1999 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Wigan Council were held on 6 May 1999. One-third of the council was up for election. Prior to the election, the Liberal Democrats had gained the seat being fought in Beech Hill from Labour in a by-election, and long-time Labour councillor for Atherton, Jack Sumner, had defected to independent.

Map of the results of the 1999 Wigan council election.

All wards were fought for the first time since 1992, and the election boasted the highest number of candidates excepting the all-out elections of 1973 and 1980. The increase came from the Green Party standing a full-slate, seemingly energised by their third place the previous year, with both Labour and the Conservatives repeating their recent contesting rates. The Lib Dem's showing of six candidates, conversely, resembled a party resigned to fourth place. Elsewhere the aforementioned Independent was fighting Leigh East, and an incumbent Independent Labour candidate sought her fourth term in Hindley.

The previous year had brought about the worst turnout recorded, and this election did little to improve upon it, increasing by just one percent to 18.4%. The general picture too was one of little difference to the preceding election. All three main parties managed to improve their vote upon the previous year's historic lows, but none were able to in a significant manner, and as such, their figures remained at historically poor levels. The party shares were also little changed, with a modest recovery of the Lib Dems and the Greens achieving a new peak mainly at the expense of Labour.

Labour, however, made a net gain as they retook their seat in Beech Hill from last year's by-election victors the Lib Dems, and finally ousted the Independent Labour who'd held her seat in Hindley for more than a decade. Their solitary loss was a shock defeat in their previously safe seat of Hindsford, as the Lib Dems surged on a 21.6% swing to displace Samuel Little from the council – whose incumbency had been uninterrupted in the 25-year-long history of the council up to that point. The comparable record of the independent was ended as he made little progress in Leigh East and the Greens looked no more competitive than the previous year – and actually less in certain areas.[1][2]

Election result
Wigan Local Election Result 1999
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 23 2 1 +1 95.8 67.7 29,012 -1.6
  Liberal Democrats 1 1 1 0 4.2 8.9 3,839 +2.2
  Conservative 0 0 0 0 0.0 12.7 5,428 -0.6
  Green 0 0 0 0 0.0 9.3 4,004 +0.6
  Independent Labour 0 0 1 -1 0.0 1.0 440 +1.0
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.3 147 -1.5

This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:

Party Previous council New council
Labour 69 70
Liberal Democrat 2 2
Conservative 0 0
Green 0 0
Independent Labour 1 0
Independent 0 0
Total 72 72
Working majority  66   68 

Ward results
Abram[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour B. Hampson 890 79.0 -7.5
Conservative M. Green 155 13.8 +0.3
Green P. Murphy 81 7.2 +7.2
Majority 735 65.3 -7.7
Turnout 1,126 12.4 +0.6
Labour hold Swing -3.9
Ashton-Golborne[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Hilton 1,227 70.3 +17.5
Conservative F. Parkinson 308 17.6 +8.9
Green L. Maile 211 12.1 +12.1
Majority 919 52.6 +35.0
Turnout 1,746 17.0 -2.4
Labour hold Swing +4.3
Aspull-Standish[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Davies 1,375 58.2 -8.2
Liberal Democrats J. Beswick 499 21.1 +21.1
Conservative E. Mather 345 14.6 -5.8
Green D. Schanzi 145 6.1 -7.1
Majority 876 37.0 9.0
Turnout 2,364 20.3 +1.0
Labour hold Swing -14.6
Atherton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Holmes 1,188 74.7 +2.7
Conservative N. Isherwood 260 16.3 -0.6
Green P. Brown 142 8.9 -2.1
Majority 928 58.4 +3.2
Turnout 1,590 18.4 +1.0
Labour hold Swing +1.6
Bedford-Astley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Lea 1,110 71.2 -4.7
Conservative N. Dugmore 275 17.7 +17.7
Green K. Barry 173 11.1 -12.9
Majority 835 53.6 +1.7
Turnout 1,558 18.4 +2.7
Labour hold Swing -11.2
Beech Hill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. Collins 1,386 56.9 +3.1
Liberal Democrats T. Beswick 1,012 41.5 -4.7
Green A. Deardon 39 1.6 +1.6
Majority 374 15.3 +7.7
Turnout 2,437 27.1 +0.5
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing +3.9
Bryn[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Atkinson 1,396 77.8 +2.0
Conservative A. Davies 275 15.3 +0.7
Green D. Sanderson 123 6.8 -2.7
Majority 1,121 62.5 +1.2
Turnout 1,794 18.1 +0.3
Labour hold Swing +0.6
Hindley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Topping 1,120 66.7 -0.5
Independent Labour E. Edwardson 440 26.2 +26.2
Green C. Littler 119 7.1 -25.6
Majority 680 40.5 +6.0
Turnout 1,679 16.7 +2.6
Labour gain from Independent Labour Swing -13.3
Hindley Green[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour P. Turner 1,197 77.2 +2.2
Conservative D. Morris 219 14.1 -4.3
Green E. Brown 134 8.6 +2.0
Majority 978 63.1 +6.5
Turnout 1,550 14.2 +0.3
Labour hold Swing +3.2
Hindsford[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats R. Bleakley 1,299 53.4 +20.3
Labour S. Little 966 39.7 -22.9
Conservative L. Dugmore 114 4.7 +4.7
Green W. Jolly 52 2.1 -2.1
Majority 333 13.7 -15.9
Turnout 2,431 22.8 +4.6
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing +21.6
Hope Carr[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour C. Hale 1,382 49.9 +0.8
Green C. Maile 807 29.1 -4.6
Conservative A. Oxley 580 20.9 +3.8
Majority 575 20.8 +5.4
Turnout 2,769 27.3 +1.5
Labour hold Swing
Ince[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D. Molyneux 1,021 87.4 -2.7
Green N. Maile 81 6.9 +6.9
Conservative H. Topping 66 5.6 -4.3
Majority 940 80.5 +0.3
Turnout 1,168 15.2 +1.0
Labour hold Swing -4.8
Langtree[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Crosby 1,369 65.5 -3.9
Liberal Democrats F. Graham 583 27.9 +2.8
Green E. Kismul 138 6.6 +1.1
Majority 786 37.6 -6.7
Turnout 2,090 17.9 +1.1
Labour hold Swing -3.3
Leigh Central[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour B. Thomas 1,174 78.7 -1.8
Green S. Critchley 167 11.2 +0.5
Conservative T. Matthews 150 10.0 +1.4
Majority 1,007 67.5 -2.3
Turnout 1,491 17.3 -0.0
Labour hold Swing -1.1
Leigh East[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour K. Cunliffe 1,112 68.7 -5.0
Conservative D. Davies 254 15.7 -3.2
Independent J. Sumner 147 9.1 +9.1
Green N. Howarth 105 6.5 -0.8
Majority 858 53.0 -1.7
Turnout 1,618 15.2 +0.2
Labour hold Swing -0.9
Lightshaw[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour B. Strett 1,693 67.2 -6.1
Conservative N. Culshaw 591 23.5 +1.4
Green S. Clarke 234 9.3 +4.7
Majority 1,102 43.8 -7.5
Turnout 2,518 21.3 -0.0
Labour hold Swing -3.7
Newtown[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Birch 1,036 83.1 +7.8
Liberal Democrats L. Fain 146 11.7 +0.9
Green H. Wilkinson 65 5.2 +2.6
Majority 890 71.4 +7.4
Turnout 8,648 14.4 -0.1
Labour hold Swing +3.4
Norley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour S. Parker 1,050 94.2 +3.0
Green D. Smith 64 5.7 -3.0
Majority 986 88.5 +5.9
Turnout 1,114 15.6 +1.3
Labour hold Swing +3.0
Orrell[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Capstick 1,051 58.5 -1.1
Conservative M. Winstanley 639 35.6 +1.5
Green N. Bird 105 5.8 -0.5
Majority 412 22.9 -2.6
Turnout 1,795 19.7 +0.8
Labour hold Swing -1.3
Swinley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Ball 1,143 52.6 -0.9
Conservative J. Davies 661 30.4 +0.2
Liberal Democrats A. Robinson 300 13.8 +1.3
Green D. Saunders 67 3.1 -0.7
Majority 482 22.2 -1.1
Turnout 2,171 25.2 +2.2
Labour hold Swing -0.5
Tyldesley East[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour S. Hellier 1,406 74.8 N/A
Green P. Thake 473 25.2 N/A
Majority 933 49.7 N/A
Turnout 1,879 16.1 N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
Whelley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour T. Butler 1,345 86.1 +1.8
Green J. Wilkinson 217 13.9 +7.3
Majority 1,128 72.2 -3.0
Turnout 1,562 19.3 +2.5
Labour hold Swing -2.7
Winstanley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour G. Roberts 1,290 70.1 -8.0
Conservative J. Cartwright 381 20.7 -1.2
Green J. Critchley 170 9.2 +9.2
Majority 909 49.4 -6.8
Turnout 1,841 16.4 +1.9
Labour hold Swing -3.4
Worsley Mesnes[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Baldwin 1,085 81.4 -1.5
Conservative T. Sutton 155 11.6 -5.4
Green A. Connor 92 6.9 +6.9
Majority 930 69.8 +3.9
Turnout 1,332 13.9 +0.4
Labour hold Swing +1.9

By-elections between 1999 and 2000
Hindsford By-Election 2 December 1999[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Graham Lingings 921 57.1 +3.7
Labour 693 42.9 +3.2
Majority 227 14.2 +0.5
Turnout 1,614 15.0 -7.8
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing +0.2

References
  1. "Wigan". BBC News. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  2. "Wigan Council results from 1973 to 2008" (PDF). wigan.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  3. "Local Authority Byelection Results". gwydir.demon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
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