Worthing Council election, 2002
Encyclopedia
The 2002 Worthing Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Worthing
District
Council in West Sussex
, England
. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats gained overall control of the council from the Conservative party
. Overall turnout
was 30.67%.
After the previous election in 2000
the Conservatives had controlled the council with 20 seats compared to the Liberal Democrats 16. 12 seats were up for election in 2002 with the Liberal Democrats needing to gain 2 seats to make Worthing a hung council. Issues in the election included litter, the introduction of palm trees on the seafront and a recent 10.3% increase in council tax
.
The results saw the Liberal Democrats make 3 gains from the Conservatives to take control. They gained all three of the seats they had been targeting in Castle, Gaisford and Selden wards
. The Conservatives put their defeat down to a proposed Asda
at Worthing College and on the recent increase in council tax which they blamed on the national government. The Liberal Democrats pledged to work for a "clean and safe Worthing". Following the election the Conservative mayor-elect, John Livermore, stepped down, refusing to serve as mayor with the Liberal Democrats in control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
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 West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, 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 gained overall control of the council from 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...
. 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...
was 30.67%.
After the previous election in 2000
Worthing Council election, 2000
The 2000 Worthing Council election took place on 4 May 2000 to elect members of Worthing District Council in West Sussex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party held overall control of the council....
the Conservatives had controlled the council with 20 seats compared to the Liberal Democrats 16. 12 seats were up for election in 2002 with the Liberal Democrats needing to gain 2 seats to make Worthing a hung council. Issues in the election included litter, the introduction of palm trees on the seafront and a recent 10.3% 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...
.
The results saw the Liberal Democrats make 3 gains from the Conservatives to take control. They gained all three of the seats they had been targeting in Castle, Gaisford and Selden 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:...
. The Conservatives put their defeat down to a proposed Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
at Worthing College and on the recent increase in council tax which they blamed on the national government. The Liberal Democrats pledged to work for a "clean and safe Worthing". Following the election the Conservative mayor-elect, John Livermore, stepped down, refusing to serve as mayor with the Liberal Democrats in control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
- Liberal Democrat 19
- 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...
17