2004 West Lancashire District Council election

The 2004 West Lancashire District Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of West Lancashire District Council in Lancashire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.^[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Party		Seats	±
	Conservative	29	+1
	Labour	25	-1

^[2]

Campaign

Before the election the Conservatives held 28 seats compared to 26 for Labour.^[3] 18 seats were contested in the election, with 9 seats being defended by each of the 2 parties.^[3] As well as candidates from the Conservative and Labour parties, there were also 7 independents, 4 Greens, 1 Liberal Democrat and 1 from the new Ormskirk party.^[4] Both the Liberal Democrat and Ormskirk party candidates were standing in Derby ward, which was seen as being one of the critical contests in the election.^[4]

A major issue in the election was privatisation, which the Conservatives supported saying it would improve efficiency, however Labour criticised the Conservatives plans saying investment should be kept in the area.^[3] The Conservatives called on voters to back their moves to establish litter free zones, create secure leisure facilities for young people and refurbish parks.^[4] However Labour attacked plans to sell council housing and the handing of a local park to a private developer.^[4] Other issues included crime, anti-social behaviour, CCTV and plans to move the accident and emergency department of Ormskirk hospital to Southport hospital.^[5]

Election result

The results saw the Conservatives hold on to control of the council after making 1 gain from Labour.^[6] This meant the Conservatives held 29 seats compared to 25 for Labour and the election was described as a "vindication of Conservative policies running West Lancs" by the Conservative leader of the council, Geoff Roberts.^[6] Meanwhile, Labour's group leader on the council, Alan Bullen, only narrowly held his own seat on the council in Skelmersdale North.^[6] Overall turnout in the election was up by 14% at 42.47%.^[6]

West Lancashire Local Election Result 2004^[7]^[8]
	Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
Conservative	10	1	0	+1	55.6	47.4	13,309	+1.3%
Labour	8	0	1	-1	44.4	36.9	10,346	-3.0%
Independent	0	0	0	0	0	10.6	2,979	-0.5%
Green	0	0	0	0	0	3.3	937	+0.4%
Ormskirk Party	0	0	0	0	0	1.1	298	+1.1%
Liberal Democrats	0	0	0	0	0	0.7	190	+0.7%

Ward results

Ashurst

Ashurst^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Donna Duffy	911	57.4	+4.3
	Independent	Patrick McElhinney	347	21.9	−7.6
	Conservative	David Meadows	330	20.8	+3.4
Majority			564	35.5	+11.9
Turnout			1,588	33.4	+14.7
	Labour hold		Swing

Aughton and Downholland

Aughton and Downholland^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Una Atherley	1,725	77.4	+16.7
	Labour	David McKay	503	22.6	−16.7
Majority			1,222	54.8	+33.4
Turnout			2,228	49.4	+15.4
	Conservative hold		Swing

Birch Green

Birch Green^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Mary Pendleton	676	81.0	−3.6
	Conservative	Susan Cropper	159	19.0	+3.6
Majority			517	62.0	−7.2
Turnout			835	27.8	+14.9
	Labour hold		Swing

Burscough

Burscough East^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Florence Westley	900	60.6
	Labour	Anne Carter	584	39.4
Majority			316	21.2
Turnout			1,484	49.7
	Conservative hold		Swing

Burscough West

Burscough West^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Cynthia Dereli	832	52.2
	Conservative	Graham Jones	763	47.8
Majority			69	4.4
Turnout			1,595	41.6
	Labour hold		Swing

Derby

Derby^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Adrian Owens	987	45.5	−2.0
	Labour	Alan Williams	550	25.3	−16.3
	Ormskirk Party	Margaret Heslegrave	298	13.7	+13.7
	Liberal Democrats	Julian Reid	190	8.8	+8.8
	Green	Anne Doyle	146	6.7	−4.1
Majority			437	20.2	+14.3
Turnout			2,171	47.0	+18.8
	Conservative hold		Swing

Digmoor

Digmoor^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Terence Aldridge	710	72.9	−2.6
	Independent	Alan Spears	147	15.1	+0.9
	Conservative	Irene O'Donnell	117	12.0	+1.7
Majority			563	57.8	−3.5
Turnout			974	31.0	+14.6
	Labour hold		Swing

Halsall

Halsall^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Doreen Stephenson	459	55.4	−18.4
	Independent	Raymond Brookfield	370	44.6	+44.6
Majority			89	10.8	−36.8
Turnout			829	47.0
	Conservative hold		Swing

Hesketh-with-Becconsall

Hesketh-with-Becconsall^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Martin Forshaw	820	63.8
	Independent	Nadine Ashcroft	466	36.2
Majority			354	27.6
Turnout			1,286	42.8
	Conservative hold		Swing

Knowsley

Knowsley^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Peter Lea	1,360	61.4	+4.8
	Labour	Francis Williams	652	29.4	−2.8
	Green	John Watt	204	9.2	−2.0
Majority			708	32.0	+7.6
Turnout			2,216	49.2	+20.8
	Conservative hold		Swing

Moorside

Moorside^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Stephen Hanlon	664	82.3
	Conservative	Malcolm Barron	143	17.7
Majority			521	64.6
Turnout			807	29.2
	Labour hold		Swing

Rufford

Rufford^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Joan Colling	609	77.7	+2.4
	Labour	Shan Annis	175	22.3	−2.4
Majority			434	55.4	+4.8
Turnout			784	47.3
	Conservative hold		Swing

Scott

Scott^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cyril Ainscough	1,044	48.1	+10.4
	Labour	Noel Delaney	820	37.8	−0.5
	Green	Maurice George	305	14.1	+4.6
Majority			224	10.3
Turnout			2,169	47.0	+14.5
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Skelmersdale North

Skelmersdale North^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Alan Bullen	531	45.7	−15.4
	Independent	Joan Morrison	473	40.7	+14.2
	Conservative	Joan Witter	157	13.5	+1.0
Majority			58	5.0	−29.6
Turnout			1,161	37.4	+13.9
	Labour hold		Swing

Skelmersdale South

Skelmersdale South^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Sydney Jones	1,077	63.6	−10.2
	Conservative	Richard Shepherd	334	19.7	+5.5
	Green	Martin Lowe	282	16.7	+4.7
Majority			743	43.9	−15.7
Turnout			1,693	33.9	+15.3
	Labour hold		Swing

Tarleton

Tarleton^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Mee	1,431	63.9	+4.6
	Independent	John Hodson	810	36.1	−4.6
Majority			621	27.8	+9.2
Turnout			2,241	50.5	+13.5
	Conservative hold		Swing

Up Holland

Up Holland^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Margaret Skilling	1,066	48.0	−7.2
	Conservative	Ruth Pollock	787	35.5	−9.3
	Independent	Karen Horrocks	366	16.5	+16.5
Majority			279	12.5	+2.1
Turnout			2,219	45.2	+14.9
	Labour hold		Swing

Wrightington

Wrightington^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Peter Gartside	1,184	66.6	+17.4
	Labour	Pauline Bailey	595	33.4	−17.4
Majority			589	33.2
Turnout			1,779	52.7	+15.5
	Conservative hold		Swing

References

^ "West Lancashire council". BBC News Online. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
^ "Elections 2004: Election results". The Independent. 11 June 2004. p. 4.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Elections 2004: West Lancs". Liverpool Daily Post. 13 May 2004. p. 15.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Labour battles to seize back West Lancs from Tories". Liverpool Daily Post. 28 May 2004. p. 17.
^ Murton, Nick (25 May 2004). "Vote 2004: Vital Issues for families; Nick Murton canvasses opinion from people in West Lancashire and Halton in the days leading up to the local elections". Liverpool Echo. p. 10.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Vote 2004: West Lancs". Liverpool Echo. 11 June 2004. p. 11.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s "Election results - 10 Jun 2004". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
^ "Ballot box". The Times. 12 June 2004. p. 26.

[hold-1] "West Lancashire council". BBC News Online. Retrieved 18 December 2009.

[elections-2] "Elections 2004: Election results". The Independent. 11 June 2004. p. 4.

[west-3] "Elections 2004: West Lancs". Liverpool Daily Post. 13 May 2004. p. 15.

[seize-4] "Labour battles to seize back West Lancs from Tories". Liverpool Daily Post. 28 May 2004. p. 17.

[canvasses-5] Murton, Nick (25 May 2004). "Vote 2004: Vital Issues for families; Nick Murton canvasses opinion from people in West Lancashire and Halton in the days leading up to the local elections". Liverpool Echo. p. 10.

[vote-6] "Vote 2004: West Lancs". Liverpool Echo. 11 June 2004. p. 11.

[results-7] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s "Election results - 10 Jun 2004". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2010.

[ballot-8] "Ballot box". The Times. 12 June 2004. p. 26.

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