Map of the results for the 2002 Solihull council election.

The 2002 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

Campaign

Before the election the Conservatives held 29 seats, compared to 14 for Labour and 8 for the Liberal Democrats, with 17 seats being contested in the election.[2] The Conservatives had held a majority on the council since gaining 4 seats at the 2000 election.[2]

Issues in the election included a proposed development by Asda in Shirley, the fate of the Accident and Emergency department at Solihull hospital and new housing developments.[3][4] Labour also wanted to address a north-south divide in the council area and opposed any transfer of council housing from council control.[3][4]

Election result

The results saw the Conservatives stay in control of the council with 29 of the 51 seats after only 2 seats changed parties.[5] A couple of former councillors returned to the council, the former Labour leader of the council Michael Corser in Chelmsley Wood and Liberal Democrat June Gandy in Shirley East.[5]

Solihull Local Election Result 2002[6][7]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 9 1 1 0 52.9 49.2 24,309 -9.7%
  Labour 5 0 1 -1 29.4 23.7 11,741 +5.5%
  Liberal Democrats 3 1 0 +1 17.6 27.1 13,390 +4.5%

This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections :[8]

Party Previous council New council
Conservatives 29 29
Labour 14 13
Liberal Democrat 8 9
Total 51 51
Working majority  7   7 

Ward results

Bickenhill[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Ryan 2,013 54.2 +27.0
Conservative Joan Allsopp 1,491 40.1 -25.9
Liberal Democrats Douglas Hogg 210 5.7 -1.1
Majority 522 14.1 -24.7
Turnout 3,714 35.7 +4.2
Labour hold Swing +26.4
Castle Bromwich[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Beryl Kellie 1,940 65.4 -9.3
Labour James Moore 722 24.3 +6.3
Liberal Democrats John Knight 306 10.3 +3.0
Majority 1,218 41.0 -15.7
Turnout 2,968 31.8 +1.4
Conservative hold Swing -7.8
Chelmsley Wood[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Corser 900 62.2 +8.4
Conservative Robert Courts 350 24.2 -9.2
Liberal Democrats Bernard Wright 197 13.6 +0.9
Majority 550 38.0 +17.6
Turnout 1,447 19.6 +4.1
Labour hold Swing +8.8
Elmdon[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kenneth Hawkins 1,330 44.7 -13.3
Labour Sheila Brookes 1,221 41.1 +5.8
Liberal Democrats Barbara Harber 423 14.2 +7.4
Majority 109 3.7 -19.0
Turnout 2,974 37.7 -0.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing -9.5
Fordbridge[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jacqueline Moore 722 61.3 +12.6
Conservative Michael Robinson 314 26.7 -8.9
Liberal Democrats Christopher Hayes 142 12.1 -3.5
Majority 408 34.6 +21.5
Turnout 1,178 19.8 +5.2
Labour hold Swing +10.7
Kingshurst[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jeffrey Potts 830 63.3 +16.5
Conservative Graham Juniper 351 26.8 -7.3
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Wright 131 10.0 +3.1
Majority 479 36.5 +23.8
Turnout 1,312 23.8 +0.9
Labour hold Swing +11.9
Knowle[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Diana Holl-Allen 2,106 65.3 -8.1
Liberal Democrats Nigel Dyer 693 21.5 +5.1
Labour Patricia Harrop 427 13.2 +3.0
Majority 1,413 43.8 -13.3
Turnout 3,226 36.9 +1.6
Conservative hold Swing -6.6
Lyndon[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Robert Reeves 1,583 65.4 +7.2
Conservative Gary Allport 478 19.7 -9.1
Labour Catherine Connan 360 14.9 +1.9
Majority 1,105 45.6 +16.3
Turnout 2,421 31.8 +3.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +8.1
Meriden[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Lea 2,369 69.6 +0.6
Labour Jonathan Maltman 561 16.5 -0.5
Liberal Democrats Peter Whitlock 475 14.0 +0.0
Majority 1,808 53.1 +1.1
Turnout 3,405 36.0 +3.7
Conservative hold Swing +0.5
Olton[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John Windmill 2,192 61.8 +11.0
Conservative Patricia Handslip 1,078 30.4 -12.3
Labour Eric Collins 277 7.8 +1.3
Majority 1,114 31.4 +23.2
Turnout 3,547 38.6 +2.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +11.6
Packwood[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kenneth Meeson 2,627 60.7 +4.6
Liberal Democrats Eric Widger 1,417 32.8 -6.3
Labour Florence Nash 281 6.5 +1.6
Majority 1,210 28.0 +11.0
Turnout 4,325 37.9 -3.2
Conservative hold Swing +5.4
Shirley East[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats June Gandy 2,028 57.1 +14.2
Conservative Brian Burgess 1,242 35.0 -16.3
Labour Kevin Raven 279 7.9 +2.1
Majority 786 22.1 +13.7
Turnout 3,549 39.1 +0.1
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing +15.2
Shirley South[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Evans 2,023 54.3 -13.0
Liberal Democrats Roger Gemmell 1,031 27.7 +13.2
Labour Barney McElholm 673 18.1 +0.0
Majority 992 26.6 -22.6
Turnout 3,727 28.7 +2.5
Conservative hold Swing -13.1
Shirley West[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Lewis 1,487 54.1 -8.9
Labour Arthur Harper 681 24.8 +1.9
Liberal Democrats Anthony Verduyn 581 21.1 +7.0
Majority 806 29.3 -10.7
Turnout 2,749 30.4 +0.9
Conservative hold Swing -5.4
Silhill[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sheila Pittaway 2,145 61.7 -6.0
Liberal Democrats Brenda Chapple 819 23.5 +3.3
Labour Marcus Bennion 514 14.8 +2.7
Majority 1,326 38.1 -9.5
Turnout 3,478 35.3 +1.6
Conservative hold Swing -4.6
Smith's Wood[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hugh Hendry 887 65.1 +10.1
Conservative Daniel Kettle 297 21.8 -11.0
Liberal Democrats Keith Brown 179 13.1 +0.8
Majority 590 43.3 +21.3
Turnout 1,363 18.4 +3.9
Labour hold Swing +10.5
St Alphege[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kathleen Wild 2,681 66.1 -8.6
Liberal Democrats Christine Reeves 983 24.2 +8.2
Labour James Burman 393 9.7 +0.4
Majority 1,698 41.9 -16.9
Turnout 4,057 37.1 +2.6
Conservative hold Swing -8.4

By-elections between 2002 and 2003

Shirley West by-election 13 March 2003[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Howard Allen 1,179 54.9 +33.8
Conservative Joan Allsopp 777 36.2 -17.9
Labour Arthur Harper 192 8.9 -15.9
Majority 402 18.7 -10.6
Turnout 2,148 23.8 -6.6
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing +25.8

References

  1. ↑ "Solihull". BBC News Online. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Shaky Labour dreads upset; How the candidates line up for the May 2 council elections". Birmingham Mail. 12 April 2002. p. 8.
  3. 1 2 Hudson, Jenny (26 April 2002). "Local elections 2002: A safe bet Solihull will not be changing, but watch Shirley ; In the second in a series of profiles looking at key areas where local council elections will be held on May 2, Jenny Hudson looks at Solihull". Birmingham Post. p. 4.
  4. 1 2 Watts, Anna (1 May 2002). "Tories poised to stay in control; Mail news focus on tomorrow's local elections". Birmingham Mail. p. 5.
  5. 1 2 Watts, Anna (3 May 2002). "Local Election Results 2002: True Blue Solihull". Birmingham Mail. p. 20.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "Borough Council election" (PDF). Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
  7. ↑ "Election results; Local Election". The Times. 4 May 2002. p. 16.
  8. ↑ "Full results". Financial Times. 4 May 2002. p. 7.
  9. ↑ Dale, Paul (15 March 2003). "Solihull election shock as Tories swept aside". Birmingham Post. p. 1.
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