1998 Harlow District Council election

The 1998 Harlow District Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of Harlow District Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

1998 Harlow District Council election
← 1996 7 May 1998 1999 →

14 of the 42 seats to Harlow District Council
17 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Labour Liberal Democrats Conservative
Last election 39 3 0
Seats before 40 2 0
Seats won 13 1 1
Seats after 38 3 1
Seat change Decrease2 Increase1 Increase1
Popular vote 8,305 3,124 4,248
Percentage 53.0% 19.9% 27.1%

Map showing the results of contested wards in the 1998 Harlow District Council elections.

Council control before election

Labour

Council control after election

Labour

After the election, the composition of the council was

Background

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Before the election Labour had 40 of the 42 seats on the council, with only 2 Liberal Democrat councillors forming the opposition.[3] 3 Labour councillors stood down at the election from Katherines with Sumners, Netteswell West and Tye Green wards.[3]

Each of the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrats had candidates for all 15 seats contested at the election, with 2 seats available in Old Harlow ward.[3]

Election result

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Labour held 13 of the 15 seats they had been defending, but the council chairman John Young was defeated in Kingsmoor ward by 21-year-old Conservative Andrew Johnson, who became the youngest councillor on the council.[4] The Liberal Democrats also regained Stewards from Labour, a seat they had previously lost at a by-election.[4]

Harlow local election result 1998[1][4]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 13 0 2  2 86.7 53.0 8,305  4.3
  Conservative 1 1 0  1 6.7 27.1 4,248  3.8
  Liberal Democrats 1 1 0  1 6.7 19.9 3,124  1.4

All comparisons in vote share are to the corresponding 1994 election.

Ward results

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Brays Grove

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Location of Brays Grove ward
Brays Grove[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Annie Howard 524 71.6
Conservative Ronald Tweed 119 16.3
Liberal Democrats Ian Jackson 89 12.2
Majority 405 55.3
Turnout 732
Labour hold

Hare Street

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Location of Hare Street ward
Hare Street[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour John Cave 422 65.9
Conservative David Roberts 114 17.8
Liberal Democrats Stanley Ward 104 16.3
Majority 308 48.1
Turnout 640
Labour hold

Katherines with Sumners

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Location of Katherines with Sumner ward
Katherines with Sumners[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Godfrey Hocking 445 44.2
Conservative Simon Carter 419 41.6
Liberal Democrats Harry Ackland-Snow 143 14.2
Majority 26 2.6
Turnout 1,007
Labour hold

Kingsmoor

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Location of Kingsmoor ward
Kingsmoor[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Andrew Johnson 576 43.4
Labour John Young 574 43.2
Liberal Democrats Linda Jones 178 13.4
Majority 2 0.2
Turnout 1,328
Conservative gain from Labour

Latton Bush

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Location of Latton Bush ward
Latton Bush[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Alan Frost 548 57.9
Conservative Pamela Norton 272 28.7
Liberal Democrats Paul Lawton 127 13.4
Majority 276 29.1
Turnout 947
Labour hold

Little Parndon

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Location of Little Parndon ward
Little Parndon[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Mavis Carter 648 67.6
Conservative Charles Ross 199 20.8
Liberal Democrats Anthony Davis 111 11.6
Majority 449 46.9
Turnout 958
Labour hold

Mark Hall North

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Mark Location of Hall North ward
Mark Hall North[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Edith Morris 426 62.8
Conservative Anthony Gronland 164 24.2
Liberal Democrats Michael Atkinson 88 13.0
Majority 262 38.6
Turnout 678
Labour hold

Mark Hall South

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Location of Mark Hall South ward
Mark Hall South[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Caroline Vaughan 603 54.1
Liberal Democrats Glennis George 400 35.9
Conservative Dianne Crossingham 111 10.0
Majority 203 18.2
Turnout 1,114
Labour hold

Netteswell West

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Location of Netteswell West ward
Netteswell West[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Derek Eardley 396 66.4
Liberal Democrats Shiela Herbert 110 18.5
Conservative Sue Livings 90 15.1
Majority 286 48.0
Turnout 596
Labour hold

Old Harlow (2 seats)

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Location of Old Harlow ward
Old Harlow (2 seats)[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Jonathan Simcox 780
Labour Jacqueline Sully 749
Conservative Michael Garnett 638
Conservative George Reynolds 603
Liberal Democrats Gareth Higgins 206
Liberal Democrats Nicholas Macy 173
Turnout 3,149
Labour hold
Labour hold

Passmores

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Locations of Passmores ward
Passmores[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Rob Collyer 574 63.6
Conservative Andrew Shannon 190 21.0
Liberal Democrats David Arnold 139 15.4
Majority 384 42.5
Turnout 903
Labour hold

Potter Street

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Location of Potter Street ward
Potter Street[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Feroz Khan 681 41.2
Conservative Ronald Cross 547 33.1
Liberal Democrats William Arnott 425 25.7
Majority 134 8.1
Turnout 1,653
Labour hold

Stewards

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Location of Stewards ward
Stewards[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Democrats Audrey Curran 704 64.9
Labour Gregory Peck 311 28.7
Conservative Stephen Butt 69 6.4
Majority 393 36.3
Turnout 1,084
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour

Tye Green

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Location of Tye Green ward
Tye Green[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Margaret Hickey 624 70.3
Conservative Vivien Ross 137 15.4
Liberal Democrats Valerie Scott 127 14.3
Majority 487 54.8
Turnout 888
Labour hold

References

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  1. ^ a b "Local Elections results". The Times. 9 May 1998. p. 46.
  2. ^ "Policy and politics: Local Elections: Analysis: Council poll results". The Guardian. 9 May 1998. p. 16.
  3. ^ a b c "Let battle commence". Greater London, Kent, and Surrey Counties Publications. NewsBank. 9 May 1998.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Results of Harlow local elections 1998". Greater London, Kent and Surrey County Publications. NewsBank. 9 May 1998.