1996 UK local government election
Elections to Colchester Borough Council took place on 2 May 1996. They were held on the same day as other local elections across the United Kingdom.
At the election, the Liberal Democrats maintained their majority on the council. The Labour Party made a net gain of 4 seats to displace the Conservatives as the official opposition. This is the first time since the 1984 election that the Labour Party has held the official opposition.
Summary
1996 Colchester Borough Council election[1] |
Party | This election | Full council | This election |
Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| Liberal Democrats | 10 | 1 | 50.0 | 22 | 32 | 53.3 | 15,202 | 39.9 | +2.1 |
| Labour | 5 | 4 | 25.0 | 11 | 16 | 26.7 | 13,001 | 34.2 | –1.9 |
| Conservative | 4 | 3 | 20.0 | 7 | 11 | 18.3 | 8,577 | 22.5 | –2.8 |
| Tiptree Residents | 1 | | 5.0 | 0 | 1 | 1.7 | 1,085 | 2.9 | N/A |
| Ind. Conservative | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 174 | 0.5 | N/A |
| Natural Law | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 22 | 0.1 | N/A |
Ward results
Berechurch
Berechurch Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | John William Stevens* | 1,231 | 50.1 | +1.7 |
| Labour | O. Bishop | 1,047 | 42.6 | −1.7 |
| Conservative | N. Peckston | 180 | 7.3 | ±0.0 |
Majority | 184 | 7.5 | +3.4 |
Turnout | 2,458 | 43.2 | +1.2 |
Registered electors | 5,700 | | |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 1.7 | |
Castle
Castle Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | William Spyvee* | 1,076 | 45.6 | +10.4 |
| Labour | J. Thomas | 895 | 37.9 | −8.4 |
| Conservative | J. Lucas | 366 | 15.5 | −0.2 |
| Natural Law | J. Basker | 22 | 0.9 | +0.1 |
Majority | 181 | 7.7 | N/A |
Turnout | 2,359 | 41.6 | −2.4 |
Registered electors | 5,679 | | |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 9.4 | |
No Green candidate as previous (2.0%).
Dedham
Dedham Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | G. Williams* | 531 | 57.9 | +3.7 |
| Conservative | W. Scattergood | 318 | 34.7 | −8.5 |
| Labour | Dave Harris | 68 | 7.4 | +4.8 |
Majority | 213 | 23.2 | +12.2 |
Turnout | 917 | 59.4 | −1.6 |
Registered electors | 1,550 | | |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 6.1 | |
East Donyland
East Donyland Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Tina Cooke | 402 | 48.4 | +10.2 |
| Liberal Democrats | Barry Woodward | 245 | 29.5 | +13.6 |
| Conservative | V. Watson | 149 | 17.9 | −26.7 |
| Ind. Conservative | D. Newman | 35 | 4.2 | N/A |
Majority | 157 | 18.9 | N/A |
Turnout | 831 | 47.8 | −10.9 |
Registered electors | 1,738 | | |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 1.7 | |
Fordham
Fordham Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | David Cannon* | 365 | 48.4 | −10.1 |
| Liberal Democrats | R. Tyrrell | 231 | 30.6 | +1.9 |
| Labour | J. Coombes | 145 | 19.2 | +6.4 |
| Ind. Conservative | K. Roberts | 13 | 1.7 | N/A |
Majority | 134 | 17.8 | −12.0 |
Turnout | 754 | 51.7 | −2.6 |
Registered electors | 1,465 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | 6.0 | |
Harbour
Harbour Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Edna Fowler* | 1,219 | 53.0 | +18.6 |
| Labour | S. Webb | 906 | 39.4 | −16.4 |
| Conservative | Mike Coyne | 176 | 7.6 | −2.2 |
Majority | 313 | 13.6 | N/A |
Turnout | 2,301 | 37.8 | −2.2 |
Registered electors | 6,088 | | |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 17.5 | |
No Green candidate as previous (1.4%).
Lexden
Lexden Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Sonia Lewis* | 1,098 | 48.3 | +8.7 |
| Liberal Democrats | B. Trusler | 935 | 41.2 | −6.9 |
| Labour | P. Creasy | 210 | 9.2 | −3.1 |
| Ind. Conservative | I. Juliff | 29 | 1.3 | N/A |
Majority | 163 | 7.2 | N/A |
Turnout | 2,272 | 52.5 | +1.5 |
Registered electors | 4,337 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | 7.8 | |
Marks Tey
Marks Tey Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Richard Gower* | 312 | 34.7 | −16.5 |
| Labour | T. Rogers | 285 | 31.7 | +14.2 |
| Liberal Democrats | G. Ambridge | 275 | 30.6 | −0.7 |
| Ind. Conservative | G. Francis | 27 | 3.0 | N/A |
Majority | 27 | 3.0 | −16.9 |
Turnout | 899 | 44.3 | +1.5 |
Registered electors | 2,028 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | 15.4 | |
Mile End
Mile End Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Lucy Wood | 1,089 | 37.0 | +1.1 |
| Conservative | P. Borges* | 900 | 30.5 | −0.9 |
| Liberal Democrats | G. Folkard | 887 | 30.1 | −0.7 |
| Ind. Conservative | D. Pallett | 70 | 2.4 | N/A |
Majority | 189 | 6.4 | +1.9 |
Turnout | 2,946 | 33.2 | −2.8 |
Registered electors | 8,875 | | |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 1.0 | |
New Town
New Town Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Jenny Stevens* | 1,178 | 62.7 | +3.8 |
| Labour | C. Tighe | 576 | 30.6 | −2.8 |
| Conservative | J. Girdlestone | 126 | 6.7 | +1.5 |
Majority | 602 | 32.0 | +6.5 |
Turnout | 1,880 | 36.8 | −4.2 |
Registered electors | 5,112 | | |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 5.2 | |
No Green candidate as previous (2.5%).
Prettygate
Prettygate Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Martin Hunt | 1,164 | 48.3 | −1.0 |
| Labour | F. Somerville | 629 | 26.1 | −0.5 |
| Conservative | Ron Levy | 615 | 25.5 | +1.4 |
Majority | 535 | 22.2 | −0.5 |
Turnout | 2,408 | 40.6 | −1.4 |
Registered electors | 5,904 | | |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 0.3 | |
Shrub End
Shrub End Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Steve Cawley* | 687 | 49.8 | +7.4 |
| Labour | A. Frost | 529 | 38.4 | −8.4 |
| Conservative | R. Bunn | 163 | 11.8 | +1.0 |
Majority | 158 | 11.5 | N/A |
Turnout | 1,379 | 28.7 | −0.3 |
Registered electors | 4,806 | | |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 7.9 | |
St. Andrew's
St. Andrew's Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Robert Newman | 776 | 61.0 | −6.2 |
| Liberal Democrats | John Gray | 388 | 30.5 | +3.5 |
| Conservative | D. Smith | 109 | 8.6 | +2.8 |
Majority | 388 | 30.5 | −9.7 |
Turnout | 1,273 | 23.6 | −7.4 |
Registered electors | 5,397 | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | 4.9 | |
St. Anne's
St. Anne's Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Mary Frank | 1,124 | 50.7 | +6.1 |
| Liberal Democrats | J. Fellows* | 937 | 42.2 | −6.8 |
| Conservative | M. Miller | 157 | 7.1 | +0.7 |
Majority | 187 | 8.4 | N/A |
Turnout | 2,218 | 40.1 | −0.9 |
Registered electors | 5,534 | | |
| Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | 6.5 | |
St. John's
St. John's Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Ray Gamble* | 1,324 | 59.8 | +9.5 |
| Conservative | N. Taylor | 538 | 24.3 | −1.3 |
| Labour | John Cooke | 353 | 15.9 | −8.2 |
Majority | 786 | 35.5 | +10.8 |
Turnout | 2,215 | 38.9 | −0.1 |
Registered electors | 5,697 | | |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 5.4 | |
St. Mary's
St. Mary's Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | J. Kirchner | 983 | 45.8 | +2.5 |
| Conservative | R. Pawsey | 718 | 33.4 | +1.2 |
| Labour | K. Hindle | 447 | 20.8 | −3.7 |
Majority | 265 | 12.3 | +1.2 |
Turnout | 2,148 | 43.2 | +0.2 |
Registered electors | 5,047 | | |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 0.8 | |
Stanway
Stanway Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Colin Sykes* | 1,100 | 53.9 | +0.3 |
| Labour | Julie Young | 535 | 26.2 | +1.7 |
| Conservative | J. Orpen-Smellie | 405 | 19.9 | −2.0 |
Majority | 565 | 27.7 | −1.4 |
Turnout | 2,040 | 34.4 | −1.6 |
Registered electors | 5,936 | | |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 0.7 | |
Tiptree
West Mersea
West Mersea Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | John Jowers* | 1,089 | 54.9 | −6.0 |
| Liberal Democrats | M. Hargreaves | 458 | 23.1 | +8.5 |
| Labour | Alan Mogridge | 436 | 22.0 | −2.5 |
Majority | 631 | 31.8 | −4.5 |
Turnout | 1,983 | 35.5 | +1.5 |
Registered electors | 5,634 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | 7.3 | |
Wivenhoe
Wivenhoe Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Tom Prosser* | 1,235 | 58.8 | +2.7 |
| Conservative | P. Osbourne | 583 | 27.8 | −3.1 |
| Liberal Democrats | P. Gentry | 282 | 13.4 | +4.5 |
Majority | 652 | 31.0 | +5.9 |
Turnout | 2,100 | 34.1 | −4.9 |
Registered electors | 6,127 | | |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 2.9 | |
No Green candidate as previous (4.1%).
By-elections
Dedham
Dedham: 4 September 1997[2] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | | 374 | 45.8 | +11.1 |
| Liberal Democrats | | 352 | 43.1 | −14.8 |
| Labour | | 91 | 11.1 | +3.7 |
Majority | 22 | 2.7 | N/A |
Turnout | 817 | 51.9 | −7.5 |
| Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | 13.0 | |
References
- ^ "Colchester Borough Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
- ^ "Local Authority Byelection Results - September 1997". Archived from the original on 11 March 2010. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
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