2006 Swindon Borough Council election

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Map of the results of the 2006 Swindon council election. Conservatives in blue, Labour in red and Liberal Democrat in yellow. Wards in grey were not contested in 2006. Swindon 2006 election map.png
Map of the results of the 2006 Swindon council election. Conservatives in blue, Labour in red and Liberal Democrat in yellow. Wards in grey were not contested in 2006.

The 2006 Swindon Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Swindon Unitary Council in Wiltshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council. [1]

Contents

After the election, the composition of the council was

Campaign

19 seats were contested in the election, with a total of 70 candidates standing and 10 sitting councillors not defending their seats. [3] From the parties defending seats in the election these included 19 each from the Conservative and Labour parties and 15 Liberal Democrats. [3] Other candidates included 11 from the Green party, 2 Socialist Unity and 3 independents. [4] The election also saw the British National Party (BNP) stand for Swindon council for the first time, with one candidate, Reg Bates, standing in Gorse Hill and Pinehurst ward. [5] His candidature led a group comprising trade unions, the Labour party, community groups and some independent socialists to form an alliance in opposition to the BNP. [5]

Issues in the election included regeneration, with the different parties proposing different ideas including a library, art gallery, redeveloped car park and the preservation of green spaces. [6] The Conservatives defended their record in control of the council, saying that they had improved services and increased council tax by lower percentages than Labour had when they had been in control of the council. [4] Labour said they would protect services the Conservatives were cutting, deal with anti-social behaviour and criticised the Conservatives for increasing council tax. [4] Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats said they would stand up for local residents and make the town centre attractive for everyone. [4]

For the election a new website was launched by the council where voters could register in order to get reminders to vote, in an effort to increase turnout. [7]

Election result

The results saw the Conservatives strengthen their control of the council after gaining 5 seats to hold 40 of the 59 seats. [8] 3 of the gains came from Labour who were reduced to 14 seats, [9] with both of Labour's Swindon Members of Parliament blaming the defeats on national issues. [8] The other two Conservative gains were from the Liberal Democrats who fell to 3 seats, while the 2 independent councillors were not defending seats in 2006. [9] Overall turnout in the election was 34.21%, up on the 32.7% in the 2004 election. [9]

Swindon Local Election Result 2006 [10] [11]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Conservative 1350+568.447.620,819+2.5%
  Labour 503−326.330.213,203+2.4%
  Liberal Democrats 102−25.314.16,156−6.2%
  Green 000005.82,534+0.9%
  Independent 000001.0458+0.6%
  BNP 000000.7319+0.7%
  Socialist Unity 000000.6244+0.6%

Ward results

Abbey Meads [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative J Tomlinson 1,32970.4+12.2
Labour G Lawson26113.8−7.3
Liberal Democrats L Sharp1588.4−12.3
Green E Bushell1397.4+7.4
Majority1,06856.6+19.5
Turnout 1,887
Conservative hold Swing
Blunsdon [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative G Dart87583.7+11.5
Labour J Sefton17116.3+1.8
Majority70467.3+9.6
Turnout 1,046
Conservative hold Swing
Central [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour R Wright1,00546.5+3.9
Conservative K Leakey64229.7+4.1
Liberal Democrats H Thompson31714.7-4.7
Green K Evans1396.4−2.2
Independent D Rowland562.6+2.6
Majority36316.8−0.2
Turnout 2,159
Labour hold Swing
Covingham and Nythe [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative P Young1,52657.5+5.4
Labour M Dilley1,12642.5+9.8
Majority40015.1−4.3
Turnout 2,652
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Dorcan [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative A James1,26649.1−1.5
Labour N Butler78530.4-2.1
Liberal Democrats E Aylett31112.0−4.9
Green S Smith2198.5+8.5
Majority48118.6+0.5
Turnout 2,581
Conservative hold Swing
Eastcott [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats D Wood1,20148.9+2.7
Labour M Ofori50820.7−0.2
Conservative P Gregory48319.7−1.6
Green J Hughes26310.7−0.9
Majority69328.2+3.4
Turnout 2,455
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Freshbrook and Grange Park [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative M Bray1,12745.2+2.5
Liberal Democrats H Teague83533.5−6.2
Labour N Heavens36414.6-3.0
Green M Harrison1666.7+6.7
Majority29211.7+8.7
Turnout 2,492
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Gorse Hill and Pinehurst [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour M Fanning82541.3−2.9
Conservative R Barnett42121.1−6.0
BNP R Bates31916.0+16.0
Liberal Democrats D Pajak1698.5−8.9
Independent C Hunt1547.7+7.7
Socialist Unity R North1095.5-5.9
Majority40420.2+3.0
Turnout 1,997
Labour hold Swing
Haydon Wick [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative D Ranard1,36855.8+1.1
Labour I Carroll69728.4+3.6
Liberal Democrats A Sharp38515.7−4.8
Majority67127.4−2.5
Turnout 2,450
Conservative hold Swing
Highworth [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative J Short1,42354.8+3.7
Labour A Durrant69126.6+0.9
Green A Day28210.9+2.8
Liberal Democrats C Shepherd2027.8−7.3
Majority73228.2+2.8
Turnout 2,598
Conservative hold Swing
Moredon [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative D Wren1,04745.0+0.9
Labour D Montaut1,01043.4+5.0
Liberal Democrats J Pajak26911.6−1.1
Majority371.6-4.1
Turnout 2,326
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Old Town and Lawn [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative B Mattock2,02058.6+2.6
Liberal Democrats M Wheaver58617.0−8.3
Labour R Brooks49514.3+5.5
Green C Smith34910.1+0.3
Majority1,43441.6+10.9
Turnout 3,450
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Parks [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour B Thompson69442.6−1.1
Conservative G Cherry58035.6+12.0
Green D Miles35521.8+10.7
Majority1147.0−13.1
Turnout 1,629
Labour hold Swing
Penhill [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour D Glaholm54445.2−5.4
Liberal Democrats T Hudson37230.9+4.0
Conservative H Tomlinson28723.9+9.7
Majority17214.3−9.4
Turnout 1,203
Labour hold Swing
Shaw and Nine Elms [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative K Williams1,25560.2+5.3
Labour J Doyle37718.1+2.1
Liberal Democrats J Farr27012.9−1.0
Green J Miles1848.8+1.1
Majority87842.1+3.2
Turnout 2,086
Conservative hold Swing
St Margaret [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative M Edwards1,56963.4+9.0
Labour M Spry90436.6+9.6
Majority66526.9−0.5
Turnout 2,473
Conservative hold Swing
St Philip [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative D Sammels1,11741.8−2.1
Labour T Page1,09441.0+0.4
Liberal Democrats A Richards2308.6-0.3
Green R Smith2308.6+2.0
Majority230.9−2.5
Turnout 2,671
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Western [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour K Small1,22646.3+6.9
Conservative J Milton87032.9−0.4
Liberal Democrats M Cousens41715.7+5.3
Socialist Unity A Newman1355.1+5.1
Majority35613.4+8.4
Turnout 2,648
Labour hold Swing
Wroughton and Chiseldon [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative E Shaw1,61455.1-0.8
Liberal Democrats L Newman43414.8−7.7
Labour M Gladman42614.5−0.5
Independent J Newman2488.5+8.5
Green R Heritage2087.1+0.5
Majority1,18040.3+7.0
Turnout 2,930
Conservative hold Swing

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References

  1. "Local elections: Swindon". BBC News Online . Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  2. "Local elections 2006: Results in full". The Guardian . 6 May 2006. p. 20.
  3. 1 2 "It's your choice..." This is Wiltshire.co.uk. 7 April 2006. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Time to have your say". Swindon Advertiser. 3 May 2006. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  5. 1 2 "Don't let BNP get a grip in our town - groups unite to fight the BNP". This is Wiltshire.co.uk. 18 April 2006. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  6. "Making a new start". Swindon Advertiser. 27 April 2006. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  7. "Website ticks all the right boxes". This is Wiltshire.co.uk. 10 April 2006. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  8. 1 2 "Labour slide has 'bottomed out'". Swindon Advertiser. 6 May 2006. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  9. 1 2 3 "Town's pilot may take off". Swindon Advertiser. 10 May 2006. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 "Local Elections 2006". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  11. "Local elections". The Times . 6 May 2006. p. 64.