1996 North Hertfordshire District Council election
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18 of 50 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council 26 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1996 North Hertfordshire District Council election was held on 2 May 1996, at the same time as other local elections across England. There were 18 out of 50 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council up for election, being the usual third of the council plus a by-election in Hitchin Oughton ward.[1][2]
The council had previously been under no overall control, being led by a Labour minority administration with some support from the Liberal Democrats. Labour gained five extra seats at the election, giving them a majority on the council for the first time in its history. The Labour leader, David Kearns, was given the title leader of the council after the election, confirming the position he had de facto held since May 1995 by virtue of being chairman of the policy and resources committee.[3]
Overall results
[edit]The overall results were as follows:[4]
1996 North Hertfordshire District Council election | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | This election | Full council | This election | |||||||
Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− | ||
Labour | 11 | ![]() |
61.1 | 15 | 26 | 52.0 | 13,488 | 44.9 | -0.7 | |
Conservative | 5 | ![]() |
27.8 | 11 | 16 | 32.0 | 9,995 | 33.3 | +6.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | 2 | ![]() |
11.1 | 5 | 7 | 14.0 | 6,556 | 21.8 | 0.0 |
Ward results
[edit]The results for each ward were as follows. An asterisk(*) indicates a sitting councillor standing for re-election.[4][5]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David John Barnard | 646 | 57.1 | −13.3 | |
Labour | Edward Wallace | 307 | 27.1 | +7.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Lilian Upchurch | 178 | 15.7 | +5.4 | |
Turnout | 46.9 | ||||
Registered electors | 2,431 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -10.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Roger Miller McFall | 1,085 | 43.5 | −9.7 | |
Conservative | Bernard Crow* | 832 | 33.3 | +1.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | Graham Philip Tapp | 578 | 23.2 | +8.2 | |
Turnout | 34.1 | ||||
Registered electors | 7,342 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -5.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Anne Sobek | 466 | 53.6 | +21.5 | |
Conservative | Robert Michael Hughes | 403 | 46.4 | −21.5 | |
Turnout | 48.5 | ||||
Registered electors | 1,807 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +21.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Judi Billing* | 1,078 | 69.8 | −2.0 | |
Conservative | Barry West | 286 | 18.5 | +2.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Victor Newham | 180 | 11.7 | 0.0 | |
Turnout | 33.5 | ||||
Registered electors | 4,623 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | -2.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Richard Oliver Canning | 910 | 41.3 | −2.9 | |
Conservative | Sylvia Frances Chapman | 853 | 38.7 | +7.1 | |
Labour | Lesley Ann Hankin | 440 | 20.0 | −4.2 | |
Turnout | 43.5 | ||||
Registered electors | 5,074 | ||||
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | -5.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Joan Irene Kirby* | 984 | 67.5 | −9.0 | |
Labour | Martin John Stears | 893 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Victoria Warwick | 251 | 17.2 | +5.9 | |
Conservative | Nigel Kenneth Brook | 222 | 15.2 | +3.1 | |
Turnout | 33.3 | ||||
Registered electors | 4,068 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | -7.5 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
The by-election in Hitchin Oughton ward was triggered by the resignation of Labour councillor David Harbourne on 18 March 1996.[6]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Arthur Charles Thake* | 620 | 55.2 | +14.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Palmer | 274 | 24.4 | +4.3 | |
Labour | Christopher Peter Charles White | 230 | 20.5 | +4.4 | |
Turnout | 39.3 | ||||
Registered electors | 2,869 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +4.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | John Philip Anthony Banks* | 1,480 | 67.6 | +21.7 | |
Conservative | Bernard Frank James Lovewell | 447 | 20.4 | +12.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Paul Heath | 261 | 11.9 | +7.3 | |
Turnout | 36.4 | ||||
Registered electors | 6,020 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +4.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Margaret Amy Hilton* | 756 | 50.1 | −1.4 | |
Labour | Timothy Liddy | 754 | 49.9 | +28.6 | |
Turnout | 44.4 | ||||
Registered electors | 3,410 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -15.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Lorna Rose Kercher* | 1,181 | 64.0 | −1.4 | |
Conservative | Paul Antony Stockford | 378 | 20.5 | +2.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Martin Gammell | 285 | 15.5 | +1.0 | |
Turnout | 37.7 | ||||
Registered electors | 4,891 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | -1.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | David Peter Kearns* | 1,371 | 67.2 | −4.5 | |
Conservative | Stephen Edward Shaddick | 415 | 20.3 | +3.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Robin Julian Hall | 255 | 12.5 | +0.9 | |
Turnout | 40.1 | ||||
Registered electors | 5,085 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | -4.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Jean Andrews | 1,193 | 46.3 | −4.8 | |
Conservative | Pauline Marguerite Wood* | 789 | 30.6 | +7.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Jean Phyllis Leonard | 597 | 23.1 | −3.0 | |
Turnout | 41.6 | ||||
Registered electors | 6,220 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -6.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Lynda Ann Needham | 1,021 | 42.5 | +3.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | Sally Margaret Jarvis (Sal Jarvis) |
1,018 | 42.4 | −2.2 | |
Labour | Marion Elizabeth Watson-Blake | 362 | 15.1 | −1.0 | |
Turnout | 52.6 | ||||
Registered electors | 4,565 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gary Thomas Grindal | 928 | 58.7 | +2.4 | |
Conservative | Raymond Lawrence Shakespeare-Smith* (Ray Shakespeare-Smith) |
421 | 26.6 | +2.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | Paul Francis Booton | 231 | 14.6 | −4.6 | |
Turnout | 36.7 | ||||
Registered electors | 4,305 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +0.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Francis John Smith* (John Smith) |
854 | 48.1 | +4.5 | |
Labour | Ken Prince | 586 | 33.0 | +8.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Caroline Elizabeth Coates | 334 | 18.8 | −12.9 | |
Turnout | 40.8 | ||||
Registered electors | 4,347 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -2.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Leslie Baker (Les Baker) |
992 | 39.6 | +5.9 | |
Conservative | Jane Margaret Dwerryhouse-Spears | 860 | 34.4 | +2.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Frank Christopher East (Chris East) |
651 | 26.0 | −8.7 | |
Turnout | 39.3 | ||||
Registered electors | 6,392 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Stephen Kenneth Jarvis* (Steve Jarvis) |
553 | 69.5 | +17.8 | |
Conservative | Jessica Christian Dorothy Thomson | 192 | 24.1 | −20.1 | |
Labour | John Mann | 51 | 6.4 | +2.4 | |
Turnout | 64.4 | ||||
Registered electors | 1,241 | ||||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +19.0 |
Changes 1996–1998
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Andrew Milne | 1,635 | 50.8 | −8.0 | |
Conservative | Jessica Thomson | 1,025 | 31.8 | +5.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | Murray Turner | 560 | 17.4 | +2.8 | |
Labour hold | Swing | -6.6 |
The Letchworth Wilbury ward by-election was triggered by the death of Labour councillor David Evans.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ The District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1977 (S.I. 1977/1442)
- ^ "Labour predicts gaining a seat". Cambridge Daily News. 10 April 1996. p. 8. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
- ^ "Labour sweep to control for first time in North Herts". Royston and Buntingford Mercury. 10 May 1996. p. 3. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
- ^ a b Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "North Hertfordshire District Council Election Results 1973–2012" (PDF). The Elections Centre. Plymouth University. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ^ "North Hertfordshire Local Election Results 1996". North Hertfordshire District Council. Archived from the original on 19 January 1997. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ "Parliamentary hopeful quits his council seat". Royston and Buntingford Mercury. 22 March 1996. p. 25. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
- ^ Adams, John (8 May 1997). "County Tories get some consolation". Hitchin Comet. p. 6.