2004 Colchester Borough Council election

The 2004 Colchester Borough Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Colchester Borough Council in Essex, England. This was the same day as the other 2004 United Kingdom local elections and as the 2004 European Parliament Elections. One third of the seats were up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1]

2004 Colchester Borough Council election
10 June 2004 (2004-06-10)
20 out of 60 seats to Colchester Borough Council
31 seats needed for a majority
Turnout34.0% (Increase6.5%)
  First party Second party
  Blank Blank
Party Conservative Liberal Democrats
Last election 24 seats, 40.6% 25 seats, 32.0%
Seats before 24 25
Seats won 11 6
Seats after 28 23
Seat change Increase 4 Decrease 2
Popular vote 13,908 11,619
Percentage 40.9% 34.2%
Swing Increase 0.3% Increase 2.2%
  Third party Fourth party
  Blank Blank
Party Labour Independent
Last election 5 seats, 20.0% 6 seats, 5.7%
Seats before 5 6
Seats won 2 1
Seats after 6 3
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 3
Popular vote 6,197 2,266
Percentage 18.2% 6.7%
Swing Decrease 1.8% Increase 1.0%
Council control before election

No overall control

 Council control after election

No overall control

Map of the results of the 2004 Colchester council election. Conservatives in blue, Liberal Democrats in yellow, Labour in red and independents in light grey. Wards in dark grey were not contested in 2004.

Background

Following the previous election, Cllr Bob Newman (Wivenhoe Quay) left the Labour group to sit as an independent, reducing Labour to 4 councillors.[2][3] Labour then went into opposition after refusing to work with the Conservatives and a new cabinet was formed with 4 Conservative and 4 Liberal Democrat members.[2]

A by-election took place in Wivenhoe Quay ward after the death of sitting Independent councillor Richard Davies. The by-election was won by Labour, increasing their seat count to 5.

Election result

The Conservatives gained 4 seats to become the largest party on the council with 28 seats, 3 short of a majority.[4][2] They overtook the Liberal Democrats who held 23 seats, Labour with 6 seats and 3 independents.[4] Overall turnout at the election was 34.4%.[5]

As a result, the Conservatives took all the seats on the council cabinet for the first time since that style of government was introduced in Colchester, with the Conservative group leader John Jowers becoming the new leader of the council.[2]

2004 Colchester Borough Council election[1][6]
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Conservative 11 Increase 4 55.0 17 28 46.7 13,908 40.9 +0.3
  Liberal Democrats 6 Decrease 2 30.0 17 23 38.3 11,619 34.2 +2.2
  Labour 2 Increase 1 10.0 4 6 10.0 6,197 18.2 –1.8
  Independent 1 Decrease 3 5.0 2 3 5.0 2,266 6.7 +1.0

Ward results

Berechurch
Berechurch[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Craig Sutton* 757 45.7 -6.4
Labour Dave Harris 504 30.5 +2.3
Conservative Pauline Hazell 394 23.8 +4.7
Majority 253 15.3 -8.6
Turnout 1,655 28.8 +4.3
Registered electors 5,805
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease4.4

Castle
Castle Ward[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Henry Spyvee* 1,185 57.9 +3.5
Conservative Pauline Lucas 566 27.7 +3.4
Labour Malcolm Cannon 296 14.5 +1.8
Majority 619 30.2 +0.1
Turnout 2,047 35.4 +6.8
Registered electors 5,830
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Increase0.1

No Green candidate as previous (8.0%).

Dedham & Langham
Dedham & Langham Ward[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Garnett* 991 79.0 +5.3
Liberal Democrats Carolyn Catney 180 14.3 -4.9
Labour Ian Yates 84 6.7 -0.4
Majority 811 64.6 +10.1
Turnout 1,255 53.7 +8.7[lower-alpha 1]
Registered electors 2,341
Conservative hold Swing Increase5.1

East Donyland
East Donyland Ward[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andrew Raison* 428 43.9 +0.7
Conservative Patricia Sanderson 296 30.3 -6.9
Independent Peter Byham 159 16.3 N/A
Liberal Democrats Barry Woodward 93 9.5 -10.1
Majority 132 13.5 +7.5
Turnout 976 48.9 +12.9[lower-alpha 1]
Registered electors 2,996
Labour hold Swing Increase3.8

Harbour
Harbour Ward[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Justin Knight* 594 51.2 -1.4
Conservative Susan Harper 292 25.2 +10.8
Labour David Canning 275 23.7 -9.4
Majority 302 26.0 N/A
Turnout 1,161 27.2 -1.8[lower-alpha 1]
Registered electors 4,306
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Increase6.1

Highwoods
Highwoods Ward[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Beverley Oxford* 807 42.5 +16.2
Liberal Democrats Paul Booker 507 26.7 -4.9
Conservative Shahid Husain 423 22.3 -10.0
Labour Hugh Thomas 163 8.6 -0.8
Majority 300 15.8 N/A
Turnout 1,900 30.3 +8.3
Registered electors 6,103
Independent hold Swing Increase10.6

Lexden
Lexden Ward[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Donald Henshall* 1,194 62.3 +4.7
Liberal Democrats Helen Bayliss 569 29.7 -1.8
Labour Alan Trudgian 154 8.0 -2.9
Majority 625 32.6 N/A
Turnout 1,917 44.7 +0.7[lower-alpha 1]
Registered electors 4,328
Conservative hold Swing Increase3.3

Marks Tey
Marks Tey Ward[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Gower* 517 61.5 -3.2
Liberal Democrats Martin Verran 134 16.0 +0.7
Labour John Wood 106 12.6 -7.4
Independent Patrick Mead 83 9.9 +9.9
Majority 383 45.6 +0.9
Turnout 840 39.0 +8.0[lower-alpha 1]
Registered electors 2,044
Conservative hold Swing Decrease2.0

Mile End
Mile End Ward[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Brian Jarvis 681 46.1 +15.9
Liberal Democrats Peter Mecklenburg 631 42.7 -1.8
Labour Janet Smith 166 11.2 -1.7
Majority 50 3.4 N/A
Turnout 1,478 28.3 +2.0
Registered electors 5,183
Conservative hold Swing Increase8.9

No Independent (9.4%) or Green (3.0%) candidates as previous.

New Town
New Town Ward[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Peter Higgins* 972 55.3 -0.6
Conservative Glenn Bath 483 27.5 +3.8
Labour David Hough 302 17.2 -3.3
Majority 489 27.8 -3.9
Turnout 1,757 28.2 +5.3
Registered electors 6,236
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease2.2

Prettygate
Prettygate Ward[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ron Levy* 1,304 49.0 +5.7
Liberal Democrats John Gray* 1,151 43.2 -5.1
Labour Luke Dopson 208 7.8 -0.6
Majority 153 5.7 N/A
Turnout 2,663 44.8 +8.6
Registered electors 5,989
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing Increase5.4

St. Andrew's
St Andrew's Ward[4][5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tina Dopson 823 52.8 -9.4
Liberal Democrats Ralph Johnston 378 24.3 +3.7
Conservative Anne Allan 357 22.9 +8.8
Majority 445 28.6 -19.1
Turnout 1,558 22.3 +2.6
Registered electors 7,011
Labour gain from Independent Swing Decrease6.6

No Socialist Alliance candidate as previous (3.1%).

St. Anne's
St Annes's Ward[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Helen Chuah 998 54.7 -3.6
Conservative Angus Allan 464 25.5 +6.1
Labour Robert Fisher 361 19.8 -0.4
Majority 534 29.3 -8.9
Turnout 1,823 28.3 +5.6
Registered electors 6,477
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease4.9

No Socialist Alliance candidate as previous (2.1%).

St. John's
St John's Ward[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Paul Smith* 929 55.4 -12.4
Conservative Derek Smith 587 35.0 +10.9
Labour Mike Warner 160 9.5 +1.4
Majority 342 20.4 N/A
Turnout 1,676 40.2 +4.2[lower-alpha 1]
Registered electors 4,202
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease11.7

Shrub End
Shrub End Ward[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roger Buston* 777 38.4 +4.6
Liberal Democrats Barry James 737 36.4 +10.4
Labour Kim Naish 512 25.3 -12.7
Majority 40 2.0 N/A
Turnout 2,026 34.0 +9.5
Registered electors 5,988
Conservative hold Swing Decrease2.9

No Socialist Alliance candidate as previous (1.5%).

Stanway
Stanway Ward[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Ellis 1,027 47.7 +12.9
Liberal Democrats Gwendoline Ilott* 839 39.0 -13.3
Labour John Spademan 285 13.2 +0.5
Majority 188 8.7 -8.9
Turnout 2,151 35.3 +6.5
Registered electors 6,118
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing Increase13.1

Tiptree
Tiptree Ward[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Martin 925 41.0 +6.0
Independent John Elliott* 741 32.8 -1.9
Labour Alan Mogridge 590 26.2 -0.4
Majority 184 8.2 +7.9
Turnout 2,256 37.9 +11.5
Registered electors 5,993
Conservative gain from Independent Swing Increase4.0

West Mersea
West Mersea Ward[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Bouckley* 1,581 71.0 +8.0
Labour Audrey Spencer 329 14.8 -5.6
Liberal Democrats Ronald Baker 316 14.2 +0.0
Majority 1,252 56.2 +13.6
Turnout 2,226 38.6 +8.5
Registered electors 5,799
Conservative hold Swing Increase6.8

Wivenhoe Cross
Wivenhoe Cross Ward[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Eugene Kraft* 420 46.4 -7.0
Liberal Democrats John Galpin 356 39.3 +22.1
Labour Aulay MacKenzie 129 14.3 -15.1
Majority 64 7.1 N/A
Turnout 905 27.2 +10.4
Registered electors 3,355
Conservative hold Swing Decrease14.6

Wivenhoe Quay
Wivenhoe Quay Ward[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ann Quarry 629 36.6 +7.9
Independent Bob Newman* 476 27.7 N/A
Labour Thomas Prosser 322 18.7 -5.8
Liberal Democrats Jeremy Jacobs 293 17.0 N/A
Majority 153 8.9 +2.0
Turnout 1,720 43.7 +8.1
Registered electors 3,915
Conservative gain from Independent Swing N/A
  1. Change in turnout since 2002

By-elections

Berechurch

A by-election took place on 21 October 2004 in Berechurch after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Susan Brooks.[7] Labour's Dave Harris took the seat from the Liberal Democrats by a majority of 345.[7]

Berechurch: 21 October 2004[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dave Harris 838 51.5 +21.0
Liberal Democrats Martin Verran 493 30.3 -15.4
Conservative Andrew Bright 296 18.2 -5.6
Majority 345 21.2 N/A
Turnout 1,627 30.0 +1.2
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing Increase18.2

References
  1. "BBC News Vote 2004 Colchester Council". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  2. "Colchester : Council names all-Tory cabinet". Essex County Publications. NewsBank. 16 June 2004.
  3. "Wivenhoe: Councillor Newman leaves Labour". Essex County Publications. NewsBank. 7 May 2003.
  4. "Colchester : Conservatives become leading party". Essex County Publications. NewsBank. 12 June 2004.
  5. "Summary of the number of votes cast and % turnout". Colchester Borough Council. Archived from the original on 9 September 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  6. "Colchester Borough Council Elections 10 June 2004 - Results". Colchester Borough Council. Archived from the original on 9 September 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  7. Dines, Graham (22 October 2004). "Mixed results for the Lib Dems". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  8. "Labour wins byelection in army town". The Guardian. London. 22 October 2004. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  9. "Local Authority Byelection Results". Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
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