2006 St Albans City and District Council election

The 2006 St Albans City and District Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of St Albans District Council in Hertfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats gained overall control of the council from no overall control.[1]

Map of the results of the 2006 St Albans City and District Council election. Liberal Democrats in yellow, Conservatives in blue and Labour in red.

After the election, the composition of the council was

Campaign

Before the election the council was composed of 29 Liberal Democrats, 17 Conservative, 11 Labour and 1 Independent councillors.[3] The Liberal Democrats hoped to win a majority at the election and complained about decisions being delayed by the opposition parties.[3] However the Conservatives were also confident of making gains and said that a hung council with the best councillors from each party making up the cabinet was right for St Albans.[3] Labour meanwhile were hopeful of holding onto their seats, expecting that they would perform better than in recent elections.[3] As well as the 3 main parties on the council, the Green Party also stood candidates in every ward, while targeting Clarence ward as their best chance.[3]

Election result

The Liberal Democrats regained overall control of the council that they had lost at the 1999 election after making a net gain of 2 seats.[4][5] They gained 3 seats from Labour and 2 from the Conservatives, but also lost 3 seats in Marshalswick South, Redbourn and Verulam to the Conservatives.[2] The 3 defeats for Labour included one in Sopwell ward, which they lost for what was described as "the first time in living memory".[6] The results meant that the Liberal Democrats had a majority over the other parties of 4 seats after previously only having half of the councillors before the election,[7] however the Conservatives did win more votes at the election than the Liberal Democrats.[2] Overall turnout at the election was 45.1%.[2]

In Wheathampstead ward the election ended in a tie after 3 recounts.[8] The winner in the ward was decided by getting the 2 candidates to pick the longer pencil resulting in the Liberal Democrat Judith Shardlow defeating the Conservative former mayor Keith Stammers.[4][9] Meanwhile, the Conservative group on the council was reduced, when councillor John Newman, left the party to sit as an independent councillor after having recently being replaced as Conservative group leader on the council by Teresa Heritage.[2][10]

St Albans local election result 2006[11][12]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Liberal Democrats 10 5 3 +2 50.0 35.7 15,694 -2.5%
  Conservative 8 3 2 +1 40.0 41.7 18,348 +2.1%
  Labour 2 0 3 -3 10.0 14.6 6,426 -2.5%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 8.1 3,549 +7.3%

Ward results
Ashley[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Anthony Rowlands 844 38.1 -3.1
Labour Malachy Pakenham 597 26.9 -5.3
Conservative Rafat Khan 551 24.9 +4.3
Green Stephen Clough 224 10.1 +10.1
Majority 247 11.2 +2.2
Turnout 2,216 43.7 -0.7
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing
Batchwood[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roma Mills 827 38.6 +1.5
Liberal Democrats Allan Witherick 587 27.4 -7.9
Conservative Sara Cadish 524 24.5 -3.1
Green Gillian Mills 204 9.5 +9.5
Majority 240 11.2 +9.4
Turnout 2,142 42.4 +2.3
Labour hold Swing
Clarence[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Joyce Lusby 918 42.7 -4.3
Conservative Katharine Lifely 596 27.7 +3.2
Labour David Lee 339 15.8 -4.1
Green Simon Grover 298 13.9 +5.3
Majority 322 15.0 -7.5
Turnout 2,151 47.3 +0.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Colney Heath[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ian Day 823 49.3 -8.8
Conservative Alan Cloke 616 36.9 +5.7
Labour Gordon Watson 146 8.7 -2.0
Green Peter Eggleston 84 5.0 +5.0
Majority 207 12.4 -14.5
Turnout 1,669 41.8 -1.9
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Cunningham[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Robert Prowse 898 41.5 -15.7
Conservative James Vessey 654 30.2 +3.9
Labour Abdul Kadir 414 19.1 +2.6
Green Rosalind Hardy 200 9.2 +9.2
Majority 244 11.3 -19.6
Turnout 2,166 46.5 +1.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Harpenden East[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Alison Steer 1,135 45.6 -4.8
Conservative Michael Wakely 1,044 42.0 +2.5
Labour David Crew 169 6.8 -3.3
Green Denise Taylor-Roome 140 5.6 +5.6
Majority 91 3.6 -7.3
Turnout 2,488 48.2 +0.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Harpenden North[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Geoffrey Turner 1,236 58.1 +1.2
Liberal Democrats Jeffrey Phillips 578 27.2 -5.6
Labour Rosemary Ross 166 7.8 -2.5
Green Sasha Bradbury 147 6.9 +6.9
Majority 658 30.9 +6.8
Turnout 2,127 42.6 -0.8
Conservative hold Swing
Harpenden South[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Teresa Heritage 1,606 72.1 +5.9
Liberal Democrats Mary Carden 313 14.0 -10.0
Labour Linda Spiri 160 7.2 -2.6
Green Eric Harber 150 6.7 +6.7
Majority 1,293 58.1 +15.9
Turnout 2,229 44.1 -0.2
Conservative hold Swing
Harpenden West[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Allen Chamberlain 1,606 67.5 +9.8
Liberal Democrats Mary Skinner 410 17.2 -10.6
Green Marc Scheimann 207 8.7 +3.5
Labour Elizabeth Rayner 158 6.6 -2.7
Majority 1,196 50.3 +20.4
Turnout 2,381 44.9 -1.6
Conservative hold Swing
London Colney[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Etheldreda Gordon 960 44.7 +1.0
Conservative David Winstone 790 36.8 +1.0
Liberal Democrats Carol Prowse 241 11.2 -9.3
Green Kate Metcalf 155 7.2 +7.2
Majority 170 7.9 +0.0
Turnout 2,146 35.1 -0.5
Labour hold Swing
Marshalswick North[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Thomas Clegg 1,186 50.6 -1.2
Conservative John Foster 811 34.6 -4.4
Labour John Baughan 178 7.6 -1.6
Green Rosalind Paul 170 7.2 +7.2
Majority 375 16.0 +3.2
Turnout 2,345 50.1 +2.6
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Marshalswick South[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mehmet Gaygusuz 985 38.9 -1.6
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Hale 953 37.6 -9.5
Labour Anthony Nicholson 343 13.5 +1.1
Green Mark Ewington 251 9.9 +9.9
Majority 32 1.3
Turnout 2,532 51.1 -0.3
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Park Street[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Aislinn Lee 1,233 52.0 +1.6
Conservative Margaret Griffiths 868 36.6 -0.5
Labour Patricia Allen 170 7.2 -5.2
Green Jack Easton 101 4.3 +4.3
Majority 365 15.4 +2.1
Turnout 2,372 46.2 +4.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Redbourn[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Susan Carr 1,039 50.7 +22.7
Liberal Democrats Ann Manning 745 36.4 +36.4
Labour Edward Hill 138 6.7 -1.8
Green Gregory Riener 126 6.2 +6.2
Majority 294 14.3
Turnout 2,048 44.8 -0.9
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Sandridge[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Beric Read 880 55.8 +1.1
Liberal Democrats Janet Churchard 403 25.6 -7.5
Labour Michael Mulholland 151 9.6 -2.6
Green Lorna-May Caddy 143 9.1 +9.1
Majority 477 30.2 +8.6
Turnout 1,577 42.8 +3.3
Conservative hold Swing
Sopwell[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats David Poor 671 33.2 +3.2
Labour Dawn Pratley 605 29.9 -10.1
Conservative Heather Rench 516 25.5 -4.5
Green Thomas Hardy 230 11.4 +11.4
Majority 66 3.3
Turnout 2,022 40.3 +4.3
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing
St Peters[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Michael Green 915 45.4 -1.9
Labour Winifred Dunleavy 464 23.0 -6.4
Conservative Debashis Mukherjee 398 19.7 +1.2
Green Kristian Tizzard 240 11.9 +11.9
Majority 451 22.4 +4.5
Turnout 2,017 39.7 -2.2
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing
St Stephen[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Patricia Garrard 1,329 58.4 -2.2
Liberal Democrats David Parry 593 26.1 -4.9
Labour Janet Blackwell 201 8.8 +0.5
Green Margaret Davis 153 6.7 +6.7
Majority 736 32.3 +2.7
Turnout 2,276 46.5 -1.2
Conservative hold Swing
Verulam[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Irene Willcocks 1,167 44.2 -1.5
Liberal Democrats Susan Campbell 1,116 42.3 +2.7
Green Margaret Grover 211 8.0 +8.0
Labour Jane Cloke 146 5.5 -1.6
Majority 51 1.9 -4.2
Turnout 2,640 53.5 -0.3
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Wheathampstead[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Judith Shardlow 1,132 45.8 -2.5
Conservative Keith Stammers 1,132 45.8 +0.7
Green Gillian Patrick 115 4.7 +4.7
Labour Peter Woodhams 94 3.8 -2.9
Majority 0 0 -3.2
Turnout 2,473 54.1 +2.4
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

References
  1. "Local elections: St Albans". BBC News Online. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  2. Lewis, Alex (5 May 2006). "'Life made easier' for Lib Dems". Hertfordshire County Publications. NewsBank.
  3. "Election looms". The Herts Advertiser. 27 April 2008. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
  4. Bentham, Martin (5 May 2006). "It's a draw, so person with longest pencil wins". Evening Standard. p. 6.
  5. Morris, Nigel (6 May 2006). "Campbell: Lib Dem results 'mixed'". The Independent. p. 9.
  6. "LibDems win control". The Herts Advertiser. 6 May 2006. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
  7. "Night of the long pencils". St Albans & Harpenden Review. 5 May 2006. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
  8. "Seat won by pencil test after tie". BBC News Online. 5 May 2006. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
  9. "Local elections IN BRIEF: Short pencil ousts ex-mayor". The Independent. 6 May 2006. p. 11.
  10. Lewis, Alex (18 May 2006). "Former Tory council leader to go on trial". Hertfordshire County Publications. NewsBank.
  11. Wilson, Graeme (5 May 2006). "Conservatives Cameron's crusade puts Tories back on victory trail". The Daily Telegraph. p. 4.
  12. "District Council Election Results 4th May 2006". St Albans District and City Council. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
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