The 2002 Crawley Borough Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Crawley Borough Council in West Sussex, 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:

Background

Before the election Labour controlled the council with 24 seats, compared to 5 for the Conservatives and 2 Liberal Democrats, with a further seat being vacant.[3] 10 wards were contested, with 2 seats being elected in Pound Hill North.[3][4]

Issues at the election included the growth of Crawley, parking, litter, street lights and a possible second runway at Gatwick Airport, with issues to do with the national Labour government also being raised.[4]

Election result

Labour remained in control of the council with 23 councillors after holding 7 of the 11 seats contested, despite losing 1 seat to the Conservatives.[5] The Conservative gain came in Furnace Green, where Brenda Blackwell defeated the former Labour mayor Ray Calcott by 1,269 votes to 895.[6] This took to the Conservatives to 7 seats, as they also held the 2 seats contested in Pound Hill North, while the Liberal Democrats remained on 2 seats after holding Northgate.[5][6]

The election had a trial of all postal voting in the 4 wards of Bewbush, Broadfield, Ifield and Southgate in an attempt to increase turnout.[7] Overall turnout across Crawley was 30.09%, a rise from 23.2% at the 2000 election,[8] and in the wards that trialed all postal voting, turnout increased by an average of 15.7%.[7]

Crawley local election result 2002[9][2]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 7 0 1 -1 63.6 48.2 9,386
  Conservative 3 1 0 +1 27.3 31.2 6,079
  Liberal Democrats 1 0 0 0 9.1 17.4 3,395
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0 1.5 285
  Socialist Labour 0 0 0 0 0 0.8 154
  Justice Party 0 0 0 0 0 0.3 64
  Monster Raving Loony 0 0 0 0 0 0.2 48
  Socialist Alliance 0 0 0 0 0 0.2 46

Ward results

Bewbush[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Doug Murdoch 1,008 60.7
Conservative Corinne Bowen 335 20.2
Liberal Democrats Kevin Osborne 207 12.5
Justice Party Arshad Kahn 64 3.9
Socialist Alliance Muriel Hirsh 46 2.8
Majority 673 40.5
Turnout 1,660 27.8 +10.6
Labour hold Swing
Broadfield[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Brian Quinn 1,477 58.4
Conservative David Bowen 688 27.2
Liberal Democrats Victoria Jones 275 10.9
Socialist Labour Martyn Badger 89 3.5
Majority 789 31.2
Turnout 2,529 29.5 +15.7
Labour hold Swing
Furnace Green[9][10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Brenda Brockwell 1,269 47.4
Labour Ray Calcott 895 33.4
Liberal Democrats Roger McMurray 516 19.3
Majority 374 14.0
Turnout 2,680 25.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Ifield[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ben Clay 1,294 49.5
Conservative Christina Belben 548 21.0
Liberal Democrats Barry Hamilton 485 18.6
Independent Richard Symonds 285 10.9
Majority 746 28.5
Turnout 2,612 40.3 +17.8
Labour hold Swing
Langley Green[9][10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Brenda Smith 918 71.2
Conservative Keith Brockwell 212 16.4
Liberal Democrats Edward Reay 159 12.3
Majority 706 54.8
Turnout 1,289 23.9
Labour hold Swing
Northgate[9][10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Linda Seekings 705 63.2
Labour Nicholas Webber 307 27.5
Conservative John Rolf 104 9.3
Majority 398 35.7
Turnout 1,116 31.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Pound Hill North (2)[9][10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Smith 866
Conservative Sally Blake 844
Labour David Green 462
Labour John Stephens 451
Liberal Democrats Nigel Aldridge 198
Liberal Democrats David Barry 154
Monster Raving Loony Christopher Hanlon 48
Turnout 3,023 30.9
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Southgate[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mary Mayne 1,225 50.6
Conservative Lee Burke 784 32.4
Liberal Democrats Howard Llewelyn 413 17.1
Majority 441 18.2
Turnout 2,422 39.7 +18.7
Labour hold Swing
Tilgate[9][10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Colin Lloyd 720 59.2
Conservative Duncan Crow 246 20.2
Liberal Democrats Darren Wise 185 15.2
Socialist Labour Derek Issacs 65 5.3
Majority 474 39.0
Turnout 1,216 27.0
Labour hold Swing
West Green[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bert Crane 629 69.1
Conservative Lisa Noel 183 20.1
Liberal Democrats Lyndon Hamill 98 10.8
Majority 446 49.0
Turnout 910
Labour hold Swing

References

  1. ^ "Crawley". BBC News Online. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Election results; Local Election". The Times. 4 May 2002. p. 16.
  3. ^ a b "Crawley goes to the polls". The Argus. 2 May 2002. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Election fight on". Crawley and Horley Observer. 10 April 2002. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Postal voting declared a winner". The Argus. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  6. ^ a b "Tories gain vital seat". Crawley and Horley Observer. 8 May 2002. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  7. ^ a b "Pilot scheme evaluation: Crawley Borough Council 2 May 2002" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Crawley Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  8. ^ "Postal vote success". Crawley and Horley Observer. 8 May 2002. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Election results". Crawley and Horley Observer. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Crawley". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Crawley Council Election Results - 2003" (PDF). Crawley Borough Council. Political Science Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
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