Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election, 1998
The 1998 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1][2][3]
Contents
Campaign
Before the election the Conservative party held 17 seats, compared to 16 for Labour and 12 Liberal Democrats.[4] However the council was run by the Labour party who governed with an agreement with the Liberal Democrats.[4] With the split in seats between the parties the council was expected to remain without any party having a majority with Labour defending 6 seats, compared to 5 for the Conservatives and 4 for the Liberal Democrats.[5] Meanwhile the independent candidates who were defending a seat in Shirley South and 2 seats in Shirley West ward were expected to come under pressure.[4] During the campaign another independent councillor Trevor Eames, who was not defending a seat in the election, resigned from the council after being jailed for 7 years causing a by-election to be held later in the summer.[6]
Election result
The results saw all 3 independents who were defending seats defeated, reducing the number of Independent Ratepayers on the council to 2.[7] Labour gained 1 seat from the independents in Shirley West, while the Conservative took the other 2 in Shirley South and Shirley West.[7][8] The Conservatives also won a seat from the Liberal Democrats in Packwood ward, with the former leader of the council Ken Meeson being returned to the council.[7] Overall turnout in the election was 29%, varying between a high of 40% and a low of 15% in Smithswood ward.[9]
Following the election the Conservatives elected a new group leader, Ted Richards, after the previous leader Ron Herd stepped down.[10] However despite holding 20 seats, compared to 17 for Labour and 11 for the Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives remained in opposition, with Labour running the council with support from the Liberal Democrats.[11]
Solihull Local Election Result 1998[12] | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | ||
Conservative | 8 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 44.4 | 45.0 | 20,883 | +7.9% | ||
Labour | 7 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 38.9 | 25.4 | 11,809 | -1.5% | ||
Liberal Democrat | 3 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 16.7 | 23.3 | 10,831 | -2.4% | ||
Independent Ratepayers & Residents | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0.0 | 4.6 | 2,132 | -3.4% | ||
Independent | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 767 | +1.2% |
This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections :[1][8]
Party | Previous council | New council | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservatives | 17 | 20 | |||
Labour | 16 | 17 | |||
Liberal Democrat | 12 | 11 | |||
Independent Ratepayers & Residents | 5 | 3 | |||
Independent | 1 | 0 | |||
Total | 51 | 51 | |||
Working majority | -17 | -11 |
Ward results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | James Ryan | 2,036 | 58.5 | +21.4 | |
Conservative | Robert Sleigh | 1,278 | 36.7 | -11.6 | |
Liberal Democrat | D. Moore | 167 | 4.8 | -1.8 | |
Majority | 758 | 21.8 | +10.6 | ||
Turnout | 3,481 | 35.3 | +0.7 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +16.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Beryll Kellie | 1,717 | 62.1 | +2.4 | |
Labour | Ann Wood | 799 | 28.9 | -2.5 | |
Liberal Democrat | John Knight | 251 | 9.1 | +0.1 | |
Majority | 918 | 33.2 | +5.0 | ||
Turnout | 2,767 | 29.5 | -8.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Robert Reed | 883 | 69.6 | -3.6 | |
Conservative | Graham Juniper | 280 | 22.1 | +3.2 | |
Liberal Democrat | Olive Hogg | 105 | 8.3 | +0.4 | |
Majority | 603 | 47.6 | -6.8 | ||
Turnout | 1,268 | 16.6 | -5.2 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -3.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Sheila Brookes | 1,431 | 51.0 | -4.0 | |
Conservative | John Bramham | 1,153 | 41.1 | +4.9 | |
Liberal Democrat | Barbara Harber | 221 | 7.9 | -1.0 | |
Majority | 278 | 9.9 | -8.9 | ||
Turnout | 2,805 | 36.1 | -7.4 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -4.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Arthur Harper | 618 | 68.4 | -2.2 | |
Conservative | Neil Archer | 209 | 23.1 | +5.8 | |
Liberal Democrat | Bernard Wright | 77 | 8.5 | +1.5 | |
Majority | 409 | 45.2 | -8.0 | ||
Turnout | 904 | 14.4 | -6.6 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -4.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Jeffrey Potts | 526 | 44.4 | -20.9 | |
Independent Residents | Brian Carter | 383 | 32.3 | +32.3 | |
Conservative | D. Cleghorn | 227 | 19.1 | -7.0 | |
Liberal Democrat | Christopher Hayes | 50 | 4.2 | -4.4 | |
Majority | 143 | 12.1 | -27.1 | ||
Turnout | 1,186 | 20.9 | -5.0 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -26.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Diana Holl-Allen | 1,792 | 62.3 | -1.4 | |
Labour | David George | 635 | 22.1 | +9.3 | |
Liberal Democrat | Brenda Chapple | 448 | 15.6 | -7.9 | |
Majority | 1,157 | 40.2 | -0.1 | ||
Turnout | 2,875 | 32.4 | -5.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -5.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrat | Norman Chapple | 1,331 | 56.4 | -1.6 | |
Conservative | Neill Watts | 677 | 28.7 | +6.3 | |
Labour | John Kimberley | 351 | 14.9 | -4.6 | |
Majority | 654 | 27.7 | -7.9 | ||
Turnout | 2,359 | 30.3 | -7.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -3.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Lea | 1,990 | 68.9 | +31.0 | |
Labour | Kenneth Harrop | 551 | 19.1 | -3.9 | |
Liberal Democrat | Richard Morris | 347 | 12.0 | -0.6 | |
Majority | 1,439 | 49.8 | +38.5 | ||
Turnout | 2,888 | 32.6 | -8.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +17.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrat | John Windmill | 1,710 | 51.9 | -0.9 | |
Conservative | Donald Jones | 1,145 | 34.8 | -5.1 | |
Labour | Donald Bargery | 283 | 8.6 | +1.3 | |
Independent Ratepayers | David Bayliss | 156 | 4.7 | +4.7 | |
Majority | 565 | 17.1 | +4.2 | ||
Turnout | 3,294 | 36.4 | -6.9 | ||
Liberal Democrat hold | Swing | +2.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Kenneth Meeson | 2,119 | 51.7 | +5.2 | |
Liberal Democrat | Peter Lee | 1,783 | 43.5 | -4.8 | |
Labour | Frederick Nash | 199 | 4.9 | -0.4 | |
Majority | 336 | 8.2 | +6.4 | ||
Turnout | 4,101 | 40.0 | -3.9 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat | Swing | +5.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrat | Michael Southcombe | 1,547 | 47.7 | -2.0 | |
Conservative | Susan Rosten | 1,240 | 38.2 | +1.3 | |
Labour | James Burman | 321 | 9.9 | -3.5 | |
Independent Ratepayers | Robert Gill | 135 | 4.2 | +4.2 | |
Majority | 307 | 9.5 | -3.3 | ||
Turnout | 3,243 | 35.1 | -6.8 | ||
Liberal Democrat hold | Swing | -1.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Evans | 1,444 | 40.5 | +40.5 | |
Independent Ratepayers | Richard Jackson | 1,114 | 31.3 | -30.3 | |
Labour | Bernard McElholm | 683 | 19.2 | -3.8 | |
Liberal Democrat | Eric Widger | 323 | 9.1 | -6.4 | |
Majority | 330 | 9.3 | -29.4 | ||
Turnout | 3,564 | 27.1 | -2.9 | ||
Conservative gain from Independent Ratepayers | Swing | +35.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Lewis | 1,040 | 32.7 | +32.7 | |
Labour | Peter Metcalfe | 844 | 26.5 | +0.1 | |
Conservative | Stuart Davis | 822 | |||
Independent | Brenda Otton | 767 | 24.1 | +24.1 | |
Independent | Jean Duddy | 569 | |||
Labour | Marcus Brain | 541 | |||
Independent Ratepayers | John Rogers | 344 | 10.8 | -52.0 | |
Liberal Democrat | Linda Whitlock | 189 | 5.9 | -4.9 | |
Majority | 196 | 6.2 | -30.3 | ||
Turnout | 3,184 | 29.6 | -2.5 | ||
Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | +16.2 | |||
Labour gain from Independent Ratepayers | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Sheila Pittaway | 1,704 | 47.4 | -0.5 | |
Liberal Democrat | David Puckering | 1,504 | 41.8 | +4.0 | |
Labour | Richard Sumner | 389 | 10.8 | -3.4 | |
Majority | 200 | 5.6 | -4.5 | ||
Turnout | 3,597 | 36.6 | -4.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -2.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Hugh Hendry | 861 | 70.1 | -3.8 | |
Conservative | Timothy Vernon | 261 | 21.3 | +3.8 | |
Liberal Democrat | Jennifer Wright | 106 | 8.6 | -0.1 | |
Majority | 600 | 48.9 | -7.6 | ||
Turnout | 1,228 | 15.3 | -7.3 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -3.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Kathleen Wild | 2,607 | 70.9 | +7.3 | |
Liberal Democrat | J. Herbert | 672 | 18.3 | -5.4 | |
Labour | Arthur Brill | 399 | 10.8 | -1.9 | |
Majority | 1,935 | 52.6 | +12.7 | ||
Turnout | 3,678 | 33.1 | -5.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +6.3 |
By-elections between 1998 and 1999
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Boy | 1,070 | 44.8 | +4.3 | |
Independent Ratepayer | John Rogers | 612 | 25.6 | -5.7 | |
Labour | Bernard McElholm | 437 | 18.3 | -0.9 | |
Liberal Democrat | Eric Widger | 176 | 7.4 | -1.7 | |
Democratic Reform Association | Brenda Otton | 92 | 3.8 | +3.8 | |
Majority | 458 | 19.2 | +9.9 | ||
Turnout | 2,387 | 17.7 | -9.4 | ||
Conservative gain from Independent Ratepayers | Swing | +5.0 |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 "Solihull M. B. C. Election Results Sheet, 7 May 1998", Solihull M.B.C.(1998).
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.