The 2004 West Lancashire District Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of West Lancashire District Council in Lancashire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Party Seats   ±  
Conservative 29 +1
Labour 25 -1

[2]

Campaign

Before the election the Conservatives held 28 seats compared to 26 for Labour.[3] 18 seats were contested in the election, with 9 seats being defended by each of the 2 parties.[3] As well as candidates from the Conservative and Labour parties, there were also 7 independents, 4 Greens, 1 Liberal Democrat and 1 from the new Ormskirk party.[4] Both the Liberal Democrat and Ormskirk party candidates were standing in Derby ward, which was seen as being one of the critical contests in the election.[4]

A major issue in the election was privatisation, which the Conservatives supported saying it would improve efficiency, however Labour criticised the Conservatives plans saying investment should be kept in the area.[3] The Conservatives called on voters to back their moves to establish litter free zones, create secure leisure facilities for young people and refurbish parks.[4] However Labour attacked plans to sell council housing and the handing of a local park to a private developer.[4] Other issues included crime, anti-social behaviour, CCTV and plans to move the accident and emergency department of Ormskirk hospital to Southport hospital.[5]

Election result

The results saw the Conservatives hold on to control of the council after making 1 gain from Labour.[6] This meant the Conservatives held 29 seats compared to 25 for Labour and the election was described as a "vindication of Conservative policies running West Lancs" by the Conservative leader of the council, Geoff Roberts.[6] Meanwhile, Labour's group leader on the council, Alan Bullen, only narrowly held his own seat on the council in Skelmersdale North.[6] Overall turnout in the election was up by 14% at 42.47%.[6]

West Lancashire Local Election Result 2004[7][8]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 10 1 0 +1 55.6 47.4 13,309 +1.3%
  Labour 8 0 1 -1 44.4 36.9 10,346 -3.0%
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0 10.6 2,979 -0.5%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 3.3 937 +0.4%
  Ormskirk Party 0 0 0 0 0 1.1 298 +1.1%
  Liberal Democrats 0 0 0 0 0 0.7 190 +0.7%

Ward results

Ashurst

Ashurst[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Donna Duffy 911 57.4 +4.3
Independent Patrick McElhinney 347 21.9 -7.6
Conservative David Meadows 330 20.8 +3.4
Majority 564 35.5 +11.9
Turnout 1,588 33.4 +14.7
Labour hold Swing

Aughton and Downholland

Aughton and Downholland[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Una Atherley 1,725 77.4 +16.7
Labour David McKay 503 22.6 -16.7
Majority 1,222 54.8 +33.4
Turnout 2,228 49.4 +15.4
Conservative hold Swing

Birch Green

Birch Green[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mary Pendleton 676 81.0 -3.6
Conservative Susan Cropper 159 19.0 +3.6
Majority 517 62.0 -7.2
Turnout 835 27.8 +14.9
Labour hold Swing

Burscough

Burscough East[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Florence Westley 900 60.6
Labour Anne Carter 584 39.4
Majority 316 21.2
Turnout 1,484 49.7
Conservative hold Swing

Burscough West

Burscough West[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Cynthia Dereli 832 52.2
Conservative Graham Jones 763 47.8
Majority 69 4.4
Turnout 1,595 41.6
Labour hold Swing

Derby

Derby[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Adrian Owens 987 45.5 -2.0
Labour Alan Williams 550 25.3 -16.3
Ormskirk Party Margaret Heslegrave 298 13.7 +13.7
Liberal Democrats Julian Reid 190 8.8 +8.8
Green Anne Doyle 146 6.7 -4.1
Majority 437 20.2 +14.3
Turnout 2,171 47.0 +18.8
Conservative hold Swing

Digmoor

Digmoor[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Terence Aldridge 710 72.9 -2.6
Independent Alan Spears 147 15.1 +0.9
Conservative Irene O'Donnell 117 12.0 +1.7
Majority 563 57.8 -3.5
Turnout 974 31.0 +14.6
Labour hold Swing

Halsall

Halsall[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Doreen Stephenson 459 55.4 -18.4
Independent Raymond Brookfield 370 44.6 +44.6
Majority 89 10.8 -36.8
Turnout 829 47.0
Conservative hold Swing

Hesketh-with-Becconsall

Hesketh-with-Becconsall[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Martin Forshaw 820 63.8
Independent Nadine Ashcroft 466 36.2
Majority 354 27.6
Turnout 1,286 42.8
Conservative hold Swing

Knowsley

Knowsley[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Lea 1,360 61.4 +4.8
Labour Francis Williams 652 29.4 -2.8
Green John Watt 204 9.2 -2.0
Majority 708 32.0 +7.6
Turnout 2,216 49.2 +20.8
Conservative hold Swing

Moorside

Moorside[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Hanlon 664 82.3
Conservative Malcolm Barron 143 17.7
Majority 521 64.6
Turnout 807 29.2
Labour hold Swing

Rufford

Rufford[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joan Colling 609 77.7 +2.4
Labour Shan Annis 175 22.3 -2.4
Majority 434 55.4 +4.8
Turnout 784 47.3
Conservative hold Swing

Scott

Scott[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Cyril Ainscough 1,044 48.1 +10.4
Labour Noel Delaney 820 37.8 -0.5
Green Maurice George 305 14.1 +4.6
Majority 224 10.3
Turnout 2,169 47.0 +14.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Skelmersdale North

Skelmersdale North[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alan Bullen 531 45.7 -15.4
Independent Joan Morrison 473 40.7 +14.2
Conservative Joan Witter 157 13.5 +1.0
Majority 58 5.0 -29.6
Turnout 1,161 37.4 +13.9
Labour hold Swing

Skelmersdale South

Skelmersdale South[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sydney Jones 1,077 63.6 -10.2
Conservative Richard Shepherd 334 19.7 +5.5
Green Martin Lowe 282 16.7 +4.7
Majority 743 43.9 -15.7
Turnout 1,693 33.9 +15.3
Labour hold Swing

Tarleton

Tarleton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Mee 1,431 63.9 +4.6
Independent John Hodson 810 36.1 -4.6
Majority 621 27.8 +9.2
Turnout 2,241 50.5 +13.5
Conservative hold Swing

Up Holland

Up Holland[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Margaret Skilling 1,066 48.0 -7.2
Conservative Ruth Pollock 787 35.5 -9.3
Independent Karen Horrocks 366 16.5 +16.5
Majority 279 12.5 +2.1
Turnout 2,219 45.2 +14.9
Labour hold Swing

Wrightington

Wrightington[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Gartside 1,184 66.6 +17.4
Labour Pauline Bailey 595 33.4 -17.4
Majority 589 33.2
Turnout 1,779 52.7 +15.5
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. ^ "West Lancashire council". BBC News Online. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  2. ^ "Elections 2004: Election results". The Independent. 11 June 2004. p. 4.
  3. ^ a b c "Elections 2004: West Lancs". Liverpool Daily Post. 13 May 2004. p. 15.
  4. ^ a b c d "Labour battles to seize back West Lancs from Tories". Liverpool Daily Post. 28 May 2004. p. 17.
  5. ^ Murton, Nick (25 May 2004). "Vote 2004: Vital Issues for families; Nick Murton canvasses opinion from people in West Lancashire and Halton in the days leading up to the local elections". Liverpool Echo. p. 10.
  6. ^ a b c d "Vote 2004: West Lancs". Liverpool Echo. 11 June 2004. p. 11.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Election results - 10 Jun 2004". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
  8. ^ "Ballot box". The Times. 12 June 2004. p. 26.
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