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2002 Worthing Borough Council election

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2002 Worthing Borough Council election

← 2000 2 May 2002 (2002-05-02) 2003 →

12 out of 36 seats to Worthing Borough Council
19 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
  Blank Blank
Party Liberal Democrats Conservative
Last election 16 seats 20 seats
Seats before 16 20
Seats won 7 5
Seats after 19 17
Seat change Increase 3 Decrease 3
Popular vote 10,387 10,621
Percentage 43.9% 44.9%

Council control before election


Conservative

Council control after election


Liberal Democrats

The 2002 Worthing Borough Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Worthing Borough Council in West Sussex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats gained overall control of the council from the Conservative Party.[1] Overall turnout was 30.67%.[2]

After the previous election in 2000 the Conservatives had controlled the council with 20 seats compared to the Liberal Democrats 16.[3] 12 seats were up for election in 2002 with the Liberal Democrats needing to gain 2 seats to make Worthing a hung council.[4] Issues in the election included litter, the introduction of palm trees on the seafront and a recent 10.3% increase in council tax.[4]

The results saw the Liberal Democrats make 3 gains from the Conservatives to take control.[5] They gained all three of the seats they had been targeting in Castle, Gaisford and Selden wards.[2] The Conservatives put their defeat down to a proposed Asda at Worthing College and on the recent increase in council tax which they blamed on the national government.[2] The Liberal Democrats pledged to work for a "clean and safe Worthing".[2] Following the election the Conservative mayor-elect, John Livermore, stepped down, refusing to serve as mayor with the Liberal Democrats in control of the council.[6]

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Election result

[edit]
Worthing Local Election Result 2002[2]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Liberal Democrats 7 3 0 +3 58.3 43.9 10,387
  Conservative 5 0 3 -3 41.7 44.9 10,621
  Labour 0 0 0 0 0 7.6 1,804
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 3.5 825

Ward results

[edit]
Broadwater[2][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Eric Mardell 1,148 68.8
Conservative Jack Saheid 372 22.3
Labour Ann Saunders 148 8.9
Majority 776 46.5
Turnout 1,668 25.8
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Castle[2][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Maria Moynan 966 51.0
Conservative Mark O'Keeffe 633 33.4
Labour Peter Barnes 238 12.6
Green Derek Colkett 56 3.0
Majority 333 17.6
Turnout 1,893 31.7
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Central[2][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Janet Goldsbrough-Jones 903 58.7
Conservative Martin Coppard 445 28.9
Labour Brian Gill 191 12.4
Majority 458 29.8
Turnout 1,539 26.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Durrington[2][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Christine Allen 1,470 64.8
Conservative Alan Whiteley 659 29.0
Green John Dwyer 141 6.2
Majority 811 35.8
Turnout 2,270 30.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Gaisford[2][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Donald Lissenburg 962 49.1
Conservative Brian Turner 740 37.8
Labour Joy Hurcombe 169 8.6
Green Marie Hillcoat 89 4.5
Majority 222 11.3
Turnout 1,960 30.3
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Goring[2][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Marchant 1,800 71.3
Liberal Democrats Nick Rodgers 724 28.7
Majority 1,076 42.6
Turnout 2,524 37.6
Conservative hold Swing
Heene[2][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Livermore 989 58.3
Liberal Democrats Jenny Bennett 557 32.9
Green Heather Rogers 149 8.8
Majority 432 25.4
Turnout 1,695 27.3
Conservative hold Swing
Marine[2][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Wingate 1,235 60.7
Liberal Democrats Brian Stephenson 388 19.1
Labour Barrie Slater 230 11.3
Green Lucie Colkett 182 8.9
Majority 847 41.6
Turnout 2,035 31.7
Conservative hold Swing
Offington[2][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Graham Fabes 1,404 64.6
Liberal Democrats Paul Daniels 502 23.1
Labour John Gardiner 153 7.0
Green Rosemary Hook 115 5.3
Majority 902 41.5
Turnout 2,174 34.7
Conservative hold Swing
Salvington[2][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Valerie Sutton 1,176 60.6
Liberal Democrats Liz Mardell 550 28.4
Labour Hazel Rennie 214 11.0
Majority 626 32.2
Turnout 1,940 29.8
Conservative hold Swing
Selden[2][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats James Doyle 920 44.8
Conservative Paul High 733 35.7
Labour John Turley 309 15.0
Green Dave Yates 93 4.5
Majority 187 9.1
Turnout 2,055 33.5
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Tarring[2][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Bob Smytherman 1,297 68.8
Conservative Mary Harding 435 23.1
Labour Ian Sandell 152 8.1
Majority 862 45.7
Turnout 1,884 28.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Worthing". BBC News Online. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Lib Dems take Worthing". The Argus. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  3. ^ "Countdown to political battle". The Argus. 11 April 2002. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  4. ^ a b "Tories in fight for Worthing". The Argus. 2 May 2002. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  5. ^ "Town halls change hands". The Argus. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  6. ^ "Tory says no to top job after elections". The Argus. 4 May 2002. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  7. ^ "Election results; Local Elections". The Times. 3 May 2002. p. 6.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "The Worthing Borough Council elections 1 May 2003" (PDF). Political Science Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2009.