2007 Pendle Borough Council election

Summary

The 2007 Pendle Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Pendle Borough Council in Lancashire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

Map of the results of the 2007 Pendle Borough Council election. Liberal Democrats in yellow, Conservatives in blue and Labour in red. Wards in dark grey were not contested in 2007.

After the election, the composition of the council was

Background edit

Before the election the Liberal Democrats had a majority on the council with 26 seats, compared to 13 for the Conservatives, 5 for Labour, 3 independents and 1 British National Party.[3] There was also one vacant seat after a councillor, Mary Norcross, died in March 2007.[3] The Liberal Democrat majority had been reduced since the 2006 election after 3 councillors left the party to become independents.[3]

17 seats were being contested in the election with the Liberal Democrats defending 8 seats, the Conservatives 6 and independents 3.[4] There were a total of 64 candidates in the election,[4] with the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives contesting every seat.[3] Other parties contesting the election including Labour with 16 candidates, 6 from the British National Party, 3 Green Party and 2 United Kingdom Independence Party.[3] There were also some independent candidates, with 3 being the sitting independent, formerly Liberal Democrat, councillors.[3]

Campaign edit

Issues in the election included council tax, the environment, phone masts, refuse collection and regeneration.[4] There was also controversy over the candidature of independent Ian Robinson in Waterside, after a Liberal Democrat councillor in the same ward signed his nomination papers.[5]

The election saw a drop of about 3% in the number of voters registered to vote by post to 7,562.[6]

Election result edit

The results saw the Liberal Democrats stay in control of the council after regaining the 3 independent seats, but losing another 2 seats.[7] This meant they held 27 seats and had an overall majority of 7.[7] The Conservatives gained Boulsworth from the Liberal Democrats by 7 votes after 3 recounts to have 14 seats, while Labour went up to 6 seats after taking Bradley by 226 votes.[7] The British National Party remained on 1 seat, after no other party won any seats in the election.[7] Overall turnout in the election was 44.6%.[8]

Pendle local election result 2007[8][9]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Liberal Democrats 9 3 2 +1 52.9 34.8 8,650 -5.8%
  Conservative 7 1 0 +1 41.2 34.6 8,600 +8.6%
  Labour 1 1 0 +1 5.9 17.7 4,399 -5.3%
  BNP 0 0 0 0 0 7.0 1,737 -3.4%
  Independent 0 0 3 -3 0 4.3 1,065 +4.3%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 1.2 303 +1.2%
  UKIP 0 0 0 0 0 0.5 133 +0.5%

Ward results edit

 
Map of the results of the 2007 Pendle Borough Council election with ward names.
Barrowford[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Linda Crossley 1,087 66.9 +21.7
Labour Susan Nike 411 25.3 +14.0
Liberal Democrats Derek Mann 126 7.8 -35.7
Majority 676 41.6 +39.9
Turnout 1,624 41.6 -0.1
Conservative hold Swing
Blacko and Higherford[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Shelagh Derwent 566 79.8 -4.6
Labour John Pope 80 11.3 +1.8
Liberal Democrats Darren Reynolds 63 8.9 +2.8
Majority 486 68.5 -6.4
Turnout 709 49.5 +0.4
Conservative hold Swing
Boulsworth[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Violet Vaughan 647 36.9 +5.9
Liberal Democrats David Robertson 640 36.5 -0.5
BNP Jane Mulligan 271 15.5 -9.7
Labour Jillian Allanson 121 6.9 +0.2
Green Leah Jamieson 74 4.2 +4.2
Majority 7 0.4
Turnout 1,753 43.4 -3.0
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Bradley[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Nadeem Younis 1,026 44.0 -2.0
Liberal Democrats Mohammed Munir 800 34.3 -8.2
Conservative Victoria Landriau 344 14.7 +3.1
Green Christine Stables 164 7.0 +7.0
Majority 226 9.7 +6.2
Turnout 2,334 51.1 +3.1
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Brierfield[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Nawaz Ahmed 943 49.7 +9.6
Conservative Ann Jackson 537 28.3 -1.6
Labour Robert Allen 416 21.9 -8.2
Majority 406 21.4 +11.4
Turnout 1,896 50.6 +8.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Clover Hill[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Gary Bird 570 32.8 -11.4
Labour Eileen Ansar 415 23.9 +2.1
BNP Trevor Dawson 336 19.3 -5.3
Conservative Timothy Eyre 208 12.0 +2.6
Independent Kate Shore 163 9.4 +9.4
UKIP John Banks 45 2.6 +2.6
Majority 155 8.9 -10.6
Turnout 1,737 45.5 +2.2
Liberal Democrats gain from Independent Swing
Coates[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Allan Buck 745 49.7 -14.9
Independent Jennifer Purcell 410 27.4 +27.4
Conservative Beverley Harrison 205 13.7 -8.0
Labour Ian Tweedie 139 9.3 -4.4
Majority 335 22.3 -20.6
Turnout 1,499 37.5 -1.6
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Craven[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Martin Bell 736 46.9 -3.4
Independent Marlene Hill-Crane 428 27.3 +27.3
Conservative Sandra Sargeant 405 25.8 +9.4
Majority 308 19.6 -5.7
Turnout 1,569 38.0 -6.1
Liberal Democrats gain from Independent Swing
Earby[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Morris Horsfield 1,264 69.1 +9.9
Liberal Democrats Jackie Taylforth 324 17.7 -8.5
Labour James Metcalfe 240 13.1 -1.5
Majority 940 51.4 +18.4
Turnout 1,828 40.9 -1.3
Conservative hold Swing
Foulridge[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Carol Belshaw 342 56.1 -5.9
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Cole 132 21.6 +7.7
UKIP Graham Cannon 88 14.4 +14.4
Labour Frank Allanson 48 7.9 -16.2
Majority 210 34.4 -3.6
Turnout 610 44.7 +9.1
Conservative hold Swing
Higham and Pendleside[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Starkie 520 62.4 +10.9
Liberal Democrats William Boylan 264 31.7 -7.5
Labour Robert Oliver 49 5.9 -3.4
Majority 256 30.7 +18.5
Turnout 833 60.9 +10.0
Conservative hold Swing
Horsfield[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ann Kerrigan 651 43.7 +0.5
Conservative Smith Benson 314 21.1 +9.0
BNP Geoffrey Whitehead 295 19.8 -9.0
Labour David Foat 231 15.5 -0.4
Majority 337 22.6 +8.2
Turnout 1,491 37.6 -2.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Old Laund Booth[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John David 462 66.0 -14.1
Conservative Anthony Belshaw 212 30.3 +10.4
Labour Anthony Hargreaves 26 3.7 +3.7
Majority 250 35.7 -24.5
Turnout 700 58.1 +1.6
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Reedley[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tonia Barton 1,222 63.6
Labour Saad Khaliq 380 19.8
Liberal Democrats Abdul Malik 320 16.6
Majority 842 43.8
Turnout 1,922 47.1 +1.0
Conservative hold Swing
Southfield[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Sonia Robinson 634 40.6 +0.6
Labour Sheila Wicks 364 23.3 -19.6
Conservative Paul McKenna 282 18.1 +1.0
BNP Judith Preston 280 17.9 +17.9
Majority 270 17.3
Turnout 1,560 38.7 +16.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Vivary Bridge[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Howard Thomas 641 45.9
Conservative Geoffrey Riley 274 19.6
BNP Veronica Cullen 272 19.5
Labour Tony Martin 211 15.1
Majority 367 26.3
Turnout 1,398 34.8 -3.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Waterside[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Graham Roach 599 42.1 -16.4
BNP Adam Grant 283 19.9 +19.9
Labour Gerry McCabe 242 17.0 -9.4
Conservative Peter Hill 171 12.0 -3.0
Green Anastasia Hartley-Fish 65 4.6 +4.6
Independent Ian Robinson 64 4.5 +4.5
Majority 316 22.2 -9.9
Turnout 1,424 38.2 +7.1
Liberal Democrats gain from Independent Swing

By-elections between 2007 and 2008 edit

A by-election took place on 28 June 2007 after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Mary Norcross.[10] Twenty-six-year-old Shelley Franklin held the seat for the Liberal Democrats with a majority of 372 votes over the Conservatives.[10]

Craven By-Election 28 June 2007[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Shelley Franklin 632 43.7 -3.2
Conservative Sandra Sargeant 260 18.0 -7.8
Independent Jennifer Purcell 241 16.7 -10.6
BNP Geoffrey Whitehead 237 16.4 +16.4
Labour Ian Tweedie 76 5.3 +5.3
Majority 372 25.7 +6.1
Turnout 1,446 34.7 -3.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

References edit

  1. ^ "Pendle". BBC News Online. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
  2. ^ "National: Elections 2007: Town and country go to the polls". The Guardian. 4 May 2007. p. 6.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Battle lines drawn for local elections". Burnley Express. 10 April 2007.
  4. ^ a b c Sutcliffe, Camilla (27 April 2007). "Pendle Borough Council election preview". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  5. ^ Sutcliffe, Camilla (16 April 2007). "Lib Dems deny election split". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  6. ^ Bartlett, David (3 May 2007). "500 fewer opt for postal votes". This is Lancashire. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  7. ^ a b c d Sutcliffe, Camilla (4 May 2007). "Lib Dems strengthen grip on Pendle". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Election Results". Pendle Borough Council. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
  9. ^ "Results". The Times. 5 May 2007. p. 83.
  10. ^ a b "Shelley triumphs in elections". West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire Counties Publications. NewsBank. 5 July 2007.
  11. ^ "Local Authority Byelection Results". Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  12. ^ "Results for Borough and Parish By-Election 28th June 2007". Pendle Borough Council. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.