Southend-on-Sea Council election, 2007
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Southend-on-Sea Council election took place on 3 May 2007 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
stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
, was returned to the council in St Luke's ward
after defeating the Labour
councillor
Kevin Robinson. However the Conservatives lost a usually safe seat in Thorpe to independent
Ron Woodley by 791 votes.
For the second election in a row a Conservative leader of the council was defeated. Murray Foster was defeated in Prittlewell
ward by Liberal Democrat Ric Morgan, forcing the Conservatives to choose a new leader. Nigel Holdcroft was unopposed within the Conservative group and became the new leader of the council.
Overall turnout
in the election was 31%.
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...
stayed in overall control of the council.
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...
30 - Liberal Democrat 10
- 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...
7 - 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...
4
Election result
The results saw the Conservatives retain control of the council with a majority of 9 seats over the other parties. The former leader of the council, Anna Waite, who had been defeated in the 2006 electionSouthend-on-Sea Council election, 2006
The 2006 Southend-on-Sea Council election took place on 4 May 2006 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 stayed in overall control of the council....
, was returned to the council in St Luke's 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:...
after defeating 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...
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:...
Kevin Robinson. However the Conservatives lost a usually safe seat in Thorpe to 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...
Ron Woodley by 791 votes.
For the second election in a row a Conservative leader of the council was defeated. Murray Foster was defeated in Prittlewell
Prittlewell
Prittlewell is an area of Southend-on-Sea in Essex. Historically, Prittlewell is the original town, Southend being the south end of Prittlewell.Originally a Saxon village, Prittlewell is centred on St...
ward by Liberal Democrat Ric Morgan, forcing the Conservatives to choose a new leader. Nigel Holdcroft was unopposed within the Conservative group and became the new leader of the council.
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 31%.