2002 Wyre Forest District Council election

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Map of the results of the 2002 Wyre Forest District Council election. Health Concern in pink, Conservatives in blue, Liberal in olive and Labour in red. Wards in grey were not contested in 2002.

The 2002 Wyre Forest District Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Wyre Forest District Council in Worcestershire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Campaign[edit]

Before the election the council was run by a coalition of Health Concern, Conservative, Liberal Democrats and Liberal councillors.[3] 14 seats were initially expected to be contested with the Conservatives unopposed in Chaddesley ward.[3] However, in mid April the defending Liberal Democrat councillor for Sutton Park, Steve Roberts, died meaning that the election in that ward was postponed until a by-election could be held.[4] With Labour defending 6 of the seats which were being contested there was an expectation that the Health Concern group could gain a majority on the council.[3][5] Since the last election in 2000, Richard Taylor from Health Concern had gained the parliamentary constituency from Labour in the 2001 general election.[6]

The issue of the downgrading of the local Kidderminster hospital, which had dominated the last two council election, continued to remain a significant theme of the campaign.[5][7] Another issue which was raised in the campaign was concern over plans to establish a new incinerator in Kidderminster,[7] which was opposed by all the parties contesting the election.[5]

Election result[edit]

The results saw the Health Concern party gain control of the council after making a net gain of five seats.[6][8] This meant that Health Concern had 21 seats,[9] 15 more than any other party.[6] They thus had control of the council on the chairman's casting vote.[10]

The gains for Health Concern were mainly at the expense of Labour who lost five seats, with the Liberal Democrats also losing a seat.[6] However both the Conservative and Liberal parties gained one seat each.[6] Overall turnout at the election was 32%.[10]

Wyre Forest local election result 2002[2][11]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Health Concern 7 6 1 +5 53.8 29.6 5,837
  Conservative 3 1 0 +1 23.1 25.1 4,947
  Liberal 2 1 0 +1 15.4 13.0 2,569
  Labour 1 0 5 -5 7.7 24.8 4,892
  Liberal Democrats 0 0 1 -1 0 6.3 1,233
  Independent 0 0 1 -1 0 1.1 221

Ward results[edit]

Aggborough and Spennells[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Health Concern Keith Robertson 781 34.2
Liberal Democrats Peter Dyke 712 31.2
Conservative Keith Fletcher 560 24.6
Labour Mari Jones 154 6.8
Liberal Kevin Hill 74 3.2
Majority 69 3.0
Turnout 2,281
Health Concern gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Areley Kings[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Adams 694 46.6
Conservative Michael Partridge 575 38.6
Independent Jim Millington 221 14.8
Majority 119 8.0
Turnout 1,490
Labour hold Swing
Bewdley[11][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Clee 836 54.7
Labour Paul Gittins 692 45.3
Majority 144 9.4
Turnout 1,528
Conservative hold Swing
Broadwaters[11][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Health Concern Marion Spragg 591 46.6
Labour John Stevens 306 24.1
Liberal Rob Wheway 189 14.9
Conservative John Friend 120 9.5
Liberal Democrats Michael Gay 62 4.9
Majority 285 22.5
Turnout 1,268
Health Concern gain from Labour Swing
Chaddesley Corbett[11][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Williams unopposed
Conservative hold Swing
Franche[11][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Health Concern Kimberley Poller 819 48.1
Labour Nigel Knowles 549 32.2
Conservative Kevin Ruddy 299 17.5
Liberal Democrats Nigel Goodman 37 2.2
Majority 270 15.9
Turnout 1,704
Health Concern gain from Labour Swing
Greenhill[11][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Paul Harrison 960 57.2
Health Concern Mike Shellie 364 21.7
Labour John Gretton 224 13.3
Conservative Geoff Bulmer 131 7.8
Majority 596 35.5
Turnout 1,679
Liberal gain from Health Concern Swing
Habberley and Blakebrook[11][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Health Concern Howard Eeles 1,036 53.1
Labour Lynn Hyde 656 33.6
Conservative Neil Anderson 220 11.3
Liberal Democrats Mike Price 40 2.0
Majority 380 19.5
Turnout 1,952
Health Concern gain from Labour Swing
Lickhill[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Health Concern Jill Fairbrother-Millis 920 53.2
Conservative Gary Talbot 463 26.8
Labour Graham Whitefoot 346 20.0
Majority 457 26.4
Turnout 1,729
Health Concern hold Swing
Mitton[11][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Health Concern Maureen Aston 665 44.5
Conservative David Little 473 31.7
Labour Mick Grinnall 356 23.8
Majority 192 12.8
Turnout 1,494
Health Concern gain from Labour Swing
Offmore[11][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Mike Oborski 1,346 74.2
Labour Adrian Sewell 240 13.2
Conservative Margaret Gregory 229 12.6
Majority 1,106 61.0
Turnout 1,815
Liberal hold Swing
Oldington and Foley Park[11][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nathan Desmond 543 43.3
Liberal Democrats Clare Cassidy 382 30.5
Labour William Bradley 328 26.2
Majority 161 12.8
Turnout 1,253
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Wribbenhall and Arley[11][23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Health Concern Tony Greenfield 661 43.9
Conservative Louise Edginton 498 33.1
Labour Barry McFarland 347 23.0
Majority 163 10.8
Turnout 1,506
Health Concern gain from Independent Swing

By-elections between 2002 and 2003[edit]

A by-election was held in Sutton Park on 13 June 2002 after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Steve Roberts.[24] The seat was gained for the Conservatives by Marcus Hart with a majority of 77 votes over Health Concern candidate Jennifer Harrison.[24] This meant Health Concern no longer had a majority on the council, but continued to run the council with the casting vote of the council chairman, as they had 21 of the 42 seats on the council.[24]

Sutton Park by-election 13 June 2002[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Marcus Hart 583 38.1 +29.7
Health Concern Jennifer Harrison 506 33.1 -20.9
Liberal Democrats Clare Cassidy 253 16.5 -12.4
Labour William Bradley 187 12.2 +3.5
Majority 77 5.0
Turnout 1,529 31.8
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Wyre Forest". BBC News Online. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Election results; Local Elections". The Times. 3 May 2002. p. 6.
  3. ^ a b c "Labour control on a knife-edge ; Mail focus on the May 2 local council elections". Birmingham Mail. 12 April 2002. p. 8.
  4. ^ "Sudden death of former mayor and top Liberal". Birmingham Mail. 15 April 2002. p. 5.
  5. ^ a b c "Health Concern look for control". Birmingham Mail. 1 May 2002. p. 2.
  6. ^ a b c d e Lister, Sam (3 May 2002). "Council falls to party fighting on health issues". The Times. p. 7.
  7. ^ a b Brady, Emma (30 March 2002). "Local Elections 2002: Councillor's death could make it a low-key campaign". Birmingham Post. p. 4.
  8. ^ "Poll success for health campaigners". BBC News Online. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
  9. ^ McSmith, Andy (3 May 2002). "Hospital party takes control". The Daily Telegraph. p. 4.
  10. ^ a b Smith, Sue (3 May 2002). "Local Election Results 2002: Protest's healthy majority". Birmingham Mail. p. 17.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Wyre Forest". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  12. ^ "Aggborough and Spennells". Malvern Gazette. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ "Areley Kings". Malvern Gazette. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ "Bewdley". Malvern Gazette. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ "Broadwaters". Malvern Gazette. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
  16. ^ "Chaddesley Corbett". Malvern Gazette. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
  17. ^ "Franche". Malvern Gazette. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
  18. ^ "Greenhill". Malvern Gazette. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
  19. ^ "Habberley and Blakebrook". Malvern Gazette. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
  20. ^ "Mitton". Malvern Gazette. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
  21. ^ "Offmore". Malvern Gazette. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
  22. ^ "Oldington and Foley Park". Malvern Gazette. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
  23. ^ "Wribbenhall and Arley". Malvern Gazette. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
  24. ^ a b c d "Changing vote claim". Worcestershire, West Midlands, Herefordshire, and Shropshire Counties Publications. NewsBank. 20 June 2002.
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