Welwyn Hatfield District Council election, 2004

The 2004 Welwyn Hatfield District Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Welwyn Hatfield District Council in Hertfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was

Election result

The results saw the Conservative increase their majority on the council after both they and the Liberal Democrats gained seats from Labour.[3] The Conservatives made 4 gains from Labour in Hatfield North, Hatfield West, Howlands and Sherrards wards, with one Conservative councillor describing the results as "so good absolutely marvellous".[4] Labour put their defeats down to mid-term unpopularity of the national Labour government.[4]

However the Conservatives did lose one seat to the Liberal Democrats in Handside, and this, along with a Liberal Democrat gain from Labour in Hatfield Central, meant that the Liberal Democrats won their first seats on the council for 14 years.[4] The Liberal Democrats said they had been successful after campaigning on local issues such as maintaining Welwyn Garden City and on Stanborough Park.[4]

Meanwhile the one candidate from the United Kingdom Independence Party came second in Northaw ward ahead of both Labour and the Liberal Democrats.[4] Overall turnout in the election was 40.61%,[5] a significant rise on the 2003 election.[4]

Welwyn Hatfield Local Election Result 2004[2][5]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 11 4 1 +3 64.7 47.4 13,492 +2.3%
  Labour 4 0 5 -5 23.5 26.5 7,546 -5.8%
  Liberal Democrat 2 2 0 +2 11.8 24.0 6,828 +1.4%
  UKIP 0 0 0 0 0 1.5 437 +1.5%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 0.5 137 +0.5%

Ward results

Brookmans Park & Little Heath[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Irene Dean 1,549 73.9 -3.3
Liberal Democrat Nigel Bain 361 17.2 +3.7
Labour William Couzens 187 8.9 -0.4
Majority 1,188 56.7 -7.0
Turnout 2,097 47.5
Conservative hold Swing
Haldens[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rory Hallahan 600 38.4 -13.1
Conservative Edward Hall 545 34.8 +7.5
Liberal Democrat Jonathan Arch 419 26.8 +5.6
Majority 55 3.6 -20.6
Turnout 1,564 36.6
Labour hold Swing
Handside[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Daniel Cooke 1,230 45.5 +2.0
Conservative Lance Stanbury 1,180 43.6 -0.8
Labour Lynn Chesterman 296 10.9 -1.2
Majority 50 1.9
Turnout 2,706 55.0
Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative Swing
Hatfield Central[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Hazel Laming 514 37.3 +2.2
Labour Margaret White 476 34.5 -9.8
Conservative Andrew Peffer 388 28.2 +7.6
Majority 38 2.8
Turnout 1,378 32.7
Liberal Democrat gain from Labour Swing
Hatfield East[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bernard Sarson 883 51.2 -4.0
Labour Sheila Wilder 376 21.8 -3.1
Liberal Democrat Lis Meyland-Smith 330 19.1 -0.8
Green Graham Laverick 137 7.9 +7.9
Majority 507 29.4 -0.9
Turnout 1,726 40.4
Conservative hold Swing
Hatfield North[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Gilding 783 43.7
Labour Bridgit Croft 669 37.3
Liberal Democrat Janet Gammage 341 19.0
Majority 114 6.4
Turnout 1,793 36.6
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Hatfield South[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Linda Mendez 395 50.1
Conservative Douglas Berry 242 30.7
Liberal Democrat Richard Griffiths 152 19.3
Majority 153 19.4
Turnout 789 29.7
Labour hold Swing
Hatfield West[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ronald Wheeler 731 45.2 -1.8
Labour Tony Wilder 519 32.1 -5.1
Liberal Democrat Simon Archer 369 22.8 +7.0
Majority 212 13.1 +3.3
Turnout 1,619 39.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Hollybush[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Susan Jones 669 46.3 -9.5
Conservative Marian Pile 491 34.0 +8.9
Liberal Democrat Eirwen Smith 286 19.8 +0.7
Majority 178 12.3 -18.4
Turnout 1,446 35.2
Labour hold Swing
Howlands[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Franey 655 38.8 +8.7
Labour Mark Biddle 643 38.1 -13.7
Liberal Democrat Pascal Jacquemain 388 23.0 +4.8
Majority 12 0.7
Turnout 1,686 40.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Northaw[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Colin Couch 1,115 61.4 -18.9
UKIP Robert Ellingham 437 24.1 +24.1
Liberal Democrat Jennifer Blumsom 160 8.8 -3.2
Labour Peter Heyman 104 5.7 -2.0
Majority 678 37.3 -31.0
Turnout 1,816 43.5
Conservative hold Swing
Panshanger[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roger Trigg 779 46.6 +4.2
Labour Anthony Crump 448 26.8 -4.5
Liberal Democrat Ted Naseby 446 26.7 +0.4
Majority 331 19.8 +8.7
Turnout 1,673 35.7
Conservative hold Swing
Peartree[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Christopher Cory 607 45.3 -2.4
Liberal Democrat Wanda Armstrong-Bridges 405 30.2 -4.9
Conservative Julie Peffer 328 24.5 +7.3
Majority 202 15.1 +2.5
Turnout 1,340 30.4
Labour hold Swing
Sherrards[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Terence Mabbott 970 44.3 -1.3
Labour Margaret Hurst 814 37.1 -2.8
Liberal Democrat Frank Marsh 408 18.6 +4.2
Majority 156 7.2 +1.5
Turnout 2,192 51.6
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Welham Green[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Keith Pieri 745 66.6 +3.3
Labour Sheila Jones 195 17.4 -5.5
Liberal Democrat Sheila Archer 179 16.0 +2.2
Majority 550 49.2 +8.8
Turnout 1,119 41.1
Conservative hold Swing
Welwyn North[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Steven Markiewicz 948 64.7 +2.5
Liberal Democrat Helen Bassett 318 21.7 +0.1
Labour David Wilson 199 13.6 -2.6
Majority 630 43.0 +2.4
Turnout 1,465 43.2
Conservative hold Swing
Welwyn South[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stuart Pile 1,160 57.1 -2.9
Liberal Democrat Ian Skidmore 522 25.7 +5.9
Labour Julia Henderson 349 17.2 -3.0
Majority 638 31.4 -8.4
Turnout 2,031 47.4
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. "Welwyn Hatfield council". BBC News Online. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "How the southeast voted in the district council polls". Evening Standard. 2004-06-11. p. 8.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 "Local Elections: Welwyn Hatfield". BBC Online. Retrieved 2010-03-08.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "Tories tighten hold on Welwyn Hatfield". St Albans & Harpenden Review. 2004-06-11. Retrieved 2010-03-08.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 "Election Results - 10 June 2004". Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. Retrieved 2010-03-07.