Basildon Council election, 2007
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Basildon Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Basildon
Borough
Council in Essex
, England
. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party
stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
stand in 11 of the 14 wards
being contested, an increase from 6 in 2006 and more than the Liberal Democrats who only stood in 9 seats.
There was controversy during the election over comments by the Conservative candidate in Vange
, Luke Mackenzie, in an election leaflet where he called for voters who did not want asylum seekers to get council house
s to vote Conservative. Other parties called on the Conservatives to disown Mackenzie, who was standing against the only ethnic minority councillor
in Basildon, saying he was "peddling scare stories" and that the comments were "inflammatory". However Mackenzie denied increasing racial tension, saying voters felt immigration
was "entirely out of control" and that a shortage of housing was caused by people from outside of Basildon, and was defended by the leaders of the Conservative group in Basildon.
. The Conservatives took Laindon
Park, but narrowly failed to take the targeted wards of Pitsea
North West and Vange from Labour, by 19 and 68 votes respectively. The Conservative share of the vote was down on the 2006 election
at 43%, while Labour won 22%. Overall turnout
in the election was 30%, a decline from the 33.5% recorded in 2006.
Basildon (district)
Basildon is a local government district in south Essex in the East of England, centred around the town of Basildon. The district was formed under the Local Government Act 1972 on 1 April 1974 from the former area of Basildon Urban District and the part of Thurrock Urban District that was within the...
Borough
Borough status in the United Kingdom
Borough status in the United Kingdom is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district...
Council in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
- ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
28 - LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
11 - Liberal Democrats 3
Campaign
The election saw the British National PartyBritish National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
stand in 11 of the 14 wards
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
being contested, an increase from 6 in 2006 and more than the Liberal Democrats who only stood in 9 seats.
There was controversy during the election over comments by the Conservative candidate in Vange
Vange
Vange is a former village now subsumed within the urban area of the Basildon District of Essex. As it is much smaller than Basildon, Laindon and Pitsea, it does not have its own town centre or railway station...
, Luke Mackenzie, in an election leaflet where he called for voters who did not want asylum seekers to get council house
Council house
A council house, otherwise known as a local authority house, is a form of public or social housing. The term is used primarily in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well-built homes on secure tenancies at...
s to vote Conservative. Other parties called on the Conservatives to disown Mackenzie, who was standing against the only ethnic minority councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
in Basildon, saying he was "peddling scare stories" and that the comments were "inflammatory". However Mackenzie denied increasing racial tension, saying voters felt immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
was "entirely out of control" and that a shortage of housing was caused by people from outside of Basildon, and was defended by the leaders of the Conservative group in Basildon.
Election result
The results saw the Conservative hold control of the council after gaining one seat from LabourLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. The Conservatives took Laindon
Laindon
Laindon is a town in the west of the Basildon district of Essex, England.It is north of Laindon railway station on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway. South of the railway station and line is Langdon Hills. Laindon and Langdon Hills are part of the Basildon post town.Until its abolition in...
Park, but narrowly failed to take the targeted wards of Pitsea
Pitsea
Pitsea is a small town in the east of the Basildon district of south Essex, England. It comprises five sub-districts: Eversley, Northlands Park Neighbourhood , Chalvedon, Pitsea Mount and Burnt Mills. Vange is located to the west of Pitsea, Bowers Gifford and North Benfleet to the east and Nevendon...
North West and Vange from Labour, by 19 and 68 votes respectively. The Conservative share of the vote was down on the 2006 election
Basildon Council election, 2006
The 2006 Basildon Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Basildon Borough Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council....
at 43%, while Labour won 22%. Overall turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
in the election was 30%, a decline from the 33.5% recorded in 2006.