2000 Colchester Borough Council election

The 2000 Colchester Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2000 to elect members of Colchester Borough Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1]

2000 Colchester Borough Council

← 1999 4 May 2000 (2000-05-04) 2002 →

20 out of 60 seats to Colchester Borough Council
31 seats needed for a majority
Turnout29.7% (Decrease1.0%)
  First party Second party
  Blank Blank
Party Liberal Democrats Conservative
Last election 26 seats, 36.9% 17 seats, 32.5%
Seats won 6 9
Seats after 23 21
Seat change Decrease 3 Increase 4
Popular vote 10,192 11,951
Percentage 33.1% 38.8%
Swing Decrease 3.8% Increase 6.3%

  Third party Fourth party
  Blank Blank
Party Labour Tiptree Residents
Last election 16 seats, 30.6% 1 seat, 0.0%
Seats won 4 1
Seats after 15 1
Seat change Decrease 1 Steady
Popular vote 7,429 727
Percentage 24.1% 2.4%
Swing Decrease 6.5% N/A

Winner of each seat at the 2000 Colchester Borough Council election

Council control before election

No overall control

Council control after election

No overall control

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Background

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Before the election the Liberal Democrats had the most seats on the council with 25, compared to 18 for the Conservative Party, 15 for the Labour Party, 1 for the Tiptree Residents' Association and 1 other Independent.[2] Among the 20 councillors who were defending seats at the election were the Liberal Democrat leader of the council for the last two years,[3] Colin Sykes in Stanway, and the Liberal Democrat mayor Martin Hunt in Prettygate.[2]

Four Liberal Democrat and three Labour councillors stood down at the election including the Liberal Democrat former leader of the council, Steve Cawley in Shrub End.[2]

Election result

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The Conservatives gained four seats, while the Liberal Democrats suffered a net loss of two seats.[3] The Liberal Democrats just remained the largest party, but among those to lose their seats to the Conservatives were the council leader Colin Sykes in Stanway by 54 votes and the mayor Martin Hunt in Prettygate by 213 votes.[3] Labour remained third after losing two seats, but also gaining one, while Tony Webb was the only Independent to remain on the council after holding his seat in Tiptree.[3]

Following the election Bill Frame was chosen as leader of the Liberal Democrat group defeating Terry Sutton and he then became the new leader of the council.[4]

2000 Colchester Borough Council election[3][5]
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Liberal Democrats 6   3 30.0 17 23 38.3 10,192 33.1 –3.8
  Conservative 9   4 45.0 12 21 35.0 11,951 38.8 +6.3
  Labour 4   1 20.0 11 15 25.0 7,429 24.1 –6.5
  Tiptree Residents 1   5.0 0 1 1.7 727 2.4 N/A
  Independent 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 478 1.6 N/A
  Natural Law 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 39 0.1 N/A

Ward results

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Berechurch

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Berechurch[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Dave Smith 874 44.3 −3.2
Labour Dave Harris 788 40.0 −3.0
Conservative Pat Armstrong 310 15.7 +6.2
Majority 86 4.4 −0.1
Turnout 1,972 34.0 −4.0
Registered electors 5,763
Liberal Democrats hold Swing  0.1

Castle

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Castle[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Henry Spyvee* 788 42.9 −1.4
Conservative Neil Stock 525 28.6 +8.2
Labour Kim Naish 486 26.4 −9.0
Natural Law Loretta Basker 39 2.1 N/A
Majority 263 14.3 +5.4
Turnout 1,838 31.0 −1.3
Registered electors 5,971
Liberal Democrats hold Swing  4.8

Dedham

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Dedham[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Wendy Scattergood* 582 73.9 +39.2
Liberal Democrats Caroline West 168 21.3 −36.6
Labour Jean Quinn 38 4.8 −2.6
Majority 414 52.5 N/A
Turnout 788 52.0 −7.4
Registered electors 1,526
Conservative hold Swing  37.9

East Donyland

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East Donyland[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Patricia Sanderson 321 43.4 +25.5
Labour Tina Cooke* 248 33.5 −14.9
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Flanagan 171 23.1 −6.4
Majority 73 9.9 N/A
Turnout 740 42.0 −5.8
Registered electors 1,784
Conservative gain from Labour Swing  20.2

Fordham

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Fordham[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Cannon* 418 76.0 +27.6
Labour Richard Bartholomew 68 12.4 −6.8
Liberal Democrats Craig Sutton 64 11.6 −19.0
Majority 350 63.6 +45.8
Turnout 550 39.0 −12.7
Registered electors 1,420
Conservative hold Swing  17.2

No Independent Conservative candidate as previous (1.7%).

Harbour

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Harbour[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Terry Brady 696 40.1 +3.6
Labour Paul Bishop 553 31.9 −15.2
Conservative Mike Segal 306 17.6 +1.2
Residents Peter Farley 181 10.4 N/A
Majority 143 8.2 N/A
Turnout 1,736 28.0 −1.0
Registered electors 6,322
Liberal Democrats hold Swing  9.4

Lexden

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Lexden[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sonia Lewis* 1,252 64.6 +13.8
Liberal Democrats John Martin 573 29.6 −11.8
Labour Edna Salmon 113 5.8 −2.0
Majority 679 35.0 +25.6
Turnout 1,938 45.0 −5.6
Registered electors 4,284
Conservative hold Swing  12.8

Marks Tey

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Marks Tey[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Gower* 447 65.4 +30.7
Liberal Democrats Christopher Treloar 134 19.6 −11.0
Labour John Coombes 103 15.1 −16.6
Majority 313 45.8 +42.6
Turnout 684 33.0 −11.3
Registered electors 2,090
Conservative hold Swing  20.9

Mile End

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Mile End[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Gerard Oxford 1,094 41.1 +9.3
Conservative David Adams 934 35.1 −0.1
Labour Lucy Wood* 634 23.8 −9.2
Majority 160 6.0 N/A
Turnout 2,662 25.0 −0.5
Registered electors 10,548
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing  4.7

New Town

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New Town[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Sandra Gray 681 57.2 −5.4
Labour Dave Speed 309 25.9 −0.1
Conservative Mike Coyne 201 16.9 +5.5
Majority 372 31.2 −5.5
Turnout 1,191 23.0 −4.7
Registered electors 5,157
Liberal Democrats hold Swing  2.8

Prettygate

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Prettygate[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian McCord 1,034 48.7 +11.2
Liberal Democrats Martin Hunt 821 38.7 −6.2
Labour Andy Frost 267 12.6 −5.0
Majority 213 10.0 N/A
Turnout 2,122 36.0 −1.5
Registered electors 5,910
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing  8.7

St Andrew's

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St Andrew's[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Don Quinn 559 57.2 −9.0
Liberal Democrats Anthony Gant 216 22.1 −5.6
Conservative Richard Lambeth 203 20.8 +14.7
Majority 343 35.1 −3.4
Turnout 978 17.0 −7.5
Registered electors 5,846
Labour hold Swing  1.7

St Anne's

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St Anne's[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tina Dopson 738 43.4 −2.1
Liberal Democrats John Fellows 731 42.9 −4.5
Conservative Debbie White 233 13.7 +6.6
Majority 7 0.4 N/A
Turnout 1,702 34.0 −6.3
Registered electors 5,083
Labour hold Swing  1.2

St John's

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St John's[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ray Gamble* 958 49.4 −6.2
Conservative Derek Smith 674 34.8 +6.6
Labour Peter Brine 206 15.8 −0.4
Majority 284 14.7 −12.7
Turnout 1,938 33.0 −0.2
Registered electors 5,587
Liberal Democrats hold Swing  6.4

St Mary's

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St. Mary's[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roger Buston 840 48.4 +12.1
Liberal Democrats Una Jones 631 36.3 −8.0
Labour Edmund Chinnery 265 15.3 −4.0
Majority 209 12.0 N/A
Turnout 1,736 33.0 −3.0
Registered electors 5,263
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing  10.1

Shrub End

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Shrub End[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Richard Bourne 435 38.5 −7.2
Liberal Democrats Barbara Williamson 424 37.5 −0.1
Conservative Ron Levy 272 24.0 +7.3
Majority 11 1.0 −7.1
Turnout 1,131 19.0 −2.7
Registered electors 5,973
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing  3.6

Stanway

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Stanway[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jonathan Pyman 866 44.7 +12.6
Liberal Democrats Colin Sykes* 812 41.9 −9.7
Labour Ian Yates 259 13.4 −2.9
Majority 54 2.8 N/A
Turnout 1,937 32.0 −0.9
Registered electors 6,121
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing  11.2

Tiptree

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Tiptree[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tiptree Residents Tony Webb* 727 41.2 N/A
Conservative Richard Martin 418 23.7 −13.0
Labour Tania Rogers 324 18.3 −28.5
Independent Helen Bunney 297 16.8 N/A
Majority 309 17.5 N/A
Turnout 1,766 28.0 +5.6
Registered electors 6,301
Tiptree Residents hold Swing N/A

West Mersea

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West Mersea[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Jowers 1,342 76.5 +13.6
Labour Bry Mogridge 258 14.7 −8.1
Liberal Democrats Sally Scott 154 8.8 −5.5
Majority 1,084 61.8 +21.7
Turnout 1,754 30.0 +0.5
Registered electors 5,813
Conservative hold Swing  10.9

Wivenhoe

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Wivenhoe[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bob Newman* 778 44.4 −5.5
Conservative Judith Kennerdale 773 44.1 +4.8
Liberal Democrats Stephen Lancaster 202 11.5 +0.7
Majority 5 0.3 −10.2
Turnout 1,753 25.0 −3.5
Registered electors 7,152
Labour hold Swing  5.2

By-elections

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Lexden

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Lexden By-Election 19 October 2000[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative 939 55.9 −8.7
Liberal Democrats 639 38.0 +8.4
Labour 103 6.1 +0.3
Majority 300 17.9
Turnout 1,681 39.2
Conservative hold Swing

Prettygate

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Prettygate By-Election 7 June 2001[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 1,674 41.4 +2.7
Conservative 1,498 37.1 −11.7
Labour 869 21.5 +8.9
Majority 176 4.3
Turnout 4,041
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

Mile End

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A by-election took place in Mile End on 22 November 2001 after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor David Goatley due to pressure of work.[7]

Mile End By-Election 22 November 2001[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 529 33.6 −7.7
Conservative 468 29.7 −5.5
Labour 443 28.1 +4.6
Independent 135 8.6 +8.6
Majority 61 3.9
Turnout 1,575 14.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

References

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  1. ^ "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "Colchester: Candidates take to campaign trail". Essex County Standard. 3 April 2000. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "Election round-up: Colchester mayor ousted by Tory gains". Essex County Publications. NewsBank. 5 May 2000.
  4. ^ "Colchester : New election shock for Lib Dems". Essex County Publications. NewsBank. 11 May 2000.
  5. ^ "Election results: local councils - Elections". The Times. NewsBank. 5 May 2000.
  6. ^ a b c "Local Authority Byelection Results". Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  7. ^ Potter, Charlotte (9 November 2001). "Colchester: Councillors face new rules on phone use". Essex County Publications. NewsBank.