West Lancashire Council election, 2010
Encyclopedia
The 2010 West Lancashire Council election took place on 6 May 2010 to elect members of West Lancashire
Borough
Council in Lancashire
, 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
parties. The Conservatives gained control of the council in the 2002 election and since then had increased their majority. This meant that before the 2010 election the Conservatives held 33 of the 54 seats on the council as compared to 16 for Labour, 2 independents and a number of vacancies. The third party nationally, the Liberal Democrats
, had no councillor
s in West Lancashire and did not stand any candidates in the election.
. The by-election in Scott ward
came after the resignation of Conservative Geoff Hammond in March, meaning that 2 councillors would be elected from the ward in 2010. As well as the Conservative and Labour parties, there were also several Green party
candidates and one English Democrat
who was standing in Ashurst ward.
The Conservatives' strong majority before the election meant it was seen as being almost certain that they would remain in control of the council. They were defending 14 of the 19 seats being contested, but were still hoping to make some gains. The Conservatives pointed to their record in freezing Council Tax
, while making improvements in services and local parks.
Meanwhile Labour pointed to their candidates and the increased turnout
due to the election taking place at the same time as the general election, as factors leading them to hope they would make gains. They targeted the wards of Burscough
East, Burscough West and Scott, while also hoping to make progress elsewhere in the north of the council.
West Lancashire
West Lancashire is a non-metropolitan district with the status of a borough in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Ormskirk. The other town in the borough is Skelmersdale....
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 Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, 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...
31 - 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...
21 - IndependentIndependent (politician)In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
1 - Vacant 1
Background
Since the council was created in 1973 West Lancashire has alternated between the Conservative and 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...
parties. The Conservatives gained control of the council in the 2002 election and since then had increased their majority. This meant that before the 2010 election the Conservatives held 33 of the 54 seats on the council as compared to 16 for Labour, 2 independents and a number of vacancies. The third party nationally, the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
, had no 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:...
s in West Lancashire and did not stand any candidates in the election.
Campaign
19 seats were being contested in the 2010 election, including the normal 18 seats and one by-electionBy-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
. The by-election in Scott ward
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:...
came after the resignation of Conservative Geoff Hammond in March, meaning that 2 councillors would be elected from the ward in 2010. As well as the Conservative and Labour parties, there were also several Green party
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
candidates and one English Democrat
English Democrats Party
The English Democrats are an English federalist political party, committed to the formation of a devolved English Parliament with at least the same powers as those granted to the Scottish Parliament. Whilst not supporting English Independence, the English Democrats consider themselves the English...
who was standing in Ashurst ward.
The Conservatives' strong majority before the election meant it was seen as being almost certain that they would remain in control of the council. They were defending 14 of the 19 seats being contested, but were still hoping to make some gains. The Conservatives pointed to their record in freezing Council Tax
Council tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
, while making improvements in services and local parks.
Meanwhile Labour pointed to their candidates and the increased 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...
due to the election taking place at the same time as the general election, as factors leading them to hope they would make gains. They targeted the wards of Burscough
Burscough
Burscough is a village and civil parish within West Lancashire in North West England, to the north of both Ormskirk and Skelmersdale.-Growth:...
East, Burscough West and Scott, while also hoping to make progress elsewhere in the north of the council.