2007 St Albans City and District Council election

Map of the results of the 2007 St Albans City and District Council election. Liberal Democrats in yellow, Conservatives in blue and Labour in red.

The 2007 St Albans City and District Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of St Albans District Council in Hertfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats lost overall control of the council to no overall control.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Campaign

[edit]

A total of 83 candidates from the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Labour and Green Party stood in the election.[3][4] Each party contested every ward, apart from in London Colney where the Green candidate was disqualified due to an incorrect nomination.[3] Each ward had one seat up for election apart from in Harpenden West where two seats were contested as a Conservative councillor stood down early due to illness.[3] The other parties needed to gain 3 seats from the Liberal Democrats to remove them from power, with a 2-seat drop meaning the Liberal Democrats would depend on the mayor's casting vote to remain in power.[3]

After the Conservatives won the most votes in the previous 2006 election they were hoping to make gains, with Harpenden East, Marshalswick South, Verulam and Wheathampstead seen as being possible gains.[3] Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats defended their record in running the council during the election.[5] They called for St Albans to be Hertfordshire's "premier community" and pointed to the Audit Commission rating the council as one of the 10 most improving in the country.[5]

6 sitting councillors stood down at the election including a former Conservative cabinet member Chris Whiteside and a former Labour mayor Malcolm MacMillan.[3]

Election result

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The Liberal Democrats lost their overall majority after losing 2 seats to the Conservatives, dropping to exactly half of the council with 29 councillors.[6][7] The 2 Conservative gains from the Liberal Democrats came in Harpenden East and Redbourn wards to lift the party to 19 seats and the Conservatives received around 2,000 votes more than the Liberal Democrats.[8] There was no change elsewhere on the council, with Labour staying on 8 seats, despite dropping to fourth place in several wards and there also remained 2 independent councillors.[7][8] Overall turnout at the election was 43.6%.[9]

Following the election the Liberal Democrats remained in control of the council after one of the independent councillors, Tony Swendell, abstained on the vote to decide the composition of the cabinet.[10]

St Albans local election result 2007[11][12]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Liberal Democrats 10 0 2 -2 47.6 37.8 16,643 +2.1%
  Conservative 8 2 0 +2 38.1 42.6 18,759 +0.9%
  Labour 3 0 0 0 14.3 12.9 5,669 -1.7%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 6.8 3,015 -1.3%

Ward results

[edit]
Ashley[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Iqbal Zia 793 41.3 +3.2
Conservative Rafat Khan 466 24.3 −0.6
Labour Alistair Cooper 390 20.3 −6.6
Green Sasha Bradbury 270 14.1 +4.0
Majority 327 17.0 +5.8
Turnout 1,919 36.2 −7.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Batchwood[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Martin Leach 695 34.6 −4.0
Liberal Democrats Allan Witherick 603 30.1 +2.7
Conservative Sara Cadish 515 25.7 +1.2
Green Gillian Mills 193 9.6 +0.1
Majority 92 4.5 −6.7
Turnout 2,006 38.6 −3.8
Labour hold Swing
Clarence[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Sheila Burton 1,070 53.9 +11.2
Conservative Indranil Chakravorty 433 21.8 −5.9
Green Peter Eggleston 255 12.8 −1.1
Labour Christine Pearce 229 11.5 −4.3
Majority 637 32.1 +17.1
Turnout 1,987 42.8 −4.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Colney Heath[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Chris Brazier 1,114 67.3 +18.0
Conservative Joanne Vessey 403 24.3 −12.6
Labour Richard Bruckdorfer 77 4.6 −4.1
Green Rosalind Hardy 62 3.7 −1.3
Majority 711 43.0 +30.6
Turnout 1,656 40.2 −1.6
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Cunningham[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Robert Donald 1,114 53.9 +12.4
Conservative James Vessey 578 27.9 −2.3
Labour John Paton 226 10.9 −8.2
Green Jack Easton 150 7.3 −1.9
Majority 536 26.0 −14.7
Turnout 2,068 43.9 −2.6
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Harpenden East[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Wakely 1,183 50.3 +8.3
Liberal Democrats Jeff Phillips 890 37.8 −7.8
Labour David Crew 170 7.2 +0.4
Green Denise Taylor-Roome 109 4.6 −1.0
Majority 293 12.5
Turnout 2,352 45.3 −2.9
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Harpenden North[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bert Pawle 1,260 63.7 +5.6
Liberal Democrats Gordon Burrow 420 21.2 −6.0
Labour Rosemary Ross 167 8.4 +0.6
Green Annett Tate 132 6.7 −0.2
Majority 840 42.5 +11.6
Turnout 1,979 39.1 −3.5
Conservative hold Swing
Harpenden South[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Paul Foster 1,582 74.2 +2.1
Liberal Democrats Mary Carden 256 12.0 −2.0
Labour Linda Spiri 172 8.1 +0.9
Green Lorna Hann 123 5.8 −0.9
Majority 1,326 62.2 +4.1
Turnout 2,133 41.0 −3.1
Conservative hold Swing
Harpenden West (2 seats)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Daniel Chicester-Miles 1,549 65.6 −1.9
Conservative Julian Daly 1,533 64.9 −2.6
Liberal Democrats Albert Moses 448 19.0 +1.8
Liberal Democrats Tom Addiscott 438 18.5 +1.3
Green Marc Scheimann 238 10.1 +1.4
Labour Benjamin Dearman 196 8.3 +1.7
Labour Elizabeth Rayner 183 7.7 +1.1
Turnout 2,362 43.6 −1.3
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
London Colney[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Katherine Gardner 889 45.3 +0.6
Conservative David Winstone 854 43.5 +6.7
Liberal Democrats Carol Prowse 221 11.3 +0.1
Majority 35 1.8 −6.1
Turnout 1,964 30.4 −4.7
Labour hold Swing
Marshalswick North[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Geoff Churchard 1,200 54.6 +4.0
Conservative John Foster 744 33.8 −0.8
Labour Ruairi Mccourt 138 6.3 −1.3
Green Rosalind Paul 117 5.3 −1.9
Majority 456 20.8 +4.8
Turnout 2,199 45.9 −4.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Marshalswick South[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Kate Morris 1,177 47.8 +10.2
Conservative Jeffrey Groman 843 34.2 −4.7
Labour Anthony Nicholson 270 11.0 −2.5
Green Tim Blackwell 172 7.0 −2.9
Majority 334 13.6
Turnout 2,462 48.3 −2.8
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Park Street[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Nicola Mcalistair-Baillie 1,042 49.5 −2.5
Conservative Margaret Griffiths 809 38.5 +1.9
Labour Laurence Chester 160 7.6 +0.4
Green Stephen Clough 93 4.4 +0.1
Majority 233 11.0 −4.4
Turnout 2,104 40.6 −5.6
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Redbourn[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Maxine Crawley 1,007 46.4 −4.3
Liberal Democrats Colin O'Donovan 991 45.6 +9.2
Labour Gavin Ross 95 4.4 −2.3
Green Kate Metcalf 79 3.6 −2.6
Majority 16 0.8 −13.5
Turnout 2,172 47.1 +2.3
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Sandridge[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frances Leonard 854 57.8 +2.0
Liberal Democrats Janet Churchard 329 22.3 −3.3
Labour Jane Cloke 162 11.0 +1.4
Green Naomi Love 133 9.0 −0.1
Majority 525 35.5 +5.3
Turnout 1,478 39.4 −3.4
Conservative hold Swing
Sopwell[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eileen Harris 704 37.0 +7.1
Liberal Democrats Roger Axworthy 612 32.2 −1.0
Conservative Heather Rench 393 20.7 −4.8
Green Thomas Hardy 193 10.1 −1.3
Majority 92 4.8
Turnout 1,902 38.1 −2.2
Labour hold Swing
St Peters[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jack Pia 770 40.0 −5.4
Conservative Debashis Mukherjee 419 21.7 +2.0
Labour Mick Jewitt 375 19.5 −3.5
Green Simon Grover 363 18.8 +6.9
Majority 351 18.3 −4.1
Turnout 1,927 36.8 −2.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
St Stephen[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gordon Myland 1,244 59.1 +0.7
Liberal Democrats Thomas Allum 600 28.5 +2.4
Labour Janet Blackwell 171 8.1 −0.7
Green Lydia El-Khouri 90 4.3 −2.4
Majority 644 30.6 −1.7
Turnout 2,105 41.9 −4.6
Conservative hold Swing
Verulam[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Martin Frearson 1,357 51.9 +9.6
Conservative Keith Cotton 987 37.7 −6.5
Green Margaret Grover 149 5.7 −2.3
Labour Jill Gipps 122 4.7 −0.8
Majority 370 14.2
Turnout 2,615 52.3 −1.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Wheathampstead[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Chris Oxley 1,198 48.4 +2.6
Conservative Keith Stammers 1,103 44.6 −1.2
Green Meg Davis 94 3.8 −0.9
Labour Peter Woodhams 78 3.2 −0.6
Majority 95 3.8 +3.8
Turnout 2,473 54.1 0.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

References

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  1. ^ "St Albans". BBC News Online. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
  2. ^ "Elections 2007: Town and country go to the polls". The Guardian. 4 May 2007. p. 6.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Election fever is in full swing". St Albans & Harpenden Review. 16 April 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
  4. ^ "Musical chairs for council elections". The Herts Advertiser. 12 April 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2009.[dead link‍]
  5. ^ a b "Building on growing improvement". The Herts Advertiser. 26 April 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2009.[dead link‍]
  6. ^ "Tories celebrate 'a pretty good night' in home counties". Evening Standard. 4 May 2007. p. 1.
  7. ^ a b "Counting begins locally as Labour suffers". Hertfordshire County Publications. NewsBank. 4 May 2007.
  8. ^ a b "Lib Dems lose majority". Hertfordshire County Publications. NewsBank. 4 May 2007.
  9. ^ Pickover, Ella (2 May 2008). "Labour's collapse is Lib Dem gain". St Albans & Harpenden Review. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  10. ^ "Lib Dems hold on to power". St Albans & Harpenden Review. 17 May 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "District Council Election Results 3rd May 2007". St Albans City and District Council. Archived from the original on 13 May 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
  12. ^ "Election 2007 Results". The Times. 4 May 2007. p. 8.
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