2019 Winchester City Council election

Elections to Winchester City Council took place on Thursday 2 May 2019, alongside other local elections across the country.[1] The Conservatives Party held a narrow majority of one at the last election, with the seats contested in this election being last contested in 2016 election. The Conservatives defended 10 seats, whilst the Liberal Democrats defended 4.[2] Town and parish councils in the city boundary were also up for election.[3]

2019 Winchester City Council election

← 2018 2 May 2019 2021 →

16 of the 45 seats to Winchester City Council
23 seats needed for a majority
Turnout45.10%
  First party Second party
 
Leader Lucille Thompson Caroline Horrill
Party Liberal Democrats Conservative
Leader's seat St Paul Wonston & Micheldever
Seats before 22 23
Seats won 11 5
Seats after 27 18
Seat change Increase5 Decrease5
Popular vote 19,198 15,903
Percentage 47.61 39.44

Results by Ward

Council control before election

Conservative

Council control after election

Liberal Democrats

Background

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Prior to the election, the Conservatives had held overall control of Winchester City Council since 2015, with the Liberal Democrats having last controlled the council between 2010 and 2011. No other parties have held seats in Winchester since the 2016 election, in which the boundaries were redrawn. In June 2018, after the previous election, one Conservative councillor left the party to sit as an independent over concerns about redevelopment of the city.[4]

In July, a Liberal Democrat councillor, who had previously defected from the Conservatives,[5] defected back to the Conservatives[6] after disputes about the leadership of the council; subsequently the independent councillor joined the Liberal Democrats.[7] The statement of persons nominated for the 2019 election was revealed 4 April 2019.[3]

Election results

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As the council is elected in thirds, one councillor for each of the 16 wards are elected each year. All comparisons in wards and swing are to the corresponding 2016 election (when the current boundaries were created), whilst the council as a whole is to the 2018 election. A total of 40,317 votes were cast, with a turnout of 45.10%.[1]

This was the best result for the Liberal Democrats for around fifteen years.[8] Labour's vote also fell, whilst the Greens' rose. The next election was scheduled to take place in May 2020, one year later, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, were delayed until 2021, where they were scheduled to take place at the same time of those already planned, which in the context of Winchester included the next Hampshire County Council Election.[9]

Winchester City Council election result 2019
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Liberal Democrats 11  5 68.8 16 27 60.0 19,198 47.61  6.41
  Conservative 5  5 32.2 13 18 40.0 15,903 39.44  7.76
  Green 0   0 0 0 0 2,896 7.18  4.68
  Labour 0   0 0 0 0 1,719 4.26  4.74
  JAC 0   0 0 0 0 77 0.19 n/a

After the previous election and immediately prior to this election, the composition of the council was:

23 22
Conservative Liberal Democrats

After the election result, the composition of the council became:

18 27
Conservative Liberal Democrats
Composition of Wards after 2018 Election (left) and 2019 Election (right)

Results by ward

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Alresford & Itchen Valley

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Alresford & Itchen Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Russel Digby Gordon-Smith 1,559 45.90 −3.18
Conservative Annie Saunders 1,365 40.19 −6.11
Green Karl Eslie Borges 404 11.89 N/A
Labour Ian Duncan Wight 68 2.00 −2.62
Majority 194 5.71
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

Badger Farm & Oliver's Battery

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Badger Farm & Oliver's Battery
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Hannah Williams 1,548 45.26 −5.14
Conservative Janet Anne Warwick* 1,513 44.23 +3.14
Green Max Priesemann 279 8.15 +3.48
Labour Neil Adrian Dolby 80 2.33 −1.50
Majority 35 1.03
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

Bishops Waltham

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Bishops Waltham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Charles Leon McLean* 1,202 49.02 −25.84
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Williams 839 34.21 N/A
Green Sarah Felicity Gooding 290 11.82 N/A
Labour Steve Haines 121 4.93 −20.21
Majority 363 14.81
Conservative hold Swing

Central Meon Valley

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Central Meon Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Vicki Weston* 1,635 55.76 −8.64
Liberal Democrats Sheila Mary Campbell 783 26.70 +0.66
Green Mik Norman 399 13.60 N/A
Labour Christopher Moore Harpum 115 3.92 −5.64
Majority 852 29.06
Conservative hold Swing

Colden Common & Twyford

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Colden Common & Twyford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Tony Melvin Bronk 1,023 48.34 +3.52
Conservative Andy Kam Hung Lai 883 41.72 −7.22
Green Lucinda Sarah Graham 165 7.79 N/A
Labour Paul James Brown 45 2.12 −4.12
Majority 140 6.62
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Denmead

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Denmead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Judy Clementson 1,067 51.67 −7.61
Liberal Democrats Judith Godwin 728 35.25 +9.65
Green Robert Parker 177 8.57 +1.67
Labour David John Henry Picton-Jones 93 4.50 −3.72
Majority 339 16.42
Conservative hold Swing

Southwick & Wickham

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Southwick & Wickham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Therese Evans* 1,069 62.44 +10.44
Conservative Loraine Constance Rappe 575 33.58 −5.96
Labour Paul Thomas Sony 68 3.97 −4.50
Majority 494 28.86
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

St Barnabas

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St Barnabas
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Mike Craske 2,052 58.93 +7.20
Conservative Elieen Mary Berry* 1,102 31.64 −9.34
Green Mike Perrot 222 6.37 +3.30
Labour Adrian John Paul Field 106 3.04 −1.18
Majority 950 27.29
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

St Bartholomew

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St Bartholomew
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Paula Wendy Ferguson 1,672 60.73 +9.32
Conservative Rose Burns* 662 24.04 −1.90
Green David John Walker-Nix 181 6.57 +0.06
Labour Andrew Timothy Adams 161 5.84 −8.37
JAC Teresa Skelton 77 2.79 N/A
Majority 1,010 36.69
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

St Luke

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St Luke
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Derek Robert Green* 487 42.75 −6.66
Conservative Ian Donald Tait 406 35.64 +23.50
Labour Patrick Davies 158 13.87 −6.82
Green Giles Richard Gooding 88 7.72 +1.35
Majority 81 7.11
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

St Michael

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St Michael
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Kim Alexander Gottlieb 1,718 56.77 +12.10
Conservative Guy Julian Claude Ashton* 874 28.88 −9.46
Green Julia Ellen Hallmann 257 8.49 +3.18
Labour Gavin Mark Ellis 177 5.84 −5.84
Majority 844 27.89
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

St Paul

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St Paul
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Martin Tod* 1,593 61.84 +7.03
Conservative David Simons 505 19.60 −7.88
Green Andrew Karl Wainwright 284 11.02 +6.25
Labour Karen Barrat 194 7.53 −5.41
Majority 1,088 42.24
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

The Worthys

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The Worthys
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jane Rutter* 1,426 65.47 +10.27
Conservative Signe Biddle 536 24.60 −12.91
Green Charlotte Elizabeth Harley 150 6.88 N/A
Labour Tessa Susan Valentine 66 3.03 −4.26
Majority 890 40.87
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Upper Meon Valley

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Upper Meon Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hugh Michael Lumby* 1,235 57.36 −12.25
Liberal Democrats Lewis North 856 39.75 +18.87
Labour June Elizabeth Kershaw 62 2.87 −6.63
Majority 379 17.61
Conservative hold Swing

Whiteley & Shedfield

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Whiteley & Shedfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Andrew Fern 998 56.99 +5.86
Conservative Roger Charles Huxstep* 688 39.29 −0.61
Labour Alison Louise Ridley 65 3.71 −1.30
Majority 310 17.70
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

Wonston & Micheldever

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Wonston & Micheldever
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Caroline Horrill* 1,655 62.00 −2.33
Liberal Democrats Ian Gordon 874 32.74 +5.15
Labour Jude Wilkinson 140 5.24 −2.84
Majority 791 29.26
Conservative hold Swing

References

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  1. ^ a b "Winchester City Council local election results - 2 May 2019". Winchester City Council. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Here's every local election candidate you can vote for in Winchester". Southern Daily Echo. Newsquest. 5 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Winchester City Council Ward and Parish elections - Thursday 2 May 2019". Winchester.gov. Winchester City Council. Archived from the original on 22 May 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  4. ^ "Tory councillor quits party accusing civic chiefs of a 'lack of transparency' and 'arrogance'". Hampshire Chronicle. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  5. ^ "Two Winchester Tories defect to Lib Dems". Hampshire Chronicle. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  6. ^ "Rebel who defied bid to oust council leader defects to Tories". Daily Echo. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  7. ^ "Rebel Tory councillor who quit over lack of transparency claims joins Lib Dems". Daily Echo. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  8. ^ "UPDATED: Lib Dems take control of Winchester City Council". Hampshire Chronicle. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  9. ^ "English local elections postponed over coronavirus". BBC News. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.