St Albans Council election, 2010
Encyclopedia
The 2010 St Albans Council election took place on 6 May 2010 to elect members of St Albans District
Council in Hertfordshire
, England
. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
and the mayor's casting vote
to have control. The election took place at the same time as the 2010 general election with a seat being contested in all 20 wards
of the council. The Liberal Democrats, Conservatives
, Labour
and Green parties
stood for all of the seats, while there were 2 candidates from the United Kingdom Independence Party
and 1 from the British National Party
(BNP), making this the first time the BNP had stood for the council.
Key wards were seen as being Batchwood, London Colney
and Sopwell, with the Labour group leader Roma Mills defending Batchwood. The Liberal Democrats defended their record in control of the council, pointing to no increase in council tax
for the previous 2 years and work on preserving the Metropolitan Green Belt
, recycling
and congestion
. However the Conservatives felt the election provided an opportunity for them to deprive the Liberal Democrats of a majority on the back of increased turnout
due to the general election.
South from the Conservatives. However they lost both Harpenden
East and Wheathampstead
to the Conservatives to remain on the same number of seats. Meanwhile the Conservatives made a further 2 gains taking London Colney from Labour and Redbourn
from an independent, Susan Carr, who did not contest the election. This put the Conservatives on 24 seats, while Labour held 3 and there was 1 independent.
One seat remained vacant in Ashley ward after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor
Mike Ellis.
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 Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, 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 Liberal Democrats stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
- Liberal Democrat 29
- 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...
24 - 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...
3 - 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...
1 - Vacant 1
Campaign
Before the election the Liberal Democrats ran the council with exactly half of the seats, relying on the independentsIndependent (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...
and the mayor's casting vote
Casting vote
A casting vote is a vote given to the presiding officer of a council or legislative body to resolve a deadlock and which can be exercised only when such a deadlock exists...
to have control. The election took place at the same time as the 2010 general election with a seat being contested in all 20 wards
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:...
of the council. The Liberal Democrats, 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...
, 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...
and Green parties
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
stood for all of the seats, while there were 2 candidates from the United Kingdom Independence Party
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
and 1 from the 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...
(BNP), making this the first time the BNP had stood for the council.
Key wards were seen as being Batchwood, London Colney
London Colney
London Colney is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. It is located to the north of London, at Junction 22 of the M25 motorway....
and Sopwell, with the Labour group leader Roma Mills defending Batchwood. The Liberal Democrats defended their record in control of the council, pointing to no increase in 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...
for the previous 2 years and work on preserving the Metropolitan Green Belt
Metropolitan Green Belt
The Metropolitan Green Belt is a statutory green belt around London, England. It includes designated parts of Greater London and the surrounding counties of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey in the South East and East of England regions.-History:The...
, recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
and congestion
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
. However the Conservatives felt the election provided an opportunity for them to deprive the Liberal Democrats of a majority on the back of increased 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...
due to the general election.
Election result
The results saw the Liberal Democrats retain control of the council with 29 seats after gaining 2 seats but losing another 2. They took Batchwood from Labour by 1 vote, defeating the Labour group leader Roma Mills, and also MarshalswickMarshalswick
Marshalswick is a district of St Albans, in Hertfordshire, England around 1.5 miles North East of the city centre. Marshalswick borders on Jersey Farm, Fleetville and Bernards Heath and historically fell within the bounds of Sandridge Parish to the North....
South from the Conservatives. However they lost both Harpenden
Harpenden
Harpenden is a town in Hertfordshire, England.The town's total population is just under 30,000.-Geography and administration:There are two civil parishes: Harpenden and Harpenden Rural....
East and Wheathampstead
Wheathampstead
Wheathampstead is a village and civil parish in the City and District of St Albans, in Hertfordshire, England. It is north of St Albans and in the Hitchin and Harpenden parliamentary constituency....
to the Conservatives to remain on the same number of seats. Meanwhile the Conservatives made a further 2 gains taking London Colney from Labour and Redbourn
Redbourn
Redbourn is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, lying on Watling Street, 3 miles from Harpenden, 4 miles from St Albans and 5 miles from Hemel Hempstead. It has a population of around 6,000.-History:...
from an independent, Susan Carr, who did not contest the election. This put the Conservatives on 24 seats, while Labour held 3 and there was 1 independent.
One seat remained vacant in Ashley ward after the death of Liberal Democrat 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:...
Mike Ellis.