Winchester City Council election, 2006

Map of the results of the 2006 Winchester council election. Conservatives in blue, Liberal Democrats in yellow, Labour in red, independent in white. Wards in grey were not contested in 2006.

The 2006 Winchester Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Winchester District Council in Hampshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.^[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was

• Conservative 29
• Liberal Democrat 21
• Independent 4
• Labour 3^[2]

Campaign

Before the election the Liberal Democrats had 26 seats, the Conservatives 22, independents 5 and Labour 4.^[3] 19 seats were being contested with 4 Liberal Democrat and 1 independent councillors standing down at the election, while the council leader Sheila Campbell and 2 other cabinet members were defending seats.^[3]

Issues in the election included anti-social behaviour, council tax, rural transportation and planning policy.^[4]

Election result

The count was disrupted delaying the last result after some of the ballot papers were set on fire meaning water had to be poured into the ballot box.^[5][6] The results saw the Conservatives take control of the council for the first time since the early 1990s.^[7] They gained 7 seats included 5 from the Liberal Democrats and 1 each from Labour and the independents.^[5][6] Conservatives defeated both the Liberal Democrat council leader Sheila Campbell and the Labour leader Patrick Davies.^[7]

The widespread press coverage earlier in the year about the local Liberal Democrat MP Mark Oaten having had sex with male prostitutes was seen as having damaged the Liberal Democrats and benefited the Conservatives.^[8][9][10] Oaten took no part in the campaign and the former leader of the council, Sheila Campbell, agreed that his troubles had hurt the Liberal Democrats.^[5] In the July after the election Oaten announced that he would be standing down from parliament at the next general election.^[11]

Following the election George Beckett became the new Conservative leader of the council.^[12]

Winchester Local Election Result 2006[13][14]
Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Conservative	13	7	0	+7	68.4	53.8	17,604	+12.1%
	Liberal Democrat	4	0	5	-5	21.1	33.8	11,047	-8.3%
	Labour	1	0	1	-1	5.3	6.4	2,100	-1.0%
	Independent	1	0	1	-1	5.3	5.8	1,898	-0.1%
	UKIP	0	0	0	0	0	0.2	64	-2.6%

Ward results

Bishop's Waltham[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Georgina Busher	985	45.8	+0.6
	Conservative	Roger Hockin	928	43.2	+16.9
	Labour	Stephen Haines	120	5.6	+1.3
	Independent	Ruby Forrest	117	5.4	+5.4
Majority			57	2.6	-16.3
Turnout			2,150	42
	Independent hold		Swing

Cheriton & Bishops Sutton[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Harry Verney	565	62.6	+10.1
	Liberal Democrat	Christopher Day	338	37.4	-7.5
Majority			227	25.2	+17.6
Turnout			903	53
	Conservative hold		Swing

Colden Common and Twyford[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Richard Izard	971	51.3	-10.1
	Conservative	Theresa Marshall	850	44.9	+12.3
	Labour	Tessa Valentine	73	3.9	-2.2
Majority			121	6.4	-22.4
Turnout			1,894	47
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing

Denmead[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Frederick Allgood	1,742	81.4	+9.6
	Liberal Democrat	Thomas Houghton	320	15.0	-9.3
	Labour	David Picton-Jones	78	3.6	-0.4
Majority			1,422	66.4	+18.9
Turnout			2,140	41
	Conservative hold		Swing

Droxford, Soberton and Hambldon[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Antony Coates	740	78.5	+10.0
	Liberal Democrat	Margaret Scriven	203	21.5	-8.2
Majority			537	57.0	+18.2
Turnout			943	59
	Conservative hold		Swing

Kings Worthy[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Stanley Howell	799	51.0	+9.6
	Liberal Democrat	Hilary Jones	697	44.5	-0.6
	Labour	Elaine Fullaway	70	4.5	-0.6
Majority			102	6.5
Turnout			1,566	49
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat		Swing

Olivers Battery & Badger Farm[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Brian Colin	837	48.7	-9.2
	Conservative	Susan Evershed	829	48.2	+11.1
	Labour	David Smith	53	3.1	-1.9
Majority			8	0.5	-20.3
Turnout			1,719	54
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing

Owslebury & Curdridge[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Laurence Ruffell	881	60.2	+15.9
	Liberal Democrat	Roy Stainton	539	36.8	-16.0
	Labour	Brian Fullaway	44	3.0	+0.1
Majority			342	23.4
Turnout			1,464	49
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat		Swing

Shedfield[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Roger Huxstep	649	44.5	+0.7
	Independent	Andrew Archard	554	38.0	-11.9
	Independent	Stuart Jones	173	11.9	+11.9
	Labour	Patricia Hayward	82	5.6	-0.7
Majority			95	6.5
Turnout			1,458	47
	Conservative gain from Independent		Swing

Sparsholt[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Keith Wood	484	62.0	+13.3
	Liberal Democrat	Richard Coleman	297	38.0	-13.3
Majority			187	24.0
Turnout			781	52
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat		Swing

St. Barnabas[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Richard Worrall	1,350	52.7	+3.7
	Liberal Democrat	Allan Mitchell	1,099	42.9	-1.4
	Labour	Adrian Field	111	4.3	-2.4
Majority			251	9.8	+5.1
Turnout			2,560	55
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat		Swing

St. Bartholomew[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Dominic Hiscock	978	49.4	+2.8
	Conservative	Patrick Cunningham	869	43.9	+8.9
	Labour	Timothy Curran	133	6.7	-3.4
Majority			109	5.5	-6.1
Turnout			1,980	43
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing

St. John and All Saints[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Chris Pines	507	32.7	+3.4
	Conservative	Michael Lovegrove	498	32.1	+6.8
	Liberal Democrat	Adrian Hicks	478	30.8	-1.8
	Independent	Harold Robbins	69	4.4	+4.4
Majority			9	0.6
Turnout			1,552	35
	Labour hold		Swing

St. Luke[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Stephens	614	43.1	+5.9
	Liberal Democrat	Simon Hobson	458	32.1	-10.4
	Labour	Patrick Davies	354	24.8	+4.5
Majority			156	11.0
Turnout			1,426	35
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

St. Michael[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ian Tait	1,240	58.7	+18.0
	Liberal Democrat	Susan Chester	702	33.2	-10.7
	Labour	Albert Edwards	107	5.1	+1.2
	UKIP	Judith Napier-Clark	64	3.0	-4.0
Majority			538	25.5
Turnout			2,113	47
	Conservative hold		Swing

St. Paul[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Raymond Pearce	845	50.4	-6.0
	Conservative	Gillian Allen	725	43.2	+9.5
	Labour	Debra Grech	108	6.4	-3.5
Majority			120	7.2	-15.5
Turnout			1,678	39
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing

Swanmore and Newtown[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Victoria Weston	1,101	56.2	+0.9
	Liberal Democrat	Sheila Campbell	805	41.1	-0.8
	Labour	Dennis May	52	2.7	-0.1
Majority			296	15.1	+1.7
Turnout			1,958	60
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat		Swing

The Alresfords[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Hollingbery	1,469	59.3	+18.3
	Liberal Democrat	Jacqueline Porter	876	35.4	-7.4
	Labour	Robin Atkins	131	5.3	-1.5
Majority			593	23.9
Turnout			2,476	51
	Conservative hold		Swing

Wonston and Micheldever[13][14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Stephen Godfrey	1,271	65.1	+7.4
	Liberal Democrat	Peter McLoughlin	604	30.9	-6.9
	Labour	Nigel Lickley	77	3.9	-0.5
Majority			667	34.2	+14.3
Turnout			1,952	48
	Conservative hold		Swing

References

1. "Local elections: Winchester". BBC News Online. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
2. "Local elections". The Times. 2006-05-06. p. 64.
3. "Candidates line up for local elections". Southern Daily Echo. 2006-04-06. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
4. "The battle to control Winchester". BBC News Online. 2006-04-26. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
5. "Tories take Winchester after Lib Dem sex scandal". Daily Mail. 2006-05-05. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
6. "Sex scandal blamed for Tory win". BBC News Online. 2006-05-05. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
7. "Jubilant Tories win city control for the first time since early 90s". Southern Daily Echo. 2006-05-05. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
8. Summers, Deborah (2006-05-06). "Tories celebrate council gains as voters give Labour a bloody nose Cameron: hard work starts now as party gains 309 seats". The Herald. p. 4.
9. Morris, Nigel (2006-05-06). "Campbell: Lib Dem results 'mixed'". The Independent. p. 9.
10. "We pass poll test say Libs". Daily Express. 2006-05-06.
11. "Lib Dem Oaten to stand down as MP". BBC News Online. 2006-07-25. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
12. "Tories pledge to give everyone a fair say". Southern Daily Echo. 2006-05-25. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
13. "District Council Election Results May 2006". Winchester City Council. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
14. "Tories win control of city". Southern Daily Echo. 2006-05-05. Retrieved 2010-02-01.