The 2000 Torbay Council election took place on 4 May 2000 to elect members of Torbay unitary authority in England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.[1]

Campaign

The election was seen as being a straight fight between the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.[2] Before the election the Conservatives were optimistic that Torbay would be one of the councils that they would gain in the 2000 local elections[3] and they targeted it as a council that they had to win.[4] This emphasis on the council included two visits by William Hague the Conservative party leader.[5] Pre-election the Liberal Democrats only had control of the council based on the casting vote of the mayor, while the Conservatives needed 5 gains to take control.[5]

Conservative leaflets led with the theme of "Keep the Pound" but locally they accused the Liberal Democrat administration of incompetence and attacked the 22% Council Tax rise over the previous two years.[4] The Liberal Democrats were also attacked over the council's decision to not put on any floral displays in 1999 to save money, which was seen as being an error for an area dependent on tourism.[6] However the Liberal Democrats accused the Conservatives of playing on voters fears about asylum seekers being housed in the area.[4]

Election result

The results saw the Conservatives win 32 of the 36 seats on the council, with the Liberal Democrats reduced to just 4 seats after having run the council since 1991.[4] Liberal Democrat losses included the leader of the council, Anne Williams, and the mayor, John Turner.[4] The Labour party lost both their seats on the council blaming a poor turnout at 33% and the recent rise of only 75 pence in the state pension for their defeat.[4]

The result was seen as being an omen for the next general election, where the sitting Liberal Democrat member of parliament Adrian Sanders only had a majority of 12 over the Conservatives.[4] However the 2001 general election would see the Liberal Democrats hold the parliamentary constituency with an increased majority.[7]

Torbay Local Election Result 2000[8]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 32 +19 88.9 58.9 51,091
  Liberal Democrats 4 -14 11.1 31.9 27,672
  Labour 0 -2 0 8.1 7,000
  Independent Ratepayers 0 0 0 0.6 508
  Best Value for Torbay 0 0 0 0.3 251
  Monster Raving Loony 0 0 0 0.2 177
  Independent 0 -3 0 0 0

Ward results

Blatchcombe (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Eric Abercrombie 866
Conservative Beverley Brennan 828
Conservative Olive Jarmain 827
Liberal Democrats Douglas Lentell 766
Liberal Democrats John Nicholls 757
Liberal Democrats Philip Whitehead 714
Labour Roger Ballinger 369
Labour Wayne Doidge 347
Labour Eric McCaig 328
Turnout 5,802 24.9
Cockington with Chelston (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Hytche 1,688
Conservative Beryl McPhail 1,685
Conservative Christine Weston 1,628
Liberal Democrats Stewart Foulds 720
Liberal Democrats Jerome Betts 686
Liberal Democrats Neil King 647
Labour Rosalind Royle 376
Turnout 7,430 35.8
Coverdale (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Goulden 1,232
Conservative Alan Hoyle 1,197
Conservative James O'Dwyer 1,187
Liberal Democrats Ann Williams 1,023
Liberal Democrats Richard James 917
Liberal Democrats Vincent McCann 911
Labour Brenda Hill 316
Turnout 6,783
Ellacombe (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bruce Cowling 970
Conservative Peter Long 908
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Midgley 787
Liberal Democrats John Davis 786
Conservative Alan Shepheard 768
Liberal Democrats John Dunn 750
Independent Ratepayers Lionel Digby 508
Labour Jonathan Haines 358
Turnout 5,835
Furzeham with Churston(3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Pudner 1,846
Conservative Nicholas Bye 1,831
Conservative Moira Tapperell 1,781
Liberal Democrats Andrea Colborne 486
Labour John Robinson 403
Labour Christopher Day 393
Liberal Democrats Marlene Brown 385
Labour William Loader 379
Turnout 7,504
Preston (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jean Turnbull 1,999
Conservative Beverley Oxley 1,995
Conservative Ronald Morris 1,949
Liberal Democrats Timothy Nicholls 897
Liberal Democrats Linda Turner 871
Liberal Democrats John Pentney 729
Labour James Towell 335
Turnout 8,775
St Marychurch (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Heather Buckpitt 1,531
Conservative Paul Price 1,517
Conservative Donald Brook 1,490
Liberal Democrats Andrew Blake 1,272
Liberal Democrats Hilary Chambers 1,212
Liberal Democrats Roger Stringer 1,169
Turnout 8,191
St Michaels with Goodrington (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Penelope Barnby 1,991
Conservative Maureen 1,990
Conservative Keith Bryant 1,962
Liberal Democrats John Turner 1,133
Liberal Democrats Andrew Douglas-Dunbar 989
Liberal Democrats Doreen Urquart 935
Labour Edward Harris 394
Turnout 9,394
St Peters with St Marys (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sally Jowett 1,339
Conservative Eileen Salloway 1,332
Conservative Alan Craig 1,285
Labour Michael Morey 931
Labour Irene Reade 624
Labour Peter Pimie 614
Liberal Democrats Frank Lomas 404
Liberal Democrats Stuart John 403
Liberal Democrats David Morris 387
Turnout 7,319
Shiphay (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Stephen Darling 1,157
Conservative Mark Kingscote 1,120
Liberal Democrats Colin Charlwood 1,102
Conservative John Palmer 1,084
Liberal Democrats Alan Faulkner 1,082
Conservative Gert Eisner 1,057
Labour Stephen Turner 293
Turnout 6,895
Tormohun (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Damian Barton 994
Liberal Democrats Jennider Faulkner 924
Conservative Frances Harrison 917
Conservative Margaret Stafford 891
Liberal Democrats Michael Collins 787
Liberal Democrats Michael Wege 710
Labour Pauline Cartlidge 287
Best Value for Torbay Stanley Lewis 251
Turnout 5,761
Torwood (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Cuming 1,838
Conservative Julian Chandler 1,805
Conservative Matthew Phillips 1,763
Liberal Democrats Kathleen Hawkins 441
Liberal Democrats Eric Blatchford 427
Liberal Democrats Adrian Treneary 306
Labour Edward Corrigam 253
Monster Raving Loony John Rowe 177
Turnout 7,010

References

  1. ^ "Torbay". BBC News Online. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  2. ^ "Reporting from Torbay". BBC News Online. 4 May 2000. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
  3. ^ Hetherington, Peter (25 April 2000). "Armchair rebels threaten Labour hopes: Local elections: Party workers fear disillusionment and apathy as expected low turnouts prompt experiments to woo the voters". The Guardian. p. 8.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g de Bruxelles, Simon (5 May 2000). "Torbay becomes Tory-bay once again". The Times. p. 4.
  5. ^ a b "Battleground Torbay: Tide could be on the turn for true blues along the riviera". Financial Times. 5 May 2000. p. 6.
  6. ^ Watt, Nicholas (2 May 2000). "Flower power boosts Tories". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
  7. ^ "Big boost for Kennedy". BBC News Online. 8 June 2001. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
  8. ^ "Election results: local councils". The Times. 5 May 2000. p. 4.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Torbay Council Elections Thursday 4th May 2000" (PDF). Torbay Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
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