Pontefract South (electoral ward)

Pontefract South
Pontefract South
Pontefract South shown within West Yorkshire
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Police West Yorkshire
Fire West Yorkshire
Ambulance Yorkshire
EU Parliament Yorkshire and the Humber
UK Parliament

Pontefract South is an electoral ward of the City of Wakefield district used for elections to Wakefield Metropolitan District Council.

Overview

The ward is one of 21 in the Wakefield district, and is one of its most marginal. Its marginal nature can be largely put down to the nature of its demographics. The ward takes in traditionally Labour-voting areas of Pontefract, in the form of Chequerfield, Baghill and the Carleton Park estate, along with more Conservative-leaning areas such as Carleton and the outlying villages of Darrington, Wentbridge and East Hardwick. Other areas of the ward, such as the Larks Hill estate, are probably the most locally marginal parts of the ward, their voters swinging between Labour and the Conservatives from one election to another. In December 2010 the ward's electorate stood at 12,090. [1]

Representation

Like all wards in the Wakefield district, Pontefract South has 3 councillors, whom are elected on a 4-year-rota. This means elections for new councillors are held for three years running, with one year every four years having no elections.

At present, the ward is represented by Conservative councillor Geoff Walsh and Labour councillors Tony Dean and Celia Loughran. [2] For several years the ward was represented solely by Tory councillors, however at the local government elections held on 5 May 2011, Conservative councillor Philip Booth lost his seat to Tony Dean, meaning Labour gained representation in the ward once again. [3] At the local elections on 3 May 2012, Labour unseated the Tory group leader of Wakefield Council, Mark Crowther, with their candidate Celia Loughran winning by 605 votes. This means Labour hold the majority of seats in Pontefract South once again. [4]

Election results

Note: The turnout figures below are inclusive of spoiled ballots, except for the 2012 result.

Local elections 2014: Pontefract South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour George Ayre 1,766 41.8 −8.6
Conservative Geoff Walsh 1,434 33.9 −2.8
UKIP Terence Edward Uttley 957 22.6 +12.5
TUSC John Gill 69 1.6 N/A
Majority 332 7.9 −5.8
Turnout 4,226 35.5 −1.1
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

[5]

Local elections 2012: Pontefract South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Celia Loughran 2,222 50.4 −3.1
Conservative Mark Crowther 1,617 36.7 −9.1
UKIP Terence Edward Uttley 446 10.1 N/A
Liberal Democrat Douglas Dale 122 2.8 N/A
Majority 605 13.7 +6.0
Turnout 4,407 36.6 −5.9
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Local elections 2011: Pontefract South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Tony Dean 2,734 53.5 +17.1
Conservative Philip Booth 2,341 45.8 +6.7
Majority 393 7.7 N/A
Turnout 5,114 42.5 −20.5
Labour gain from Conservative Swing N/A
Local elections 2010: Pontefract South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Geoff Walsh 2,978 39.1 −9.5
Labour Jack Kershaw 2,773 36.4 −1.0
Liberal Democrat Chris Rush 1,333 17.5 +4.0
Independent Matt Haddleton 275 3.6 N/A
Green Neil Frankland 221 2.9 N/A
Majority 205 2.7 −8.5
Turnout 7,612 63.0
Conservative hold Swing −4.7
Local elections 2008: Pontefract South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Mark Crowther 2,340 48.6 −0.9
Labour Trevor Izon 1,801 37.4 +0.2
Liberal Democrat Chris Rush 650 13.5 +0.8
Majority 539 11.2 −1.1
Turnout 4,810
Conservative hold Swing −0.6
Local elections 2007: Pontefract South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Philip Booth 2,241 49.5 +7.5
Labour Bill O'Brien 1,685 37.2 −3.8
Liberal Democrat Chris Rush 575 12.7 N/A
Majority 556 12.3 +11.3
Turnout 4,524
Conservative hold Swing +6.6
Local elections 2006: Pontefract South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Geoff Walsh 1,852 41.9
Labour James Nicholson 1,810 41.0
Independent Clive Wigham 730 16.5 N/A
Majority 42 1.0
Turnout 4,420
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. ↑ http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/cgi-bin/calcwork.pl?oldseat=Normanton,%20Pontefract%20and%20Castleford. Retrieved 2014-03-18. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ↑ http://mg.wakefield.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=WARD&VW=LIST&PIC=0. Retrieved 2012-04-25. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ↑ http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemocracy/ElectoralServices/PreviousElectionResults/LocalElections/localelection2011.htm. Retrieved 2014-01-12. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ↑ http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemocracy/ElectoralServices/PreviousElectionResults/LocalElections/localelection2012.htm. Retrieved 2014-01-12. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ↑ http://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/wakefield-council-election-candidates-1-6581175
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