1998 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 1998 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council in England.[2] This election was held on the same day as other local elections.

1998 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election

← 1996 7 May 1998 (1998-05-07) 1999 →

24 of 66 seats (One Third and two by-elections)
to Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council
34 seats needed for a majority
Turnout28.1% (Decrease6.9%)[1]
  First party Second party Third party
 
Lab
Blank
Cllr Phil Gilchrist2.jpg
Leader Dave Jackson John Hale Phil Gilchrist
Party Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats
Leader's seat Bromborough Hoylake Eastham
Last election 13 seats,
48.9%
6 seats,
30.2%
3 seats,
20.1%
Seats before 41 16 8
Seats won 13 7 4
Seats after 41 16 8
Seat change Steady Steady Steady
Popular vote 29,075 22,856 14,740
Percentage 42.1% 33.1% 21.4%
Swing Decrease6.8% Increase2.9% Increase1.3%

Map of results of 1998 election

Leader of the Council before election

Dave Jackson
Labour

Leader of the Council after election

Dave Jackson
Labour

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Party Seats ±
Labour 41 Steady
Conservative 16 Steady
Liberal Democrats 8 Steady
Ind. Lib Dem 1 Steady

[3]

Election results

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Overall election result

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Overall result compared with 1996.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election results, 1998
Party Candidates Votes
Stood Elected Gained Unseated Net % of total % No. Net %
  Labour 24 13 0 0   59.1 42.1 29,075  6.8
  Conservative 20 7 0 0   27.3 33.1 22,856  2.9
  Liberal Democrats 24 4 0 0   13.6 21.4 14,740  1.3
  Green 18 0 0 0   0.0 2.8 1,925  2.1
  Socialist Labour 3 0 0 0   0.0 0.6 435 N/A

[1][2] [n 1]

Ward results

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Bebington

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Bebington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kathryn Shaughnessy 1,933 46.8  0.9
Conservative H. Gow 1,757 42.6  
Liberal Democrats Nigel Dyer 333 8.1  0.1
Green Ann Jones 104 2.5  0.8
Majority 176 4.3  0.8
Registered electors 10,693
Turnout 38.7  4.4
Labour hold Swing  0.5

[2]

Bidston

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Bidston
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Nock 1,009 72.5  15.9
Socialist Labour Alec McFadden 183 13.1 New
Liberal Democrats John Tomlinson 155 11.1  0.5
Green Robert Mitchell 45 3.2 New
Majority 826 59.3  17.6
Registered electors 7,994
Turnout 17.4  6.2
Labour hold Swing  8.7

[2]

Birkenhead

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Birkenhead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Christian 1,351 79.1  8.9
Liberal Democrats Mary Williams 357 20.9  8.9
Majority 994 58.2  17.9
Registered electors 9,892
Turnout 17.3  7.5
Labour hold Swing  8.9

[2]

Bromborough

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Bromborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Witter 1,742 59.8  5.3
Conservative Jacqueline Hall 640 22.0  4.1
Liberal Democrats M. Bolton 412 14.1  3.7
Green J. Jones 120 4.1  1.9
Majority 1,102 37.8  9.5
Registered electors 10,662
Turnout 27.4  6.9
Labour hold Swing  4.7

[2]

Clatterbridge

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Clatterbridge
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Brian Cummings 2,344 48.5  3.4
Labour C. Riley 1,578 32.7  4.9
Liberal Democrats Isabel Moon 792 16.4  0.8
Green Michael Harper 115 2.4 New
Majority 766 15.9  8.4
Registered electors 13,814
Turnout 35.0  5.0
Conservative hold Swing  4.2

[2]

Claughton

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Claughton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Foulkes 1,600 55.8  4.1
Liberal Democrats A. Molyneux 637 22.2  9.6
Conservative K. Wise 455 15.9  1.5
Socialist Labour Michael Cullen 99 3.5 New
Green S. Johnson 76 2.7  0.6
Majority 963 33.6  13.8
Registered electors 10,644
Turnout 26.9  10.6
Labour hold Swing  6.9

[2][4]

Eastham

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Eastham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Thomas Harney 2,419 62.2  2.9
Labour Jean Stapleton 937 24.1  0.5
Conservative M. Hunt 462 11.9  1.6
Green Brian Gibbs 72 1.9 New
Majority 1,482 38.1  2.4
Registered electors 11,083
Turnout 35.1  3.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing  1.2

[2][5][6]

Egerton

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Egerton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Barney Gilfoyle 1,293 58.6  16.7
Conservative Cyrus Ferguson 351 15.9  2.5
Liberal Democrats Philip Lloyd 250 11.3  3.5
Green Catherine Page 161 7.3  3.8
Socialist Labour Nicholas Kearns 153 6.9 New
Majority 942 42.7  19.2
Registered electors 10,461
Turnout 21.1  7.7
Labour hold Swing  9.6

[2]

Heswall

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Heswall
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Hodson [n 2] 2,850 61.6  1.3
Conservative Stephen Rowlands [n 3] 2,647
Labour L. Flanaghan 1,016 22.0  4.5
Labour A. Terry 900
Liberal Democrats Edward Norton 610 13.2  9.0
Liberal Democrats Robert Wilkins 556
Green Garnette Bowler 151 3.3 New
Majority 1,834 39.6  1.6
Registered electors 13,214
Turnout 33.7  2.0
Conservative hold Swing  0.8
Conservative hold Swing

[2][7][8][9]

Hoylake

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Hoylake
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gerald Ellis 2,536 63.6  8.1
Labour E. Harrison 817 20.5  7.3
Liberal Democrats A. Richards 472 11.8  4.9
Green Allen Burton 160 4.0 New
Majority 1,719 43.1  15.4
Registered electors 12,130
Turnout 32.4  3.4
Conservative hold Swing  7.7

[2][10]

Leasowe

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Leasowe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Iris Coates 1,347 71.2  5.9
Conservative G. Beattie 296 15.7  0.9
Liberal Democrats Susanne Uriel 248 13.1  5.0
Majority 1,051 55.6  6.6
Registered electors 9,072
Turnout 20.8  9.3
Labour hold Swing  3.4

[2]

Liscard

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Liscard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gordon Paterson 1,334 57.8  6.8
Conservative J. Tooke 569 24.7  1.1
Liberal Democrats M. Wright 404 17.5  5.7
Majority 765 33.2  7.8
Registered electors 10,939
Turnout 21.1  12.7
Labour hold Swing  4.0

[2]

Moreton

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Moreton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Groves 1,449 53.8  6.7
Conservative Ian Lewis 977 36.3  3.2
Liberal Democrats C. Robertson 267 9.9  3.5
Majority 472 17.5  9.8
Registered electors 9,653
Turnout 27.9  9.2
Labour hold Swing  5.0

[2][11]

New Brighton

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New Brighton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Patrick Hackett 1,729 55.7  3.6
Conservative Anthony Pritchard 965 31.1  2.2
Liberal Democrats John Codling 310 10.0  1.8
Green George Bowler 102 3.3 New
Majority 764 24.6  5.8
Registered electors 11,306
Turnout 27.5  4.3
Labour hold Swing  2.9

[2][12][13]

Oxton

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Oxton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Stuart Kelly [n 2] 1,913 54.7  1.6
Liberal Democrats Freda Anderson [n 3] 1,856
Labour Anna McLaughlin 804 23.0  5.5
Labour Denise Roberts 771
Conservative Leonard Moore 587 16.8  3.5
Green Pamela Mitchell 193 5.5  3.6
Majority 1,109 31.7  3.9
Registered electors 11,282
Turnout 27.1  7.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing  2.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

[2][14][15]

Prenton

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Prenton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John Thornton 2,343 56.8  9.0
Labour Ray Pullen 1,042 25.2  8.0
Conservative David Elderton 679 16.5  2.5
Green Perle Sheldricks 63 1.5 New
Majority 1,301 31.5  16.8
Registered electors 11,320
Turnout 36.5  5.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing  8.5

[2][16]

Royden

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Royden
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Laurence Jones 1,746 44.7  5.4
Liberal Democrats Peter Reisdorf 1,158 29.7  8.5
Labour R. Pennington 909 23.3  5.4
Green Barbara Burton 89 2.3 New
Majority 588 15.1  6.3
Registered electors 12,501
Turnout 31.2  10.3
Conservative hold Swing  3.2

[2][17]

Seacombe

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Seacombe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Janet Jackson 1,525 73.1  9.6
Conservative L. May 280 13.4  5.7
Liberal Democrats R. Ellett 225 10.8  1.2
Green P. Exley 56 2.7 New
Majority 1,245 59.7  13.4
Registered electors 10,743
Turnout 19.4  8.9
Labour hold Swing  6.7

[2]

Thurstaston

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Thurstaston
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jacqueline McKelvie 2,163 53.2  2.1
Labour A. Beer 1,417 34.9  3.6
Liberal Democrats Charles Wall 388 9.5  0.8
Green Percy Hogg 96 2.4 New
Majority 746 18.4  5.8
Registered electors 12,363
Turnout 32.9  6.2
Conservative hold Swing  2.9

[2]

Tranmere

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Tranmere
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Davies 1,328 81.1  1.2
Liberal Democrats Stephen Blaylock 211 12.9  6.3
Green Angela Upton 98 6.0  0.1
Majority 1,117 68.2  4.1
Registered electors 9,380
Turnout 17.5  6.5
Labour hold Swing  2.1

[2][18]

Upton

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Upton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hugh Lloyd 1,790 53.6  4.7
Conservative John Laing 1,034 31.0  0.5
Liberal Democrats Michael Redfern 421 12.6  1.5
Green Joyce Hogg 94 2.8 New
Majority 756 22.6  5.2
Registered electors 12,375
Turnout 27.0  8.5
Labour hold Swing  2.6

[2]

Wallasey

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Wallasey
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lesley Rennie 2,165 56.5  6.1
Labour P. Carrington 1,125 29.3  8.9
Liberal Democrats John Uriel 415 10.8  0.6
Green George Bowler 130 3.4 New
Majority 1,040 27.1  14.9
Turnout 32.9  8.2
Conservative hold Swing  7.5

[2][19]

Changes between 1998 and 1999

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Date Ward Name Previous affiliation New affiliation Circumstance
June 1998 Prenton Ed Cunniffe Ind. Lib Dem Labour Defected.[20]

Notes

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italics denote the sitting councillor • bold denotes the winning candidate

  1. ^ % of total refers to % of wards won.
  2. ^ a b Elected to serve a 4-year term.
  3. ^ a b Elected to serve a 2-year term.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Local Election Summaries 1998". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "Metropolitan Borough of Wirral Election Results 1973-2012 (Pg. 14 and 15)" (PDF). The Elections Centre. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  3. ^ "Council compositions". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  4. ^ "Councillor Steve Foulkes". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council. 2 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Councillor Tom Harney". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.
  6. ^ "Councillor Jean Stapleton". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.
  7. ^ "Councillor Andrew Hodson". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council. 2 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Councillor Les Rowlands". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.
  9. ^ "Councillor Bob Wilkins". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  10. ^ "Councillor Gerry Ellis". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.
  11. ^ "Councillor Ian Lewis". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council. 2 August 2023.
  12. ^ "Councillor Pat Hackett". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.
  13. ^ "Councillor Tony Pritchard". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.
  14. ^ "Councillor Stuart Kelly". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council. 2 August 2023.
  15. ^ "Councillor Denise Roberts". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.
  16. ^ "Councillor David M Elderton". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.
  17. ^ "Councillor Peter Reisdorf". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.
  18. ^ "Councillor Bill Davies". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  19. ^ "Councillor Lesley Rennie". Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council. 2 August 2023.
  20. ^ "Lib Dem councillor switches sides". Wirral Globe. 17 June 1998. Retrieved 28 December 2018.

"Socialist Labour candidates". Wirral Globe. 23 April 1998. Retrieved 30 December 2018.