1996 North Hertfordshire District Council election

Council election in England

1996 North Hertfordshire District Council election | <- 1995 | 2 May 1996 (1996-05-02) | 1998 ->

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18 of 50 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council
26 seats needed for a majority
|  | First party  | Second party

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Lab

Con

Leader  | David Kearns  | F. John Smith
Party  | Labour | Conservative
Seats before  | 21  | 22
Seats after  | 26  | 16
Seat change  | 5  | 5

* * *

| Third party  | Fourth party

Ind

Leader  | Ian Simpson  |
Party  | Liberal Democrats | Independent
Seats before  | 6  | 1
Seats after  | 7  | 1
Seat change  | 1  |

* * *

| Policy chairman before election

David Kearns
Labour
No overall control

| Leader after election

David Kearns
Labour

|

The 1996 North Hertfordshire District Council election was held on 2 May 1996, at the same time as other local elections across England. There were 18 out of 50 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council up for election, being the usual third of the council plus a by-election in Hitchin Oughton ward.[1][2]

The council had previously been under no overall control, being led by a Labour minority administration with some support from the Liberal Democrats. Labour gained five extra seats at the election, giving them a majority on the council for the first time in its history. The Labour leader, David Kearns, was given the title leader of the council after the election, confirming the position he had de facto held since May 1995 by virtue of being chairman of the policy and resources committee.[3]

## Overall results

[edit]

The overall results were as follows:[4]

1996 North Hertfordshire District Council election

Party  | This election  | Full council  | This election
Seats  | Net  | Seats %  | Other | Total  | Total %  | Votes  | Votes %  | +/−
| Labour | 11  | 5  | 61.1  | 15  | 26 | 52.0  | 13,488  | 44.9  | -0.7
| Conservative | 5  | 6  | 27.8  | 11  | 16 | 32.0  | 9,995  | 33.3  | +6.3
| Liberal Democrats | 2  | 1  | 11.1  | 5  | 7 | 14.0  | 6,556  | 21.8  | 0.0

## Ward results

[edit]

The results for each ward were as follows. An asterisk(*) indicates a sitting councillor standing for re-election.[4][5]

Ashbrook ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Conservative | David John Barnard  | 646  | 57.1  | −13.3
| Labour | Edward Wallace  | 307  | 27.1  | +7.9
| Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Lilian Upchurch  | 178  | 15.7  | +5.4
Turnout |  | 46.9  |
Registered electors | 2,431  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | -10.6  |
Baldock ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Labour | Roger Miller McFall  | 1,085  | 43.5  | −9.7
| Conservative | Bernard Crow*  | 832  | 33.3  | +1.5
| Liberal Democrats | Graham Philip Tapp  | 578  | 23.2  | +8.2
Turnout |  | 34.1  |
Registered electors | 7,342  |  |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -5.6  |
Cadwell ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Labour | Anne Sobek  | 466  | 53.6  | +21.5
| Conservative | Robert Michael Hughes  | 403  | 46.4  | −21.5
Turnout |  | 48.5  |
Registered electors | 1,807  |  |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +21.5  |
Hitchin Bearton ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Labour | Judi Billing*  | 1,078  | 69.8  | −2.0
| Conservative | Barry West  | 286  | 18.5  | +2.0
| Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Victor Newham  | 180  | 11.7  | 0.0
Turnout |  | 33.5  |
Registered electors | 4,623  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | -2.0  |
Hitchin Highbury ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Liberal Democrats | Richard Oliver Canning  | 910  | 41.3  | −2.9
| Conservative | Sylvia Frances Chapman  | 853  | 38.7  | +7.1
| Labour | Lesley Ann Hankin  | 440  | 20.0  | −4.2
Turnout |  | 43.5  |
Registered electors | 5,074  |  |
| Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | -5.0  |
Hitchin Oughton ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Labour | Joan Irene Kirby*  | 984  | 67.5  | −9.0
| Labour | Martin John Stears  | 893  |  |
| Liberal Democrats | Victoria Warwick  | 251  | 17.2  | +5.9
| Conservative | Nigel Kenneth Brook  | 222  | 15.2  | +3.1
Turnout |  | 33.3  |
Registered electors | 4,068  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | -7.5  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

The by-election in Hitchin Oughton ward was triggered by the resignation of Labour councillor David Harbourne on 18 March 1996.[6]

Hitchin Priory ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Conservative | Richard Arthur Charles Thake*  | 620  | 55.2  | +14.1
| Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Palmer  | 274  | 24.4  | +4.3
| Labour | Christopher Peter Charles White  | 230  | 20.5  | +4.4
Turnout |  | 39.3  |
Registered electors | 2,869  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +4.9  |
Hitchin Walsworth ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Labour | John Philip Anthony Banks*  | 1,480  | 67.6  | +21.7
| Conservative | Bernard Frank James Lovewell  | 447  | 20.4  | +12.8
| Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Paul Heath  | 261  | 11.9  | +7.3
Turnout |  | 36.4  |
Registered electors | 6,020  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | +4.5  |
Knebworth ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Conservative | Margaret Amy Hilton*  | 756  | 50.1  | −1.4
| Labour | Timothy Liddy  | 754  | 49.9  | +28.6
Turnout |  | 44.4  |
Registered electors | 3,410  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | -15.0  |
Letchworth East ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Labour | Lorna Rose Kercher*  | 1,181  | 64.0  | −1.4
| Conservative | Paul Antony Stockford  | 378  | 20.5  | +2.1
| Liberal Democrats | Martin Gammell  | 285  | 15.5  | +1.0
Turnout |  | 37.7  |
Registered electors | 4,891  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | -1.8  |
Letchworth Grange ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Labour | David Peter Kearns*  | 1,371  | 67.2  | −4.5
| Conservative | Stephen Edward Shaddick  | 415  | 20.3  | +3.6
| Liberal Democrats | Robin Julian Hall  | 255  | 12.5  | +0.9
Turnout |  | 40.1  |
Registered electors | 5,085  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | -4.1  |
Letchworth South East ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Labour | Jean Andrews  | 1,193  | 46.3  | −4.8
| Conservative | Pauline Marguerite Wood*  | 789  | 30.6  | +7.8
| Liberal Democrats | Jean Phyllis Leonard  | 597  | 23.1  | −3.0
Turnout |  | 41.6  |
Registered electors | 6,220  |  |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -6.3  |
Letchworth South West ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Conservative | Lynda Ann Needham  | 1,021  | 42.5  | +3.2
| Liberal Democrats | Sally Margaret Jarvis
(Sal Jarvis) | 1,018  | 42.4  | −2.2
| Labour | Marion Elizabeth Watson-Blake  | 362  | 15.1  | −1.0
Turnout |  | 52.6  |
Registered electors | 4,565  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +2.7  |
Letchworth Wilbury ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Labour | Gary Thomas Grindal  | 928  | 58.7  | +2.4
| Conservative | Raymond Lawrence Shakespeare-Smith*
(Ray Shakespeare-Smith) | 421  | 26.6  | +2.2
| Liberal Democrats | Paul Francis Booton  | 231  | 14.6  | −4.6
Turnout |  | 36.7  |
Registered electors | 4,305  |  |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +0.1  |
Royston East ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Conservative | Francis John Smith*
(John Smith) | 854  | 48.1  | +4.5
| Labour | Ken Prince  | 586  | 33.0  | +8.4
| Liberal Democrats | Caroline Elizabeth Coates  | 334  | 18.8  | −12.9
Turnout |  | 40.8  |
Registered electors | 4,347  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | -2.0  |
Royston West ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Labour | Leslie Baker
(Les Baker) | 992  | 39.6  | +5.9
| Conservative | Jane Margaret Dwerryhouse-Spears  | 860  | 34.4  | +2.8
| Liberal Democrats | Frank Christopher East
(Chris East) | 651  | 26.0  | −8.7
Turnout |  | 39.3  |
Registered electors | 6,392  |  |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.6  |
Weston ward  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Liberal Democrats | Stephen Kenneth Jarvis*
(Steve Jarvis) | 553  | 69.5  | +17.8
| Conservative | Jessica Christian Dorothy Thomson  | 192  | 24.1  | −20.1
| Labour | John Mann  | 51  | 6.4  | +2.4
Turnout |  | 64.4  |
Registered electors | 1,241  |  |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +19.0  |

## Changes 1996–1998

[edit]

Letchworth Wilbury ward by election, 1 May 1997  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Labour | Andrew Milne  | 1,635  | 50.8  | −8.0
| Conservative | Jessica Thomson  | 1,025  | 31.8  | +5.2
| Liberal Democrats | Murray Turner  | 560  | 17.4  | +2.8
| Labour hold | Swing | -6.6  |

The Letchworth Wilbury ward by-election was triggered by the death of Labour councillor David Evans.[7]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ The District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1977 (S.I. 1977/1442)
2. ^ "Labour predicts gaining a seat". Cambridge Daily News. 10 April 1996. p. 8. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
3. ^ "Labour sweep to control for first time in North Herts". Royston and Buntingford Mercury. 10 May 1996. p. 3. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
4. ^ a b Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "North Hertfordshire District Council Election Results 1973–2012" (PDF). The Elections Centre. Plymouth University. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
5. ^ "North Hertfordshire Local Election Results 1996". North Hertfordshire District Council. Archived from the original on 19 January 1997. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
6. ^ "Parliamentary hopeful quits his council seat". Royston and Buntingford Mercury. 22 March 1996. p. 25. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
7. ^ Adams, John (8 May 1997). "County Tories get some consolation". Hitchin Comet. p. 6.

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North Hertfordshire District Council|

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