1998 St Albans City and District Council election

The 1998 St Albans City and District Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of St Albans City and District Council in Hertfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was

Election result

The Liberal Democrats were reduced from 39 to 30 councillors, but retained a 3-seat majority on the council.[2] Liberal Democrat losses included losing seats to Labour in Ashley, Cunningham and St Peters wards, while Labour also held Sopwell where Kerry Pollard had stood down after being elected Member of parliament for St Albans at the 1997 general election.[2] This took Labour to 16 seats, while the Conservatives increased to 11 seats after gaining 5 seats from the Liberal Democrats in Harpenden North, Harpenden South, Harpenden West, St Stephen and Verulam wards, with the majority in Harpenden North only being 23 votes after a recount.[2] Overall turnout at the election was 36%.[2]

St Albans local election result 1998[2][3][4]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Liberal Democrats 8 0 9 -9 38.1 35.9 13,503
  Labour 7 4 0 +4 33.3 30.8 11,573
  Conservative 6 5 0 +5 28.6 33.3 12,513
  Natural Law 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 14

Ward results
Ashley[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Noreen Brosnan 1,073 53.3
Liberal Democrats Paul Riley 717 35.6
Conservative Patricia Spratt 223 11.1
Majority 356 17.7
Turnout 2,013
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Batchwood[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David McManus 987 65.1
Conservative James Vessey 295 19.5
Liberal Democrats Robin Law 234 15.4
Majority 692 45.6
Turnout 1,516
Labour hold Swing
Clarence[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Sheila Burton 931 51.5
Labour William Niblett 597 33.0
Conservative Jeremy Christie 279 15.4
Majority 334 18.5
Turnout 1,807
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Colney Heath[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John Henchley 565 52.0
Conservative Derek Jeffrey 262 24.1
Labour Gordon Watson 260 23.9
Majority 303 27.9
Turnout 1,087
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Cunningham (2 seats)[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andrew Gilson 910
Labour Laurence Heyman 865
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Harrison 833
Liberal Democrats Joy Winder 778
Conservative Graham Leonard 346
Conservative Louisa-Jane Rosalki 323
Turnout 4,055
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Harpenden East[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats David Waddilove 769 43.6
Conservative Victor Holley 665 37.7
Labour David Crew 329 18.7
Majority 104 5.9
Turnout 1,763
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Harpenden North[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Albert Pawle 759 42.0
Liberal Democrats John Coad 736 40.7
Labour Richard Botterill 314 17.4
Majority 23 1.3
Turnout 1,809
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Harpenden South[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Paul Foster 1,125 58.6
Liberal Democrats Katharine Sutton 503 26.2
Labour Linda Spiri 277 14.4
Natural Law Patricia Saunders 14 0.7
Majority 622 32.4
Turnout 1,919
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Harpenden West (2 seats)[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Julian Turner 1,139
Conservative Julian Daly 1,138
Liberal Democrats Judith Arthur 418
Liberal Democrats Paul Spinks 373
Labour Joanne Thompson 283
Labour Judith Bush 264
Turnout 3,615
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Conservative hold Swing
London Colney[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sean Flynn 1,094 71.4
Conservative Mark Shaw 260 17.0
Liberal Democrats David Priestman 179 11.7
Majority 834 54.4
Turnout 1,533
Labour hold Swing
Marshalswick North[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Churchard 781 46.3
Conservative Christopher Whiteside 623 37.0
Labour Elizabeth McShane 282 16.7
Majority 158 9.4
Turnout 1,686
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Marshalswick South[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Anthony Rowlands 1,141 54.3
Conservative Agnes Hill 580 27.6
Labour David Allan 380 18.1
Majority 561 26.7
Turnout 2,101
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Park Street[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Hendry 499 40.5
Conservative Keith Batson 396 32.1
Labour Mary Morley 338 27.4
Majority 103 8.4
Turnout 1,233
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Redbourn[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Patricia Schofield 765 44.0
Conservative Paul Finigan 723 41.6
Labour Vivienne Windle 249 14.3
Majority 42 2.4
Turnout 1,737
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Sopwell[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Janetta Gibbs 1,076 73.1
Conservative Pamela Thomas 223 15.2
Liberal Democrats David Terrar 172 11.7
Majority 853 58.0
Turnout 1,471
Labour hold Swing
St Peters[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Winifred Dunleavy 867 49.9
Liberal Democrats Richard Biddle 644 37.1
Conservative Geoffrey Brown 226 13.0
Majority 228 12.8
Turnout 1,737
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
St Stephen[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gordon Myland 951 43.5
Liberal Democrats Khalil Moghul 791 36.2
Labour Janet Blackwell 444 20.3
Majority 160 7.3
Turnout 2,186
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Verulam[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Smith 1,150 49.1
Liberal Democrats Richard Mort 822 35.1
Labour Jerry Brenton 370 15.8
Majority 328 14.0
Turnout 2,342
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Wheathampstead[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Christopher Oxley 852 42.7
Conservative Gillian Clark 827 41.5
Labour Michael Fletcher 314 15.8
Majority 25 1.3
Turnout 1,993
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

By-elections between 1998 and 1999
Sopwell by-election 23 July 1998[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 841 68.3 -4.8
Conservative 212 17.2 +2.0
Liberal Democrats 178 14.5 +2.8
Majority 629 51.1 -6.9
Turnout 1,231 23.5
Labour hold Swing

References
  1. "Local Elections results". The Times. 9 May 1998. p. 46.
  2. "Lib Dems hold on to control of council". Hertfordshire County Publications. NewsBank. 16 May 1998.
  3. "Policy and politics: Local Elections: Analysis: Council poll results". The Guardian. 9 May 1998. p. 16.
  4. "District Council Elections 7 May 1998 Results". St Albans City and District Council. Archived from the original on 13 April 2001. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  5. "Local Authority Byelection Results - July 1998". Local Authority Byelection Results. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
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