Worthing Council election, 2007

The 2007 Worthing Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Worthing District Council in West Sussex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

Candidates from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, Labour and the United Kingdom Independence Party stood in the election.[2] There was also one candidate, Dawn Smith, standing as a "Stop Durrington's Overdevelopment - Save Titnore's Trees" candidate as a protest against plans to build 875 houses near Worthing.[3]

The Liberal Democrats had been hoping to gain three seats,[2] but the results saw the Conservatives gain one seat from the Liberal Democrats to strengthen their majority on the council.[4] The Liberal Democrat defeat came by 12 votes in Selden ward where their candidate James Doyle was upset over the Conservatives using the description "Conservative, Stop Hospital Cuts" on the ballot paper.[5] Conservative Kevin Skepper retained his seat in Broadwater, which he had previously won as a Liberal Democrat before defecting to the Conservatives.[5] This was the first time since 1975 that a Conservative had won in Broadwater.[5] Meanwhile in Castle ward the Liberal Democrats held both the seats in Castle ward after 3 recounts.[5] Overall voter turnout in the election was 35.41%.[6]

After the election, the composition of the council was

Election result

Worthing Local Election Result 2007[8]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/-
  Conservative 9 1 0 +1 75.0 52.4 14,189 +0.2%
  Liberal Democrat 3 0 1 -1 25.0 32.6 8,829 -6.1%
  UKIP 0 0 0 0 0 5.5 1,478 +2.9%
  Labour 0 0 0 0 0 4.7 1,266 +2.8%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 4.3 1,156 -0.3%
  Stop! Durrington's Overdevelopment - Save Titnores' Trees 0 0 0 0 0 0.6 174 +0.6%

Ward results

Broadwater[6][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kevin Skepper 1,062 49.6 +14.1
Liberal Democrat Gary Riding 941 44.0 -8.2
Labour John Turley 136 6.4 +6.4
Majority 121 5.6
Turnout 2,139 33.0 -0.3
Conservative hold Swing
Castle (2)[6][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Robin Rogers 1,025
Liberal Democrat David Potter 952
Conservative Bill Capper 944
Conservative Ruth White 924
Green Julian Warrick 251
UKIP Chris Chatfield 204
Turnout 4,300 35.5 +0.8
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
Central[6][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Clive Roberts 874 42.7 +1.1
Liberal Democrat Janet Goldsbrough-Jones 630 30.8 -7.0
Green James Pearson 263 12.9 +1.2
Labour Tony Smith 180 8.8 +0.0
UKIP Christopher Woodward 99 4.8 +4.8
Majority 244 11.9 +8.1
Turnout 2,046 31.5 +1.5
Conservative hold Swing
Gaisford[6][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bryan Turner 1,085 47.4 +5.4
Liberal Democrat Andrew Muggeridge 844 36.9 -7.6
Green Marie Hillcoat 193 8.4 -5.1
Labour Tori Finney 168 7.3 +7.3
Majority 241 10.5
Turnout 2,290 35.0 +1.7
Conservative hold Swing
Goring[6][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ann Sayers 1,817 62.9 -3.4
Liberal Democrat Merlin Jones 410 14.2 -5.8
UKIP Richard Bater 323 11.2 -2.5
Stop! Durrington's Overdevelopment - Save Titnores' Trees Dawn Smith 174 6.0 +6.0
Labour Janet Haden 165 5.7 +5.7
Majority 1,407 48.7 +2.4
Turnout 2,889 43.0 +1.8
Conservative hold Swing
Heene[6][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Livermore 1,003 53.6 -8.4
Liberal Democrat Alan Jones 446 23.9 -14.1
Green Derek Colkett 248 13.3 +13.3
UKIP Stuart Field 173 9.3 +9.3
Majority 557 29.7 +5.7
Turnout 1,870 31.0 +0.4
Conservative hold Swing
Marine[6][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Keith Mercer 1,511 63.4 +3.4
Liberal Democrat Susan Withnell 344 14.4 -1.0
Green Sam Colkett 201 8.4 -2.5
UKIP Phil Ruddock 171 7.2 +0.5
Labour Barrie Slater 155 6.5 -0.5
Majority 1,167 49.0 +4.4
Turnout 2,382 36.7 -1.6
Conservative hold Swing
Offington[6][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Graham Fabes 1,845 77.2 +2.5
Liberal Democrat Norah Fisher 425 17.8 -7.5
Labour Hazel Rennie 121 5.1 +5.1
Majority 1,420 59.4 +10.0
Turnout 2,391 39.0 -0.1
Conservative hold Swing
Salvington[6][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Noel Atkins 1,530 61.3 -9.5
Liberal Democrat Michael Cranefield 603 24.1 -5.1
UKIP Ron Brooks 364 14.6 +14.6
Majority 527 37.2 -4.4
Turnout 2,497 35.0 +1.8
Conservative hold Swing
Selden[6][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roger Oakley 962 45.2 -1.3
Liberal Democrat James Doyle 950 44.6 -8.9
Labour Ann Saunders 216 10.2 +10.2
Majority 12 0.6
Turnout 2,128 36.0 +2.9
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat Swing
Tarring[6][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Hazel Thorpe 1,259 58.3 +4.1
Conservative John Rose 632 29.3 +0.2
UKIP Martin McGinlay 144 6.7 -1.8
Labour Sid Wells 125 5.8 -2.4
Majority 627 29.0 +3.9
Turnout 2,160 33.8 +0.3
Liberal Democrat hold Swing

References

  1. ^ "Worthing". BBC News Online. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2007/councils/html/45uh.stm. Retrieved 2009-10-14. 
  2. ^ a b "Conservatives look safe in Worthing". The Argus. 2007-04-30. http://www.theargus.co.uk/search/1364283.Conservatives_look_safe_in_Worthing/. Retrieved 2009-10-15. 
  3. ^ "Tories improve majority in Worthing". The Argus. 2007-05-04. http://www.theargus.co.uk/search/1375892.Tories_improve_majority_in_Worthing/. Retrieved 2009-10-06. 
  4. ^ "Lib Dems and Tories share spoils". BBC News Online. 2007-05-04. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/6621867.stm. Retrieved 2009-10-15. 
  5. ^ a b c d "Local elections results across Sussex". The Argus. 2007-05-05. http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/localelections2007/electionnews/1419811.Local_elections_results_across_Sussex/. Retrieved 2009-10-15. 
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Worthing election results". Worthing Herald. 2007-05-03. http://www.worthingherald.co.uk/worthing/WORTHING-ELECTION-RESULTS.2852523.jp. Retrieved 2009-10-14. 
  7. ^ "National: Elections 2007: Town and country go to the polls". The Guardian. 2007-05-04. p. 6. 
  8. ^ "Election 2007 Results". The Times. 2007-05-04. p. 8. 
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Local Elections 2007". Worthing Borough Council. http://www.worthing.gov.uk/xml/LiveElectionResults2007/results_web.xml#Broadwater. Retrieved 2009-10-14. 
Preceded by
Worthing Council election, 2006		 Worthing local elections Succeeded by
Worthing Council election, 2008