Burnley Council election, 2000
Encyclopedia
The 2000 Burnley Council election took place on 4 May 2000 to elect members of Burnley
District
Council in Lancashire
, England
. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party
lost overall control of the council to no overall control
.
After the election, the composition of the council was
after the resignation of a Labour councillor
. In total 42 candidates stood in the election, with Labour defending 14 of the 17 seats being contested. When the candidates were announced there was controversy in Queensgate ward after the independent
candidates, Pat Chadwick, claimed that an independent Conservative candidate had been put up to stand in the election by Labour. She claimed Labour were attempting to split her vote in order to ensure victory for Labour, however Labour described the claims as nonsense.
In Danehouse ward there was a tighter system for obtaining proxy votes than in the 1999 election
but overall the number of absent votes were only a 100 less than in 1999, while split fairly evenly between Labour and the Liberal Democrats. On election day itself Labour called for the resignation of a Liberal Democrat councillor in Danehouse ward, Arif Khan, after claiming his parents were registered for proxy votes despite living in Pakistan
; however Khan denied doing anything wrong.
Burnley (borough)
Burnley is a local government district of Lancashire, England, with the status of a non-metropolitan district and borough. It has an area of and a population of , and is named for its largest town, Burnley. The borough is bounded by Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Pendle, Rossendale — all in Lancashire...
District
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
Council in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
lost overall control of the council to no overall control
No overall control
Within the context of local councils of the United Kingdom, the term No Overall Control refers to a situation in which no single party achieves a majority of seats and is analogous to a hung parliament...
.
After the election, the composition of the council was
- LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
24 - IndependentIndependent (politician)In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
12 - Liberal Democrat 9
- ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
3
Campaign
The election saw 17 seats contested with 2 seats up for election in Gawthorpe wardWards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
after the resignation of a Labour councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
. In total 42 candidates stood in the election, with Labour defending 14 of the 17 seats being contested. When the candidates were announced there was controversy in Queensgate ward after the independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
candidates, Pat Chadwick, claimed that an independent Conservative candidate had been put up to stand in the election by Labour. She claimed Labour were attempting to split her vote in order to ensure victory for Labour, however Labour described the claims as nonsense.
In Danehouse ward there was a tighter system for obtaining proxy votes than in the 1999 election
Burnley Council election, 1999
The 1999 Burnley Council election took place on 6 May 1999 to elect members of Burnley District Council in Lancashire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party stayed in overall control of the council....
but overall the number of absent votes were only a 100 less than in 1999, while split fairly evenly between Labour and the Liberal Democrats. On election day itself Labour called for the resignation of a Liberal Democrat councillor in Danehouse ward, Arif Khan, after claiming his parents were registered for proxy votes despite living in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
; however Khan denied doing anything wrong.