The 2004 Halton Borough Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Halton Unitary Council in Cheshire, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2002.[1] The Labour Party stayed in overall control of the council.[2]

Campaign

All 56 seats were being contested after boundary changes had taken place, with 119 candidates competing for election.[3] Labour contested all 56 seats, compared to 32 for the Conservatives, 19 Liberal Democrats, 3 Green Party, 2 British National Party, 1 Legalise Cannabis Alliance and 1 independent.[3] There were also 4 candidates from the new Citizens Party of Halton, with 3 of them being former Labour councillors.[3] The election in Halton, along with the rest of North West England, was held with all postal voting as part of an attempt to increase turnout.[3]

Before the election Labour dominated the council with 47 of the 56 seats.[4] As a result, the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives were aiming just to reduced Labour's majority to provide a better opposition, with the Conservatives standing in every ward.[5]

A major issue in the election was the attempt by the council to secure funding for a second crossing over the River Mersey.[4] The Labour party defended their record in control of the council, pointing to the regeneration of the town centres of Widnes and Runcorn and improvements in services.[5]

Results

The results saw both the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives make significant gains against Labour, but with Labour keeping a safe majority on the council.[6] The Liberal Democrats made gains in Halton Brook, Norton North and Windmill Hill wards, while the Conservatives picked up seats in Birchfield and Farnworth wards.[6] Windmill Hill required 2 recounts before the Liberal Democrat, Kelly Marlow, was declared the winner by a single vote over the Labour candidate.[7] Labour councillors who failed to be re-elected included the deputy mayor, Dennis Middlemass, who lost in Mersey ward to the Liberal Democrats after 12 years on the council.[8] Overall turnout in the election was 38%, almost double what was seen at the last election in 2002.[6]

Labour's leader of the council, Tony McDermott, blamed national policies and mid term votes against the government for the losses, but was pleased at preserving a good majority which he said demonstrated "a welcome level of support".[6]

Halton Local Election Result 2004[2][9]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 35 -12 62.5 55.3 42,002 -3.8
  Liberal Democrats 14 +7 25.0 19.3 14,632 -1.1
  Conservative 7 +5 12.5 19.4 14,740 +1.9
  Green 0 0 0.0 2.5 1,906 +2.5
  Citizens Party of Halton 0 0 0.0 2.0 1,513 +2.0
  BNP 0 0 0.0 0.7 529 +0.7
  Independent 0 0 0.0 0.6 440 -1.0
  Legalise Cannabis 0 0 0.0 0.2 158 +0.2

Ward results

Appleton (3)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Edward Jones 1,101
Labour Gerald Philbin 985
Labour Francis Nyland 897
Conservative John Littler 365
Conservative Desmond McDermott 323
BNP Andrew Taylor 297
Legalise Cannabis Emma O'Neill 158
Turnout 4,127
Beechwood (2)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Linda Redhead 942
Liberal Democrats Ulfar Norddahl 865
Labour Martha Lloyd Jones 333
Labour Maurice Craig 243
Conservative Phillip Speed 194
Conservative Patricia Parkinson 182
Turnout 2,759
Birchfield (3)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Lewis 868
Conservative David Findon 851
Conservative Geoffrey Swift 751
Labour Austin Clarke 612
Labour Valerie Hill 569
Labour John Fahey 542
Turnout 4,193
Broadheath (3)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Anthony McDermott 1,176
Labour Robert Gilligan 889
Labour Keith Morley 761
Conservative Philip Harper 466
Turnout 3,292
Castlefields (3)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Patrick Tyrrell 1,045
Labour Arthur Cole 833
Labour Liam Temple 816
Independent Jimmy Tang 440
Liberal Democrats Barbara Sly 369
Conservative Wendy Perraten 300
BNP Anthony Watts 232
Turnout 4,035
Daresbury (2)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats C Inch 545
Conservative J Bradshaw 517
Liberal Democrats K Newall 506
Conservative B Price 467
Labour J Johnston 322
Labour A Stockton 305
Turnout 2,662
Ditton (3)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Marie Wright 1,185
Labour Shaun Osborne 1,051
Labour Peter Lloyd Jones 884
Conservative Colin Rowan 681
Turnout 3,801
Farnworth (3)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Carl Cross 1,049
Conservative Ian Whittaker 905
Conservative Philip Drakeley 884
Labour Andrew MacManus 702
Labour Damian Curzon 671
Labour Margaret Fahey 630
Liberal Democrats Malcolm Hare 602
Turnout 5,443
Grange (3)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Swain 873
Labour Stephen Pearsall 822
Labour Mark Dennett 796
Liberal Democrats James Maguire 622
Conservative Mary Taylor 406
Turnout 3,519
Hale[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Wharton 605 73.7
Conservative Suzannah Swift 216 26.3
Majority 389 47.4
Turnout 821
Halton Brook (3)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stefan Nelson 944
Labour John Massey 850
Liberal Democrats Kathleen Hodgkinson 690
Labour Stanley Hill 650
Conservative Roger Tuson 366
Turnout 3,500
Halton Lea (3)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Thompson 800
Labour Kathleen Loftus 752
Labour Alan Lowe 713
Citizens Party of Halton Michael Gelling 368
Liberal Democrats Janet Clein 351
Citizens Party of Halton Damian Matthews 329
Conservative Elizabeth Ford 258
Turnout 3,571
Halton View (3)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Polhill 1,149
Labour Stanley Parker 961
Labour Thomas McInerney 903
Green Derek Mellor 566
Green Ann Martland 562
Green Glenys Taylor 509
Conservative Denis Thomas 475
Turnout 5,125
Heath (3)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Michael Hodgkinson 1,134
Liberal Democrats Margaret Ratcliffe 1,124
Liberal Democrats Christopher Rowe 1,117
Conservative Marjorie Bradshaw 605
Labour Joan Lowe 371
Conservative Peter Murray 340
Conservative Philip Balmer 332
Labour Carol Redican 326
Labour Karen Linforth 253
Turnout 5,602
Hough Green (3)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Nolan 1,069
Labour Kevan Wainwright 950
Labour Philip Harris 948
Conservative Maureen Forsyth 514
Conservative Brian Hensley 456
Turnout 3,937
Kingsway (3)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Margaret Horabin 996
Labour Ann Gerrard 934
Labour Francis Fraser 861
Conservative Frank Lloyd 470
Conservative Terence McDermott 429
Turnout 3,690
Mersey (3)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Sue Blackmore 950
Liberal Democrats Ernest Ratcliffe 847
Liberal Democrats Trevor Higginson 814
Labour Reginald Eastup 604
Labour Glyn Redican 581
Labour Dennis Middlemas 526
Conservative Colin Keam 309
Turnout 4,631
Norton North (3)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Timothy Sly 989
Liberal Democrats Diane Inch 980
Liberal Democrats Gary Fowler 928
Labour Ellen Cargill 759
Labour Mary Massey 685
Labour John Stockton 646
Green Michael Davies 269
Conservative David Wright 263
Turnout 5,519
Norton South (3)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronald Hignett 873
Labour David Cargill 856
Labour Irene Ashley 810
Citizens Party of Halton Ian Evans 411
Citizens Party of Halton Joseph Glover 405
Conservative William Dowdle 229
Turnout 3,584
Riverside (2)[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Leadbetter 705
Labour Edwin Gleave 623
Conservative Margaret Hill 211
Turnout 1,539
Windmill Hill[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Kelly Marlow 257 45.0
Labour Peter Harding 256 44.8
Conservative Sylvia Dowdle 58 10.2
Majority 1 0.2
Turnout 571

References

  1. ^ "Halton council". BBC News Online. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Ballot box". The Times. 12 June 2004. p. 26.
  3. ^ a b c d "Ballot boxes banished in favour of postal voting". This Is Cheshire. 19 May 2004. Retrieved 27 February 2010.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ a b "Elections 2004: Halton". Liverpool Daily Post. 13 May 2004. p. 15.
  5. ^ a b Weston, Alan (27 May 2004). "Halton places a strong emphasis on regeneration ; Second river crossing a key issue". Liverpool Daily Post. p. 15.
  6. ^ a b c d "Vote 2004: Halton". Liverpool Echo. 11 June 2004. p. 11.
  7. ^ "Early morning election drama". This Is Cheshire. 16 June 2004. Retrieved 27 February 2010.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ "Elections 2004: The verdict ; These ex-Labour councillors are among 460 who lost their seats in Thursday's elections. Why do they think it happened?". The Independent. 12 June 2004. p. 1.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "June Election 2004 Results". Halton Borough Council. Retrieved 27 February 2010.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Declaration of result of poll". This Is Cheshire. 16 June 2004. Retrieved 27 February 2010.[permanent dead link]
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