2004 North Hertfordshire District Council election

2004 North Hertfordshire District Council election
← 2003 10 June 2004 (2004-06-10) 2006 →
17 of 49 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council
25 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Con
Lab
LD
Leader F. John Smith David Kearns Steve Jarvis
Party Conservative Labour Liberal Democrats
Seats before 27 16 6
Seats after 28 14 7
Seat change Increase1 Decrease2 Increase1
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
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Conservative 12 Increase1 70.6 16 28 57.1 13,793 46.4 +0.4
  Liberal Democrats 1 Increase1 5.9 6 7 14.3 7,998 26.9 -3.3
  Labour 4 Decrease2 23.5 10 14 28.6 7,090 23.9 +1.9
  Green 0 Steady 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

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