Winchester Council election, 2000
Encyclopedia
The 2000 Winchester Council election took place on 4 May 2000 to elect members of Winchester
District
Council in Hampshire
, 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
after the sitting Conservative
councillor
, Flick Drummond, emigrated
to the USA and thus failed to attend any council meetings in the required 6 month period. The Liberal Democrats had a majority of 13 seats before the election and despite defending 9 seats were expected to remain in control of the council. 3 sitting councillors, all Liberal Democrats, stood down at the election, Miranda Bulloch, Phrynette Dickens and Alan Laidlaw.
The Conservatives campaigned on a promise to reduce council tax
by 5% over the next 4 years and attacked the Liberal Democrats over the closure of car parks in the city centre. However the Liberal Democrats alleged lies had been said about the car parks, and said the Conservatives would have to cut services if they were to reduce council tax.
The Conservatives also complained about the Liberal Democrat controlled council publishing a newsletter during the campaign. They claimed that it was propaganda
for the Liberal Democrats and favoured sitting councillors, however the Liberal Democrats said that the Conservative leader on the council had approved the newsletter and that the Conservatives were avoiding the real issues.
, St Bartholomew and Wonston
wards, but lost one back to the Conservatives in New Alresford
. Despite this the Conservatives said that they were pleased to have won more votes across the whole council than the Liberal Democrats, with many seats seeing very close results. Meanwhile one Labour
candidate, Oliver de Peyer, only won 7 votes in Shedfield
ward, the lowest by any major party candidate in elections for Winchester council and a repeat of his performance in Sparsholt
in 1998. Overall turnout
in the election was 39.97%, with the highest turnout being recorded in Droxford
, Soberton
& Hambledon
ward at 57.68%.
City of Winchester
Winchester is a local government district in Hampshire, England, with city status. It covers an area of central Hampshire including the city of Winchester itself, and neighbouring towns and villages including New Alresford, Colden Common and Bishops Waltham....
District
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 Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, 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 36
- 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 - 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...
5 - 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...
4
Campaign
One third of the seats were being contested with an extra seat being up for election in St Bartholomew 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:...
after the sitting Conservative
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...
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:...
, Flick Drummond, emigrated
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
to the USA and thus failed to attend any council meetings in the required 6 month period. The Liberal Democrats had a majority of 13 seats before the election and despite defending 9 seats were expected to remain in control of the council. 3 sitting councillors, all Liberal Democrats, stood down at the election, Miranda Bulloch, Phrynette Dickens and Alan Laidlaw.
The Conservatives campaigned on a promise to reduce 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...
by 5% over the next 4 years and attacked the Liberal Democrats over the closure of car parks in the city centre. However the Liberal Democrats alleged lies had been said about the car parks, and said the Conservatives would have to cut services if they were to reduce council tax.
The Conservatives also complained about the Liberal Democrat controlled council publishing a newsletter during the campaign. They claimed that it was propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
for the Liberal Democrats and favoured sitting councillors, however the Liberal Democrats said that the Conservative leader on the council had approved the newsletter and that the Conservatives were avoiding the real issues.
Election result
The results saw the Liberal Democrats increase their control of the council, making 2 nets gains to have an overall majority of 17. They gained seats in Compton and ShawfordCompton and Shawford
Compton and Shawford is a civil parish in the City of Winchester, Hampshire, England. The word compton means village in a combe and aptly describes the settlement as it primarily consists of a long street on the side of a chalk valley....
, St Bartholomew and Wonston
Wonston
Wonston is a village and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. The village has an estimated population of 1,283 in the census of 2001...
wards, but lost one back to the Conservatives in New Alresford
New Alresford
New Alresford or simply Alresford is a small town and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. It is situated some 12 km north-east of the city of Winchester and 20 km south-west of the town of Alton...
. Despite this the Conservatives said that they were pleased to have won more votes across the whole council than the Liberal Democrats, with many seats seeing very close results. Meanwhile one 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...
candidate, Oliver de Peyer, only won 7 votes in Shedfield
Shedfield
Shedfield is a village and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. In the 2001 UK Census, Shedfield had a population of 3,914.-History:...
ward, the lowest by any major party candidate in elections for Winchester council and a repeat of his performance in Sparsholt
Sparsholt, Hampshire
Sparsholt is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. The village lies to the west of Winchester, and has a population of 967.Sparsholt College, a leading land-based college and home to the BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time 'potting shed', is located on the outskirts of the village. The...
in 1998. 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 39.97%, with the highest turnout being recorded in Droxford
Droxford
Droxford is a village in Hampshire, England, lying in the Meon valley, and lies around 3¾ miles east of Bishop's Waltham within the new South Downs National Park. The A32 passes through the village between Gosport and Alton...
, Soberton
Soberton
Soberton is a village in the Meon Valley, Hampshire, England and is bordered by villages such as Newtown and Droxford. It is listed in the Domesday Book under its original name, 'Sudbertone'/'Sudbertune', and comes under Winchester City Council....
& Hambledon
Hambledon, Hampshire
Hambledon is a small village and civil parish in the county of Hampshire in England, situated about north of Portsmouth.Hambledon is best known as the 'Cradle of Cricket'. It is thought that Hambledon Club, one of the oldest cricket clubs known, was formed about 1750...
ward at 57.68%.