2004 Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2004 Gateshead Borough Council election was held on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Gateshead Council in Tyne and Wear, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2003.[1] The Labour Party stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

Campaign

[edit]

The boundary changes kept the number of wards and seats on the council unchanged while changing many of the wards. In total 216 candidates stood in the election, with the Labour and Conservative parties standing for all of the seats. The Liberal Democrats stood in all but two wards where the Liberal Party stood instead. There were also 17 British National Party candidates and one Independent.[2]

The council was expected to remain under Labour control as it had been for the previous 30 years but the Liberal Democrats hoped to make gains. Labour called on voters to re-elect them in order to keep the services provided by the council improving.[2] The Liberal Democrats claimed that a local maternity unit and library were under threat of being closed but Labour accused them of scaremongering.[3] Local businessman Sir John Hall called on voters to re-elect the Labour council in order that a partnership with Newcastle council could continue.[4]

Printing problems meant that ballot papers for the election, which was held with all postal voting, were about a week late in being sent out with 150,000 ballots having to be reprinted.[5][6] As a result, extra printers were used and ballot boxes were placed in local libraries.[6]

Election result

[edit]
Gateshead Local Election Result 2004[7]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 43 -3 65.2 48.5 89,861 -5.7
  Liberal Democrats 22 +3 33.3 34.4 63,801 +4.7
  Liberal 1 0 1.5 3.4 6,272 +0.4
  Conservative 0 0 0.0 10.1 18,719 +1.7
  BNP 0 0 0.0 2.9 5,315 -0.8
  Independent 0 0 0.0 0.4 651 +0.4

Resulting Council Composition

[edit]
   Party Seats Council Composition 10 June 2004
2002 2003 2004
  Labour 46 46 43                                                                                      
  Liberal Democrats 19 19 22                                            
  Liberal 1 1 1  

Ward results

[edit]
Birtley (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sarah King 1,694
Labour Neil Weatherley 1,305
Labour Paul Foy 1,237
Liberal Betty Gallon 1,227
Liberal Henry Reid 1,175
Labour Mary Foy (politician) 1,117
Conservative Karen Sludden 230
Conservative Henry Justice 222
Conservative Angela Monaghan 204
Turnout 8,411 48.0
Blaydon (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Elsdon Watson 1,484
Labour Malcolm Brain 1,461
Labour Kathryn Ferdinand 1,355
Liberal Democrats June McFarling 865
Liberal Democrats Richard Rook 768
Liberal Democrats Maxine Thompson 743
Conservative Mark Watson 295
BNP James Lovatt-McLeish 248
Conservative Elizabeth Wraith 233
Conservative John Wraith 219
Turnout 7,671 41.9
Bridges (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Eagle 968
Labour Patricia Murray 949
Labour Kenneth Childs 925
Liberal Democrats Bernard Shepherd 413
Liberal Democrats Claire Cowie 391
Liberal Democrats Colin Ball 346
BNP Kevin Bell 277
Conservative Diana Moore 206
Conservative Ruth Fearby 195
Conservative Joan Weihe 172
Turnout 4,842 38.1
Chopwell and Rowlands Gill (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Hamilton 2,096
Labour Michael McNestry 2,073
Labour Maureen Chaplin 1,939
Liberal Democrats Raymond Callender 1,050
Liberal Democrats Eileen Blythe 1,016
Liberal Democrats Mary Heslop 821
Conservative James Arthur 358
Conservative Lilian Arthur 341
Conservative Jeanne Waton 339
BNP Kenneth Hutton 245
Turnout 10,278 53.3
Chowdene (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John McElroy 2,014
Labour Keith Wood 1,908
Labour Maureen Goldsworthy 1,749
Conservative Michael Crossman 710
Liberal Democrats Susan Craig 644
Liberal Democrats Glenys Goodwill 587
Liberal Democrats Ian Ball 532
Conservative Peter Lennon 512
BNP Peter Stewart 343
Conservative June Murray 204
Turnout 9,203 50.3
Crawcrook and Greenside (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Noel Rippeth 1,751
Liberal Democrats Derek Anderson 1,704
Liberal Democrats Sally Danys 1,635
Labour Jack Graham 1,200
Labour Judith Brown 1,173
Labour Paul Mitchinson 1,091
Conservative Leonard Davidson 246
Conservative Daniel Duggan 229
Conservative Lynda Duggan 219
Turnout 9,248 51.0
Deckham (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Brian Coates 1,276
Labour June Joyce 1,244
Labour Martin Gannon 1,180
Liberal Democrats Ann McCarthy 626
Liberal Democrats Grace Purdie 517
Liberal Democrats George Conder 477
BNP Kevin Scott 448
Conservative Allan Davidson 344
Conservative David Moor 328
Conservative Maureen Moor 291
Turnout 6,731 39.9
Dunston and Teams (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Bollands 1,252
Labour Maureen Clelland 1,198
Labour Patrick Rice 1,180
Liberal Democrats Samantha Harrison 455
BNP Michael Dafter 444
Liberal Democrats Anne Murray 342
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Robson 308
Conservative Margaret Bell 238
Conservative Peter Callanan 216
Conservative Charles Heslop 169
Turnout 5,785 39.8
Dunston Hill and Whickham East (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Peter Maughan 1,620
Liberal Democrats Yvonne McNicol 1,552
Liberal Democrats Allison Chatto 1,512
Labour Frank Earl 1,392
Labour Pauline Dillon 1,377
Labour Margaret Duddin 1,343
Conservative John Callanan 326
BNP David Dafter 315
Conservative George Walker 294
Conservative Josephine Walker 259
Turnout 9,990 54.2
Felling (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Raymon Napier 1,532
Labour John Hird 1,528
Labour William Dick 1,416
Liberal Democrats David Lucas 411
Liberal Democrats Madeleine Jevon 353
Liberal Democrats Jean Callender 334
Conservative John Wraith 252
BNP Terence Jopling 246
Conservative Suzanna Crossman 222
Conservative Trevor Murray 218
Turnout 6,512 42.2
High Fell (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jean Lee 1,455
Labour Malcolm Graham 1,401
Labour Brian Richmond 1,363
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Bird 548
Liberal Democrats Shakuntala Beadle 444
Liberal Democrats Philip Allen 413
BNP Ronald Fairlamb 311
Conservative Shirley McNall 279
Conservative Edward Parker 221
Conservative Elizabeth Parker 204
Turnout 6,639 40.4
Lamesley (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joseph Hattam 1,507
Labour Nicholas O'Neil 1,491
Labour Craig Harrison 1,461
Liberal Robert Murphy 731
Liberal Edwina Leedale 726
Liberal Brian Bailey 719
Independent Brian Weatherburn 651
BNP Allan Burns 352
Conservative Charles Sludden 302
Conservative Alfred Sterling 238
Conservative Audrey Sterling 214
Turnout 8,392 48.7
Lobley Hill and Bensham (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Catherine Donovan 1,520
Labour Francis Donovan 1,468
Labour Kevin Dodds 1,465
Liberal Democrats Alexander Simpson 641
Liberal Democrats Audrey Horton 566
Liberal Democrats Phyllis Callender 539
BNP George Bainbridge 397
Conservative Ada Callanan 379
Conservative Josaph Sharp 341
Conservative Alan Newton 305
Turnout 7,621 41.6
Low Fell (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Frank Hindle 2,279
Liberal Democrats Ronald Beadle 2,198
Liberal Democrats Charles Jevon 2,173
Labour Peter Gannon 961
Labour Paul McNally 884
Labour Peter Wilson 870
Conservative Raymond Swadling 567
Conservative Cheryle Walker 558
Conservative Paul Sterling 524
Turnout 11,014 56.0
Pelaw and Heworth (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ian Patterson 1,725
Liberal Democrats Doreen Boyes 1,561
Liberal Democrats Robinson Stanaway 1,526
Labour Robert Goldsworthy 1,296
Labour Lee Daniels 1,198
Labour Noor Mian 1,081
BNP Terence Armstrong 240
Conservative Alice Irving 169
Conservative Eleanor Justice 164
Conservative Eleanor Steeley 125
Turnout 9,085 51.7
Ryton, Cookhill and Stella (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ione Rippeth 2,166
Liberal Democrats Norman Callender 1,863
Liberal Democrats Christine McHatton 1,845
Labour Valerie Murray 960
Labour Dane Roberts 883
Labour Brenda Graham 806
BNP Diane Young 186
Conservative Antoinette Sterling 164
Conservative Karl Gatiss 154
Conservative Andrea Gatiss 148
Turnout 9,175 53.8
Saltwell (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Mearns 1,554
Labour Michael Henry 1,525
Labour Joseph Mitchinson 1,458
Liberal Democrats Paul Cowie 507
Liberal Democrats Herbert Anderson 423
Liberal Democrats Walter Danys 393
Conservative Lily Pearse 332
Conservative Edward Bohill 322
BNP Keith McFarlane 240
Conservative Brett Stephenson 239
Turnout 6,993 40.3
Wardley and Leam Lane (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Linda Green 1,602
Labour John Green 1,558
Labour Peter Mole 1,454
Liberal Democrats Susan Walker 596
Liberal Democrats John Diston 565
Liberal Democrats Celia Wraith 548
BNP Brian Lindsay 315
Conservative John McNeil 280
Conservative Mary Peart 268
Conservative Thomas Peart 229
Turnout 7,415 45.6
Whickham North (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Mary Wallace 1,819
Liberal Democrats Christopher Ord 1,803
Liberal Democrats Peter Craig 1,743
Labour Thomas Herring 1,196
Labour James Hewson 1,157
Labour Jennifer Peace 1,135
Conservative Elaine Robertson 339
Conservative John Robertson 323
Conservative Beryl Bennison 300
Turnout 9,815 53.7
Whickham South and Sunniside (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Alan Ord 2,240
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Wallace 2,238
Liberal Democrats Marilynn Ord 2,208
Labour Gary Haley 949
Labour Peter De-Vere 896
Labour Patricia Todd 894
Conservative Sheila Everatt 508
Conservative Peter Ross 437
Conservative Eric Young 398
Turnout 10,768 54.0
Windy Nook and Whitehills (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Patricia Ronan 1,939
Labour James Turnbull 1,925
Labour Thomas Graham 1,888
Liberal Democrats Helen Robson 675
Liberal Democrats Norman Spours 645
Liberal Democrats Amanda Smith 619
BNP Michael Cassidy 417
Conservative Malcolm Campbell 271
Conservative George Walker 246
Conservative Ann Wheatley 243
Turnout 8,868 45.5
Winlaton and High Spen (3)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Lynn 1,667
Liberal Democrats Brenda Osborne 1,632
Labour Julie Simpson 1,517
Labour Lynn Caffrey 1,515
Liberal Democrats Andrew Graham 1,465
Liberal Democrats Joanne Smith 1,422
BNP Joanne Paylor 291
Conservative Alan Bond 230
Conservative Valerie Bond 215
Conservative Dawn Wraith 192
Turnout 10,146 54.9

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Gateshead council". BBC Online. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
  2. ^ a b Richards, Linda (15 May 2004). "Marginal seats in sights of Lib Dems". Evening Chronicle. p. 9.
  3. ^ "Party blasts back in row". Evening Chronicle. 31 May 2004. p. 8.
  4. ^ Young, Peter (1 June 2004). "Toon tycoon in votes row". Evening Chronicle. p. 3.
  5. ^ Smith, Ross (28 May 2004). "Boxing clever as wait goes on". The Journal. p. 2.
  6. ^ a b Hetherington, Peter (29 May 2004). "Postal vote chaos could put back election date". The Guardian. p. 1.
  7. ^ "Elections 2004: Results at a glance". The Guardian. 12 June 2004. p. 10.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "Local Election Results 2004". Gateshead Council. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
Preceded by
2003 Gateshead Council election
Gateshead local elections Succeeded by
2006 Gateshead Council election