Colchester Borough Council election, 2007

Map of the results of the 2007 Colchester council election. Conservatives in blue, Liberal Democrats in yellow, Labour in red and independents in light grey. Wards in dark grey were not contested in 2007.

The 2007 Colchester Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Colchester Borough Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was

Campaign

Before the election the Conservatives had 30 of the 60 seats on the council, while the Liberal Democrats had 21, Labour had 7 and there were 2 independents.[3]

With the Conservative party needing to gain one seat to gain a majority on the council for the first time since 1986,[4] Colchester attracted national attention with the Shadow Foreign Secretary, William Hague, coming to the marginal Shrub End ward to campaign for the Conservatives.[5] Meanwhile one of the Green party's Principal Speakers Sian Berry came to Colchester and campaigned on the importance of public transport, with the Greens contesting every seat at the election.[5]

Election result

The Conservatives narrowly failed to gain a majority on the council after failing to take Wivenhoe Quay from Labour by two votes after two recounts.[4] This meant the Conservatives remained on 30 councillors, while the Liberal Democrats stayed on 21 seats.[4] Labour's loss of Shrub End to the Conservatives meant they dropped to 6 councillors, while the Greens failed to win any seats despite getting 32% of the vote in Castle ward.[4][6] Overall turnout at the election was 34.7%.[7]

Colchester Borough Council Election, 2007[7][1]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 9 2 2 0 45.0 41.8 14,342 +2.9%
  Liberal Democrat 7 1 1 0 35.0 29.3 10,052 -4.5%
  Labour 3 0 1 -1 15.0 16.3 5,581 +3.0%
  Independent 1 1 0 +1 5.0 3.1 1,052 -2.4%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 9.5 3,267 +1.0%

Ward results

Berechurch[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dave Harris 931 49.7 +17.4
Liberal Democrat Keith Hindle 483 25.8 -16.4
Conservative Claire Bright 352 18.8 +0.7
Green Philippa Lane 109 5.8 -1.6
Majority 448 23.9
Turnout 1,875 32.7 -1.3
Labour hold Swing
Birch & Winstree[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Crowe 1,164 70.1 +3.5
Liberal Democrat Jonathan Longman 313 18.9 +1.2
Labour James Spencer 100 6.0 -1.0
Green Tobie Glenny 83 5.0 -0.9
Majority 851 51.3 +2.4
Turnout 1,660 37.5 -4.6
Conservative hold Swing
Castle[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Nick Barlow 940 41.0 -7.7
Green Peter Lynn 740 32.3 +9.7
Conservative Glenn Granger 469 20.5 +2.4
Labour Michael Powell 142 6.2 -1.9
Majority 200 8.7 -17.3
Turnout 2,291 37.4 -4.1
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
Christ Church[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Martin Hunt 588 42.4 -1.3
Conservative Andrew Bright 474 34.2 +0.9
Green Alexander Cave 245 17.7 +0.3
Labour David Canning 79 5.7 +0.1
Majority 114 8.2 -2.2
Turnout 1,386 46.0 -2.3
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
Copford & West Stanway[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jackie Maclean 394 69.1 -1.4
Liberal Democrat Sue Waite 82 14.4 +7.0
Labour Ian Spademan 48 8.4 +0.4
Green Sophie Lovejoy 46 8.1 +8.1
Majority 312 54.7 -1.8
Turnout 570 38.4 +4.4
Conservative hold Swing
Fordham & Stour[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nigel Chapman 913 67.2 +0.6
Liberal Democrat David Shakespeare 180 13.2 +0.8
Green Mervyn Carter 146 10.7 +2.6
Labour Jo Aldous 120 8.8 +0.4
Majority 733 53.9 -0.3
Turnout 1,359 34.3 -2.4
Conservative hold Swing
Great Tey[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Chillingworth 670 71.9 +3.3
Liberal Democrat Carolyn Catney 105 11.3 -9.6
Labour John Wood 90 9.7 -1.8
Green Paul Goldsmith 67 7.2 -7.2
Majority 565 60.6 +12.8
Turnout 932 41.9 -0.8
Conservative hold Swing
Highwoods[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Philip Oxford 1,052 52.6 -5.6
Conservative Simon Lucas 427 21.4 +6.5
Liberal Democrat John Baker 306 15.3 +0.1
Labour Janet Smith 127 6.4 -1.1
Green Gary Kittle 88 4.4 +0.1
Majority 625 31.3 -11.7
Turnout 2,000 30.9 -1.7
Independent gain from Conservative Swing
Mile End[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Anne Turrell 1,081 47.1 +8.2
Conservative Marianne Anderson 995 43.4 -2.8
Labour Steve Crawshaw 118 5.1 -1.1
Green Mary Bryan 99 4.3 -2.1
Majority 86 3.8
Turnout 2,293 39.5 +1.0
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
New Town[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Margaret Fisher 872 55.6 -9.8
Conservative George Askew 271 17.3 +17.3
Green Linda Wonnacott 252 16.1 -5.4
Labour Luke Dopson 173 11.0 -2.1
Majority 601 38.3 -5.5
Turnout 1,568 27.0 -1.8
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
Prettygate[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Wyn Foster 1,404 54.2 +0.6
Liberal Democrat Paul Ost 875 33.8 -0.9
Labour Michael Dale 182 7.0 -0.3
Green Peter Appleton 129 5.0 +0.5
Majority 529 20.4 +1.5
Turnout 2,590 43.7 +0.0
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat Swing
St. Andrew's[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tim Young 969 61.6 -8.2
Liberal Democrat Rebecca Price 299 19.0 -10.2
Conservative Alex Wilson 237 15.1 +2.7
Green Andrew Senter 68 4.3 -0.7
Majority 670 42.6 +18.4
Turnout 1,573 24.8 -3.4
Labour hold Swing
St. Anne's[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Barrie Cook 1,000 49.3 -2.5
Labour Kim Naish 548 27.0 +0.6
Conservative Anne Allan 368 18.2 +4.5
Green Annick Collins-Leyssen 111 5.5 -2.5
Majority 452 22.3 -3.1
Turnout 2,027 32.2 -0.5
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
Shrub End[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Pauline Hazell 718 38.5 +4.8
Liberal Democrat Nigel Offen 643 34.5 -7.5
Labour Richard Bourne 404 21.7 +2.1
Green Walter Schwarz 100 5.4 +0.6
Majority 75 4.0
Turnout 1,865 31.2 -1.6
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Stanway[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Lesley Scott-Boutell 1,214 52.2 +10.2
Conservative Beverly Davies 897 38.6 -5.4
Labour John Spademan 141 6.1 -2.4
Green Pam Nelson 74 3.2 -2.3
Majority 317 13.6
Turnout 2,326 37.7 -0.5
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
Tiptree[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Margaret Crowe 1,185 65.4 +11.0
Labour Audrey Spencer 330 18.2 +3.6
Liberal Democrat Michael Turrell 151 8.3 -1.4
Green Katherine Bamforth 146 8.1 +2.0
Majority 855 47.2 +7.9
Turnout 1,812 30.2 -0.2
Conservative hold Swing
West Bergholt & Eight Ash Green[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jill Tod 877 62.9 -0.7
Liberal Democrat Barry Woodward 177 12.7 -4.8
Labour Abigail Tootal 173 12.4 +4.5
Green Roger Bamforth 167 12.0 +1.1
Majority 700 50.2 +4.1
Turnout 1,394 36.4 -1.8
Conservative hold Swing
West Mersea[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Margaret Kimberley 1,510 74.1 +3.6
Liberal Democrat Christopher Butler 201 9.9 +9.9
Labour Barbara Nichols 178 8.7 -1.4
Green Beverley Maltby 148 7.3 -3.2
Majority 1,309 64.3 +4.2
Turnout 2,037 35.0 +0.2
Conservative hold Swing
Wivenhoe Cross[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Mark Cory 395 42.5 +3.2
Conservative David Adams 371 39.9 -6.5
Green Maria Iacovou 83 8.9 +8.9
Labour Rossanna Trudgian 80 8.6 -5.7
Majority 24 2.6 -4.5
Turnout 929 27.3 +0.1
Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative Swing
Wivenhoe Quay[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Ford 648 35.9 +17.2
Conservative Penny Kraft 646 35.7 -0.9
Green Chris Fox 366 20.3 +20.3
Liberal Democrat Sharon Humphrey 147 8.1 -8.9
Majority 2 0.1
Turnout 1,807 44.4 +0.7
Labour hold Swing

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Colchester". BBC News Online. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  2. "Results - Election 2007". The Times (NewsBank). 5 May 2007. p. 83.
  3. "Colchester : It’s D-day at polls". Essex County Publications (NewsBank). 3 May 2007.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Colchester : Just two votes stop a Tory takeover". Essex County Publications (NewsBank). 4 May 2007.
  5. 5.0 5.1 "Colchester : William stops off on whistle-stop tour". Essex County Publications (NewsBank). 20 April 2007.
  6. "Is town ripe for the taking by Greens?". Essex County Publications (NewsBank). 21 May 2007.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 7.18 7.19 7.20 7.21 "Election of Borough Councillors for the Wards of Colchester Borough Council: Summary of Results". Colchester Borough Council. Retrieved 29 May 2014.