2002 Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2002 Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1]

2002 Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council election

← 2000
2004 →
  Majority party Minority party Third party
 
Party Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats
Last election 27 seats 25 seats 7 seats
Seats before 27 25 7
Seats won 12 6 2
Seats after 28 24 7
Seat change Increase1 Decrease1 Steady
Popular vote 21,734 22,439 5,137
Percentage 39.9% 41.2% 9.4%

Background

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Before the election the council was run by a coalition between the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties, after Labour had run the council from 1995 to 2000.[2] The candidates at the election were 20 each from the Labour and Conservative parties, 10 Liberal Democrats, 7 independents, 4 UK Independence Party and 3 Green Party.[2]

A significant issue at the election was a report from the Audit Commission in January 2002, which had made many criticisms of the council, with the council having almost been taken over by the national government 2 months before the election.[2]

Election result

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Walsall Local Election Result 2002[3][4]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 12 +1 60.0 39.9 21,734
  Conservative 6 -1 30.0 41.2 22,439
  Liberal Democrats 2 0 10.0 9.4 5,137
  Independent 0 0 0 5.1 2,758
  Socialist Alliance 0 0 0 2.0 1,086
  UKIP 0 0 0 1.5 841
  Green 0 0 0 0.8 460

Ward results

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Aldridge Central and South[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John O'Hare 2,020 58.0
Labour Carol Rose 649 18.6
Liberal Democrats Josephine Levine 474 13.6
Independent David Boulton 340 9.8
Majority 1,371 39.4
Turnout 3,483 35.6
Aldridge North and Walsall Wood[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Keith Sears 1,789 63.7
Labour Violet Upton 1,020 36.3
Majority 769 27.4
Turnout 2,809 27.8
Bentley and Darlaston North[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ayshea Johnson 1,431 63.5
Conservative Doris Silvester 821 36.5
Majority 610 27.1
Turnout 2,252 23.3
Birchills-Leamore[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joan Barton 1,417 61.8
Conservative Mohammed Arshad 763 33.3
Socialist Alliance Azra Jabbar 113 4.9
Majority 654 28.5
Turnout 2,293 24.0
Blakenall[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Robinson 903 59.3
Conservative Alan Venables 303 19.9
Socialist Alliance Peter Smith 135 8.9
Independent Michael Taylor 106 7.0
Liberal Democrats Wendy Evans 77 5.1
Majority 600 39.4
Turnout 1,524 19.8
Bloxwich East[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kathleen Phillips 1,169 48.3
Conservative Anthony Harris 840 34.7
Independent Annette Taylor 307 12.7
Liberal Democrats Amina Walters 103 4.3
Majority 329 13.6
Turnout 2,419 29.3
Bloxwich West[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Worley 1,167 46.4
Conservative Desmond Pitt 975 38.8
Independent Kerrie Pitt 191 7.6
Liberal Democrats Peter Hughes 183 7.3
Majority 192 7.6
Turnout 2,516 27.7
Brownhills[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Bird 1,253 53.3
Conservative Robert Culbert 1,097 46.7
Majority 156 6.6
Turnout 2,350 24.9
Darlaston South[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Graham Wilkes 1,302 70.2
Conservative Rose Martin 553 29.8
Majority 749 40.4
Turnout 1,855 21.6
Hatherton and Rushall[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Arthur Clarke 1,545 51.6
Labour Ann Wilson 1,062 35.5
Green Richard Clarke 239 8.0
UKIP Jenny Mayo 147 4.9
Majority 483 16.1
Turnout 2,993 29.4
Paddock[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Barry Sanders 1,860 44.0
Independent Cecil Wood 896 21.2
Labour Robert Matthews 877 20.7
Liberal Democrats Daniel Barker 465 11.0
Green Robert Walter 133 3.1
Majority 964 22.9
Turnout 4,231 39.4
Palfrey[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Waheed Saleem 1,657 45.6
Conservative Mohammed Arif 1,191 32.8
Socialist Alliance Cyril Leaker 782 21.5
Majority 466 12.8
Turnout 3,630 37.2
Pelsall[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Garry Perry 2,516 60.1
Liberal Democrats Linda Dickens 830 19.8
Labour Paul Higgens 736 17.6
UKIP Anthony Lenton 106 2.5
Majority 1,686 40.3
Turnout 4,188 36.8
Pheasey[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Martin Harrower 1,021 39.8
Conservative Christopher Towe 912 35.6
Independent Edmund Newman 632 24.6
Majority 109 4.2
Turnout 2,565 36.0
Pleck[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Norman Matthews 1,356 61.4
Conservative Mark Dabbs 568 25.7
Independent Peter Ruston 286 12.9
Majority 788 35.7
Turnout 2,210 29.6
Short Heath[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Eileen Pitt 1,158 53.4
Labour Gareth Walker 626 28.9
Conservative Cerwyn Edwards 383 17.7
Majority 532 24.6
Turnout 2,167 24.0
St. Matthews[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Richard Worrall 1,484 49.1
Conservative Wahid Ali 1,054 34.9
Liberal Democrats Martin Barker 207 6.8
UKIP Derek Bennett 133 4.4
Green Gerard Hawley 88 2.9
Socialist Alliance Stephanie Peart 56 1.9
Majority 430 14.2
Turnout 3,022 37.0
Streetly[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Bird 2,301 65.1
Labour Thomas Charlton 777 22.0
UKIP Stephen Grey 455 12.9
Majority 1,524 43.1
Turnout 3,533 32.9
Willenhall North[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Arthur Bentley 1,225 56.8
Labour Carol Creaney 589 27.3
Conservative Susan Turner 343 15.9
Majority 636 29.5
Turnout 2,157 22.8
Willenhall South[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harold Withnall 1,238 54.8
Conservative Steven Turner 605 26.8
Liberal Democrats Anne Willoughby 415 18.4
Majority 633 28.0
Turnout 2,258 23.0

References

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  1. ^ "Walsall". BBC News Online. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Schaffer, David (30 April 2002). "Fighting Walsall's 'rotten' image". BBC News Online. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "Local Election Results". Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original on 1 March 2003. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  4. ^ "Local Elections in England: 2 May 2002" (PDF). House of Commons Library. Retrieved 4 September 2011.