Woking Council election, 2004
Encyclopedia
The 2004 Woking Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Woking
Borough
Council in Surrey
, England
. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control
.
After the election, the composition of the council was
remaining the largest party on 17 seats. They gained 2 seats in Knaphill
and Maybury and Sheerwater
wards
from an independent
and Labour
respectively, but also lost 2 seats to the Liberal Democrats in Byfleet
and Horsell
West. The Liberal Democrats were the most happy after gaining 3 seats to hold 15, which was their best election for the council in nearly 20 years. Labour suffered a collapse in support losing both of the seats which they were defending in Maybury and Sheerwater and Kingfield and Westfield, leaving them with only 4 seats on the council but still holding the balance of power.
Overall 7 sitting councillor
s were re-elected, 2 were defeated and 6 new people were elected. Turnout
in the election was 41%, a rise from the 2003 election
with the biggest increase in Maybury and Sheerwater where it nearly doubled to just under 44%.
Following the election the Conservatives remained in control of the executive with Jim Armitage continuing as leader of the council. Meanwhile the Liberal Democrats took the leadership of all 3 Overview and Scrutiny
Committees.
Woking (borough)
Woking is a local government district with borough status in the west of Surrey, England.It was formed in 1895 as an urban district under the Local Government Act 1894. The present-day borough was established in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, and is one of two districts in Surrey to...
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 Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, 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 council stayed under no overall control
No overall control
Within the context of local councils of the United Kingdom, the term No Overall Control refers to a situation in which no single party achieves a majority of seats and is analogous to a hung parliament...
.
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...
17 - Liberal Democrat 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...
4
Election result
The results saw no party win a majority on the council with 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...
remaining the largest party on 17 seats. They gained 2 seats in Knaphill
Knaphill
Knaphill is an urban village in Surrey, UK. To the east is Woking, to the west, eventually, is Aldershot, while to the south and north on the A322 – which forms its effective western border – are Brookwood, and Bisley, respectively. Some of the village is set on a hill, hence the...
and Maybury and Sheerwater
Sheerwater
Sheerwater is a large housing estate in Woking, Surrey, England. It is located between West Byfleet and Woking .Sheerwater was designed as a new neighbourhood by the London County Council, with nearly 1,300 homes built in the early 1950s and over 5,000 people settling in the Borough....
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:...
from an 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...
and 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...
respectively, but also lost 2 seats to the Liberal Democrats in Byfleet
Byfleet
Byfleet is an inland island village forming a suburb of Woking in Surrey, England. It is in the east of the borough between the River Wey and the River Mole, and is within the M25 motorway....
and Horsell
Horsell
Horsell in Surrey is an ancient village nearby to the more modern 19th century Woking, probably best known because of its association with the story The War of the Worlds, written by H. G. Wells. It is the home of the book's narrator , and the landing site of the first Martian transport vessel...
West. The Liberal Democrats were the most happy after gaining 3 seats to hold 15, which was their best election for the council in nearly 20 years. Labour suffered a collapse in support losing both of the seats which they were defending in Maybury and Sheerwater and Kingfield and Westfield, leaving them with only 4 seats on the council but still holding the balance of power.
Overall 7 sitting 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 were re-elected, 2 were defeated and 6 new people were elected. 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 41%, a rise from the 2003 election
Woking Council election, 2003
The 2003 Woking Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Woking Borough Council in Surrey, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control....
with the biggest increase in Maybury and Sheerwater where it nearly doubled to just under 44%.
Following the election the Conservatives remained in control of the executive with Jim Armitage continuing as leader of the council. Meanwhile the Liberal Democrats took the leadership of all 3 Overview and Scrutiny
Overview and Scrutiny
Overview and Scrutiny is a function of local authorities in England and Wales. It was introduced by the Local Government Act 2000 which created separate Executive and Overview and Scrutiny functions within councils....
Committees.