Southend-on-Sea Council election, 2000
Encyclopedia
The 2000 Southend-on-Sea Council election took place on 4 May 2000 to elect members of Southend-on-Sea
Unitary
Council in Essex
, England
. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party
gained overall control of the council from no overall control
.
After the election, the composition of the council was
parties, but the election was expected to see the Conservatives take control from them. 14 of the 39 seats were being contested, with the Conservatives only needing to gain one seat in order to have a majority. They only required a tiny swing
to achieve this, which would give the Conservatives control of the council for the first time in 8 years. The election was a high profile one with the Conservative leader, William Hague
, campaigning in the area on the Monday before the election.
A major issue in the election was the number of refugee
s in the town, which was estimated at up to 2,000. The Conservatives said that the area had become a "dumping ground" and called on all asylum seekers to be detained upon entry into the country. However Labour accused the Conservatives of "playing the race card
" and reported a Conservative leaflet to the Commission for Racial Equality
.
Other issues included Conservative plans to build a new bypass
to ease traffic within the town. Meanwhile the Liberal Democrat and Labour parties defended their record of investing £50 million in the town during their period in control of the council, while keeping council tax
rises down, with the latest council tax level the second lowest in Essex.
s including 3 members of the executive, Nigel Baker, Stephen George and Chris Mallam. These defeats meant that Labour failed to hold any of the seats they had been defending, while the Liberal Democrats only managed to hold onto 2 seats. Overall turnout
in the election was just above the national average at 30%.
Following the election Charles Latham became the new Conservative leader of the council and announced they would scrap planned bus lane
s and abolish charges for social care services.
Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
Unitary
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
Council in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, 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 Conservative party
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...
gained overall control of the council from 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
- 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...
25 - Liberal Democrat 9
- 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...
5
Campaign
Before the election the council was run by a coalition between the Liberal Democrat and 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...
parties, but the election was expected to see the Conservatives take control from them. 14 of the 39 seats were being contested, with the Conservatives only needing to gain one seat in order to have a majority. They only required a tiny swing
Swing (politics)
An electoral swing analysis shows the extent of change in voter support from one election to another. It is an indicator of voter support for individual candidates or political parties, or voter preference between two or more candidates or parties...
to achieve this, which would give the Conservatives control of the council for the first time in 8 years. The election was a high profile one with the Conservative leader, William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
, campaigning in the area on the Monday before the election.
A major issue in the election was the number of refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s in the town, which was estimated at up to 2,000. The Conservatives said that the area had become a "dumping ground" and called on all asylum seekers to be detained upon entry into the country. However Labour accused the Conservatives of "playing the race card
Race card
Playing the race card is an idiomatic phrase that refers to exploitation of either racist or anti-racist attitudes to gain a personal advantage, typically by falsely accusing others of racism against oneself.-Usage:...
" and reported a Conservative leaflet to the Commission for Racial Equality
Commission for Racial Equality
The Commission for Racial Equality was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom which aimed to tackle racial discrimination and promote racial equality. Its work has been merged into the new Equality and Human Rights Commission.-History:...
.
Other issues included Conservative plans to build a new bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
to ease traffic within the town. Meanwhile the Liberal Democrat and Labour parties defended their record of investing £50 million in the town during their period in control of the council, while keeping council tax
Council tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
rises down, with the latest council tax level the second lowest in Essex.
Election result
The results saw the Conservatives gain control of the council with an 11 seat majority after winning over 57% of the vote. They gained 3 seats each from both Labour and the Liberal Democrats with defeated 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 including 3 members of the executive, Nigel Baker, Stephen George and Chris Mallam. These defeats meant that Labour failed to hold any of the seats they had been defending, while the Liberal Democrats only managed to hold onto 2 seats. Overall turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
in the election was just above the national average at 30%.
Following the election Charles Latham became the new Conservative leader of the council and announced they would scrap planned bus lane
Bus lane
A bus lane or bus only lane is a lane restricted to buses, and generally used to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion...
s and abolish charges for social care services.