Sandwell Council election, 2007
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Sandwell Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Sandwell
Metropolitan
Council in the West Midlands
, England
. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour
party stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
s, compared to 12 for the Conservatives
, 5 Liberal Democrats, 4 British National Party
and 1 independent
. Labour defended 19 of the seats being contested, with the other parties hoping to make gains from Labour.
The British National Party put up 15 candidates, aiming to build on the 3 gains they had made in the 2006 election
. The party campaigned on immigration
, housing and crime and were hoping to take all 3 seats in Princes End
ward
for the first time anywhere in the United Kingdom
. However the British National Party was accused of "distortion and lies" by Labour and the Conservatives described the British National Party's councillors as an "embarrassment".
In the last couple of days before polling day, the council sent an advertising van around the area to remind voters about the election.
to move to 51 seats after winning 20 of the seats contested. The Conservatives also lost a seat in Yew Tree
to the Liberal Democrats. They meant both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats won 2 seats each in the election, with the Conservatives dropping to 10 seats and the Liberal Democrats going up to 6.
The British National Party failed to win any seats, staying on 4 councillors, coming closest to victory in Princes End
where they were 20 votes behind Labour. A further seat was vacant after independent councillor Alan Burkitt was automatically disqualified after having been given a suspended sentence
.
Sandwell
Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands with a population of around 289,100, and an area of . The borough is named after Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of both the Black Country, and the West Midlands conurbation, encompassing the urban towns of Blackheath,...
Metropolitan
Metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
Council in the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, 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
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...
party stayed in overall control of the council.
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...
51 - 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...
10 - Liberal Democrat 6
- British National PartyBritish National PartyThe British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
4 - Vacant 1
Campaign
Before the election Labour ran the council with 50 councillorCouncillor
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:...
s, compared to 12 for the Conservatives
Conservative 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...
, 5 Liberal Democrats, 4 British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
and 1 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...
. Labour defended 19 of the seats being contested, with the other parties hoping to make gains from Labour.
The British National Party put up 15 candidates, aiming to build on the 3 gains they had made in the 2006 election
Sandwell Council election, 2006
The 2006 Sandwell Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Sandwell Metropolitan Council in the West Midlands, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party stayed in overall control of the council....
. The party campaigned on immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
, housing and crime and were hoping to take all 3 seats in Princes End
Princes End
Princes End is an area of Tipton, West Midlands, England, near the border with Coseley , which was heavily developed during the 19th century with the construction of factories. Several hundred terraced houses were built around the same time to accommodate the factory workers...
ward
Wards 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:...
for the first time anywhere in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. However the British National Party was accused of "distortion and lies" by Labour and the Conservatives described the British National Party's councillors as an "embarrassment".
In the last couple of days before polling day, the council sent an advertising van around the area to remind voters about the election.
Election result
The results saw the Labour party easily stay in control of the council, with the Labour leader of the council describing the results as "remarkable". Labour gained one seat from the Conservatives in St Pauls 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:...
to move to 51 seats after winning 20 of the seats contested. The Conservatives also lost a seat in Yew Tree
Yew Tree, West Bromwich
Yew Tree housing estate is in the extreme north of West Bromwich, England, near the town's border with Walsall. It was developed during the late 1950s and early 1960s by West Bromwich County Borough Council for municipal housing which included some of the borough's first multi storey flats most of...
to the Liberal Democrats. They meant both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats won 2 seats each in the election, with the Conservatives dropping to 10 seats and the Liberal Democrats going up to 6.
The British National Party failed to win any seats, staying on 4 councillors, coming closest to victory in Princes End
Princes End
Princes End is an area of Tipton, West Midlands, England, near the border with Coseley , which was heavily developed during the 19th century with the construction of factories. Several hundred terraced houses were built around the same time to accommodate the factory workers...
where they were 20 votes behind Labour. A further seat was vacant after independent councillor Alan Burkitt was automatically disqualified after having been given a suspended sentence
Suspended sentence
A suspended sentence is a legal term for a judge's delaying of a defendant's serving of a sentence after they have been found guilty, in order to allow the defendant to perform a period of probation...
.