2002 Halton Borough Council election

The 2002 Halton Borough Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Halton Unitary Council in Cheshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was

Campaign

18 seats were contested in the election,[3] including 2 seats in Norton ward, where a Labour councillor had resigned his seat.[4] The seats being contested included those of the Labour mayor, Chris Loftus, and the Liberal Democrat leader on the council, Alan Taylor.[5] 47 candidates stood in the election, including 3 married couples, with Labour contesting seats in all 17 wards, as compared to 14 for the Conservatives, 9 for the Liberal Democrats and 2 from the Runcorn Labour Councillors Group.[4]

Major issues in the election included housing, concerns over health effects from a local chemical plant and a proposal to close down a recreation centre in Norton.[6] The council was dominated by Labour before the election and this was seen as unlikely to change.[7]

Results

The results saw Labour increase its majority on the council by gaining 3 seats to have 47 councillors, while the Runcorn Labour Councillors Group lost their 2 remaining seats.[8] However the Liberal Democrats won an extra seat in Norton ward to remain the main opposition with 7 seats.[8] Overall turnout in the election was 21.5%.[9]

Halton Local Election Result 2002[2][10]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 15 +2 83.3 59.1 11,919
  Liberal Democrats 3 +1 16.7 20.4 4,116
  Conservative 0 0 0 17.5 3,526
  Independent 0 -1 0 1.6 315
  Runcorn Labour Councillors Group 0 -2 0 1.5 300

Ward results
Appleton[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gerald Philbin 707 79.0
Conservative Janet Edge 188 21.0
Majority 519 58.0
Turnout 895
Broadheath[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Gilligan 898 81.0
Conservative David Lewis 210 19.0
Majority 688 62.0
Turnout 1,108
Castlefields[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Liam Temple 671 69.4
Liberal Democrats Sean Casey 296 30.6
Majority 375 38.8
Turnout 967
Ditton[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Shaun Osborne 850 71.9
Conservative Gillian Hensley 332 28.1
Majority 518 43.8
Turnout 1,182
Farnworth[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Reynolds 909 54.3
Conservative Philip Balmer 765 45.7
Majority 144 8.6
Turnout 1,674
Grange[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Pearsall 586 62.3
Liberal Democrats James Maguire 188 20.0
Conservative William Denton 166 17.7
Majority 398 42.3
Turnout 940
Hale[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Wharton 422 57.3
Independent Agnes Mitchell 315 42.7
Majority 107 14.6
Turnout 737
Labour gain from Independent Swing
Halton[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stanley Hill 784 74.2
Conservative Denis Thomas 273 25.8
Majority 511 48.4
Turnout 1,057
Halton Brook[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Massey 723 63.5
Liberal Democrats Trevor Higginson 316 27.7
Conservative Roger Tuson 100 8.8
Majority 407 35.8
Turnout 1,139
Heath[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Alan Taylor 1,128 58.1
Conservative Marjorie Bradshaw 507 26.1
Labour Dorothy Fahey 305 15.7
Majority 621 32.0
Turnout 1,940
Hough Green[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Nolan 767 72.6
Conservative Maureen Forsyth 156 14.8
Liberal Democrats Frances Jump 133 12.6
Majority 611 57.8
Turnout 1,056
Kingsway[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Valerie Hill 823 79.7
Conservative Frank Lloyd 209 20.3
Majority 614 59.4
Turnout 1,032
Mersey[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Christopher Loftus 510 48.0
Liberal Democrats Christopher Rowe 431 40.6
Conservative Colin Keam 121 11.4
Majority 79 7.4
Turnout 1,062
Labour hold Swing
Murdishaw[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mary Massey 537 73.7
Liberal Democrats Sue France 192 26.3
Majority 345 47.4
Turnout 729
Norton (2)[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Timothy Sly 654
Liberal Democrats Diane Inch 644
Labour Alban Boyle 630
Labour Annette Lyons 472
Conservative Alan McKie 121
Conservative Barbara Price 115
Runcorn Labour Councillors Group Michael Gelling 85
Runcorn Labour Councillors Group Joseph Glover 72
Turnout 2,793
Palacefields[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kathleen Loftus 639 63.0
Runcorn Labour Councillors Group William Murphy 143 14.1
Liberal Democrats Janet Clein 134 13.2
Conservative David Masheder 98 9.7
Majority 496 48.9
Turnout 1,014
Riverside[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Francis Nyland 686 80.6
Conservative Margaret Hill 165 19.4
Majority 521 61.2
Turnout 851

References
  1. "Halton". BBC News Online. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  2. "Election results; Local Election". The Times. 4 May 2002. p. 16.
  3. "33 city seats in May poll contest". Liverpool Echo. 5 April 2002. p. 2.
  4. "Couples bid for election success". this is cheshire. 15 April 2002. Archived from the original on 13 July 2007. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  5. Kelly, Andy (11 April 2002). "Town halls may have new leaders in weeks". Liverpool Daily Post. p. 13.
  6. Jewell, Alan (26 April 2002). "Health fears and too much litter ; in the fifth part of our local election series Alan Jewell looks at the issues affecting Halton and Warrington". Liverpool Echo. p. 27.
  7. Woodhead, Jane (10 April 2002). "Election candidates prepare to do battle". Liverpool Echo. p. 17.
  8. "Local Elections: Labour grip is stronger ; Halton . . . No change". Liverpool Echo. 3 May 2002. p. 9.
  9. "Local elections: Labour snatch Lib Dems' seats ; Party is now electable in Liverpool again, says MP". Liverpool Daily Post. 3 May 2002. p. 2.
  10. "Halton". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
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