2011 Great Yarmouth Borough Council election

The 2011 Great Yarmouth Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of Great Yarmouth Borough Council in Norfolk, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.[1] At the same time as the election, the introduction of a directly elected mayor in Great Yarmouth was rejected in a referendum.[2]

Map of the results of the 2011 Great Yarmouth council election. Conservatives in blue and Labour in red. Wards in grey were not contested in 2011.

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Background

Before the election the Conservatives ran the council with 24 seats, compared to 15 for Labour.[3] 13 seats were being contested with Labour targeting Caister North and St Andrews, while the Conservatives were threatening Caister South and Nelson wards.[3]

Election result

The results saw the Conservatives remain in control of the council, with no change in their majority.[4] The Conservatives gained one seat from Labour in Caister South, but lost a seat back in St Andrew's by 54 votes.[4] The successful Labour candidate in St Andrew's ward was Barbara Wright, the wife of the former Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth Tony Wright.[4] Meanwhile, Kerry Payne held the seat in Nelson for Labour, despite being challenged by the incumbent councillor Brenda Taylor, who ran as an independent after being de-selected by Labour.[4]

Great Yarmouth Local Election Result 2011[5]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 8 1 1 0 61.5 51.4 10,523 +2.0%
  Labour 5 1 1 0 38.5 42.3 8,662 -0.2%
  UKIP 0 0 0 0 0 3.2 661 +3.2%
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0 1.4 284 -0.5%
  Liberal Democrats 0 0 0 0 0 1.1 231 -5.1%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 0.5 103 +0.5%

Referendum on an elected mayor

At the same time as the council election Great Yarmouth held a referendum on whether to introduce a directly elected mayor.[2] This came after the Labour councillors Michael Castle and Trevor Wainwright collected the necessary 3,500 signatures, 5% of the population of the area.[6] However both the local Conservative and Labour parties opposed the introduction of a directly elected mayor, with the Conservative leader of the council, Barry Coleman, leading the campaign for a no vote.[2]

The results of the referendum saw 15,595 vote no, as against 10,051 yes, with 291 ballot papers being spoilt, therefore the introduction of a directly elected mayor was rejected.[2]

Ward results
Bradwell North[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Tate 1,079 56.8 +1.0
Labour Maurice Johnson 820 43.2 -1.0
Majority 259 13.6 +2.0
Turnout 1,899 38.2 -27.1
Conservative hold Swing
Bradwell South and Hopton[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Susan Hacon 929 46.2 -12.7
Labour Hilary Wainwright 722 35.9 -5.2
UKIP Colin Aldred 256 12.7 +12.7
Green Michael Brackenbury 103 5.1 +5.1
Majority 207 10.3 -7.5
Turnout 2,010 39.5 -25.9
Conservative hold Swing
Caister North[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Barry Cunniffe 760 54.3 +3.3
Labour Lee Sutton 525 37.5 +6.4
Liberal Democrats Nicholas Dyer 114 8.1 -9.9
Majority 235 16.8 -3.1
Turnout 1,399 38.9 -26.5
Conservative hold Swing
Caister South[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Peck 788 55.0 +10.4
Labour Nicholas Dack 644 45.0 +6.5
Majority 144 10.1 +4.0
Turnout 1,432 41.2 -26.9
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Central and Northgate[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Marie Field 960 55.6 +11.2
Conservative Tom Garrod 651 37.7 -0.8
Liberal Democrats Gordon Dean 117 6.8 -10.3
Majority 309 17.9 +12.0
Turnout 1,728 30.6 -20.0
Labour hold Swing
Claydon[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bernard Williamson 856 48.7
Conservative Hannah Gascoigne 496 28.2
UKIP Matthew Smith 405 23.1
Majority 360 20.5
Turnout 1,757 32.5 -22.3
Labour hold Swing
Fleggburgh[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Thompson 849 81.1 -7.2
Labour Katie Jeavons-Golding 198 18.9 +7.2
Majority 651 62.2 -14.3
Turnout 1,047 56.7
Conservative hold Swing
Lothingland[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Thompson 1,022 63.1 -1.1
Labour Chris Williamson 597 36.9 +1.1
Majority 425 26.3 -2.2
Turnout 1,619 38.2 -26.4
Conservative hold Swing
Magdalen[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Brian Walker 1,128 60.5 +9.8
Conservative Carl Smith 737 39.5 +2.2
Majority 391 21.0 +7.5
Turnout 1,865 36.0 -23.2
Labour hold Swing
Nelson[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kerry Payne 690 48.9 +0.7
Conservative Malcolm Bird 437 31.0 -6.7
Independent Brenda Taylor 284 20.1 +6.0
Majority 253 17.9 +7.4
Turnout 1,411 26.2 -15.1
Labour hold Swing
Ormesby[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Shrimplin 1,070 72.1 -7.8
Labour Colin Fox 415 27.9 +7.8
Majority 655 44.1 -15.7
Turnout 1,485 43.3 +7.1
Conservative hold Swing
St. Andrews[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Barbara Wright 621 52.3 +14.9
Conservative Bryan Watts 567 47.7 -14.9
Majority 54 4.6
Turnout 1,188 35.3 +6.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
West Flegg[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mary Coleman 1,138 70.1 -8.9
Labour Luke Boydell 486 29.9 +8.9
Majority 652 40.1 -17.9
Turnout 1,624 41.4 +7.0
Conservative hold Swing

References
  1. "England council elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  2. Pullinger, Stephen (6 May 2011). "Great Yarmouth rejects elected mayor". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  3. Pullinger, Stephen (5 April 2011). "Labour hoping for swing in Yarmouth". Beccles & Bungay Journal. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  4. Owens, John (6 May 2011). "Status quo largely remains at Great Yarmouth Borough Council". Norwich Evening News. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  5. "Great Yarmouth Borough Council Election Results 5 May 2011". Great Yarmouth Borough Council. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  6. "Petition triggers mayoral referendum". Eastern Daily Press. 30 May 2010. Archived from the original on 25 August 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
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