1997 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council election

1997 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council election
← 1996
1 May 1997 (1997-05-01)
1999 →
All 39 seats to Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
20 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Party Conservative Liberal Democrats Labour
Seats won 18 14 7
Seat change Increase 8 Decrease 4 Decrease 4
Popular vote 90,624 71,766 61,792
Percentage 40.2% 31.8% 27.4%
Swing Increase 5.8% Increase 1.1% Decrease 7.5%
Winner of each seat at the 1997 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council election.
Council control before election


No overall control

Council control after election


No overall control

The 1997 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council election took place on 1 May 1997 to elect members of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council in Essex, England. This was on the same day as the 1997 general election and other local elections.

This was the first election to the council following its establishment as a unitary authority, with the council taking on the powers and responsibilities of Essex County Council for the area. Due to this, the whole council was up for election. However, the ward boundaries and number of seats remained the same.

Summary

Election result

1997 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council election[1]
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Conservative 18 Increase 8 46.2 0 18 46.2 90,624 40.2 +5.8
  Liberal Democrats 14 Decrease 4 35.9 0 14 35.9 71,766 31.8 +1.1
  Labour 7 Decrease 4 17.9 0 7 17.9 61,792 27.4 –7.5
  Ind. Conservative 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 1,233 0.5 N/A

Ward results

[2]

Belfairs

Belfairs (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative S. Aylen 3,042 48.9 +5.5
Conservative H. Briggs* 2,944 47.4 +4.0
Conservative G. Horrigan 2,915 46.9 +3.5
Liberal Democrats S. Pawson 2,601 41.8 –1.6
Liberal Democrats C. Ritchie 2,145 34.5 –8.9
Liberal Democrats D. Piper 2,059 33.1 –10.3
Labour N. Boorman 1,028 16.5 +3.2
Labour A. Crook 963 15.5 +2.2
Labour J. Norman 952 15.3 +2.0
Turnout ~7,052 76.6 +31.6
Registered electors 9,206
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats

Blenheim

Blenheim (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats G. Longley* 2,756 45.2 +4.2
Liberal Democrats C. Mallam* 2,724 44.7 +3.7
Liberal Democrats B. Smith* 2,674 43.9 +2.9
Conservative G. Attridge 2,096 34.4 +5.0
Conservative P. Collins 2,024 33.2 +3.8
Conservative G. Hart 1,974 32.4 +3.0
Labour T. Merrison 1,417 23.3 –6.2
Labour J. Clinkscales 1,378 22.6 –6.9
Labour M. Terry 1,235 20.3 –9.2
Turnout ~6,267 66.8 +25.2
Registered electors 9,382
Liberal Democrats hold
Liberal Democrats hold
Liberal Democrats hold

Chalkwell

Chalkwell (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative C. Latham* 2,400 42.7 –0.4
Liberal Democrats B. Lister-Smith* 2,368 42.1 –1.9
Conservative E. Sullivan 2,151 38.3 –4.8
Conservative B. Trevelyan 2,149 38.2 –4.9
Liberal Democrats D. Durant 2,050 36.5 –7.5
Liberal Democrats A. Miller 1,812 32.2 –11.8
Ind. Conservative J. Tobin 1,233 21.9 N/A
Labour D. Homer 959 17.1 +4.2
Labour M. Humphrey 957 17.0 +4.1
Labour N. Waymark 784 13.9 +1.0
Turnout ~6,343 64.7 +30.9
Registered electors 9,804
Conservative hold
Liberal Democrats hold
Conservative hold

Eastwood

Eastwood (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats N. Goodman* 3,314 48.7 +7.0
Conservative R. Weaver 2,763 40.6 +4.4
Conservative C. Walker 2,714 39.9 +3.7
Liberal Democrats M. Betson* 2,696 39.6 –2.1
Liberal Democrats R. Fisher* 2,579 37.9 –3.8
Conservative B. Horrigan 2,556 37.6 +1.4
Labour V. Knights 1,312 19.3 –2.8
Labour A. Monteith 1,263 18.6 –3.5
Labour G. Noakes 1,218 17.9 –4.2
Turnout ~7,719 71.8 +37.0
Registered electors 10,750
Liberal Democrats hold
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats

Leigh

Leigh (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats A. Crystall* 3,052 49.7 +1.8
Liberal Democrats P. Wexham* 2,884 46.9 –1.0
Liberal Democrats A. Smulian* 2,581 42.0 –5.9
Conservative J. Lamb 2,338 38.1 +9.7
Conservative J. Rowswell 2,207 35.9 +7.5
Conservative L. Salter 2,121 34.5 +6.1
Labour P. Circus 1,220 19.9 –3.8
Labour A. Denny 1,024 16.7 –7.0
Labour D. Norman 1,006 16.4 –7.3
Turnout ~6,614 70.6 +35.3
Registered electors 9,368
Liberal Democrats hold
Liberal Democrats hold
Liberal Democrats hold

Milton

Milton (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R. Davy 1,753 41.2 +6.9
Labour K. Lee* 1,751 41.2 –13.5
Conservative J. Lambert 1,747 41.1 +6.8
Labour P. Hawkins* 1,725 40.6 –14.1
Labour L. Felton* 1,678 39.5 –15.2
Conservative A. Khwaja 1,503 35.3 +1.0
Liberal Democrats J. Overy 937 22.0 +11.0
Liberal Democrats L. Smith 843 19.8 +8.8
Liberal Democrats T. Ray 819 19.3 +8.3
Turnout ~4,849 52.6 +27.1
Registered electors 9,219
Conservative gain from Labour
Labour hold
Conservative gain from Labour

Prittlewell

Prittlewell (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats M. Miller* 2,570 47.0 –9.0
Liberal Democrats N. Baker 2,505 45.9 –10.1
Liberal Democrats D. Elf* 2,489 45.6 –10.4
Conservative B. Houssart 1,732 31.7 +6.1
Conservative H. Houssart 1,633 29.9 +4.3
Conservative P. Manser 1,564 28.6 +3.0
Labour L. Harley 1,517 27.8 +9.4
Labour P. White 1,199 22.0 +3.6
Labour Z. Chaudhri 1,178 21.6 +3.2
Turnout ~5,822 62.4 +30.8
Registered electors 9,330
Liberal Democrats hold
Liberal Democrats hold
Liberal Democrats hold

Shoebury

Shoebury (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D. Ascroft* 4,561 53.6 +14.2
Conservative A. North 3,894 45.8 +6.4
Conservative V. Wilson 3,621 42.6 +3.2
Labour L. Wisken* 3,317 39.0 –11.6
Labour D. Singh 2,650 31.1 –19.5
Labour R. Kennedy* 2,131 25.0 –25.6
Liberal Democrats C. Cooper 1,947 22.9 +12.9
Liberal Democrats A. Newton 1,761 20.7 +10.7
Liberal Democrats S. Newton 1,646 19.3 +9.3
Turnout ~10,157 65.6 +39.3
Registered electors 15,483
Conservative hold
Conservative gain from Labour
Conservative gain from Labour

Southchurch

Southchurch (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D. Garston* 3,095 56.0 +5.9
Conservative A. Holland* 2,940 53.2 +3.1
Conservative B. Kelly 2,814 50.9 +0.8
Labour R. Merton 1,899 34.4 –3.8
Labour D. Garne 1,568 28.4 –9.8
Labour I. Pope 1,419 25.7 –12.5
Liberal Democrats J. Davis 1,044 18.9 +7.2
Liberal Democrats P. De Gregorio Macdonald 930 16.8 +5.1
Liberal Democrats M. Woolcott 873 15.8 +4.1
Turnout ~6,249 68.0 +36.9
Registered electors 9,189
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

St. Luke's

St. Luke's (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour R. Copley* 2,400 54.0 –12.7
Labour J. Mapp* 2,132 47.9 –18.8
Labour M. Royston 1,981 44.5 –22.2
Conservative E. Hodgson 1,503 33.8 +12.1
Conservative J. Garston 1,486 33.4 +11.7
Conservative C. Langlands 1,442 32.4 +10.7
Liberal Democrats A. Smith 921 20.7 +9.1
Liberal Democrats J. Skinner 823 18.5 +6.9
Liberal Democrats D. Wainwright 654 14.7 +3.1
Turnout ~5,155 60.0 +32.4
Registered electors 8,592
Labour hold
Labour hold
Labour hold

Thorpe

Thorpe (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D. White* 3,483 59.5 +0.9
Conservative S. Ayre* 3,447 58.9 +0.3
Conservative S. Carr* 3,421 58.5 –0.1
Labour G. Farrer 1,453 24.8 –1.1
Labour W. McIntyre 1,408 24.1 –1.8
Labour W. Vanderburg 1,267 21.7 –4.2
Liberal Democrats M. Clark 1,136 19.4 +3.9
Liberal Democrats D. Holliday 1,015 17.4 +1.9
Liberal Democrats J. Pilgrim 918 15.7 +0.2
Turnout ~6,719 66.7 –38.0
Registered electors 10,073
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Victoria

Victoria (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour J. Dunn* 2,907 55.7 –14.9
Labour R. Crisp* 2,657 50.9 –19.7
Labour C. Dandridge* 2,623 50.2 –20.4
Conservative P. Jones 1,706 32.7 +13.7
Conservative D. Ayre 1,697 32.5 +13.5
Conservative K. Norris 1,669 32.0 +13.0
Liberal Democrats P. Collins 856 16.4 +6.2
Liberal Democrats C. Etherington 806 15.4 +5.2
Liberal Democrats C. Verney 741 14.2 +4.0
Turnout ~5,471 56.3 +29.8
Registered electors 9,717
Labour hold
Labour hold
Labour hold

Westborough

Westborough (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats J. Sibley* 2,501 50.1 –1.6
Liberal Democrats M. Lubel* 2,498 50.1 –1.6
Liberal Democrats H. Gibeon* 2,238 44.8 –6.9
Labour B. Neal 1,429 28.6 –4.7
Labour M. Flewitt 1,400 28.1 –5.2
Labour P. Hannan 1,387 27.8 –5.5
Conservative S. Compton 1,287 25.8 +10.9
Conservative R. Brown 1,149 23.0 +8.1
Conservative M. Samuel 1,083 21.7 +6.8
Turnout ~5,590 62.9 +33.1
Registered electors 8,887
Liberal Democrats hold
Liberal Democrats hold
Liberal Democrats hold

By-elections

Chalkwell By-Election 19 February 1998
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative 1,353 48.1 +13.6
Liberal Democrats 1,283 45.6 +11.6
Labour 176 6.3 −7.5
Majority 70 2.5
Turnout 2,812 29.0
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

References

  1. ^ "Composition calculator". Colin Rallings & Michael Thrasher. Elections Centre, Plymouth University. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  2. ^ "Southend-on-Sea Borough Council Election Results 1997-2012" (PDF). electionscentre.co.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 June 2020.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_Southend-on-Sea_Borough_Council_election