161
Liberal Democrats88
Conservatives22
Independent Labour11
Total7272
Working majority 50  50 

Ward results

Abram [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Best2,07389.8+9.6
Conservative J. Wright23510.2-9.6
Majority1,83879.6+19.2
Turnout 2,30823.9+5.3
Labour hold Swing +9.6
Ashton-Golborne [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Bullen2,25377.3+19.6
Liberal Democrats S. Cooper34011.7-3.6
Conservative I. Cunliffe32011.0-15.9
Majority1,91365.7+34.8
Turnout 2,91329.7+10.0
Labour hold Swing +11.6
Aspull-Standish [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. Hilton1,94848.5+14.0
Liberal Democrats L. Chamberlain1,63340.7-5.4
Conservative J. Davies43210.8-8.6
Majority3157.8-3.7
Turnout 4,01337.3+5.2
Labour hold Swing +9.7
Atherton [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour S. Loundon2,03384.6+8.2
Independent Labour D. Graeme37015.4-8.2
Majority1,66369.2+16.3
Turnout 2,40326.1+3.9
Labour hold Swing +8.2
Bedford-Astley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour F. Walker1,71768.8+18.3
Liberal Democrats G. Mann78031.2+5.0
Majority93737.5+13.3
Turnout 2,49728.7+2.5
Labour hold Swing +6.6
Beech Hill [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats L. Brooks1,62148.0-15.1
Labour T. Bishop1,61747.9+15.5
Conservative J. Cartwright1384.1-0.3
Majority40.1-30.7
Turnout 3,37637.4+4.1
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing -15.3
Bryn [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. Melling2,42986.5+11.4
Conservative R. Clayton38013.5-11.4
Majority2,04972.9+22.9
Turnout 2,80928.7+7.9
Labour hold Swing +11.4
Hindley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Shaw1,94681.8+3.7
Liberal Democrats F. Graham43418.2-3.7
Majority1,51263.5+7.4
Turnout 2,38024.8+6.2
Labour hold Swing +3.7
Hindley Green [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Simmons2,40786.0+28.6
Conservative A. Emmett39013.9-12.8
Majority2,01772.1+41.4
Turnout 2,79724.6+7.0
Labour hold Swing +20.7
Hindsford [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour A. WrightUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Hope Carr [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour K. Anderson1,81250.4+12.6
Liberal Democrats P. Hough1,25434.9+3.8
Conservative D. Morris52614.6-16.4
Majority55815.5+8.8
Turnout 3,59235.6+4.9
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing +4.4
Ince [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. BlackledgeUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Langtree [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour J. O'Neill2,25057.2+21.1
Liberal Democrats J. Shaw1,08327.5-18.3
Conservative F. Parkinson3819.7+9.7
Independent Labour H. O'Neill2185.5+5.5
Majority1,16729.7+19.9
Turnout 3,93234.7+3.4
Labour hold Swing +19.7
Leigh Central [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour P. SmithUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Leigh East [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour T. Harper1,87068.6+12.7
Liberal Democrats S. Hide85631.4-12.7
Majority1,01437.2+25.3
Turnout 2,72627.1+6.8
Labour hold Swing +12.7
Lightshaw [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour T. Sherratt3,18080.7+21.2
Conservative C. Duffy76019.3-21.2
Majority2,42061.4+42.5
Turnout 3,94035.8+5.2
Labour hold Swing +21.2
Newtown [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour K. Pye1,96485.1+12.9
Liberal Democrats H. Wagner1837.9-5.5
Conservative G. Peach1606.9-7.4
Majority1,78177.2+19.3
Turnout 2,30725.8+9.3
Labour hold Swing +9.2
Norley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour N. Tuner1,97385.2+7.3
Liberal Democrats B. Turner34314.8+1.7
Majority1,63070.4+5.7
Turnout 2,31630.4+9.7
Labour hold Swing +2.8
Orrell [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour G. Seaward2,13370.7+19.1
Conservative G. Whiston88429.3-19.1
Majority1,24941.4+38.2
Turnout 3,01731.9+5.5
Labour hold Swing +19.1
Swinley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour S. Turner2,03262.9+24.2
Conservative M. Winstanley1,19837.1-15.8
Majority83425.8+11.7
Turnout 3,23036.8+2.8
Labour hold Swing +20.0
Tyldesley East [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour B. WilsonUnopposedN/AN/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Whelley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Pendleton2,12588.4+22.3
Conservative T. Sharpe27911.6-4.6
Majority1,84676.8+26.9
Turnout 2,40428.8+8.5
Labour hold Swing +13.4
Winstanley [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Evans2,16864.3+11.5
Liberal Democrats P. Evans72121.4-0.5
Conservative M. Green48314.3-11.1
Majority1,44742.9+15.5
Turnout 3,37228.6+7.7
Labour hold Swing +6.0
Worsley Mesnes [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour W. Rotherham1,77459.8-5.3
Independent Labour H. Milligan75525.5+25.5
Liberal Democrats W. Sly2729.2-9.1
Conservative T. Sutton1635.5-11.0
Majority1,01934.4-12.5
Turnout 2,96429.8+12.5
Labour hold Swing -15.4

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References

  1. 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2012.