2011 Gravesham Borough Council election

The 2011 Gravesham Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of Gravesham Borough Council in Kent, England. The whole council was up for election and the Labour Party gained overall control of the council from the Conservative Party.[2]

2011 Gravesham Borough Council election

← 2007 5 May 2011 2015 →

All 44 seats in the Gravesham Borough Council
23 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Party Labour Conservative
Last election 16 seats, 35.5% 28 seats, 54.8%
Seats before 17 27
Seats won 25 19
Seat change Increase8 Decrease8
Popular vote 13,549 15,151
Percentage 45.1% 50.4%
Swing Increase9.6% Decrease4.4%

Map of the results of the 2011 Gravesham council election. Labour in red and Conservatives in blue.
Labour gained a seat from the Conservatives in a by-election in 2009[1]

Council control before election


Conservative

Council control after election


Labour

Background

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Before the election the Conservatives had run the council since the 2007 election when they won 26 seats, compared to 16 for Labour.[2] However Labour gained a seat back at a by-election in June 2009 in Painters Ash ward.[3]

During the campaign the national Labour leader Ed Miliband came to Gravesham twice, while the Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron met party activists,[4] along with visits by other senior figures from the two parties.[5] Apart from the Conservative and Labour parties there were also candidates from the United Kingdom Independence Party in 5 wards and the Liberal Democrats in 3 wards.[6]

Election result

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Labour gained 8 seats to take control of the council from the Conservatives.[7] Labour made gains in Central, Painters Ash, Singlewell and Westcourt wards to hold 25 seats, compared to 19 for the Conservatives.[8]

Following the election Ed Miliband came back to Gravesham and said "Our victory here is both a sign of our progress and a symbol of our task ahead."[7] Both the local Conservative and Labour leaders on the council, Mike Snelling and John Burden, put the results down to the cuts being made by the national Conservative led government.[8]

Gravesham Local Election Result 2011[9][10]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 25 8 0 +8 56.8 45.1 13,549 +9.6%
  Conservative 19 0 8 -8 43.2 50.4 15,151 -4.4%
  UKIP 0 0 0 0 0 1.3 953 +1.3%
  Liberal Democrats 0 0 0 0 0 1.4 416 -4.4%

Ward results

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Central (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gurdip Bungar 1,079
Conservative Greta Goatley 1,073
Labour Derek Sales 1,060
Labour Andrew Mylett 1,031
Conservative Bronwen McGarrity 1,019
Conservative Samir Jassal 971
Liberal Democrats Matt Vincent 207
Liberal Democrats Gill McGill 150
Liberal Democrats Rob McGill 121
Turnout 6,711 52 +9
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Chalk[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Leslie Hills 562 68.3 −8.3
Labour Alexander Wallace 209 25.4 +2.0
UKIP Quentin Williamson 52 6.3 +6.3
Majority 353 42.9 −10.3
Turnout 823 48 +10
Conservative hold Swing
Coldharbour (2)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sue Howes 735
Labour Rosemary Leadley 675
Conservative Carol Fisher 429
Conservative Heather Frost 421
Turnout 2,260 37 +6
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Higham (2)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Leslie Pearton 1,021
Conservative Harold Craske 871
Labour Eileen Rice 429
Labour Jenny Wallace 428
Turnout 2,749 47 +6
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Istead Rise (2)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Turner 1,067
Conservative Bryan Sweetland 1,034
Labour Jenny Beardsall 294
Labour Pam Sales 236
Turnout 2,631 50 +6
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Meopham North (2)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mike Snelling 1,220
Conservative Laura Hryniewicz 1,051
Labour Douglas Christie 497
Labour Brian Newell 389
Turnout 3,157 51 +22
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Meopham South and Vigo (2)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lesley Boycott 1,098
Conservative Derek Shelbrooke 1,042
Labour Mary Williams 266
Labour Dick Target 265
Turnout 2,671 42 +6
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Northfleet North (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andrea Webb 1,106
Labour Tanmanjeet Dhesi 1,103
Labour Peter Rayner 1,101
Conservative Clarice Masterson 508
Conservative Eileen Tuff 489
Conservative David Garside 466
UKIP Geoffrey Clark 218
Turnout 4,911 37 +5
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Northfleet South (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Loughlin 1,105
Labour John Burden 1,095
Labour Narinder-Jit Thandi 1,061
Conservative Julia Burgoyne 552
Conservative Teresa Sweetland 527
Conservative Brenda Pritchard 520
UKIP Dave Thomas 206
Turnout 5,066 38 +7
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Painters Ash (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Colin Dennis 1,235
Labour Les Howes 1,214
Labour Caroline Shelton 1,128
Conservative Karen Hurdle 830
Conservative Diane Marsh 809
Conservative Alan Ridgers 803
Liberal Democrats Ian Stevenson 111
Liberal Democrats Carrie Abraham 93
Liberal Democrats Martin Wilson 69
Turnout 6,292 50 +7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Pelham (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Brian Sangha 1,327
Labour Makhan Singh 1,300
Labour Jane Cribbon 1,270
Conservative Jack Bearman 766
Conservative Jasmail Dosanjh 739
Conservative Peter Harris 706
UKIP Simon Johnston 235
Turnout 6,343 45 +6
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Riverside (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lyn Milner 1,156
Labour Lee Croxton 1,143
Labour Dick Smith 1,135
Conservative Helen Skellorn 520
Conservative Chaz Sidhu 444
Conservative Amrik Jandoo 442
Turnout 4,840 35 +6
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Riverview (2)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Lambert 902
Conservative David Hurley 800
Labour Michael Coulter 483
Labour Jason MCCrossan 420
Turnout 2,605 42 +6
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Shorne, Cobham & Luddesdown (2)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alex Moore 1,271
Conservative Robin Theobald 1,234
Labour Ernie Brook 315
Labour Maureen Newell 284
Turnout 3,104 51 +3
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Singlewell (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Brian Francis 1,074
Labour Rob Halpin 1,000
Labour Jean Averibou 994
Conservative Graeme Biggs 806
Conservative John Cubitt 788
Conservative Conrad Broadley 776
Turnout 5,438 39 +7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Westcourt (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Colin Caller 1,056
Labour John Caller 1,038
Labour Val Ashenden 1,012
Conservative Sean Long 654
Conservative Philip Hales 651
Conservative Sandra Garside 617
Liberal Democrats Bob Moreton 98
Liberal Democrats James Willis 69
Turnout 5,195 39 +10
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Whitehill (2)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Glen Handley 734
Conservative Senja Compton 732
Labour Surinder Dale 523
Labour Brigitte Steer 513
Turnout 2,502 43 +3
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Woodlands (3)[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sara Langdale 1,141
Conservative Mick Wenban 1,112
Conservative Anthony Pritchard 1,045
Labour Sarah Shepherd 660
Labour Jean Christie 658
Labour Mary Pratley 613
UKIP David Beattie 242
Turnout 5,471 42 +5
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

References

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  1. ^ "Labour councillor wins Painters Ash by-election". kentnews.co.uk. 5 June 2009. Archived from the original on 7 June 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  2. ^ a b "England council elections". BBC News Online. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  3. ^ "Labour win narrow victory in by-election". Gravesend Messenger. 5 June 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  4. ^ Stewart, Louise (7 May 2011). "Labour's big push in the South East reaps mixed results". BBC News Online. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  5. ^ Hitchens, Nick (5 May 2011). "Voters go to the polls in Gravesham Dartford and Sevenoaks". Gravesend Reporter. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  6. ^ Maden, Sophie (5 May 2011). "Gravesham Council elections could see Labour claw back rule from the Tories". News Shopper. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  7. ^ a b "Labour gains control of Gravesham from Conservatives". BBC News Online. 6 May 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  8. ^ a b "Labour win Gravesham but Conservatives hold Dartford in local elections". Gravesend Reporter. 6 May 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Borough Elections - Thursday, 5 May 2011". Gravesham Borough Council. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  10. ^ "Election results 2011: English council summary results". guardian.co.uk. 6 May 2011. Retrieved 26 September 2011.