1998 West Oxfordshire District Council election

The 1998 West Oxfordshire District Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of West Oxfordshire District Council in Oxfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was

Background

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Before the election there were 15 independent councillors, the Liberal Democrats had 14 seats, Labour had 11 and the Conservatives had 9.[3] An alliance between the Liberal Democrats and the Labour party controlled the council with a majority of one seat.[3]

Among the councillors who stood down at the election was independent David Walker, who had quit the Conservatives in the early 1990s over the poll tax, as well as Patrick Madden, Peg McWilliam, Elizabeth Mortimer and Susan Swann.[3] 49 candidates stood for the 18 seats that were contested in 1998, including one candidate from the Green party, with the Liberal Democrats defending the most seats at eight.[3]

Election result

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The Conservatives became the largest group on the council after gaining five seats.[4]

West Oxfordshire local election result 1998[1][5]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 9 5 0 +5 50.0 39.0 5,758
  Liberal Democrats 6 0 2 -2 33.3 28.9 4,262
  Independent 2 0 2 -2 11.1 6.4 949
  Labour 1 0 1 -1 5.6 25.4 3,752
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 0.2 27

Ward results

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Ascott and Shipton[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Robert Barrett 295 45.9
Conservative Rodney Rose 240 37.3
Labour Frances Ashworth 108 16.8
Majority 55 8.6
Turnout 643 41.4
Independent hold Swing
Aston Bampton and Standlake[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Brenda Smith 576 74.7
Conservative Martin Chapman 153 19.8
Labour Christine Ainsley-Cowlishaw 42 5.4
Majority 423 54.9
Turnout 771 38.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Bampton[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Jonathan Phillips 480 83.2
Labour Duncan Enright 59 10.2
Liberal Democrats Gareth Epps 38 6.6
Majority 421 73.0
Turnout 577 28.9
Independent hold Swing
Bartons[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Goffe 243 56.1
Liberal Democrats Richard Noviss 117 27.0
Labour Matthew Deans 73 16.9
Majority 126 29.1
Turnout 433 29.5
Conservative hold Swing
Bladon and Cassington[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Louise Chapman 306 58.4
Labour Laurence Whitehead 218 41.6
Majority 88 16.8
Turnout 524 43.5
Conservative hold Swing
Brize Norton and Curbridge[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Verena Hunt 462 60.8
Labour William Tumbridge 204 26.8
Liberal Democrats David Rossiter 94 12.4
Majority 258 33.9
Turnout 760 25.7
Conservative gain from Independent Swing
Burford[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Christopher Davis 383 49.5
Conservative Mary Sanderson 329 42.5
Labour Alison Bettle 35 4.5
Green Ann Edmonds 27 3.5
Majority 54 7.0
Turnout 774 46.8
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Carterton North[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Marlow 502 49.5
Labour William Stevenson 188 18.5
Independent Keith Stone 174 17.1
Liberal Democrats Richard Harold 151 14.9
Majority 314 30.9
Turnout 1,015 20.7
Conservative gain from Independent Swing
Carterton South[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Paul Wesson 331 49.3
Liberal Democrats Peter Madden 200 29.8
Labour John Rowe 141 21.0
Majority 131 19.5
Turnout 672 22.3
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Charlbury[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Christopher Tatton 686 60.2
Labour Reginald James 252 22.1
Conservative Brian Stacey 201 17.6
Majority 434 38.1
Turnout 1,139 49.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Chipping Norton[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Evelyn Coles 717 60.6
Conservative Rosalind Stroud 466 39.4
Majority 251 21.2
Turnout 1,183 26.6
Labour hold Swing
Clanfield and Shilton[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Angela Neale 286 68.6
Labour Sally Webster 131 31.4
Majority 155 37.2
Turnout 417 28.5
Conservative hold Swing
Eynsham[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Harry Wyatt 675 60.5
Conservative Stephen Hayward 239 21.4
Labour Christopher Miles 202 18.1
Majority 436 39.1
Turnout 1,116 30.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Filkins and Langford[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Donald Seale 307 74.3
Labour Michael Enright 106 25.7
Majority 201 48.7
Turnout 413 41.7
Conservative hold Swing
Freeland and Hanborough[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats David James 527 43.4
Conservative David Dawes 522 43.0
Labour Kim Simkin 165 13.6
Majority 5 0.4
Turnout 1,214 37.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Witney North[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Robertson 218 36.2
Liberal Democrats Brenda Churchill 207 34.3
Labour John Ryall 178 29.5
Majority 11 1.8
Turnout 603 25.2
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Witney South[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Anthony Harvey 686 54.1
Labour Frederick Saxby 582 45.9
Majority 104 8.2
Turnout 1,268 23.9
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Woodstock[3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Julian Cooper 608 49.6
Labour Ian Baxter 351 28.6
Conservative Sandra Rasch 267 21.8
Majority 257 21.0
Turnout 1,226 49.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

References

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  1. ^ a b "Local Elections results". The Times. NewsBank. 9 May 1998. p. 46.
  2. ^ "Local government election results". The Independent. NewsBank. 8 May 1998.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Majority of one". Oxfordshire County Publications. NewsBank. 8 April 1998.
  4. ^ "Lord Mayor beats Greens". Oxfordshire County Publications. NewsBank. 8 May 1998.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "West Oxfordshire District Council Election Results 1998 - 2010" (PDF). West Oxfordshire District Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.