2006 Southampton City Council election

The 2006 Southampton Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Southampton Unitary Council in Hampshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1]

Map of the results of the 2006 Southampton council election. Liberal Democrats in yellow, Labour in red and Conservatives in blue.

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Campaign

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Before the election the Liberal Democrats formed the administration of the council with 17 seats, compared to 16 for the Conservatives and 15 for Labour.[3]

Issues in the election included refuse collection, the condition of the pavements and anti-social behaviour.[3] The Labour and Liberal Democrat parties clashed over anti-social behaviour, with the parties disagreeing over whether the Liberal Democrat led council was doing enough to tackle such behaviour.[3][4] The campaign saw national politicians joining in, such as Labour's Hazel Blears and Liberal Democrat Simon Hughes.[3]

The election also had two independents standing on a platform calling for the chairman of Southampton F.C. Rupert Lowe to resign.[5]

Election result

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The results saw all 3 main parties end the election with 16 seats,[6] after Labour gained 1 seat from the Liberal Democrats.[7] Meanwhile, the independents calling for Rupert Lowe to resign as chairman of Southampton F.C. received 200 and 63 votes each.[5] Overall turnout in the election was 31.3%.[7]

Following the election the 3 parties were unable to reach agreement on who should become leader of the council, with a five-hour council meeting on 18 May failing to reach a conclusion.[8] Finally Liberal Democrat Adrian Vinson continued as council leader for another year.[9]

Southampton Local Election Result 2006[10][11]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Liberal Democrats 7 0 1  1 41.2 28.8 15,686  1.6
  Labour 6 1 0  1 35.3 29.8 16,256  0.9
  Conservative 4 0 0   23.5 32.5 17,733  1.9
  Green 0 0 0   0 4.3 2,334  2.8
  UKIP 0 0 0   0 1.6 887  4.9
  Independent 0 0 0   0 1.4 740  1.4
  BNP 0 0 0   0 0.9 466  0.8
  Socialist Alternative 0 0 0   0 0.3 157  0.1
  Respect 0 0 0   0 0.3 144  0.3
  Alliance for Green Socialism 0 0 0   0 0.2 95  0.2

Ward results

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Bargate

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Bargate[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sarah Bogle 861 41.1 +3.1
Conservative Amy Willacy 683 32.6 +3.9
Liberal Democrats Ruth Liskutin 333 15.9 −5.0
Alliance for Green Socialism Philip Pope 95 4.5 +4.5
Independent Perry McMillan 63 3.0 +3.0
Independent Daniel Warren 58 2.8 +2.8
Majority 178 8.5 −0.8
Turnout 2,093 16.8 −0.8
Labour hold Swing

Bassett

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Bassett[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Mizon 1,979 46.6 +11.6
Conservative Linda Norris 1,926 45.4 +1.8
Labour Robert Blond 340 8.0 −3.5
Majority 53 1.2
Turnout 4,245 40.7 +1.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Bevois

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Bevois[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Derek Burke 1,169 51.0 +8.8
Liberal Democrats Robert Holmes 526 22.9 −3.0
Conservative John Whiskerd 441 19.2 −5.0
Socialist Alternative Nicholas Chaffey 157 6.8 −0.9
Majority 643 28.0 +11.7
Turnout 2,293 23.4 −2.0
Labour hold Swing

Bitterne

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Bitterne[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Simon Letts 1,273 41.5 +1.2
Conservative Claire Johnson 849 27.7 −3.6
Liberal Democrats Robert Naish 481 15.7 −1.6
BNP Darren Smith 466 15.2 +4.0
Majority 424 13.8 +4.8
Turnout 3,069 30.4 +1.8
Labour hold Swing

Bitterne Park

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Bitterne Park[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Williams 1,637 45.2 +8.4
Liberal Democrats Keith Reed 767 21.2 −12.7
Labour Michael Brainsby 728 20.1 +3.4
Green Joseph Cox 288 8.0 +8.0
Independent Mark Adams 200 5.5 +5.5
Majority 870 24.0 +21.2
Turnout 3,620 35.3 −2.3
Conservative hold Swing

Coxford

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Coxford[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Peter Galton 1,229 37.2 +1.6
Labour Donald Thomas 1,180 35.7 +3.0
Conservative Edward Daunt 620 18.8 +3.5
Green David Curl 273 8.3 +8.3
Majority 49 1.5 −1.5
Turnout 3,302 32.1 +1.8
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Freemantle

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Freemantle[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jeremy Moulton 1,310 40.7 +3.7
Labour Thomas Flynn 976 30.4 −2.4
Liberal Democrats Ann Russell 483 15.0 −4.0
Green Darren Pickering 446 13.9 +2.8
Majority 334 10.4 +6.2
Turnout 3,215 30.4 −1.4
Conservative hold Swing

Harefield

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Harefield[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Royston Smith 2,054 55.9 +9.4
Labour Penelope Baldwin 1,024 27.9 −0.7
Liberal Democrats Diana Wills 595 16.2 −2.2
Majority 1,030 28.0 +10.1
Turnout 3,673 35.3 +1.3
Conservative hold Swing

Millbrook

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Millbrook[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ceren Davis 1,245 38.4 −3.4
Conservative Andrew Wells 862 26.6 +5.5
Labour Keith Morrell 854 26.4 +3.4
UKIP Stephen Phillips 278 8.6 −5.6
Majority 383 11.8 −6.9
Turnout 3,239 29.8 −2.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Peartree

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Peartree[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Gerry Drake 1,607 48.7 +2.2
Conservative Robert Alexander 922 27.9 −0.9
Labour Paul Jenks 772 23.4 −1.3
Majority 685 20.8 +3.2
Turnout 3,301 32.6 −0.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Portswood

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Portswood (2)[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jill Baston 1,600
Liberal Democrats Steven Sollitt 1,150
Conservative Victoria Pulham 680
Green Christopher Bluemel 585
Conservative Paul Wraight 552
Labour Ann Wardle 551
Labour David Furnell 482
Independent Peter Knight 310
Respect David Fegan 144
Independent Jeanne Butterfield 109
Turnout 6,163 34.0 −1.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Redbridge

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Redbridge[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Catherine McEwing 1,403 44.3 +3.7
Liberal Democrats Paul Russell 995 31.4 −2.0
Conservative Matthew Dean 770 24.3 −1.7
Majority 408 12.9 +5.7
Turnout 3,168 30.5 +1.5
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Shirley

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Shirley[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edwina Cooke 1,591 41.9 +3.2
Labour Graham Giles 1,011 26.6 −1.4
Liberal Democrats Jane Langshaw 499 13.1 −6.4
Green John Spottiswoode 482 12.7 +12.7
UKIP David Geddes 217 5.7 −4.7
Majority 580 15.3 +4.5
Turnout 3,800 37.9 −1.5
Conservative hold Swing

Sholing

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Sholing[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Susan Blatchford 1,650 41.9 +6.4
Conservative Clare Bettison 1,363 34.6 +1.4
Liberal Democrats Barbara Cove 529 13.4 −0.3
UKIP Tony Weaver 392 10.0 −7.7
Majority 287 7.3 +5.0
Turnout 3,934 37.3 +2.2
Labour hold Swing

Swaythling

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Swaythling[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats David Beckett 975 41.1 −0.7
Conservative Matthew Costen 681 28.7 +6.9
Labour Andrew Wilson 457 19.3 −2.4
Green Peter Davis 260 11.0 +11.0
Majority 294 12.4 −7.6
Turnout 2,373 25.0 −1.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Woolston

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Woolston[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Carol Cunio 1,525 50.7 +5.6
Conservative Kim Baillie 792 26.3 +4.8
Liberal Democrats Martin Lisle 693 23.0 −10.5
Majority 733 24.4 +12.8
Turnout 3,010 30.3 −2.7
Labour hold Swing

References

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  1. ^ "Local elections: Southampton". BBC News Online. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  2. ^ "Local elections 2006: Results in full". The Guardian. 6 May 2006. p. 20.
  3. ^ a b c d Morris, Steven (24 April 2006). "Politics: Local elections: The Labour target: Big guns brought to bear as yob factor tops agenda". The Guardian. p. 13.
  4. ^ "This is not a city in crisis, says Hughes". Southern Daily Echo. 5 April 2006. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Mixed bag in the south". Southern Daily Echo. 5 May 2006. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  6. ^ "South: Votes cast". BBC News Online. 5 May 2006. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  7. ^ a b "Sex scandal blamed for Tory win". BBC News Online. 5 May 2006. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  8. ^ "No leader? Let's just toss a coin to decide". Southern Daily Echo. 18 May 2006. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  9. ^ "Labour woos the Lib Dems in bid to secure power". Southern Daily Echo. 10 May 2007. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Election details". Southampton City Council. Archived from the original on 9 May 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  11. ^ "Local elections". The Times. 6 May 2006. p. 64.
Preceded by
2004 Southampton Council election
Southampton local elections Succeeded by
2007 Southampton Council election