1998 Pendle Borough Council election

The 1998 Pendle Borough Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of Pendle Borough Council in Lancashire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Campaign

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17 seats were contested in the election, with the Liberal Democrats defending 10 seats, Labour 6 and the Conservatives 1 seat.[2] The election saw controversy over proxy votes, as the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties accused each other of abusing the system.[2]

During the campaign the Liberal Democrat national leader Paddy Ashdown came to Pendle to support his party.[3]

Election result

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The results saw no change in the political balance of the council, with the Liberal Democrats remaining in control of the council.[4] The Labour Party gained 2 seats from the Liberal Democrats in Bradley and Waterside wards, but the Liberal Democrats took the seats of Walverden and Whitefield back.[4] Meanwhile, the Conservative group leader, Roy Clarkson, held the only seat the Conservatives had been defending in Reedley.[4] Overall turnout in the election was 34.4%.[4]

Pendle local election result 1998[5][6]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Liberal Democrats 10 2 2 0 58.8 41.6 8,662
  Labour 6 2 2 0 35.3 38.6 8,033
  Conservative 1 0 0 0 5.9 19.8 4,132

Ward results

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Barrowford[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Allan Vickerman 717 45.2
Conservative Linda Crossley 460 29.0
Labour Anthony Hargreaves 408 25.7
Majority 257 16.2
Turnout 1,585 33.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Boulsworth[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Alan Davies 702 60.2
Labour Martin Wilson 267 22.9
Conservative James Ilott 198 17.0
Majority 435 37.3
Turnout 1,167 27.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Bradley[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mohammed Iqbal 750 49.4
Liberal Democrats Mohammed Munir 600 39.5
Conservative Janet Riley 169 11.1
Majority 150 9.9
Turnout 1,519 41.3
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Brierfield[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frank Clifford 631 54.7
Conservative Zita Lord 404 35.0
Liberal Democrats Doris Stanworth 118 10.2
Majority 227 19.7
Turnout 1,153 35.1
Labour hold Swing
Clover Hill[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kathleen Shore 601 58.1
Liberal Democrats David French 239 23.1
Conservative Frank Chadwick 194 18.8
Majority 362 35.0
Turnout 1,034 30.1
Labour hold Swing
Coates[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Marjorie Adams 691 57.2
Labour William Skinner 350 28.9
Conservative Craig Toon 168 13.9
Majority 341 28.2
Turnout 1,209 31.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Craven[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Mary Norcross 631 54.6
Labour John Edwards 333 28.8
Conservative Mark Langtree 191 16.5
Majority 298 25.8
Turnout 1,155 28.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Earby[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Doris Allen 709 43.7
Conservative Rosemary Carroll 641 39.5
Labour Kathleen Strachan 273 16.8
Majority 68 4.2
Turnout 1,623 37.8
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Fence[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John David 731 84.4
Conservative Adrian Mitchell 89 10.3
Labour Ian Lockwood 46 5.3
Majority 642 74.1
Turnout 866 46.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Horsfield[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Gillian Gilhespy 601 53.3
Labour Colin Nightingale 527 46.7
Majority 74 6.6
Turnout 1,128 33.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Marsden[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gary Rowland 552 72.0
Conservative Tonia Barton 215 28.0
Majority 337 43.9
Turnout 767 21.4
Labour hold Swing
Reedley[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roy Clarkson 711 57.1
Labour Anthony Martin 290 23.3
Liberal Democrats Sean Hunt 244 19.6
Majority 421 33.8
Turnout 1,245 33.7
Conservative hold Swing
Southfield[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Pauline Allen 690 74.4
Conservative Peter Wildman 237 25.6
Majority 453 48.9
Turnout 927 28.5
Labour hold Swing
Vivary Bridge[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats David Clegg 576 47.3
Labour Pamela Barnett 548 45.0
Conservative Geoffrey Riley 93 7.6
Majority 28 2.3
Turnout 1,217 29.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Walverden[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Safdar Hussain 680 52.1
Labour Rahmat Raja 432 33.1
Conservative Michael Landriau 194 14.9
Majority 248 19.0
Turnout 1,306 44.8
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing
Waterside[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ann Doult 547 49.4
Liberal Democrats John Beck 483 43.6
Conservative Kathleen Hodgson 78 7.0
Majority 64 5.8
Turnout 1,108 35.2
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Whitefield[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Shabbir Ahmed 940 51.7
Labour Mohammed Ansar 788 43.3
Conservative Paul McKenna 90 5.0
Majority 152 8.4
Turnout 1,818 60.0
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing

By-elections between 1998 and 1999

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Horsfield By-Election 10 December 1998[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Gillian Williamson[9] 452 45.4 +8.1
Labour 433 43.4 −11.4
Conservative 112 11.2 +3.3
Majority 19 2.0
Turnout 997 29.0
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing

References

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  1. ^ a b "Policy and politics: Local Elections: Analysis: Council poll results". The Guardian. 9 May 1998. p. 16.
  2. ^ a b "Call for proxy vote review after town hall elections". Lancashire Telegraph. 7 May 1998. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  3. ^ "Liberal leader Paddy will be getting his skates on". Lancashire Telegraph. 22 April 1998. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  4. ^ a b c d "Low-score draw angers Tory veteran". Lancashire Telegraph. 8 May 1998. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Election results". Pendle Borough Council. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  6. ^ "Local Elections results". The Times. 9 May 1998. p. 46.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Election results: Pendle". Lancashire Telegraph. 8 May 1998. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  8. ^ "Local Authority Byelection Results". Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  9. ^ "I won't be beaten by abuse, says councillor". Lancashire County Publications. NewsBank. 22 December 1998.