1999 Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 1999 Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 6 May 1999 to elect members of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was

Campaign

Before the election Labour held 60 of the 72 seats on the council, with the Liberal Democrats the main opposition on the council.[3] Labour were defending 19 seats, the Liberal Democrats 3 and the Conservatives 1 seat.[3] The Conservative seat being defended in Wednesbury North was one of only 2 the party held, but both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats planned to contest all 24 seats.[3] The other seat being contested was in Tipton Green, where an independent Labour councillor stood down at the election.[3] Candidates in the election included 2 from the British National Party and 1 from the National Front,[4] meanwhile the Liberal Democrat candidate in Friar Park ward withdrew from the election.[5]

During the election the Conservatives had an error on one of their leaflets with the phone number being for a Labour supporter.[6]

Election result

The results saw Labour increase their majority on the council after gaining 1 seat to hold 61 of the 72 seats.[7] Labour made the only gain in Tipton Green with the successful Labour candidate, Syeda Khatun, becoming the first Muslim woman to win a seat on Sandwell council.[8] Tipton Green also saw the British National Party win 17.2% of the vote, the best result for the party in the West Midlands area.[9] The Liberal Democrats held the 3 seats they had been defending to keep 9 councillors, with Victoria Handy becoming the youngest councillor at the age of 21 after holding Charlemont for the party.[8] Meanwhile, the Conservatives held Wednesbury North, but failed to make any gains, to stay on just 2 seats.[8] Overall turnout in the election was 23.6%,[10] with Princes End ward seeing one of the lowest turnouts in the country.[11]

Sandwell Local Election Result 1999[12][13]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 20 1 0 +1 83.3 54.9 28,383 -0.2%
  Liberal Democrats 3 0 0 0 12.5 15.7 8,124 -0.3%
  Conservative 1 0 0 0 4.2 25.2 13,024 +0.9%
  Independent 0 0 1 -1 0 2.5 1,277
  BNP 0 0 0 0 0 1.4 714
  Socialist Alternative 0 0 0 0 0 0.3 145
  National Front 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 75

Ward results
Abbey[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Piper 1,687 59.6
Conservative Karen Bissell 832 29.4
Liberal Democrats Roger Prior 310 11.0
Majority 855 30.2
Turnout 2,829 31.8
Labour hold Swing
Blackheath[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Price 1,220 65.8
Conservative David Dixon 421 22.7
Liberal Democrats Walter Bowdler 212 11.4
Majority 799 43.1
Turnout 1,853 20.1
Labour hold Swing
Bristnall[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Richard Young 1,398 61.6
Conservative Ewart Johnson 649 28.6
Liberal Democrats Brian Rogers 223 9.8
Majority 749 33.0
Turnout 2,270 23.8
Labour hold Swing
Charlemont[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Victoria Handy 1,054 41.2
Labour Jacqueline Harper 811 31.7
Conservative Norman Lawley 695 27.1
Majority 243 9.5
Turnout 2,560 27.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Cradley Heath and Old Hill[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Southall 1,357 66.8
Conservative David Burgess 463 22.8
Liberal Democrats Malcolm Wilson 212 10.4
Majority 894 44.0
Turnout 2,032 22.3
Labour hold Swing
Friar Park[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Geoffrey Lewis 1,049 68.8
Conservative Geoffrey Smith 475 31.2
Majority 574 37.7
Turnout 1,524 18.3
Labour hold Swing
Great Barr[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Robert White 1,377 49.7
Labour Jean Heywood 753 27.2
Conservative Robert Lawrence 641 23.1
Majority 624 22.5
Turnout 2,771 28.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Great Bridge[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jean Marson 965 59.8
Conservative Philip Mansell 325 20.1
BNP Sharron Edwards 209 12.9
Liberal Democrats Brian Burkitt 116 7.2
Majority 640 39.6
Turnout 1,615 16.8
Labour hold Swing
Greets Green and Lyng[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Badham 1,351 75.9
Conservative Thomas Hackett 283 15.9
Liberal Democrats Philip Roberts 147 8.3
Majority 1,068 60.0
Turnout 1,781 21.8
Labour hold Swing
Hateley Heath[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Edis 875 54.2
Liberal Democrats Rachel Cheeseman 491 30.4
Conservative Margaret Smith 247 15.3
Majority 384 23.8
Turnout 1,613 17.5
Labour hold Swing
Langley[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Martin Prestidge 1,449 60.5
Conservative Roland Hill 671 28.0
Liberal Democrats Julia Garrett 276 11.5
Majority 778 32.5
Turnout 2,396 24.7
Labour hold Swing
Newton[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Joyce Underhill 1,410 53.4
Labour Thomas Slater 811 30.7
Conservative Peter Leavesley 420 15.9
Majority 599 22.7
Turnout 2,641 28.8
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Old Warley[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Brian Caddick 1,217 46.7
Conservative William Shipman 1,125 43.2
Liberal Democrats Gaynor Skeldon 263 10.1
Majority 92 3.5
Turnout 2,605 29.8
Labour hold Swing
Oldbury[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mahbbob Hussain 1,911 69.4
Liberal Democrats Anthony Wilkinson 450 16.3
Conservative William Aitken 393 14.3
Majority 1,461 53.1
Turnout 2,754 33.1
Labour hold Swing
Princes End[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Christopher Couzens 589 49.3
Conservative Raymond Nock 246 20.6
Independent Tipton Labour June Newell 219 18.3
National Front John Lord 75 6.3
Liberal Democrats Samantha Ford 65 5.4
Majority 343 28.7
Turnout 1,194 12.2
Labour hold Swing
Rowley[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Adrian Bailey 1,302 66.7
Conservative Fredric Powles 267 13.7
Independent Fred Hadley 251 12.9
Liberal Democrats Stephen Cole 133 6.8
Majority 1,035 53.0
Turnout 1,953 20.3
Labour hold Swing
Smethwick[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Keith Davies 1,483 71.4
Conservative Nicholas Meacham 389 18.7
Liberal Democrats Miriam Banting 206 9.9
Majority 1,094 52.6
Turnout 2,078 24.3
Labour hold Swing
Soho and Victoria[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Darren Cooper 1,020 73.3
Conservative Jeanette Hill 279 20.1
Liberal Democrats Sara Richards 92 6.6
Majority 741 53.3
Turnout 1,391 26.2
Labour hold Swing
St Paul's[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bawa Dhallu 1,286 51.9
Doctor Practising at Lewisham Road Surgery Kazi Rahman 807 32.6
Conservative David Read 283 11.4
Liberal Democrats Charles Simms 101 4.1
Majority 479 19.3
Turnout 2,477 30.5
Labour hold Swing
Tipton Green[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Syeda Khatun 1,303 44.3
Conservative Alison Jones 833 28.3
BNP Stephen Edwards 505 17.2
Liberal Democrats Anthony Underhill 156 5.3
Socialist Alternative Ian Barton 145 4.9
Majority 470 16.0
Turnout 2,942 24.9
Labour gain from Independent Swing
Tividale[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Brian James 986 57.2
Conservative Steven Hockley 433 25.1
Liberal Democrats Roger Bradley 304 17.6
Majority 553 32.1
Turnout 1,723 18.2
Labour hold Swing
Wednesbury North[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Raymond Partridge 1,378 60.0
Labour Elaine Giles 839 36.6
Liberal Democrats Mark Handy 78 3.4
Majority 539 23.5
Turnout 2,295 26.0
Conservative hold Swing
Wednesbury South[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Turton 1,162 56.3
Conservative Margaret Dixon 762 36.9
Liberal Democrats Samantha Campbell 141 6.8
Majority 400 19.4
Turnout 2,065 22.3
Labour hold Swing
West Bromwich Central[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mohinder Tagger 1,559 65.5
Conservative Anne Hughes 514 21.6
Liberal Democrats Sheila Rogers 307 12.9
Majority 1,045 43.9
Turnout 2,380 28.3
Labour hold Swing

References
  1. "Sandwell". BBC News Online. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  2. "How Britain voted: Council Election Results". The Independent. 8 May 1999. p. 12.
  3. Swingler, Peter (5 May 1999). "Local election countdown: Sandwell". Birmingham Mail.
  4. Summers, Deborah (30 April 1999). "In-fighting could spoil Tory chances at polls Vote while you shop: Tesco in New Oscott, where there will be a polling stationnext Thursday". Birmingham Post.
  5. "Poll candidate out". Birmingham Mail. 15 April 1999. p. 24.
  6. Swingler, Peter (5 May 1999). "Sandwell Tories electioneering leaflet error". Birmingham Mail. p. 7.
  7. "At-a-glance guide to how the councils stand". Birmingham Post. 8 May 1999. p. 3.
  8. Swingler, Peter (7 May 1999). "Syeda takes a place in history:Sandwell". Birmingham Mail. p. 5.
  9. "Far-right increases its share of vote". Financial Times. 8 May 1999. p. 10.
  10. "Local Election Results, 1999". Centre for Research into Elections and Social Trends. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  11. Frean, Alexandra (8 May 1999). "Town hall politics become an increasing irrelevance". The Times. p. 47.
  12. "Sandwell MBC: Borough Council Election 6th May 1999". Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original on 17 February 2001. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  13. "How the nations voted". The Times. 8 May 1999. p. 48.
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