Rushmoor Council election, 2006
Encyclopedia
The 2006 Rushmoor Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Rushmoor
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 3 independent
councillor
s. In total 52 candidates were standing in the election with 14 seats being contested. These candidates came from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Labour, British National Party
, Green Party
, Official Monster Raving Loony Party
and 1 independent.
Issues in the election included anti-social behaviour
, regeneration of Aldershot
, services for young people, traffic management and the environment. The 3 candidates from the British National Party also caused controversy in the election after they distributed leaflets in Farnborough
containing pictures of Mohammad
as a suicide bomber.
The election had Rushmoor be one of a few councils trialing early voting in an attempt to increase turnout
. Polling station
s were open in the week leading up to the election in Aldershot and Farnborough, as well as one in Aldershot Military Town. Turnout in the election as a whole was 36%, up 5% on the 2003 election
with over 1,200 peoples using the 2 early polling stations in Aldershot and Farnborough town centres. However the polling station in the military town, open on the day before the election, got only 46 votes cast.
one seat in Knellwood, where the previous independent councillor, Patrick Kirby, stepped down at the election. The gains from the Liberal Democrats came in Cove and Southwood ward
where the Conservatives won by 310 votes, and West Heath where the margin was much closer at only 13 votes. These defeats meant the Liberal Democrats were reduced to 10 seats on the council, compared to 5 for Labour and 2 independents.
Labour held both of the seats they had been defending with the result in Heron Wood being closest with Labour holding on by 108 votes. The British National Party saw an increased vote, with the party winning 20% in Mayfield, just 28 votes short of second place. Meanwhile the candidate from the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, whose policies had included a pledge to make people buy £90 worth of Smarties each week, won 59 votes in Rowhill ward.
Rushmoor
Rushmoor is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England. It covers the towns of Aldershot and Farnborough.It was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the borough of Aldershot and the Farnborough urban district....
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...
25 - Liberal Democrat 10
- 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...
5 - 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...
2
Campaign
Before the election the council had 22 Conservative, 11 Liberal Democrat, 5 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...
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. In total 52 candidates were standing in the election with 14 seats being contested. These candidates came from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Labour, 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...
, 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...
, Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Official Monster Raving Loony Party
The Official Monster Raving Loony Party is a registered political party established in the United Kingdom in 1983 by musician and politician David Sutch , better known as Screaming Lord Sutch.-History:...
and 1 independent.
Issues in the election included anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviour is behaviour that lacks consideration for others and that may cause damage to society, whether intentionally or through negligence, as opposed to pro-social behaviour, behaviour that helps or benefits society...
, regeneration of Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
, services for young people, traffic management and the environment. The 3 candidates from the British National Party also caused controversy in the election after they distributed leaflets in Farnborough
Farnborough, Hampshire
-History:Name changes: Ferneberga ; Farnburghe, Farenberg ; Farnborowe, Fremborough, Fameborough .Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence...
containing pictures of Mohammad
Depictions of Muhammad
The permissibility of depictions of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, has long been a concern in the history of Islam. Oral and written descriptions are readily accepted by all traditions of Islam, but there is disagreement about visual depictions....
as a suicide bomber.
The election had Rushmoor be one of a few councils trialing early voting in 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...
. Polling station
Polling station
A polling place or polling station is where voters cast their ballots in elections.Since elections generally take place over a one- or two-day span on a periodic basis, often annual or longer, polling places are often located in facilities used for other purposes, such as schools, churches, sports...
s were open in the week leading up to the election in Aldershot and Farnborough, as well as one in Aldershot Military Town. Turnout in the election as a whole was 36%, up 5% on the 2003 election
Rushmoor Council election, 2003
The 2003 Rushmoor Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Rushmoor 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....
with over 1,200 peoples using the 2 early polling stations in Aldershot and Farnborough town centres. However the polling station in the military town, open on the day before the election, got only 46 votes cast.
Election result
The results saw the Conservatives increase their majority after gaining 3 seats to hold 25 of the 42 seats. The Conservatives gained two seats from the Liberal Democrats andone seat in Knellwood, where the previous independent councillor, Patrick Kirby, stepped down at the election. The gains from the Liberal Democrats came in Cove and Southwood 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:...
where the Conservatives won by 310 votes, and West Heath where the margin was much closer at only 13 votes. These defeats meant the Liberal Democrats were reduced to 10 seats on the council, compared to 5 for Labour and 2 independents.
Labour held both of the seats they had been defending with the result in Heron Wood being closest with Labour holding on by 108 votes. The British National Party saw an increased vote, with the party winning 20% in Mayfield, just 28 votes short of second place. Meanwhile the candidate from the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, whose policies had included a pledge to make people buy £90 worth of Smarties each week, won 59 votes in Rowhill ward.