2004 Fareham Borough Council election

The 2004 Fareham Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Fareham Borough Council in Hampshire, England. Half of the council was up for election, with the Conservative Party increasing their majority.[1]

2004 Fareham Borough Council election
← 2002 10 June 2004 2006 →

15 of 31 seats to Fareham Borough Council
16 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Party Conservative Liberal Democrats
Seats before 17 13
Seats won 12 3
Seat change Increase4 Decrease3
Popular vote 18,885 11,185
Percentage 55.4% 32.8
Swing Increase7.2% Decrease4.6%


Council control before election

Conservatives

Council control after election

Conservatives

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Campaign

edit

Before the election there were 18 Conservative and 12 Liberal Democrat councillors, with 15 of the 31 seats being contested.[3] One of the 15 seats, in Fareham South ward, was vacant after an independent, former Liberal Democrat, councillor had stepped down, after being fined for false housing and council tax benefit claims.[3] Fareham South was among a number of wards which were reported as being vulnerable to a change in party control including Fareham East, Fareham North, Portchester West, Stubbington and Titchfield Common.[3] A couple of former councillors who had been defeated in the 2002 election stood again, former Labour group leader Mick Prior in Fareham North-West and Conservative Nick Walker in Portchester West.[3]

Issues in the election included council tax levels and plans by the government to build 1,000 houses near Sarisbury.[3] The national issue of the Iraq War was also seen as being likely to sway votes in the election.[3]

Election result

edit

The results saw the Conservatives increase their majority on the council after gaining 3 seats from the Liberal Democrats.[4] Conservative gains included Stubbington where they won by only 8 votes over the Liberal Democrats after a recount and in Portchester West where Nick Walker returned to the council.[5] The Conservatives also gained a seat in Fareham South from an independent in a seat which had previously been seen as strongly Liberal Democrat.[5] The Liberal Democrats partly blamed their defeats on the election being held at the same time as the European elections, while a defeated Labour candidate said their failure to win any seats was in line with the national performance by the party.[5]

Overall turnout increased to 40.3% with a rise in postal votes to 6,000 contributing to the increase.[6]

Fareham Local Election Result 2004[7][8]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 12 4 0 +4 80.0 55.4 18,885 +7.2%
  Liberal Democrats 3 0 3 -3 20.0 32.8 11,185 -4.6%
  Labour 0 0 0 0 0 11.1 3,791 -3.2%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 0.6 206 +0.6%
  Independent 0 0 1 -1 0 0 0 -

Ward results

edit

Fareham East

edit
Fareham East[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Kathleen Trott 1,171 48.8
Conservative Matthew Dartmouth 1,008 42.0
Labour Stuart Rose 221 9.2
Majority 163 6.8
Turnout 2,400
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Fareham North

edit
Fareham North[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Bryant 1,397 58.3
Liberal Democrats Diana East 530 22.1
Labour Simon Brown 264 11.0
Green David Harrison 206 8.6
Majority 867 36.2
Turnout 2,397
Conservative hold Swing

Fareham North West

edit
Fareham North West[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Eric Dunn 871 46.6
Conservative Evelyn Burley 761 40.7
Labour Michael Prior 239 12.8
Majority 110 5.9
Turnout 1,871
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Fareham South

edit
Fareham South[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Trevor Howard 847 49.8
Labour James Carr 445 26.1
Liberal Democrats Catherine Hester 410 24.1
Majority 402 23.7
Turnout 1,702
Conservative gain from Independent Swing

Fareham West

edit
Fareham West[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Diana Harrison 1,664 67.0
Liberal Democrats Doreen Baker 559 22.5
Labour Cameron Crouchman 262 10.5
Majority 1,105 44.5
Turnout 2,485
Conservative hold Swing

Hill Head

edit
Hill Head[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Timothy Knight 1,875 68.0
Liberal Democrats Victoria Latimer 658 23.9
Labour Janet Gay 224 8.1
Majority 1,217 44.1
Turnout 2,757
Conservative hold Swing

Locks Heath

edit
Locks Heath[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ruth Godrich 1,359 62.9
Liberal Democrats Sharon Englefield 574 26.6
Labour Angela Carr 227 10.5
Majority 785 36.3
Turnout 2,160
Conservative hold Swing

Park Gate

edit
Park Gate[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Marian Ellerton 1,234 67.9
Liberal Democrats Christine Savage 356 19.6
Labour Nicholas Knight 228 12.5
Majority 878 48.3
Turnout 1,818
Conservative hold Swing

Portchester East

edit
Portchester East[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats David Norris 1,889 52.8
Conservative Bernard Munden 1,190 33.2
Labour Richard Ryan 501 14.0
Majority 699 19.6
Turnout 3,580
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Portchester West

edit
Portchester West[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicholas Walker 1,220 50.2
Liberal Democrats Stephen Clark 995 40.9
Labour Leslie Ricketts 216 8.9
Majority 225 9.3
Turnout 2,431
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Sarisbury

edit
Sarisbury[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Swanbrow 1,283 71.9
Liberal Democrats Mark Christie 338 18.9
Labour Clive Coldwell 163 9.1
Majority 945 53.0
Turnout 1,784
Conservative hold Swing

Stubbington

edit
Stubbington[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kay Mandry 1,190 47.0
Liberal Democrats James Forrest 1,182 46.6
Labour Michael Taylor 162 6.4
Majority 8 0.4
Turnout 2,534
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Titchfield

edit
Titchfield[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Devonshire 1,362 64.9
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Chaloner 483 23.0
Labour Alan Mayes 253 12.1
Majority 879 41.9
Turnout 2,098
Conservative hold Swing

Titchfield Common

edit
Titchfield Common[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Keith Evans 986 51.1
Liberal Democrats David Savage 771 40.0
Labour Andrew Mooney 171 8.9
Majority 215 11.1
Turnout 1,928
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Warsash

edit
Warsash[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mary Nadolski 1,509 71.1
Liberal Democrats Alice Herron 398 18.8
Labour Brenda Caines 215 10.1
Majority 1,111 52.3
Turnout 2,122
Conservative hold Swing

References

edit
  1. ^ "Fareham council". BBC News Online. Retrieved 14 November 2010.
  2. ^ "Ballot box". The Times. 12 June 2004. p. 26.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Voters transfixed by two burning issues". Southern Daily Echo. 7 June 2004. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  4. ^ "Meltdown". Southern Daily Echo. 11 June 2004. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  5. ^ a b c "Tory steal". Southern Daily Echo. 11 June 2004. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  6. ^ "Democracy is the winner on the night". Southern Daily Echo. 12 June 2004. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Election Results - 2004". Fareham Borough Council. Archived from the original on 2 November 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-14.
  8. ^ "How the southeast voted in the district council polls". Evening Standard. 11 June 2004. p. 8.
Preceded by
2002 Fareham Council election
Fareham local elections Succeeded by
2006 Fareham Council election