Welwyn Hatfield Council election, 2007
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Welwyn Hatfield Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Welwyn Hatfield
Borough
Council in Hertfordshire
, 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
in Haldens and Hatfield
South wards
, while the Liberal Democrats failed to pick up any seats. The third Conservative gain came in Howlands ward, where they defeated Green
councillor
Jill Weston, who had defected from Labour in 2004. Overall turnout
in the election was 33.03%, while dropping as low as 24% in some wards.
Among the Conservative winners in the election were Hannah Berry and Paul Smith, who became the youngest councillors in the council's history at the ages of 18 and 20 respectively, after a recent change in the law had permitted under 21s to stand for election.
One Conservative candidate was unopposed in the election.
Welwyn Hatfield
The Borough of Welwyn Hatfield is a local government district in southern Hertfordshire, England.Its covers the two towns of Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield, along with numerous smaller settlements from Woolmer Green in the north to Little Heath in the south. Each of the towns has a railway station...
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 Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, 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...
35 - 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...
10 - Liberal Democrat 3
Election result
The results saw the Conservative increase their majority after gaining 3 seats, which they described as an endorsement of their record in control of the council. They gained 2 seats from 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...
in Haldens and Hatfield
Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Hatfield is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England in the borough of Welwyn Hatfield. It has a population of 29,616, and is of Saxon origin. Hatfield House, the home of the Marquess of Salisbury, is the nucleus of the old town...
South wards
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:...
, while the Liberal Democrats failed to pick up any seats. The third Conservative gain came in Howlands ward, where they defeated Green
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...
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:...
Jill Weston, who had defected from Labour in 2004. Overall 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...
in the election was 33.03%, while dropping as low as 24% in some wards.
Among the Conservative winners in the election were Hannah Berry and Paul Smith, who became the youngest councillors in the council's history at the ages of 18 and 20 respectively, after a recent change in the law had permitted under 21s to stand for election.
One Conservative candidate was unopposed in the election.