2002 Stratford-on-Avon District Council election

The 2002 Stratford-on-Avon District Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Stratford-on-Avon District Council in Warwickshire, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2000 reducing the number of seats by 2.^[1] The Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.^[2]

Campaign

All of the seats on the council were contested after boundary changes had reduced the number of seats from 55 to 53.^[3] Before the election the Conservatives ran the council with an overall majority of 1 seat.^[3]

The Liberal Democrats were the main opposition on the council and contested 46 of the 53 seats.^[4] They attacked the Conservatives for increasing council tax since taking control in 2000, while cutting grants to various groups and moving the council offices to a rented site.^[4] The Conservatives however defended their record saying that the move in council offices would save money and that they had introduced a new bus pass allowing cheaper travel.^[5] Other issues raised in the election included social housing, the environment, speeding traffic and recycling.^[5]

The results were counted electronically as part of a pilot scheme,^[3] while voters were able to use electronic voting in 140 electronic polling booths.^[6] This was expected to lead to results being declared much earlier than in many areas, with some expected within minutes of polls closing.^[5] However while turnout was quite high at around 40%, the results were delayed after the computers did not perform as well as expected.^[7]

Election result

The results saw the Conservatives retain an overall majority of just 1 seat on the council.^[7] They made gains in Ettington, Snitterfield and the new ward of Stockton and Napton, but lost seats in Studley and Harbury.^[7] The Liberal Democrats made gains primarily at the expense of independents, who lost the most seats in the election.^[7] Meanwhile, Labour retained their 2 seats in Southam, but failed to make any gains.^[7]

Stratford-on-Avon Local Election Result 2002^[2]^[8]
	Seats	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
Conservative	27	-1	50.9	43.3	29,117	-11.2%
Liberal Democrats	21	+2	39.6	41.8	28,115	+13.3%
Independent	3	-3	5.7	7.7	5,198	-2.7%
Labour	2	0	3.8	6.7	4,501	+0.7%
Green	0	0	0	0.5	358	-0.1%

Ward results

Alcester (3)^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal Democrats	Susan Juned	1,435
	Liberal Democrats	Clifford Meade	1,149
	Liberal Democrats	Pamela Price	1,085
	Conservative	William Malin	568
	Conservative	Keith Greenaway	449
Turnout			4,686

Aston Cantlow^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	William Lawrence	403	55.1
	Liberal Democrats	Shahid Juned	328	44.9
Majority			75	10.2
Turnout			731

Bardon^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	John Winterburn	429	60.2
	Liberal Democrats	Jack Crimp	223	31.3
	Independent	Ronald Mole	61	8.6
Majority			206	28.9
Turnout			713

Bidford and Salford (3)^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal Democrats	Daren Pemberton	899
	Independent	Kim James	678
	Conservative	Brian Slaughter	650
	Liberal Democrats	John Sandle	646
	Conservative	David Harrison	558
	Liberal Democrats	John Insoll	531
Turnout			3,962

Brailes^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Philip Seccombe	580	73.0
	Liberal Democrats	Sheila Ribbans	214	27.0
Majority			366	46.0
Turnout			794

Burton Dassett^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Brian Hampson	438	70.2
	Liberal Democrats	Edward Nash	186	29.8
Majority			252	40.4
Turnout			624

Claverdon^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Jane Harrison	567	81.8
	Liberal Democrats	Brian Wright	126	18.2
Majority			441	63.6
Turnout			693

Ettington^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Isobel Seccomber	453	55.6
	Liberal Democrats	Anthony Gerwitz	362	44.4
Majority			91	11.2
Turnout			815

Fenny Compton^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Christopher Williams	543	61.1
	Independent	Jennifer Cranfield	346	38.9
Majority			197	22.2
Turnout			889

Harbury (2)^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal Democrats	Andrew Patrick	695
	Liberal Democrats	Shenagh Booth	678
	Conservative	Eric Dally	653
	Conservative	James Turner	639
	Labour	Jack Heath	153
	Labour	Bernard Price	119
Turnout			2,937

Henley (2)^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Nigel Hastilow	939
	Conservative	Ann Haddon	864
	Liberal Democrats	Anastasia Wright	576
	Liberal Democrats	Karyl Rees	432
Turnout			2,811

Kineton (2)^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal Democrats	Alan Higgs	877
	Liberal Democrats	Louise Giblin	749
	Conservative	Christopher Mills	616
	Conservative	Richard Hurley	587
	Labour	Richard Ashworth	128
Turnout			2,957

Kinwarton^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	Lynn Blowring	479	57.0
	Conservative	Sylvia Hyde	361	43.0
Majority			118	14.0
Turnout			840

Long Compton^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Richard Adams	650	73.9
	Liberal Democrats	Virginia Mason	229	26.1
Majority			421	47.8
Turnout			879

Long Itchington^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Bob Stevens	574	72.3
	Labour	Rhona Hazell	220	27.7
Majority			354	44.6
Turnout			794

Quinton^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Michael Brain	505	52.3
	Liberal Democrats	Judith Lockhart	460	47.7
Majority			45	4.6
Turnout			965

Sambourne^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Leslie Topham	328	70.2
	Liberal Democrats	Timothy Knapman	139	29.8
Majority			189	40.4
Turnout			467

Shipston (2)^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Trevor Russell	729
	Liberal Democrats	Bob White	728
	Conservative	Stephen Gray	700
	Liberal Democrats	Bob Brabyn	615
Turnout			2,772

Snitterfield^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Richard Hobbs	615	77.9
	Liberal Democrats	Larry Coltman	174	22.1
Majority			441	55.8
Turnout			789

Southam (3)^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Alan Akelster	926
	Labour	Carol Pratt	771
	Labour	James Taylor	747
	Labour	Peter Thomas	727
Turnout			3,171

Stockton and Napton^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Peter Garrett	295	43.6
	Labour	Peter Hartland	203	30.0
	Liberal Democrats	Charles Williams	178	26.3
Majority			92	13.6
Turnout			676

Stratford Alveston (3)^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Stuart Beese	1,040
	Conservative	Lynda Organ	962
	Conservative	Frederick Parrott	883
	Liberal Democrats	Joan McFarlane	788
	Liberal Democrats	Trevor Honychurch	711
	Liberal Democrats	Judith Riley	683
Turnout			5,067

Stratford Avenue and New Town (3)^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal Democrats	Maureen Beckett	861
	Conservative	Juliet Short	740
	Liberal Democrats	Bill Lowe	664
	Conservative	Joyce Chadwick	630
	Liberal Democrats	Alan Hawkins	628
	Independent	Keith Floyd	606
	Conservative	Richard Mayes	527
	Labour	Karen Parnell	115
	Labour	Desmond Thurlby	86
Turnout			4,857

Stratford Guild and Hathaway (3)^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal Democrats	Ron Cockings	1,008
	Liberal Democrats	Tom Baxter	956
	Liberal Democrats	Clive Thomas	888
	Conservative	Giovanni Renna	882
	Conservative	Roy Lodge	795
	Conservative	Caron Cottam	692
	Labour	Janice Sewell	231
	Labour	Doreen Wright	171
Turnout			5,623

Stratford Mount Pleasant (2)^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal Democrats	Charles Bates	796
	Liberal Democrats	Peter Moorse	663
	Independent	Valerie Adams	373
	Conservative	Nigel Penn	299
	Labour	Matthew Stephens	101
	Labour	Ewan Wainwright	72
Turnout			2,304

Studley (3)^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal Democrats	Hazel Wright	885
	Conservative	William McCarthy	780
	Liberal Democrats	Tony Cronin	774
	Liberal Democrats	Sally Macreavy	691
	Conservative	Desmond Maries	625
	Conservative	Heather Wersocki	558
	Labour	Clive Rickhards	372
	Labour	Michael Gerrard	285
Turnout			4,970

Tanworth (2)^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Anthony Dixon	759
	Conservative	John Lawley	683
	Independent	Peter Brown	459
	Liberal Democrats	Andrew Cooley	191
Turnout			2,092

Tredington^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Christopher Saint	587	71.9
	Liberal Democrats	Matthew Booth	229	28.1
Majority			358	43.8
Turnout			816

Vale of the Red Horse^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Christopher Pilkington	614	72.7
	Liberal Democrats	Rosemary Ratcliffe	230	27.3
Majority			384	45.4
Turnout			844

Welford^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	Peter Barnes	682	74.8
	Conservative	Henry Cottam	230	25.2
Majority			452	49.6
Turnout			912

Wellesbourne (3)^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Roger Wright	1,529
	Liberal Democrats	Priscilla Cook	895
	Independent	Philip Coton	719
	Liberal Democrats	Patricia Williams	699
	Conservative	Edward Duckworth	649
	Conservative	Richard Kingston	563
	Independent	David Morris	427
	Green	Michael Davies	358
Turnout			5,839

References

^ "Stratford-on-Avon". BBC News Online. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
^ ^a ^b "Election results; Local Election". The Times. 4 May 2002. p. 16.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Right turn ahead?". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 19 April 2002. p. 8.
^ ^a ^b Buggins, Arryn (27 April 2002). "Lib Dems put the accent on services; Election countdown". Coventry Evening Telegraph. p. 5.
^ ^a ^b ^c Buggins, Arryn (1 May 2002). "How will votes flow in Stratford? Local elections May 2; Apathy of electorate could lead to surprising result at district council". Coventry Evening Telegraph. p. 8.
^ "Elections to trial high-tech voting". Birmingham Post. 27 April 2002. p. 2.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Buggins, Arryn (3 May 2002). "Tories still in driving seat". Coventry Evening Telegraph. p. 26.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af "Stratford-on-Avon". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 13 March 2010.

[hold-1] "Stratford-on-Avon". BBC News Online. Retrieved 13 March 2010.

[local-2] "Election results; Local Election". The Times. 4 May 2002. p. 16.

[right-3] "Right turn ahead?". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 19 April 2002. p. 8.

[accent-4] Buggins, Arryn (27 April 2002). "Lib Dems put the accent on services; Election countdown". Coventry Evening Telegraph. p. 5.

[apathy-5] Buggins, Arryn (1 May 2002). "How will votes flow in Stratford? Local elections May 2; Apathy of electorate could lead to surprising result at district council". Coventry Evening Telegraph. p. 8.

[high-6] "Elections to trial high-tech voting". Birmingham Post. 27 April 2002. p. 2.

[driving-7] Buggins, Arryn (3 May 2002). "Tories still in driving seat". Coventry Evening Telegraph. p. 26.

[results-8] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af "Stratford-on-Avon". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 13 March 2010.

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