Halton Council election, 2004
Encyclopedia
The 2004 Halton Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Halton Unitary
Council in Cheshire
, England
. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2002
. The Labour party
stayed in overall control of the council.
, 19 Liberal Democrats, 3 Green party
, 2 British National Party
, 1 Legalise Cannabis Alliance and 1 independent
. There were also 4 candidates from the new Citizens Party of Halton, with 3 of them being former Labour councillor
s. The election in Halton, along with the rest of North West England
, was held with all postal voting
as part of an attempt to increase turnout
.
Before the election Labour dominated the council with 47 of the 56 seats. As a result the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives were aiming just to reduced Labour's majority in order to provide a better opposition, with the Conservatives standing in every ward
.
A major issue in the election was the attempt by the council to secure funding for a second crossing
over the River Mersey
. The Labour party defended their record in control of the council, pointing to the regeneration of the town centres of Widnes
and Runcorn
and improvements in services.
Brook, Norton North and Windmill Hill wards, while the Conservatives picked up seats in Birchfield and Farnworth
wards. Windmill Hill required 2 recounts before the Liberal Democrat, Kelly Marlow, was declared the winner by a single vote over the Labour candidate. Labour councillors who failed to be re-elected included the deputy mayor, Dennis Middlemass, who lost in Mersey ward to the Liberal Democrats after 12 years on the council. Overall turnout in the election was 38%, almost double what was seen at the last election in 2002.
Labour's leader of the council, Tony McDermott, blamed national polices and mid term votes against the government for the losses, but was pleased at preserving a good majority which he said demonstrated "a welcome level of support".
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
Council in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, 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...
. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2002
Halton Council election, 2002
The 2002 Halton Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Halton Unitary Council in Cheshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party stayed in overall control of the council....
. The Labour party
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...
stayed in overall control of the council.
Campaign
All 56 seats were being contested after boundary changes had taken place, with 119 candidates competing for election. Labour contested all 56 seats, compared to 32 for the ConservativesConservative 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...
, 19 Liberal Democrats, 3 Green party
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
, 2 British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
, 1 Legalise Cannabis Alliance and 1 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...
. There were also 4 candidates from the new Citizens Party of Halton, with 3 of them being former Labour 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. The election in Halton, along with the rest of North West England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
, was held with all postal voting
Postal voting
Postal voting describes the method of voting in an election whereby ballot papers are distributed or returned by post to electors, in contrast to electors voting in person at a polling station or electronically via an electronic voting system....
as part of an attempt to increase turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
.
Before the election Labour dominated the council with 47 of the 56 seats. As a result the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives were aiming just to reduced Labour's majority in order to provide a better opposition, with the Conservatives standing in every ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
.
A major issue in the election was the attempt by the council to secure funding for a second crossing
Mersey Gateway
The Mersey Gateway is a proposed new road bridge across the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal in north-west England. The bridge will be located approximately to the east of the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge that connects the towns of Widnes and Runcorn...
over the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
. The Labour party defended their record in control of the council, pointing to the regeneration of the town centres of Widnes
Widnes
Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn...
and Runcorn
Runcorn
Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 61,500. The town is on the southern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north...
and improvements in services.
Election result
The results saw both the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives make significant gains against Labour, but with Labour keeping a safe majority on the council. The Liberal Democrats made gains in HaltonHalton, Cheshire
Halton, formerly a separate village, is now part of the town of Runcorn, Cheshire, England. The name Halton has been assumed by the Borough of Halton, which includes Runcorn, Widnes and some outlying parishes.-Geography:...
Brook, Norton North and Windmill Hill wards, while the Conservatives picked up seats in Birchfield and Farnworth
Farnworth, Cheshire
Farnworth is part of the town of Widnes which is in the Borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It was a village in south Lancashire between Prescot and Penketh...
wards. Windmill Hill required 2 recounts before the Liberal Democrat, Kelly Marlow, was declared the winner by a single vote over the Labour candidate. Labour councillors who failed to be re-elected included the deputy mayor, Dennis Middlemass, who lost in Mersey ward to the Liberal Democrats after 12 years on the council. Overall turnout in the election was 38%, almost double what was seen at the last election in 2002.
Labour's leader of the council, Tony McDermott, blamed national polices and mid term votes against the government for the losses, but was pleased at preserving a good majority which he said demonstrated "a welcome level of support".