Basingstoke and Deane Council election, 2007
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Basingstoke and Deane Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Basingstoke and Deane
Borough
Council in Hampshire
, England
. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party
stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
and won an overall majority for the first time in 11 years after gaining a seat in a by-election
in Buckskin from Labour
in December 2006. In March 2007 the Conservatives also held a seat in a by-election in Rooksdown
. This meant that the Conservative held 31 seats going into the election, compared to 15 Liberal Democrat, 11 Labour and 3 Independent
councillor
s.
5 councillors stood down at the election, 3 Conservatives and 2 Liberal Democrats, Jonathan Curry, Terence Faulkner, Paul Findlow, Alex Green and John Wall. 20 seats were up for election, with the leader of the Conservatives on the council, Mark Ruffell, being unopposed in Upton Grey
and the Candovers. Candidates stood from the Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour parties, as well as 2 independents.
Basingstoke and Deane
Basingstoke and Deane is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England. Its primary settlement is Basingstoke. Other settlements include Bramley, Tadley, Kingsclere, Overton, Oakley, Whitchurch and the hamlet of Deane, some from Basingstoke....
Borough
Borough status in the United Kingdom
Borough status in the United Kingdom is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district...
Council in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
- ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
31 - Liberal Democrats 15
- LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
11 - IndependentIndependent (politician)In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
3
Background
The Conservative party had run the council since the 2006 electionBasingstoke and Deane Council election, 2006
The 2006 Basingstoke and Deane Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council in Hampshire, England...
and won an overall majority for the first time in 11 years after gaining a seat in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in Buckskin from Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in December 2006. In March 2007 the Conservatives also held a seat in a by-election in Rooksdown
Rooksdown
Rooksdown is a civil parish in the Basingstoke and Deane district of Hampshire, England. The parish was formed on 1 April 2004. It covers a small estate in the north-west of Basingstoke which was previously part of the parish of Sherborne St...
. This meant that the Conservative held 31 seats going into the election, compared to 15 Liberal Democrat, 11 Labour and 3 Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
s.
5 councillors stood down at the election, 3 Conservatives and 2 Liberal Democrats, Jonathan Curry, Terence Faulkner, Paul Findlow, Alex Green and John Wall. 20 seats were up for election, with the leader of the Conservatives on the council, Mark Ruffell, being unopposed in Upton Grey
Upton Grey
Upton Grey is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England.-Roman times:The village is on the line of an ancient Roman road, the Chichester to Silchester Way.-Norman times:...
and the Candovers. Candidates stood from the Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour parties, as well as 2 independents.