2007 Gravesham Borough Council election

The 2007 Gravesham Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Gravesham Borough Council in Kent, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative Party gained overall control of the council from the Labour Party.[1]

2007 Gravesham Borough Council election

← 20033 May 20072011 →

All 44 seats in the Gravesham Borough Council
23 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond party
 
PartyConservativeLabour
Last election21 seats, 55.3%23 seats, 43.0%
Seats won2816
Seat changeIncrease7Decrease7
Popular vote13,7868,918
Percentage54.8%35.5%
SwingDecrease0.5%Decrease7.5%

Map of the results of the 2007 Gravesham council election. Labour in red and Conservatives in blue.

Council control before election


Labour

Council control after election


Conservative

Background

Before the election Labour had run the council since 1995 and since the 2003 election had 23 seats, compared to 21 for the Conservatives.[2] The Conservatives had therefore needed to gain 2 seats to take control from Labour.[2]

Election result

The results saw the Conservatives gain control of the council from Labour, the first time the Conservatives had control of the council in 20 years.[citation needed] The Conservatives moved to 26 seats after winning 54% of the vote, while Labour dropped to 16 seats on a 40% vote share.[3] Overall turnout at the election was 36.4%, up from 31% at the 2003 election.[3]

The Conservative gains included taking all 3 seats in the wards of Painters Ash and Singlewell from Labour.[3] The Conservatives also held the seats in Whitehill where the two sitting councillors, George Lambton and Derek Robinson, had stood as independents after being deselected by the Conservatives before the election.[3] The leader of the Conservatives on the council, Michael Snelling, said "I am over the moon. I think we have exceeded our expectations.", while the Labour council leader, John Burden said he planned "to come back in four years' time".[3]

The election in Meopham North was postponed after the death of one of the Conservative councillors Malcolm Burgoyne on 25 April.[4] The delayed election in Meopham North was held on 21 June and saw the Conservatives hold both seats in the ward.[5] The Conservative leader, Michael Snelling, was one of the two winners in Meopham North and as a result was able to then become the new leader of the council.[3]

Gravesham Local Election Result 2007[6][7]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
 Conservative2870+761.954.813,786-0.5%
 Labour1607-738.135.58,918-7.5%
 Liberal Democrats000005.81,459+5.0
 Green000002.0491+1.1
 Independent000001.5383+1.5
 Monster Raving Loony000000.5114+0.5

Ward results

Central (3)[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeGreta Goatley 1,081
ConservativeBronwen McGarrity 1,041
ConservativeSamir Jassal 998
LabourLana Aitchison727
LabourMukhtar Goraya667
LabourMaureen Newell651
Turnout5,16543+6
Conservative holdSwing
Conservative holdSwing
Conservative holdSwing
Chalk[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeLeslie Hills 501 76.6 +10.6
LabourColin Pritchard15323.4-10.6
Majority34853.2+21.2
Turnout65438+0
Conservative holdSwing
Coldharbour[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourSusan Howes 564
LabourRosemary Leadley 535
ConservativeMurray Barrett383
ConservativeJohn Stubbings364
Turnout1,84631+9
Labour holdSwing
Labour holdSwing
Higham (2)[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativePatricia Oakeshott 994
ConservativeBryan Sweetland 799
LabourEileen Rice251
GreenGwen Easdown197
LabourLeslie Howes190
Turnout2,43141+4
Conservative holdSwing
Conservative holdSwing
Istead Rise (2)[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeDavid Turner 1,023
ConservativeKenneth Jones 1,013
LabourDouglas Christie185
LabourDavid Webber170
Turnout2,39144+5
Conservative holdSwing
Conservative holdSwing
Meopham North (2)[5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeMichael Snelling 681
ConservativeLaura Hryniewicz 662
Liberal DemocratsJames Willis200
Liberal DemocratsGillian McGill178
GreenRichard Crawford104
LabourMary Williams59
LabourPamela Sales57
Monster Raving LoonyLord Toby Jug31
Turnout1,97229.0
Conservative holdSwing
Conservative holdSwing
Meopham South and Vigo (2)[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeLeslye Boycott 853
ConservativeRay Collins 767
LabourMark Waterfield209
GreenAnn Wakeman190
LabourColin Meredith162
Monster Raving LoonyLord Toby Jug83
Turnout2,26436+6
Conservative holdSwing
Conservative holdSwing

Note: The election in Meopham North was delayed to 21 June due to the death of a candidate.

Northfleet North (3)[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourRonald Bowman 886
LabourTanmanjeet Dhesi 849
LabourAndrea Webb 841
ConservativeClarice Masterson437
ConservativeEileen Tuff431
ConservativeArthur Fitz-Simon417
Liberal DemocratsBruce Parmenter178
Liberal DemocratsJames Willis178
Liberal DemocratsEmily Slight166
Turnout4,38332+11
Labour holdSwing
Labour holdSwing
Labour holdSwing
Northfleet South (3)[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourJames Loughlin 740
LabourJohn Burden 730
LabourNarinder Thandi 706
ConservativeJohn Nichols551
ConservativeJulia Burgoyne510
ConservativeAnne Welldon463
Liberal DemocratsGillian McGill192
Turnout3,89231+5
Labour holdSwing
Labour holdSwing
Labour holdSwing
Painters Ash[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeHarold Craske 874
ConservativeAdrian Warburton 812
ConservativePeter Barbuti 790
LabourJohn Thompson779
LabourDick Target770
LabourHarry Smith743
Liberal DemocratsAmanda Crane248
Liberal DemocratsIan Stevenson220
Liberal DemocratsMervyn McGill195
Turnout5,43143+7
Conservative gain from LabourSwing
Conservative gain from LabourSwing
Conservative gain from LabourSwing
Pelham (3)[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourMakhan Singh 967
LabourJane Cribbon 956
LabourDerek Sales 943
ConservativeChristopher Barnes759
ConservativeDoreen Fairbrother694
ConservativeLaura Hryniewicz658
Liberal DemocratsRobert McGill203
Liberal DemocratsJodi Parmenter148
Turnout5,32839+6
Labour holdSwing
Labour holdSwing
Labour holdSwing
Riverside (3)[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourLyn Milner 753
LabourRichard Smith 752
LabourLee Croxton 738
ConservativeJuliet Baker469
ConservativeHeather Frost450
ConservativeHelen Skellorn447
Turnout3,60929+4
Labour holdSwing
Labour holdSwing
Labour holdSwing
Riverview[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeWilliam Lambert 777
ConservativeDavid Hurley726
LabourKenneth Green407
LabourRobin McLauchlan378
Turnout2,28836+1
Conservative holdSwing
Conservative holdSwing
Shorne, Cobham & Luddesdown (2)[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeAlex Moore 1,295 43.8
ConservativeRobin Theobald 1,255 42.4
LabourRita Mitchell2056.9
LabourDorothy Riley2036.9
Turnout2,95848+8
Conservative holdSwing
Conservative holdSwing
Singlewell (3)[8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeSara Langdale 786
ConservativeJohn Cubitt 763
ConservativeConrad Broadley 750
LabourPeggy Mersh633
LabourHopeton Robinson593
LabourStephen Webb569
Liberal DemocratsSheila Scott201
Turnout4,29532+9
Conservative gain from LabourSwing
Conservative gain from LabourSwing
Conservative gain from LabourSwing
Westcourt (3)[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourColin Caller 662
LabourJohn Caller 636
ConservativeGraeme Biggs 613
ConservativeThomas Ballard612
LabourBrian Newell602
ConservativeTeresa Sweetland585
Turnout3,71029+4
Labour holdSwing
Labour holdSwing
Conservative gain from LabourSwing
Whitehill (2)[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeDiane Marsh 675
ConservativeGlen Handley 670
LabourBrian Francis382
LabourAlfred Mersh371
IndependentDerek Robinson164
IndependentGeorge Lambton153
Turnout2,41540+3
Conservative holdSwing
Conservative holdSwing
Woodlands (3)[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeWilliam Dyke 1,034
ConservativeMick Wenban 1,013
ConservativeAnthony Pritchard 966
LabourCarole Bowman356
LabourAndrew Delapena329
LabourPeter Leadley323
Liberal DemocratsDavid Bigelow237
IndependentRonald Stanford219
Turnout4,47737+8
Conservative holdSwing
Conservative holdSwing
Conservative holdSwing

References