Southend-on-Sea Borough Council election, 1999
The 1999 Southend-on-Sea Council election took place on 6 May 1999 to elect members of Southend-on-Sea Unitary 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
Election result
Before the election the Conservatives needed a swing of less than 5% in order to win a majority on the council,[3] but despite targeting the council they failed to take control.[4] However they came within a single vote of a majority, after Labour came top in both of the seats that were being contested in Milton ward.[5] The second Labour candidate for the ward, Stephen George, was only one vote ahead of the sitting Conservative councillor, Joyce Lambert, thus preventing the Conservatives from holding the critical seat that would have seen them win control of the council.[5]
The Conservatives did gain one seat from the Liberal Democrats in Leigh ward, as the Liberal Democrats lost votes across the council.[5] This saw a number of close results for the Liberal Democrats as they only held Prittlewell by 5 votes from the Conservatives and Westborough by 4 votes over Labour.[5] Overall turnout in the election was 26.5%.[6]
The results meant that the Liberal Democrat and Labour administration, which had run the council for the previous 5 years, would continue.[5]
Southend-on-Sea Local Election Result 1999[2][7] |
Party |
Seats |
Gains |
Losses |
Net gain/loss |
Seats % |
Votes % |
Votes |
+/− |
|
Conservative |
7 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
50.0 |
46.2 |
16,448 |
|
|
Labour |
4 |
1 |
0 |
+1 |
28.6 |
29.2 |
10,409 |
|
|
Liberal Democrat |
3 |
0 |
1 |
-1 |
21.4 |
23.9 |
8,508 |
|
|
Independent |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.7 |
238 |
|
Ward results
Blenheim[7] |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Liberal Democrat |
Brian Smith |
1,069 |
40.6 |
|
|
Conservative |
Peter Collins |
1,034 |
39.2 |
|
|
Labour |
Teresa Merrison |
533 |
20.2 |
|
Majority |
35 |
1.3 |
|
Turnout |
2,636 |
28.7 |
|
|
Liberal Democrat hold |
Swing |
|
|
Leigh[7] |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Conservative |
John Lamb |
1,224 |
40.3 |
|
|
Liberal Democrat |
Albert Smulian |
1,140 |
37.5 |
|
|
Labour |
Alan Harley |
438 |
14.4 |
|
|
Independent Against Leigh Town Council |
Brian Isaacs |
238 |
7.8 |
|
Majority |
84 |
2.8 |
|
Turnout |
3,040 |
33.8 |
|
|
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat |
Swing |
|
|
Prittlewell[7] |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Liberal Democrat |
David Elf |
918 |
38.3 |
|
|
Conservative |
Christopher Kerr |
913 |
38.0 |
|
|
Labour |
Paul White |
569 |
23.7 |
|
Majority |
5 |
0.2 |
|
Turnout |
2,400 |
26.8 |
|
|
Liberal Democrat hold |
Swing |
|
|
St Lukes[7] |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Labour |
Michael Royston |
902 |
54.8 |
|
|
Conservative |
Johnathan Garston |
566 |
34.4 |
|
|
Liberal Democrat |
Michael Clark |
179 |
10.9 |
|
Majority |
336 |
20.4 |
|
Turnout |
1,647 |
19.8 |
|
|
Labour hold |
Swing |
|
|
Victoria[7] |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Labour |
Christopher Dandridge |
1,201 |
59.2 |
|
|
Conservative |
Anthony Delaney |
597 |
29.4 |
|
|
Liberal Democrat |
Paul Collins |
232 |
11.4 |
|
Majority |
604 |
29.8 |
|
Turnout |
2,030 |
22.1 |
|
|
Labour hold |
Swing |
|
|
Westborough[7] |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Liberal Democrat |
Howard Gibeon |
1,038 |
41.2 |
|
|
Labour |
Mark Flewitt |
1,034 |
41.0 |
|
|
Conservative |
Michael Samuel |
448 |
17.8 |
|
Majority |
4 |
0.2 |
|
Turnout |
2,520 |
29.3 |
|
|
Liberal Democrat hold |
Swing |
|
|
References