2002 Stratford-on-Avon District Council election

The 2002 Stratford-on-Avon District Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Stratford-on-Avon District Council in Warwickshire, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2000 reducing the number of seats by 2.[1] The Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.[2]

Campaign

All of the seats on the council were contested after boundary changes had reduced the number of seats from 55 to 53.[3] Before the election the Conservatives ran the council with an overall majority of 1 seat.[3]

The Liberal Democrats were the main opposition on the council and contested 46 of the 53 seats.[4] They attacked the Conservatives for increasing council tax since taking control in 2000, while cutting grants to various groups and moving the council offices to a rented site.[4] The Conservatives however defended their record saying that the move in council offices would save money and that they had introduced a new bus pass allowing cheaper travel.[5] Other issues raised in the election included social housing, the environment, speeding traffic and recycling.[5]

The results were counted electronically as part of a pilot scheme,[3] while voters were able to use electronic voting in 140 electronic polling booths.[6] This was expected to lead to results being declared much earlier than in many areas, with some expected within minutes of polls closing.[5] However while turnout was quite high at around 40%, the results were delayed after the computers did not perform as well as expected.[7]

Election result

The results saw the Conservatives retain an overall majority of just 1 seat on the council.[7] They made gains in Ettington, Snitterfield and the new ward of Stockton and Napton, but lost seats in Studley and Harbury.[7] The Liberal Democrats made gains primarily at the expense of independents, who lost the most seats in the election.[7] Meanwhile, Labour retained their 2 seats in Southam, but failed to make any gains.[7]

Stratford-on-Avon Local Election Result 2002[2][8]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 27 -1 50.9 43.3 29,117 -11.2%
  Liberal Democrats 21 +2 39.6 41.8 28,115 +13.3%
  Independent 3 -3 5.7 7.7 5,198 -2.7%
  Labour 2 0 3.8 6.7 4,501 +0.7%
  Green 0 0 0 0.5 358 -0.1%

Ward results
Alcester (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Susan Juned 1,435
Liberal Democrats Clifford Meade 1,149
Liberal Democrats Pamela Price 1,085
Conservative William Malin 568
Conservative Keith Greenaway 449
Turnout 4,686
Aston Cantlow[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Lawrence 403 55.1
Liberal Democrats Shahid Juned 328 44.9
Majority 75 10.2
Turnout 731
Bardon[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Winterburn 429 60.2
Liberal Democrats Jack Crimp 223 31.3
Independent Ronald Mole 61 8.6
Majority 206 28.9
Turnout 713
Bidford and Salford (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Daren Pemberton 899
Independent Kim James 678
Conservative Brian Slaughter 650
Liberal Democrats John Sandle 646
Conservative David Harrison 558
Liberal Democrats John Insoll 531
Turnout 3,962
Brailes[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Seccombe 580 73.0
Liberal Democrats Sheila Ribbans 214 27.0
Majority 366 46.0
Turnout 794
Burton Dassett[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Brian Hampson 438 70.2
Liberal Democrats Edward Nash 186 29.8
Majority 252 40.4
Turnout 624
Claverdon[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jane Harrison 567 81.8
Liberal Democrats Brian Wright 126 18.2
Majority 441 63.6
Turnout 693
Ettington[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Isobel Seccomber 453 55.6
Liberal Democrats Anthony Gerwitz 362 44.4
Majority 91 11.2
Turnout 815
Fenny Compton[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Christopher Williams 543 61.1
Independent Jennifer Cranfield 346 38.9
Majority 197 22.2
Turnout 889
Harbury (2)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Andrew Patrick 695
Liberal Democrats Shenagh Booth 678
Conservative Eric Dally 653
Conservative James Turner 639
Labour Jack Heath 153
Labour Bernard Price 119
Turnout 2,937
Henley (2)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nigel Hastilow 939
Conservative Ann Haddon 864
Liberal Democrats Anastasia Wright 576
Liberal Democrats Karyl Rees 432
Turnout 2,811
Kineton (2)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Alan Higgs 877
Liberal Democrats Louise Giblin 749
Conservative Christopher Mills 616
Conservative Richard Hurley 587
Labour Richard Ashworth 128
Turnout 2,957
Kinwarton[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Lynn Blowring 479 57.0
Conservative Sylvia Hyde 361 43.0
Majority 118 14.0
Turnout 840
Long Compton[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Adams 650 73.9
Liberal Democrats Virginia Mason 229 26.1
Majority 421 47.8
Turnout 879
Long Itchington[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bob Stevens 574 72.3
Labour Rhona Hazell 220 27.7
Majority 354 44.6
Turnout 794
Quinton[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Brain 505 52.3
Liberal Democrats Judith Lockhart 460 47.7
Majority 45 4.6
Turnout 965
Sambourne[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Leslie Topham 328 70.2
Liberal Democrats Timothy Knapman 139 29.8
Majority 189 40.4
Turnout 467
Shipston (2)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Trevor Russell 729
Liberal Democrats Bob White 728
Conservative Stephen Gray 700
Liberal Democrats Bob Brabyn 615
Turnout 2,772
Snitterfield[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Hobbs 615 77.9
Liberal Democrats Larry Coltman 174 22.1
Majority 441 55.8
Turnout 789
Southam (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Akelster 926
Labour Carol Pratt 771
Labour James Taylor 747
Labour Peter Thomas 727
Turnout 3,171
Stockton and Napton[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Garrett 295 43.6
Labour Peter Hartland 203 30.0
Liberal Democrats Charles Williams 178 26.3
Majority 92 13.6
Turnout 676
Stratford Alveston (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stuart Beese 1,040
Conservative Lynda Organ 962
Conservative Frederick Parrott 883
Liberal Democrats Joan McFarlane 788
Liberal Democrats Trevor Honychurch 711
Liberal Democrats Judith Riley 683
Turnout 5,067
Stratford Avenue and New Town (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Maureen Beckett 861
Conservative Juliet Short 740
Liberal Democrats Bill Lowe 664
Conservative Joyce Chadwick 630
Liberal Democrats Alan Hawkins 628
Independent Keith Floyd 606
Conservative Richard Mayes 527
Labour Karen Parnell 115
Labour Desmond Thurlby 86
Turnout 4,857
Stratford Guild and Hathaway (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ron Cockrings 1,008
Liberal Democrats Tom Baxter 956
Liberal Democrats Clive Thomas 888
Conservative Giovanni Renna 882
Conservative Roy Lodge 795
Conservative Caron Cottam 692
Labour Janice Sewell 231
Labour Doreen Wright 171
Turnout 5,623
Stratford Mount Pleasant (2)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Charles Bates 796
Liberal Democrats Peter Moorse 663
Independent Valerie Adams 373
Conservative Nigel Penn 299
Labour Matthew Stephens 101
Labour Ewan Wainwright 72
Turnout 2,304
Studley (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Hazel Wright 885
Conservative William McCarthy 780
Liberal Democrats Tony Cronin 774
Liberal Democrats Sally Macreavy 691
Conservative Desmond Maries 625
Conservative Heather Wersocki 558
Labour Clive Rickhards 372
Labour Michael Gerrard 285
Turnout 4,970
Tanworth (2)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Anthony Dixon 759
Conservative John Lawley 683
Independent Peter Brown 459
Liberal Democrats Andrew Cooley 191
Turnout 2,092
Tredington[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Christopher Saint 587 71.9
Liberal Democrats Matthew Booth 229 28.1
Majority 358 43.8
Turnout 816
Vale of the Red Horse[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Christopher Pilkington 614 72.7
Liberal Democrats Rosemary Ratcliffe 230 27.3
Majority 384 45.4
Turnout 844
Welford[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Peter Barnes 682 74.8
Conservative Henry Cottam 230 25.2
Majority 452 49.6
Turnout 912
Wellesbourne (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Roger Wright 1,529
Liberal Democrats Priscilla Cook 895
Independent Philip Coton 719
Liberal Democrats Patricia Williams 699
Conservative Edward Duckworth 649
Conservative Richard Kingston 563
Independent David Morris 427
Green Michael Davies 358
Turnout 5,839

References
  1. "Stratford-on-Avon". BBC News Online. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  2. "Election results; Local Election". The Times. 4 May 2002. p. 16.
  3. "Right turn ahead?". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 19 April 2002. p. 8.
  4. Buggins, Arryn (27 April 2002). "Lib Dems put the accent on services; Election countdown". Coventry Evening Telegraph. p. 5.
  5. Buggins, Arryn (1 May 2002). "How will votes flow in Stratford? Local elections May 2; Apathy of electorate could lead to surprising result at district council". Coventry Evening Telegraph. p. 8.
  6. "Elections to trial high-tech voting". Birmingham Post. 27 April 2002. p. 2.
  7. Buggins, Arryn (3 May 2002). "Tories still in driving seat". Coventry Evening Telegraph. p. 26.
  8. "Stratford-on-Avon". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
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