2012 Colchester Borough Council election

The 2012 Colchester Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of Colchester Borough Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1]

2012 Colchester Borough Council election
3 May 2012 (2012-05-03)
20 seats (out of 60 seats)
31 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Party Liberal Democrats Conservative
Seats before 26 21
Seats won 9 6
Seats after 26 20
Seat change 1
Popular vote 10,073 8,917
Percentage 32.6 28.9
Swing 5.1 7.6
  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Labour Independent
Seats before 7 3
Seats won 4 1
Seats after 8 3
Seat change 1
Popular vote 7,401 1,405
Percentage 24.0 4.5
Swing 2.1 1.6

After the election, the composition of the council was

Campaign

Before the election a coalition between the Liberal Democrats with 26 seats, Labour with 7 seats and the 3 independents ran the council, while the 24 Conseravtives were in opposition.[2] 20 of the seats were contested at the election with the Conservatives aiming to regain seats they had lost at the 2008 election, while the Local Government Information Unit called the election one of the top 50 contests in the 2012 local elections.[2]

The Conservatives called for the council to change to full council elections every four years, for food waste pick ups to be introduced immediately and for a push to keep the town centre clean.[2] However the Liberal Democrats defended their record in leading the council pointing to a freeze in council tax, recycling rates and contrasted their record in control with the former Conservative administration.[3] Meanwhile, Labour was supported during the campaign by a visit from the former Labour cabinet minister Hazel Blears.[4]

Election result

The only change at the election saw Labour gain one seat from the Conservatives in Wivenhoe Quay.[5] Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats remained the largest party on the council with 26 seats despite losing seats across the country.[5] The existing coalition between the Liberal Democrats, Labour and independents stayed in control of the council after the election.[6]

2012 Colchester Borough Council election[7]
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Liberal Democrats 9 45.0 17 26 43.3 10,073 32.6 +5.1
  Conservative 6 1 30.0 17 23 38.3 8,917 28.9 –7.6
  Labour 4 1 20.0 4 8 13.3 7,401 24.0 +2.1
  Independent 1 5.0 2 3 5.0 1,405 4.5 –1.6
  Green 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 2,268 7.3 –0.3
  UKIP 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 824 2.7 +2.3

Ward results
Map of the results of the 2012 Colchester council election.
Berechurch Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Kim Alan Naish 1,044 58.2 -6.4
Liberal Democrats Shibbir Ahmed 286 16.0 +2.2
UKIP John Pitts 219 12.2 New
Conservative Hayley Louise Crumb 192 10.7 -7.9
Green Tobie Glenny 52 2.9 -0.1
Majority 758 42.3 -3.7
Turnout 1,793 27.6 -10.7
Labour Co-op hold Swing
Castle Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Josephine Hayes 861 40.4 +0.3
Green Peter James Lynn 395 18.6 -7.1
Conservative Mohammed Shamim Rashid 382 17.9 -3.1
Labour Robert Fisher 285 13.4 +0.2
UKIP Ron Levy 206 9.7 New
Majority 466 21.9 +7.6
Turnout 2,129 30.0 -9.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Dedham & Langham Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Ashley Cable 596 71.3 -11.5
Liberal Democrats Carolyn Catney 81 9.7 +0.3
Labour Paul Henry Fryer-Kelsey 81 9.7 +5.4
Green Clarice Elizabeth Mort 78 9.3 +5.8
Majority 515 61.6 -11.8
Turnout 836 34.2 -11.4
Conservative hold Swing
East Donyland Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Edward Charles Lilley 488 64.5 +21.7
Conservative Peter James Hare 209 27.6 -14.4
Green Roger Edwin Bamforth 39 5.2 -1.9
Liberal Democrats Susan Mary Waite 21 2.8 -5.4
Majority 279 36.9 +36.0
Turnout 757 37.3 -3.9
Labour hold Swing
Harbour Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Julia Pauline Havis 663 54.7 -3.2
Labour Jordan Alexander Newall 298 24.6 +11.5
UKIP Mark Robert Cole 91 7.5 New
Conservative Anthony Baines 84 6.9 -16.4
Green Clare Teresa Palmer 77 6.3 +0.6
Majority 365 30.1 -4.6
Turnout 1,213 27.6 -28.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Highwoods Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Beverley Anne Oxford 1,211 67.8 +6.4
Conservative Tatiana Mills 167 9.4 -7.3
Labour Michael Finbarr Gilheany 145 8.1 -0.1
Liberal Democrats Barry Ronald Woodward 110 6.2 -3.0
UKIP William John Rowley 80 4.5 New
Green David John Davis 72 4.0 -0.5
Majority 1,044 58.5 +13.8
Turnout 1,785 26.3 -10.7
Independent hold Swing
Lexden Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Brian David Henry Jarvis 833 54.2 -1.3
Liberal Democrats Julia Suzanne Nelson 399 26.0 -8.8
Labour John Christopher Wood 174 11.3 +5.9
Green Beverley Ann Maltby 131 8.5 +4.3
Majority 434 28.2 +7.5
Turnout 1,537 35.7 -36.4
Conservative hold Swing
Marks Tey Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Elizabeth Jewell Blundell 313 54.4 -9.3
Labour John Spademan 162 28.2 +10.8
Green Robert Charles Brannan 50 8.7 +2.3
Liberal Democrats Gillian Mary Collings 50 8.7 -8.7
Majority 151 26.3 -20.0
Turnout 575 28.5 -6.0
Conservative hold Swing
Mile End Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Martin Andrew Goss 1,467 64.4 +3.5
Conservative Benjamin Harvey Locker 535 23.5 -1.1
Labour Michael John Donnachie 184 8.1 -1.8
Green Mary Hilda Bryan 91 4.0 -0.6
Majority 932 40.9 +4.6
Turnout 2,277 30.7 -10.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
New Town Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Peter Michael Higgins 771 52.8 +3.4
Labour Stephen Paul Pattison 273 18.7 -4.7
Green Robert Paul Spence 166 11.4 -2.7
Conservative Lauren Grace McManus 131 9.0 -4.1
UKIP Christopher David Treloar 120 8.2 New
Majority 498 34.1 +8.1
Turnout 1,461 23.5 -10.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Prettygate Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Beverly Ann Davies 1,048 47.2 +0.2
Liberal Democrats John Martin Loxley 665 29.9 -8.0
Labour Co-op Michael Edward Dale 332 14.9 +4.4
Green Peter Charles Appleton 177 8.0 +3.3
Majority 383 17.2 +8.1
Turnout 2,222 37.3 -18.1
Conservative hold Swing
St Andrew's Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tina Jane Dopson 926 61.3 -6.3
Independent Robert Rex Hunt 194 12.8 New
Liberal Democrats Owen Leslie Bartholomew 175 11.6 -1.9
UKIP Harry Raymond Royle 108 7.2 New
Conservative Alexander Jordan Evelyn 107 7.1 -7.4
Majority 732 48.5 -4.5
Turnout 1,510 24.5 -5.5
Labour hold Swing
St Anne's Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Helen Chuah 825 55.2 +5.3
Labour Luke Michael Powell Dopson 305 20.4 +1.0
Conservative Alexandra Claire Hutchinson 234 15.7 -7.8
Green Lucinda Helen Glover 130 8.7 +1.5
Majority 520 34.8 +8.4
Turnout 1,494 23.3 -10.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
St John's Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Paul Edward Smith 994 64.4 +2.3
Conservative Charles Christian McKay 333 21.6 -5.9
Labour Jennifer Mary Fisher 136 8.8 +1.4
Green David Traynier 81 5.2 +2.2
Majority 661 42.8 +8.2
Turnout 1,544 37.6 -34.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Shrub End Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats David Nigel Offen 745 43.8 +10.1
Conservative Darius Grant Laws 514 30.3 -9.0
Labour Bruce John Tuxford 334 19.7 -1.6
Green Walter Schwarz 106 6.2 +0.5
Majority 231 13.6
Turnout 1,699 25.0 -7.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Stanway Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Laura Ann Sykes 1,134 55.0 +4.4
Conservative Bryan Campbell Johnston 520 25.2 -6.0
Labour David Alexander Hough 297 14.4 +0.2
Green Pamela Elizabeth Nelson 111 5.4 +1.5
Majority 614 29.8 +10.4
Turnout 2,062 32.7 -10.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Tiptree Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Martin 772 48.1 -10.5
Labour Martyn Keith Warnes 580 36.1 +10.2
Green Katherine Helen Bamforth 156 9.7 +2.4
Liberal Democrats Beth Eileen Margaret Gudgeon 97 6.0 -2.3
Majority 192 12.0 -20.7
Turnout 1,605 26.8 -13.6
Conservative hold Swing
West Mersea Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Glenn Darren Granger 1,196 69.1 +13.9
Labour Barbara Rosemary Nichols 267 15.4 +5.1
Green Francis Ian Barton 138 8.0 +3.5
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Stevens 130 7.5 +0.4
Majority 929 53.7 +21.3
Turnout 1,731 29.2 -20.4
Conservative hold Swing
Wivenhoe Cross Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Simon Manning 477 52.8 +1.5
Conservative Mo Metcalf-Fisher 192 21.3 +2.7
Labour Co-op Tyron Ashleigh Wilson 175 19.4 -3.7
Green Maria Iacovou 59 6.5 -0.6
Majority 285 31.6 +3.4
Turnout 903 25.0 -11.8
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Wivenhoe Quay Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Cyril Patrick Liddy 915 52.1 -5.0
Conservative Robert Arthur Needham 559 31.9 +6.3
Green Sandra Adele Moog 159 9.1 -0.6
Liberal Democrats Benjamin David Edward Richards 122 7.0 -0.7
Majority 356 20.3 -11.2
Turnout 1,755 41.7 -11.6
Labour Co-op gain from Conservative Swing

References
  1. "Colchester". BBC News Online. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  2. "We'll give borough a new lease of life". The Gazette. NewsBank. 13 April 2012.
  3. Calnan, James (17 April 2012). "Colchester Lib Dems want to build on achievements since 2008". Daily Gazette. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  4. "Hazel joins Labour campaign trail around town". The Gazette. NewsBank. 20 April 2012.
  5. "Colchester Council: Labour gain one seat from Conservatives". Daily Gazette. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  6. "Food waste priority as coalition stays at helm in Colchester". The Gazette. NewsBank. 21 May 2012.
  7. "Declaration of result of poll". Colchester Borough Council. Archived from the original on 9 September 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
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