2004 South Lakeland District Council election

The 2004 South Lakeland District Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of South Lakeland District Council in Cumbria, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was

Campaign

Before the election the Liberal Democrats had 22 seats, the Conservatives 18, Labour 8 and independents 2, with a further 2 seats being vacant.[3] The 2 vacant seats were in Milnthorpe, after the resignation of the Liberal Democrat councillor Malcolm Alston, and Ulverston East, following the death of Labour councillor Bob Bolton.[4] 18 seats were being contested in the 2004 election, with 6 of them being in Ulverston.[5] Apart from the 2 vacant seats, the Conservatives defended 7 seats, the Liberal Democrats 6, Labour 2 and 1 independent.[4]

Issues for the 3 parties represented on the council included the council tax, improving facilities, attracting more businesses to the area, street cleaning and plans to upgrade the Furness Line and create an A590 bypass.[6] There was controversy at the election over the decision of the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Westmorland and Lonsdale Tim Farron to stand in the election for Milnthorpe.[7] The Conservatives attacked the decision saying it was an indication the Liberal Democrats would not win the parliamentary seat, but Tim Farron said there would be no problem with him doing both roles.[7]

The election in South Lakeland, along with all of North West England, had a trial of all postal voting.[3]

Election result

The results saw no party win a majority, but the Conservatives made 2 gains.[8] They took Grange-over-Sands from the Liberal Democrats by 1,129 votes to 1,054 and gained Ulverston Central from Labour by 263 votes to 226.[8] Successful candidates included the Conservative leader of the council Colin Hodgson and the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Tim Farron.[8] Overall turnout in the election was 55.88%.[9]

South Lakeland Local Election Result 2004[2][9]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 9 2 0 +2 50.0 47.3 9,021 -2.4%
  Liberal Democrats 6 0 1 -1 33.3 37.6 7,169 -6.1%
  Labour 2 0 1 -1 11.1 7.0 1,340 +5.8%
  Independent 1 0 0 0 5.6 5.8 1,103 +0.4%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 1.7 316 +1.7%
  UKIP 0 0 0 0 0 0.7 137 +0.7%

Ward results
Arnside and Beetham[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ian Stewart* 1,133 51.9 -4.0
Conservative David Clark 1,051 48.1 +4.0
Majority 82 3.8 -8.0
Turnout 2,184 61.4 +12.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Burton and Holme[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roger Bingham* 923 75.0 -7.4
Liberal Democrats Antony Jolley 308 25.0 +7.4
Majority 615 50.0 -14.8
Turnout 1,231 56.3 +10.5
Conservative hold Swing
Coniston[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Doreen Hall* 557 59.8 +3.8
Liberal Democrats John Hemingway 375 40.2 -3.8
Majority 182 19.6 +7.6
Turnout 932 63.2 +7.6
Conservative hold Swing
Grange[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Wearing 1,129 48.4 +11.3
Liberal Democrats Robert Leach* 1,054 45.1 -17.8
Independent Anthony Coles 152 6.5 N/A
Majority 75 3.3
Turnout 2,335 63.9 +19.0
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Hawkshead[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Gordon Jenkinson* 404 52.5 +2.4
Conservative Richard Lancaster 366 47.5 -2.4
Majority 38 5.0 +4.8
Turnout 770 57.1 +13.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Levens[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Brenda Woof* 684 70.2 +13.6
Conservative Melvin Mackie 290 29.8 -13.6
Majority 394 40.4 +27.2
Turnout 974 66.0 +12.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Low Furness and Swarthmoor[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent David Foot* 863 50.2 -1.5
Conservative Janice Bell 491 28.6 -19.7
Liberal Democrats Lawson Short 365 21.2 N/A
Majority 372 21.6 +18.2
Turnout 1,719 49.9 +10.9
Independent hold Swing
Lyth Valley[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robin Brown 605 65.3 +4.1
Liberal Democrats Margaret Smith 322 34.7 -4.1
Majority 283 30.6 +8.2
Turnout 927 55.8 +16.2
Conservative hold Swing
Milnthorpe[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Timothy Farron 723 66.6 -11.2
Conservative Andrew Coates 274 25.2 +3.0
Labour David Ryder 89 8.2 N/A
Majority 449 41.4 -14.2
Turnout 1,086 64.2 +29.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Natland[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Brenda Gray 605 56.5 +1.2
Conservative Enid Robinson** 465 43.5 -1.2
Majority 140 13.0 +2.4
Turnout 1,070 65.7 +11.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
  • Enid Robinson was a sitting councillor for the Lyth Valley ward.
Staveley-in-Cartmel[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Bentley* 425 48.4 -4.7
Liberal Democrats Ronald Mein 365 41.6 -5.3
Independent Edward Walsh 88 10.0 N/A
Majority 60 6.8 +0.6
Turnout 878 58.3 +15.4
Conservative hold Swing
Staveley-in-Westmorland[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Stanley Collins* 679 71.2 -7.6
Conservative George Richardson 275 28.8 +7.6
Majority 404 42.4 -15.2
Turnout 954 56.5 +13.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Ulverston Central[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Norman Bishop-Rowe 263 41.0 +2.6
Labour David Miller* 226 35.3 -26.3
Liberal Democrats Peter Metcalfe 152 23.7 N/A
Majority 37 5.7
Turnout 641 42.4 +10.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Ulverston East[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Philip Lister** 281 59.0 -18.1
Conservative Peter Hornby 195 41.0 +18.1
Majority 86 18.0 -36.2
Turnout 476 34.0 +5.8
Labour hold Swing
  • Philip Lister was a sitting councillor for the Ulverston Town ward.
Ulverston North[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Colin Hodgson* 434 57.9 -10.8
Green Karen Stack 316 42.1 N/A
Majority 118 15.8 -21.6
Turnout 750 52.8 +15.3
Conservative hold Swing
Ulverston South[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alfred Jarvis* 437 66.3 +4.0
Labour Bhareth Rajan 222 33.7 -4.0
Majority 215 32.6 +8.0
Turnout 659 48.1 +16.1
Conservative hold Swing
Ulverston Town[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Graham Donning 301 47.4 -27.1
Conservative George Bell 200 31.5 +6.0
UKIP Alan Beach 134 21.1 N/A
Majority 101 15.9 -33.1
Turnout 635 42.7 -0.2
Labour hold Swing
Ulverston West[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Janette Jenkinson* 641 74.4 -3.5
Labour Fay Plant 221 25.6 +3.5
Majority 420 48.8 -7.0
Turnout 862 52.6 +20.1
Conservative hold Swing

References
  1. "South Lakeland council". BBC News Online. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
  2. "Local elections 2004" (PDF). House of Commons Library. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
  3. Hawkins, Justin (4 June 2004). "Ballot papers arrive on time". The Westmorland Gazette. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  4. Robinson-Tate, Michaela (14 May 2004). "Is this the year for change?". The Westmorland Gazette. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  5. "Postal voting a big success". The Westmorland Gazette. 9 June 2004. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  6. "Political groups set out their priorities". The Westmorland Gazette. 28 May 2004. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  7. Robinson-Tate, Michaela (14 May 2004). "Parties in row over Farron's decision". The Westmorland Gazette. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  8. Hawkins, Justin (11 June 2004). "Two seats lost in SLDC elections". The Westmorland Gazette. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  9. "South Lakeland District Council Elections - 10 June 2004: Election Results". South Lakeland District Council. Archived from the original on 21 September 2004. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
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