2007 Gravesham Borough Council election

The 2007 Gravesham Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Gravesham Borough Council in Kent, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative Party gained overall control of the council from the Labour Party.[1]

2007 Gravesham Borough Council election
3 May 2007
All 44 seats in the Gravesham Borough Council
23 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Party Conservative Labour
Last election 21 seats, 55.3% 23 seats, 43.0%
Seats won 28 16
Seat change Increase7 Decrease7
Popular vote 13,786 8,918
Percentage 54.8% 35.5%
Swing Decrease0.5% Decrease7.5%
Map of the results of the 2007 Gravesham council election. Labour in red and Conservatives in blue.
Council control before election


Labour

 Council control after election


Conservative

Background

Before the election Labour had run the council since 1995 and since the 2003 election had 23 seats, compared to 21 for the Conservatives.[2] The Conservatives had therefore needed to gain 2 seats to take control from Labour.[2]

Election result

The results saw the Conservatives gain control of the council from Labour, the first time the Conservatives had control of the council in 20 years. The Conservatives moved to 26 seats after winning 54% of the vote, while Labour dropped to 16 seats on a 40% vote share.[3] Overall turnout at the election was 36.4%, up from 31% at the 2003 election.[3]

The Conservative gains included taking all 3 seats in the wards of Painters Ash and Singlewell from Labour.[3] The Conservatives also held the seats in Whitehill where the two sitting councillors, George Lambton and Derek Robinson, had stood as independents after being deselected by the Conservatives before the election.[3] The leader of the Conservatives on the council, Michael Snelling, said "I am over the moon. I think we have exceeded our expectations.", while the Labour council leader, John Burden said he planned "to come back in four years' time".[3]

The election in Meopham North was postponed after the death of one of the Conservative councillors Malcolm Burgoyne on 25 April.[4] The delayed election in Meopham North was held on 21 June and saw the Conservatives hold both seats in the ward.[5] The Conservative leader, Michael Snelling, was one of the two winners in Meopham North and as a result was able to then become the new leader of the council.[3]

Gravesham Local Election Result 2007[6][7]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 28 7 0 +7 61.9 54.8 13,786 -0.5%
  Labour 16 0 7 -7 38.1 35.5 8,918 -7.5%
  Liberal Democrats 0 0 0 0 0 5.8 1,459 +5.0
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 2.0 491 +1.1
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0 1.5 383 +1.5
  Monster Raving Loony 0 0 0 0 0 0.5 114 +0.5

Ward results
Central (3)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Greta Goatley 1,081
Conservative Bronwen McGarrity 1,041
Conservative Samir Jassal 998
Labour Lana Aitchison 727
Labour Mukhtar Goraya 667
Labour Maureen Newell 651
Turnout 5,165 43 +6
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Chalk[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Leslie Hills 501 76.6 +10.6
Labour Colin Pritchard 153 23.4 -10.6
Majority 348 53.2 +21.2
Turnout 654 38 +0
Conservative hold Swing
Coldharbour[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Susan Howes 564
Labour Rosemary Leadley 535
Conservative Murray Barrett 383
Conservative John Stubbings 364
Turnout 1,846 31 +9
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Higham (2)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Patricia Oakeshott 994
Conservative Bryan Sweetland 799
Labour Eileen Rice 251
Green Gwen Easdown 197
Labour Leslie Howes 190
Turnout 2,431 41 +4
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Istead Rise (2)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Turner 1,023
Conservative Kenneth Jones 1,013
Labour Douglas Christie 185
Labour David Webber 170
Turnout 2,391 44 +5
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Meopham North (2)[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Snelling 681
Conservative Laura Hryniewicz 662
Liberal Democrats James Willis 200
Liberal Democrats Gillian McGill 178
Green Richard Crawford 104
Labour Mary Williams 59
Labour Pamela Sales 57
Monster Raving Loony Lord Toby Jug 31
Turnout 1,972 29.0
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Meopham South and Vigo (2)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Leslye Boycott 853
Conservative Ray Collins 767
Labour Mark Waterfield 209
Green Ann Wakeman 190
Labour Colin Meredith 162
Monster Raving Loony Lord Toby Jug 83
Turnout 2,264 36 +6
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Note: The election in Meopham North was delayed to 21 June due to the death of a candidate.

Northfleet North (3)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronald Bowman 886
Labour Tanmanjeet Dhesi 849
Labour Andrea Webb 841
Conservative Clarice Masterson 437
Conservative Eileen Tuff 431
Conservative Arthur Fitz-Simon 417
Liberal Democrats Bruce Parmenter 178
Liberal Democrats James Willis 178
Liberal Democrats Emily Slight 166
Turnout 4,383 32 +11
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Northfleet South (3)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Loughlin 740
Labour John Burden 730
Labour Narinder Thandi 706
Conservative John Nichols 551
Conservative Julia Burgoyne 510
Conservative Anne Welldon 463
Liberal Democrats Gillian McGill 192
Turnout 3,892 31 +5
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Painters Ash[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Harold Craske 874
Conservative Adrian Warburton 812
Conservative Peter Barbuti 790
Labour John Thompson 779
Labour Dick Target 770
Labour Harry Smith 743
Liberal Democrats Amanda Crane 248
Liberal Democrats Ian Stevenson 220
Liberal Democrats Mervyn McGill 195
Turnout 5,431 43 +7
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Pelham (3)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Makhan Singh 967
Labour Jane Cribbon 956
Labour Derek Sales 943
Conservative Christopher Barnes 759
Conservative Doreen Fairbrother 694
Conservative Laura Hryniewicz 658
Liberal Democrats Robert McGill 203
Liberal Democrats Jodi Parmenter 148
Turnout 5,328 39 +6
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Riverside (3)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lyn Milner 753
Labour Richard Smith 752
Labour Lee Croxton 738
Conservative Juliet Baker 469
Conservative Heather Frost 450
Conservative Helen Skellorn 447
Turnout 3,609 29 +4
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Riverview[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Lambert 777
Conservative David Hurley 726
Labour Kenneth Green 407
Labour Robin McLauchlan 378
Turnout 2,288 36 +1
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Shorne, Cobham & Luddesdown (2)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alex Moore 1,295 43.8
Conservative Robin Theobald 1,255 42.4
Labour Rita Mitchell 205 6.9
Labour Dorothy Riley 203 6.9
Turnout 2,958 48 +8
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Singlewell (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sara Langdale 786
Conservative John Cubitt 763
Conservative Conrad Broadley 750
Labour Peggy Mersh 633
Labour Hopeton Robinson 593
Labour Stephen Webb 569
Liberal Democrats Sheila Scott 201
Turnout 4,295 32 +9
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Westcourt (3)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Colin Caller 662
Labour John Caller 636
Conservative Graeme Biggs 613
Conservative Thomas Ballard 612
Labour Brian Newell 602
Conservative Teresa Sweetland 585
Turnout 3,710 29 +4
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Whitehill (2)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Diane Marsh 675
Conservative Glen Handley 670
Labour Brian Francis 382
Labour Alfred Mersh 371
Independent Derek Robinson 164
Independent George Lambton 153
Turnout 2,415 40 +3
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Woodlands (3)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Dyke 1,034
Conservative Mick Wenban 1,013
Conservative Anthony Pritchard 966
Labour Carole Bowman 356
Labour Andrew Delapena 329
Labour Peter Leadley 323
Liberal Democrats David Bigelow 237
Independent Ronald Stanford 219
Turnout 4,477 37 +8
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

References
  1. "Gravesham". BBC News Online. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  2. Sherman, Jill (19 April 2007). "Cameron talks rubbish to gain votes". The Times. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  3. Goodson, Barry; White, Alison (4 May 2007). "Tories rule in Gravesham". News Shopper. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  4. "Election for last ward today". News Shopper. 21 June 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  5. "Election results for Meopham North". Gravesham Borough Council. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  6. "The final outcome". Gravesham Borough Council. Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  7. "Local and Mayoral elections 2007" (PDF). House of Commons Library. 19 July 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  8. "Election results for Singlewell". Gravesham Borough Council. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
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