2004 North Hertfordshire District Council election

2004 North Hertfordshire District Council election
17 of 49 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council; 25 seats needed for a majority
Leader before election; F. John Smith; Conservative	Leader after election ; F. John Smith; Conservative

The 2004 North Hertfordshire District Council election was held on 10 June 2004, at the same time as other local elections across England and Wales and the European elections. 17 of the 49 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council were up for election, being the usual third of the council plus a by-election in Knebworth ward.^[1]

Overall results

The overall results were as follows:^[2]

2004 North Hertfordshire District Council election
Party		This election			Full council			This election
Party		Seats	Net	Seats %	Other	Total	Total %	Votes	Votes %	+/−
	Conservative	12	1	70.6	16	28	57.1	13,793	46.4	+0.4
	Liberal Democrats	1	1	5.9	6	7	14.3	7,998	26.9	-3.3
	Labour	4	2	23.5	10	14	28.6	7,090	23.9	+1.9
	Green	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	819	2.8	+1.1

Ward Results

The results for each ward were as follows. An asterisk(*) indicates a sitting councillor standing for re-election.^[3]^[4]

Baldock Town ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ian Knighton*	1,375	61.8	+4.3
	Labour	Paul Burgin	459	20.6	−6.6
	Liberal Democrats	Marilyn Kirkland	391	17.6	+2.3
Turnout				40.5
Registered electors			5,838
	Conservative hold		Swing	+5.5

Hitchin Bearton ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Martin Stears*	816	38.3	−11.7
	Conservative	Andrew Hyde	626	29.4	+2.5
	Liberal Democrats	Ronald Clark	378	17.8	+2.9
	Green	George Howe	309	14.5	+6.4
Turnout				39.1
Registered electors			5,434
	Labour hold		Swing	-7.1

Hitchin Highbury ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Sarah Wren	1,265	45.8	+4.4
	Liberal Democrats	David Shirley	1,205	43.6	−8.4
	Labour	Kushminder Sahasi	177	6.4	−0.1
	Green	Anthony Ware	114	4.1	+4.1
Turnout				50.0
Registered electors			5,543
	Conservative hold		Swing	+6.4

Hitchin Oughton ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Joan Kirby*	581	48.1	−10.5
	Conservative	Nigel Brook	377	31.2	+3.7
	Liberal Democrats	Richard Canning	251	20.8	+6.8
Turnout				32.7
Registered electors			3,719
	Labour hold		Swing	-7.1

Hitchin Priory ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Richard Thake*	1,106	60.1	−4.3
	Liberal Democrats	Andrew Ircha	473	25.7	+5.3
	Labour	Douglas McCall	261	14.2	−1.0
Turnout				46.2
Registered electors			4,016
	Conservative hold		Swing	-4.8

Hitchin Walsworth ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Raymond Shakespeare-Smith	926	41.1	+4.7
	Labour	Philip Kirk*	797	35.4	−7.1
	Liberal Democrats	Ingeborg Sutcliffe	324	14.4	+1.0
	Green	Evelyn Howe	204	9.1	+1.4
Turnout				41.4
Registered electors			5,460
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	+5.9

Hitchwood ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Miller	582	67.8	−9.4
	Liberal Democrats	Michael Lott	183	21.3	+15.1
	Labour	Robert Whatson	94	10.9	−5.7
Turnout				42.3
Registered electors			2,045
	Conservative hold		Swing	-12.3

Knebworth ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robin Wordsworth*	924	51.8	−10.1
	Conservative	Alan Bardett	889	49.8	−12.0
	Liberal Democrats	Debra Wilkins	470	26.3	+12.6
	Liberal Democrats	Ursula Winder	219	12.3	−1.4
	Labour	Anthony Eden	198	11.1	−8.8
	Green	Stuart Madgin	192	10.8	+6.3
Turnout				39.6
Registered electors			3,992
	Conservative hold		Swing	-11.4
	Conservative hold		Swing

The by-election in Knebworth was caused by the resignation of Conservative councillor Jane Gray.

Letchworth East ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Lorna Kercher*	752	38.9	+2.9
	Conservative	Evelyn Mitchell	714	37.0	−2.3
	Liberal Democrats	Martin Gammell	466	24.1	+5.2
Turnout				37.0
Registered electors			5,256
	Labour hold		Swing	+2.6

Letchworth Grange ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Simon Bloxham	727	39.7	−0.3
	Labour	Arthur Jarman	696	38.0	−5.6
	Liberal Democrats	Samantha Turner	410	22.4	+5.8
Turnout				36.4
Registered electors			5,069
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	+2.7

Letchworth South East ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Lawrence McNamara	979	46.0	−0.6
	Labour	Marion Melton	665	31.3	−5.5
	Liberal Democrats	John Winder	484	22.7	+6.1
Turnout				40.9
Registered electors			5,234
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.5

Letchworth South West ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Terence Hone* (Terry Hone)	1,454	49.4	0.0
	Liberal Democrats	John Winder	1,218	41.4	−0.8
	Labour	Jacqueline Hartley	269	9.1	+0.8
Turnout				51.7
Registered electors			5,710
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.4

Letchworth Wilbury ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Gary Grindal*	548	42.3	−11.9
	Conservative	Jessica Cook	471	36.3	+5.1
	Liberal Democrats	Marion Minards-Gammell	278	21.4	+6.7
Turnout				31.8
Registered electors			4,105
	Labour hold		Swing	-8.5

Royston Heath ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Peter Burt*	882	55.2	+0.7
	Liberal Democrats	Roger Hill	434	27.2	+4.2
	Labour	Kenneth Garland	282	17.6	−10.8
Turnout				40.0
Registered electors			4,031
	Conservative hold		Swing	-1.8

Royston Meridian ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Francis John Smith*	867	56.6	+3.5
	Liberal Democrats	John Ledden	419	27.3	+7.2
	Labour	Vaughan West	247	16.1	−10.7
Turnout				38.6
Registered electors			4,000
	Conservative hold		Swing	-1.9

Royston Palace ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Robert Inwood	614	44.5	+44.5
	Conservative	Graham Palmer	518	37.5	−13.9
	Labour	Leslie Baker	248	18.0	−30.6
Turnout				36.1
Registered electors			3,855
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing	+29.2

Changes 2004–2006

A by-election was held in Hitchin Bearton ward on 5 May 2005, alongside the county council election and general election, to replace Labour councillor Peter Terry. Labour's Deepak Sangha retained the seat for the party.^[5]

A by-election was held on 17 November 2005 in Baldock East ward to replace Liberal Democrat councillor Geoffrey Hollands. The party retained the seat.^[6]

Baldock East By-Election 17 November 2005
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Marilyn Kirkland	331	48.2	−4.8
	Conservative	Les Wilsher	324	47.2	+0.2
	Labour	Paul Burgin	31	4.5	+4.5
Majority			7	1.0
Turnout			686	38.2
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing

References

^ "The District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 1998", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1998/2555, retrieved 14 March 2023
^ Andrew, Teale. "Local Election Results 2004: North Hertfordshire". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "North Hertfordshire District Council Election Results 1973–2012" (PDF). The Elections Centre. Plymouth University. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
^ "North Hertfordshire Council election results". The Comet. 11 June 2004. Archived from the original on 25 June 2004. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
^ "Council minutes, 12 May 2005" (PDF). North Hertfordshire District Council. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
^ "Labour vote surges in council byelections". guardian.co.uk. 18 November 2005. Retrieved 5 September 2009.

[1] "The District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 1998", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1998/2555, retrieved 14 March 2023

[2] Andrew, Teale. "Local Election Results 2004: North Hertfordshire". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 18 March 2023.

[3] Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "North Hertfordshire District Council Election Results 1973–2012" (PDF). The Elections Centre. Plymouth University. Retrieved 4 March 2023.

[4] "North Hertfordshire Council election results". The Comet. 11 June 2004. Archived from the original on 25 June 2004. Retrieved 18 March 2023.

[5] "Council minutes, 12 May 2005" (PDF). North Hertfordshire District Council. Retrieved 18 March 2023.

[surges-6] "Labour vote surges in council byelections". guardian.co.uk. 18 November 2005. Retrieved 5 September 2009.

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