2004 Southampton City Council election

The 2004 Southampton Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Southampton Unitary Council in Hampshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1]

Map of the results of the 2004 Southampton council election. Labour in red, Conservatives in blue and Liberal Democrats in yellow.

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Campaign

Since the last election in 2003 the Liberal Democrats had run the council as a minority administration, after Labour had previously been in charge for 19 years.[3] The record of the Liberal Democrats for the previous year was a major issue in the election, with the Liberal Democrats pointing to investment in road repairs and in addressing anti-social behaviour, while campaigning for council tax to be replaced by a local income tax.[3] However the Labour and Conservative parties attacked the Liberal Democrats for u-turns such as the stopping of plans for fortnightly refuse collection, charges for parking in the town centre and the dropping of schemes to close football pitches and a leisure centre.[3]

Crucial wards in the election were seen as being Sholing and Bitterne Park.[3] Meanwhile, as well as the three main parties, there were also candidates from the United Kingdom Independence Party, British National Party and the Green Party.[3]

Election result

The results saw the council remain with no party having a majority, but the Labour party lost 2 seats[4] and the Conservatives gained 2.[5] The Liberal Democrats remained the largest party with 18 seats after gaining Coxford from Labour, but losing Bitterne Park to the Conservatives.[5] The Conservatives grew to 14 seats after also gaining Freemantle from Labour, who thus dropped to 15 seats.[5] The Labour group leader, June Bridle, held her seat in Sholing by 84 votes, with both Labour and the Conservatives saying that the 657 won by the United Kingdom Independence Party had probably enabled Labour to hold on there.[5] Overall turnout in the election increased to 31.6% from 29% in 2003.[6]

Following the election Liberal Democrat Adrian Vinson remained as leader of the council, after being confirmed by a vote of 18 to 0 at a council meeting.[7]

Southampton Local Election Result 2004[8][9]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 6 0 2 Decrease2 37.5 28.9 15,007 Decrease1.2
  Conservative 5 2 0 Increase2 31.3 30.6 15,888 Increase0.6
  Liberal Democrats 5 1 1 Steady 31.3 30.4 15,738 Decrease0.3
  UKIP 0 0 0 Steady 0 6.5 3,370 Increase4.6
  BNP 0 0 0 Steady 0 1.7 868 Decrease0.8
  Green 0 0 0 Steady 0 1.5 790 Increase0.1
  Socialist Alternative 0 0 0 Steady 0 0.4 189 Increase0.4

Ward results

Bargate
Bargate[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Noon 752 38.0 −8.1
Conservative Robert Alexander 568 28.7 −0.5
Liberal Democrats Diana Wills 414 20.9 −3.7
UKIP Lorraine Barter 243 12.3 +12.3
Majority 184 9.3 −7.6
Turnout 1,977 17.6 +2.1
Labour hold Swing

Bassett
Bassett[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Hannides 1,788 43.6 −2.6
Liberal Democrats Ian Cain 1,433 35.0 +1.3
Labour Paul Jenks 473 11.5 −1.7
UKIP Michael Cottrell 322 7.9 +4.8
BNP Julian Crewe 82 2.0 +2.0
Majority 355 8.7 −3.8
Turnout 4,098 38.8 +4.8
Conservative hold Swing

Bevois
Bevois[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Barnes-Andrews 1,033 42.2 −4.8
Liberal Democrats Christine Hordley 634 25.9 +4.6
Conservative Pamela Rees 594 24.2 +5.8
Socialist Alternative Nicholas Chaffey 189 7.7 +7.7
Majority 399 16.3 −9.3
Turnout 2,450 25.4 +3.9
Labour hold Swing

Bitterne
Bitterne[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Christine Kelly 1,145 40.3 −3.9
Conservative Claire Johnson 888 31.3 +5.5
Liberal Democrats Robert Naish 491 17.3 +0.3
BNP Jason Robinson 317 11.2 +1.2
Majority 257 9.0 −9.4
Turnout 2,841 28.6 −0.1
Labour hold Swing

Bitterne Park
Bitterne Park[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ivan White 1,397 36.8 −5.2
Liberal Democrats Anne Work 1,289 33.9 −3.2
Labour David Furnell 635 16.7 −0.7
UKIP Conrad Brown 476 12.5 +12.5
Majority 108 2.8 −2.1
Turnout 3,797 37.6 +3.4
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Coxford
Coxford[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Susan Jackson 1,110 35.6 −3.7
Labour Harry Mitchell 1,018 32.7 +1.8
UKIP Leslie O'Bee 510 16.4 +13.3
Conservative Christina Philbrick 478 15.3 +3.3
Majority 92 3.0 −5.4
Turnout 3,116 30.3 +1.5
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing

Freemantle
Freemantle[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Ball 1,207 37.0 −6.9
Labour Simon Letts 1,070 32.8 +3.9
Liberal Democrats Barbara Cummins 620 19.0 +2.7
Green Darren Pickering 363 11.1 +2.5
Majority 137 4.2 −10.8
Turnout 3,260 31.8 +2.9
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Harefield
Harefield[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Halderthay 1,642 46.5 −4.1
Labour Warwick Payne 1,011 28.6 −3.7
Liberal Democrats Simon Hordley 649 18.4 +1.3
BNP Terrie Rintoul 232 6.6 +6.6
Majority 631 17.9 −0.4
Turnout 3,534 34.0 +0.3
Conservative hold Swing

Millbrook
Millbrook[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Virginia Moore 1,428 41.8 +0.6
Labour David Evans 787 23.0 −0.5
Conservative Tom Donald 720 21.1 +5.6
UKIP Stephen Phillips 484 14.2 +14.2
Majority 641 18.7 +1.0
Turnout 3,419 32.0 +1.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Peartree
Peartree[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Norah Goss 1,547 46.5 −2.6
Conservative Alec Heath 960 28.8 +8.9
Labour Roger Iles 821 24.7 −1.6
Majority 587 17.6 −5.2
Turnout 3,328 32.9 +2.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Portswood
Portswood[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Adrian Vinson 1,721 47.3 −0.2
Conservative Julian Isaacson 864 23.7 +1.9
Labour Ann Wardle 629 17.3 −0.2
Green Joseph Cox 427 11.7 +5.3
Majority 857 23.5 −2.2
Turnout 3,641 35.3 +5.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Redbridge
Redbridge[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dennis Harryman 1,217 40.6 −2.7
Liberal Democrats Ceren Davis 1,000 33.4 +12.4
Conservative Enid Greenham 778 26.0 +1.5
Majority 217 7.2 −11.6
Turnout 2,995 29.0 +2.0
Labour hold Swing

Shirley
Shirley[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Terence Matthews 1,537 38.7 −5.5
Labour Michael Lewkowicz 1,110 28.0 −0.8
Liberal Democrats Sharon Mintoff 775 19.5 +1.1
UKIP Robert Geddes 413 10.4 +7.4
BNP Darren Smith 133 3.4 +3.4
Majority 427 10.8 −4.6
Turnout 3,968 39.4 +4.3
Conservative hold Swing

Sholing
Sholing[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour June Bridle 1,317 35.5 −0.8
Conservative Michael Denness 1,233 33.2 −4.4
UKIP Tony Weaver 657 17.7 +10.1
Liberal Democrats Lesley Moffitt 507 13.7 −3.7
Majority 84 2.3
Turnout 3,714 35.1 +2.9
Labour hold Swing

Swaythling
Swaythling[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ann Milton 1,047 41.8 −4.6
Conservative Keith Norris 545 21.8 +3.0
Labour Michael Brainsby 544 21.7 −6.0
UKIP Rodney Caws 265 10.6 +6.5
BNP David Green 104 4.2 +4.2
Majority 502 20.0 +1.3
Turnout 2,505 26.2 +2.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Woolston
Woolston[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Richard Williams 1,445 45.1 +8.3
Liberal Democrats Susan Robson 1,073 33.5 −9.1
Conservative Clifford Combes 689 21.5 +8.6
Majority 372 11.6
Turnout 3,207 33.0 +3.2
Labour hold Swing

References
  1. "Southampton council". BBC News Online. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  2. "Local councils". Financial Times. 12 June 2004. p. 7.
  3. "Verdict imminent on Lib Dem rule". Southern Daily Echo. 7 June 2004. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  4. "How Labour slowly realised that its time was up". The Times. 12 June 2004. p. 24.
  5. "Lib Dems in control but Tories gain seats". Southern Daily Echo. 11 June 2004. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  6. "Democracy is the winner on the night". Southern Daily Echo. 12 June 2004. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  7. "City welcomes its new mayor". Southern Daily Echo. 24 June 2004. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  8. "Election details". Southampton City Council. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  9. "Ballot box". The Times. 12 June 2004. p. 26.
Preceded by
2003 Southampton Council election		 Southampton local elections Succeeded by
2006 Southampton Council election
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