2002 Basildon District Council election

The 2002 Basildon District Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Basildon District Council in Essex, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2000.[4] The council stayed under no overall control.[5]

2002 Basildon District Council election[1][2][3]

← 2000 2 May 2002 2003 →

All 42 seats to Basildon District Council
22 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Conservative Labour Liberal Democrats
Last election 18 20 4
Seats before 19 19 4
Seats won 21 18 3
Seat change Increase2 Decrease1 Decrease1
Popular vote 15,891 11,374 5,833
Percentage 46.8% 33.5% 17.2%

Map of the results of the 2002 Basildon council election. Conservatives in blue, Labour in red and Liberal Democrats in yellow.

Council control before election

No overall control

Council control after election

No overall control

Background

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A review of the boundaries on Basildon council made changes for this election leading to the whole council being elected.[6] Several new wards were created for the election including Crouch, Pitsea South East and St Martin's.[6]

Before the election both the Labour and Conservative parties had 19 seats, while the Liberal Democrats had 4 seats and Labour led a minority administration.[6] Several councillors stood down at the election including the Labour leader of the council John Potter.[6] Candidates standing in the election included the first member of the British National Party to do so, Matthew Single in Vange ward.[7]

Election result

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The results saw the Conservatives become the largest party on the council with 21 seats, but fail to win a majority.[8] They gained 1 seat each from Labour and the Liberal Democrats, who were left with 18 and 3 seats respectively.[8] However the expectation was that an alliance between Labour and the Liberal Democrats would continue to run the council as the outgoing Labour chairman could use his casting vote to keep Labour in power.[8] Meanwhile, the British National Party failed to win a seat after coming fifth in Vange ward.[8]

Following the election the alliance between Labour and the Liberal Democrats was confirmed in control of the council, with Labour councillor Nigel Smith, husband of Member of Parliament for Basildon Angela Smith, becoming the new leader of the council.[9]

2002 Basildon Local Election Result[10][5]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 21  2 50.0 48.0 41,157
  Labour 18  1 42.9 34.4 29,475
  Liberal Democrats 3  1 7.1 16.6 14,251
  Independent 0 0 0 0.7 599
  BNP 0 0 0 0.2 189
  Socialist Alliance 0 0 0 0.1 93

Ward results

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Billericay East

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Location of Billericay East ward
Billericay East (3)[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Anthony Archer 1,786 22.0
Conservative Stuart Sullivan 1,745 21.5
Conservative David Dadds 1,702 21.0
Liberal Democrats Gilda Bellard 623 7.7
Liberal Democrats Dorothy Edwards 597 7.4
Liberal Democrats John James 573 7.1
Labour Anthony Bennett 387 4.8
Labour Conor O'Brien 363 4.5
Labour Kevin Wood 341 4.2
Turnout 8,117

Billericay West

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Location of Billericay West ward
Billericay West (3)[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Anthony Hedley 1,965 25.1
Conservative Philip Turner 1,869 23.8
Conservative Stephen Horgan 1,844 23.5
Liberal Democrats Francis Bellard 556 7.1
Liberal Democrats Craig Hands 496 6.3
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Myall 373 4.8
Labour Aidan McGurran 253 3.2
Labour Fiona Smith 253 3.2
Labour Mohamed Javed 229 2.9
Turnout 7,838

Burstead

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Location of Burstead ward
Burstead (3)[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Geoffrey Buckenham 1,627 20.9
Conservative Desmond Lake 1,521 19.6
Conservative Kevin Blake 1,469 18.9
Liberal Democrats Belinda Jackson 779 10.0
Liberal Democrats James Edwards 762 9.8
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Taylor 757 9.7
Labour Margaret Mary 294 3.8
Labour Viney Reid 286 3.7
Labour Patricia Reid 272 3.5
Turnout 7,767

Crouch

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Location of Crouch ward
Crouch (2)[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Terri Sargent 1,073 34.9
Conservative Stuart Allen 1,023 33.3
Labour Wendy Aitken 406 13.2
Labour Eva Borlase 322 10.5
Liberal Democrats Arthur Ferriss 248 8.1
Turnout 3,072

Fryerns

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Location of Fryerns ward
Fryerns (3)[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Janet Payn 1,470 22.1
Labour Paul Kirkman 1,452 21.8
Labour Julia Woods 1,344 20.2
Conservative Deborah Allen 596 9.0
Conservative Kenneth Evens 560 8.4
Conservative Harold Liebner 501 7.5
Liberal Democrats John Lutton 279 4.2
Liberal Democrats Stephen Nice 224 3.4
Liberal Democrats Tracey Williams 222 3.3
Turnout 6,648

Laindon Park

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Location of Laindon Park ward
Laindon Park (3)[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Barbara Croft 1,148 20.6
Labour William Archibald 1,077 19.3
Labour Anthony Borlase 1,006 18.1
Conservative John Schofield 766 13.8
Conservative Stephen Hills 715 12.8
Conservative Francis Tomlin 691 12.2
Independent Alfred Viccary 165 3.0
Turnout 5,568

Langdon Hills

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Location of Langdon Hills ward
Langdon Hills (2)[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Sandra Hillier 923 27.2
Conservative Stephen Hillier 871 25.7
Independent Derrick Fellowes 434 12.8
Labour Lynda Gordon 392 11.6
Labour Emily Evans 363 10.7
Liberal Democrats Linda Williams 239 7.0
Liberal Democrats Susan Dickinson 171 5.0
Turnout 3,393

Lee Chapel North

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Lee Chapel North ward in Basildon 2002
Lee Chapel North (3)[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Nigel Smith 1,165 20.3
Labour Maureen Larkin 1,159 20.2
Labour Richard Rackham 1,086 18.9
Conservative Sharon Cleasby 530 9.2
Conservative Richard Hyland 518 9.0
Conservative Sharon Reid 515 9.0
Liberal Democrats Linda Martin 241 4.2
Liberal Democrats Michael James 229 4.0
Liberal Democrats Martin Neale 214 3.7
Socialist Alliance Richard Duane 93 1.6
Turnout 5,750

Nethermayne

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Location of Nethermayne ward
Nethermayne (3)[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Williams 1,268 15.1
Liberal Democrats Joseph White 1,245 14.9
Liberal Democrats Benjamin Williams 1,199 14.2
Labour Michael Plant 945 11.3
Labour Andrew Manning 930 11.1
Labour Peter Wedlock 841 10.0
Conservative Henry Tucker 676 8.1
Conservative David Walsh 642 7.7
Conservative Christine Walsh 636 7.6
Turnout 8,382

Pitsea North West

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Location of Pitsea North West ward
Pitsea North West (3)[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Keith Bobbin 997 21.2
Labour Allan Davies 893 19.0
Labour Philip Rackley 856 18.2
Conservative Roy Clarke 543 11.5
Conservative Mark Levey 491 10.4
Conservative Roy Watkinson 456 9.7
Liberal Democrats Martin Howard 238 5.1
Liberal Democrats Vivien Howard 229 4.9
Turnout 4,703

Pitsea South East

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Location of Pitsea South East ward
Pitsea South East (3)[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Patrick Evans 1,142 18.2
Conservative Jacqueline Blake 1,120 17.8
Labour Dean Golding 1,077 17.2
Conservative Malcolm Geddes 1,001 15.9
Conservative Edward Phelan 995 15.8
Labour Andrew Powderly 944 15.0
Turnout 6,279

St Martin's

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Location of St Martin's ward
St Martin's (2)[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Richard Llewellyn 771 30.4
Labour Colin Payn 758 29.8
Conservative Gwen Ball 329 13.0
Conservative Carol Mowe 278 10.9
Liberal Democrats Michael Dickinson 213 8.4
Liberal Democrats Annie Humphries 191 7.5
Turnout 2,540

Vange

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Location of Vange ward
Vange (2)[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour David Abrahall 772 28.0
Labour Swatantra Nandanwar 665 24.1
Conservative Garry Johnson 403 14.6
Conservative Philip Johnson 380 13.8
BNP Matthew Single 189 6.9
Liberal Democrats Peter Hulse 178 6.5
Liberal Democrats Seth Williams 167 6.1
Turnout 2,754

Wickford Castledon

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Location of Wickford Castleton ward
Wickford Castledon (2)[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Malcolm Buckley 1,165 33.4
Conservative Sylvia Buckley 1,099 31.5
Labour Derek Burn 356 10.2
Labour Albert Ede 316 9.0
Liberal Democrats Kenneth Ward 309 8.8
Liberal Democrats Arnald Thorpe 248 7.1
Turnout 3,493

Wickford North

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Location of Wickford North ward
Wickford North (3)[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Anthony Ball 1,658 22.9
Conservative Carole Morris 1,562 21.6
Conservative Michael Mowe 1,522 21.0
Labour Jacqueline Brown 639 8.8
Labour Christopher Wilson 543 7.5
Labour Linda Howard 489 6.8
Liberal Democrats Michael Maguire 454 6.3
Liberal Democrats Ian Robertson 368 5.1
Turnout 7,235

Wickford Park

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Location of Wickford Park ward
Wickford Park (2)[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Donald Morris 731 32.9
Conservative Christopher Jackman 660 29.7
Labour Leroy Stephenson 237 10.7
Labour Clive Thomas 236 10.6
Liberal Democrats Michael Woods 208 9.3
Liberal Democrats Fane Cummings 153 6.9
Turnout 2,225

References

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  1. ^ "Council compositions by year". The Elections Centre.
  2. ^ "Local Election Summaries 2002". The Elections Centre.
  3. ^ "Local Elections 2002". BBC News.
  4. ^ "Basildon". BBC News Online. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Local Elections in England: 2 May 2002" (PDF). House of Commons Library. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d "Basildon: Parties battle for knife-edge control". Southend Standard. 9 April 2002. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  7. ^ "Basildon: BNP man mounts shock challenge". Southend Standard. 9 April 2002. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  8. ^ a b c d "Basildon: Tories fail to snatch power". Southend Standard. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  9. ^ "Basildon: Nigel is appointed leader". Southend Standard. 17 May 2002. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Basildon". Local Elections Archive Project. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2011.