Swindon Council election, 2007
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Swindon Council election took place on 4 May 2007 to elect members of Swindon
Unitary
Council in Wiltshire
, 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
wards
. Both Conservative and Labour
parties contested every seat, while the Liberal Democrats had 20 candidates. Other political parties contesting the election included the Green party
with 16 candidates, United Kingdom Independence Party
with 7 and the British National Party
with 3.
Issues in the election included regeneration of the town, affordable housing
, crime and preserving green space. The Conservative council's plans to move to fortnightly rubbish collection were also criticised by the Labour party.
For the election voters were able to cast their vote at any polling station
or library instead of just their polling station, as well as internet and text voting being available. The vote count was also done electronically, however problems at a few polling stations meant some votes had to be checked manually. This meant the election count was 2 hours later than expected, with overall turnout
in the election being 33.8%.
Swindon (borough)
The Borough of Swindon is a local government authority in South West England. It is centred on the town of Swindon and forms part of the ceremonial county of Wiltshire...
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 Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, 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...
43 - 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...
13 - Liberal Democrat 3
Campaign
92 candidates were contesting 21 seats with 2 seats available in Haydon WickHaydon Wick
The Parish of Haydon Wick lies to the north of Swindon in Wiltshire, UK and has an estimated population in excess of 16,000, more than 13,950 of which are registered electors.-Government:...
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:...
. Both Conservative and 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...
parties contested every seat, while the Liberal Democrats had 20 candidates. Other political parties contesting the election included the Green party
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...
with 16 candidates, 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...
with 7 and 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...
with 3.
Issues in the election included regeneration of the town, affordable housing
Affordable housing
Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to those that have a median income. Although the term is often applied to rental housing that is within the financial means of those in the lower income ranges of a geographical area, the...
, crime and preserving green space. The Conservative council's plans to move to fortnightly rubbish collection were also criticised by the Labour party.
For the election voters were able to cast their vote at any polling station
Polling station
A polling place or polling station is where voters cast their ballots in elections.Since elections generally take place over a one- or two-day span on a periodic basis, often annual or longer, polling places are often located in facilities used for other purposes, such as schools, churches, sports...
or library instead of just their polling station, as well as internet and text voting being available. The vote count was also done electronically, however problems at a few polling stations meant some votes had to be checked manually. This meant the election count was 2 hours later than expected, with 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 being 33.8%.