Blunsdon and Highworth (ward)

Blunsdon and Highworth is an electoral ward in the Borough of Swindon, England. Since 2012, the ward has elected three councillors to Swindon Borough Council.

History

The ward was created in 2012.^[1] The ward is set to be abolished for 2026.^[2]

Geography

The ward covers the areas of Blunsdon and Highworth.

Demographics

In the 2021 census, the population of the ward was 11,445.^[3]

Councillors


Election	Councillors
2012	Maureen Rita Penny (Conservative)	Alan John Bishop (Conservative)	Doreen Dart (Conservative)
2012 by-election^[4]			Steve Weisinger (Conservative)
2014
2015
2016
2018
2019
2021	Vijay Kumar Manro (Conservative)
2022
2023		Nick Gardiner (Conservative)
2024		Nick Gardiner (Conservative)

Elections

2024 Swindon Borough Council election

Blunsdon & Highworth
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Vijay Manro*	1,399	45.4	+0.2
	Labour	Ian James	1,191	38.6	+3.6
	Green	Andrew Day	336	10.9	−1.6
	Liberal Democrats	Hannah Pajak	127	4.1	−3.1
Majority			208	6.7
Turnout			3,083	33.6	–3.8
Registered electors			9,187
	Conservative hold		Swing	1.7

2023 Swindon Borough Council election

Blundson and Highworth
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Nick Gardiner	1,509	45.2	−8.5
	Labour Co-op	Lesley Ann Gow	1,168	35.0	+3.0
	Green	Andrew Day	418	12.5	−1.8
	Liberal Democrats	Deborah King	241	7.2	N/A
Majority			341
Turnout			3,372	37.39
Registered electors			9,019
	Conservative hold		Swing

2022 Swindon Borough Council election

Blunsdon & Highworth^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Steven Mark Weisinger *	1,715	53.7	−2.90
	Labour Co-op	Lesley Ann Gow	1,024	32.0	+2.01
	Green	Andrew Donald Day	457	14.3	+8.21
Majority			691	21.6
Turnout			3,212	36.06
Registered electors			8,908
	Conservative hold		Swing

2021 Swindon Borough Council election

Blunsdon & Highworth^[6]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Vijay Kumar Manro	2,073	56.9	+4.7
	Labour	Keir Baynham	867	23.8
	Green	Andrew Day	442	12.1	−2.2
	Liberal Democrats	Michael Heal	137	3.8	−5.0
	Independent	Tara Hurst	126	3.5	n/a
Majority			1,206	33.1	+4.8
Turnout			3,645	40.9	+3.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.35

2019 Swindon Borough Council election

Blunsdon & Highworth
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alan Bishop	1,654	52.1	−4.5
	Labour	Jamie Cope	756	23.8	−6.2
	Green	Andrew Day	453	14.3	+8.2
	Liberal Democrats	Malcolm Salmon	312	9.8	+5.7
Majority			898	28.3
Turnout			3,175	37.7
	Conservative hold		Swing

2018 Swindon Borough Council election

Blunsdon & Highworth^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Steve Weisinger*	2,147	56.47	+ 8.50
	Labour	Jamie Cope	1,140	29.98	+ 6.38
	Green	Andrew Donald Day	231	6.08	− 0.88
	Liberal Democrats	Geoffrey King	155	4.08	+ 0.53
	UKIP	Sheila Attwater	123	3.24	− 14.4
Turnout			3,802	43.69
Registered electors			8,702
	Conservative hold		Swing

2016 Swindon Borough Council election

Blunsdon & Highworth^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Maureen Rita Penny*	1,624	47.4
	Labour	Alison Mary Durrant	1,053	30.7
	UKIP	John Fairlamb Short	429	12.5
	Green	Andrew Donald Day	200	5.8
	Liberal Democrats	Geoffrey King	121	3.5
Majority			571	16.7
Turnout			3,427	40
	Conservative hold		Swing

2015 Swindon Borough Council election

Blunsdon & Highworth^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alan John Bishop *	3,502	55.3	+7.2
	Labour	Pam Adams	1,523	24.1	+0.4
	UKIP	Ross Shugar	838	13.2	–4.5
	Green	Andrew Donald Day	466	7.4	+0.4
Majority			1,979	31.4	+7.0
Turnout			6,329	71.32	+31.13
Registered electors			8,874
	Conservative hold		Swing

2014 Swindon Borough Council election

Blunsdon & Highworth Ward
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Steve Weisinger	1,689	48.1	+3.3
	Labour	Phil Beaumont	831	23.7	–7.6
	UKIP	Ross Shugar	621	17.7	N/A
	Green	Andrew Donald Day	245	7.0	–6.0
	Liberal Democrats	Clive Hooper	125	3.6	–7.4
Majority			858	24.4	N/A
Turnout			3,521	40.19	+5.96
Registered electors			8,760
	Conservative hold		Swing

2012 council-by-election

In October 2012,Councillor Doreen Dart died from lung cancer and a by-election was held.^[10]

Blunsdon and Highworth by-election 15 November 2012^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Steve Weisinger	1,453
	Labour	Phil Beaumont	1,075
	UKIP	John Lenton	195
	Green	Andrew Donald Day	111
	Liberal Democrats	Cath Smith	23
Majority			378
Turnout				32.6
	Conservative hold		Swing

2012 Swindon Borough Council election

Blunsdon & Highworth (3 seats)^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Maureen Rita Penny	1,530	44.8	*N/A*
	Conservative	Alan John Bishop	1,528	–
	Conservative	Doreen Dart	1,489	–
	Labour	Phil Beaumont	1,067	31.3	N/A
	Labour	Alison Mary Durrant	968	–
	Labour	Phillip Edward Gaskin	824	–
	Green	Andrew Donald Day	442	13.0	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Jenny Shorten	374	11.0	N/A
Turnout			2,974	34.23	N/A
Registered electors			8,689
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

References

^ "Meet the candidates standing in Blunsdon and Highworth". Swindon Advertiser. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
^ "Why Swindon's ward boundaries could change for next election". Swindon Advertiser. 11 July 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
^ "Blunsdon and Highworth (Ward, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
^ "Cast your vote". Swindon Advertiser. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
^ "Borough election results". Retrieved 8 May 2022.
^ "Election results".
^ "Election results for Blunsdon & Highworth, 3 May 2018". 3 May 2018.
^ "Election results 2016 - Blunsdon and Highworth". swindon.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018.
^ ^a ^b "Election Results". Swindon Borough Council. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
^ "Doreen Dart... in her own words". Swindon Advertiser. 12 October 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
^ "Conservatives hold Blunsdon and Highworth ward in by election". swindonadvertiser.co.uk. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2012.