Woking Council election, 2007
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Woking Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Woking
Borough
Council in Surrey
, England
. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party
gained overall control of the council from no overall control
.
After the election, the composition of the council was
s standing down, Neville Hinks in Knaphill
ward
and Mehala Gosling in West Byfleet
. Both the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives were hoping to win control of the council, with the Liberal Democrats needing 1 more seat and the Conservatives 4. Labour
were defending 3 seats which were all threatened by either the Conservatives or Liberal Democrats. The other parties standing in the election were the United Kingdom Independence Party
, which was standing in more seats than Labour, and the UK Community Issues Party
.
The Conseravtive campaign was described as being the strongest in years with the seats in Horsell
and Knaphill being seen as critical in deciding who would control the council.
, Knaphill and Horsell to hold 19 seats compared to 17 for the Liberal Democrats. Meanwhile Labour lost all 3 of their seats on the council including the party leader, Peter Ford, who lost in Old Woking to the Liberal Democrats. This was the first time Labour had ever failed to have any councillors on Woking council.
The Conservatives won almost 51% of the vote compared to their closest challengers, the Liberal Democrats, on just over 35%, with overall turnout
in the election being 43.60%. Following the election the Conservative Anne Murray was expected to take over as leader of the council from Liberal Democrat Sue Smith.
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 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...
gained overall control of the council from 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...
19 - Liberal Democrat 17
Campaign
The election saw 12 seats being contested with 2 sitting councillorCouncillor
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 standing down, Neville Hinks 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...
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:...
and Mehala Gosling in West 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....
. Both the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives were hoping to win control of the council, with the Liberal Democrats needing 1 more seat and the Conservatives 4. 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...
were defending 3 seats which were all threatened by either the Conservatives or Liberal Democrats. The other parties standing in the election were the United Kingdom Independence Party
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
, which was standing in more seats than Labour, and the UK Community Issues Party
UK Community Issues Party
The UK Community Issues Party is a minor political party based in North West Surrey and South West London. The party was first registered in 2003, but counts its history starting October 2004.-Campaign history:...
.
The Conseravtive campaign was described as being the strongest in years with the seats in 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...
and Knaphill being seen as critical in deciding who would control the council.
Election result
The Conservatives won the election gaining a majority on the council, the first time any party had a majority since 1998 and the first time the Conservatives had held a majority since 1994. The Conservatives gained 4 seats in Kingfield and Westfield, Maybury and SheerwaterSheerwater
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....
, Knaphill and Horsell to hold 19 seats compared to 17 for the Liberal Democrats. Meanwhile Labour lost all 3 of their seats on the council including the party leader, Peter Ford, who lost in Old Woking to the Liberal Democrats. This was the first time Labour had ever failed to have any councillors on Woking council.
The Conservatives won almost 51% of the vote compared to their closest challengers, the Liberal Democrats, on just over 35%, with 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 being 43.60%. Following the election the Conservative Anne Murray was expected to take over as leader of the council from Liberal Democrat Sue Smith.