Worcester Council election, 2004
Encyclopedia
The 2004 Worcester Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Worcester
District
Council in Worcestershire
, England
. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2003
reducing the number of seats by one. The Conservative party
stayed in overall control of the council.
, 4 independents
, 2 Liberal Democrats, 1 independent Conservative and 1 vacant seat. Boundary changes saw the number of seats reduced from 36 to 35 for the 2004 election, meaning that the whole council would be up for election for the first time since 1976. This also meant that the number of wards
was increased from 12 to 15, with new wards including Cathedral and Rainbow Hill.
All parties were hoping to make gains with the Conservatives defending their record in control of the council, which they said included having a balanced budget and keeping the council tax
rise down to 2.5%. Other issues raised in the election included recycling
, improving public transport
, dealing with traffic congestion and keeping the streets clean.
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
District
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
Council in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, 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...
. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2003
Worcester Council election, 2003
The 2003 Worcester Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Worcester District Council in Worcestershire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.After the election, the...
reducing the number of seats by one. 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.
Campaign
Before the election the council was composed of 18 Conservatives, 10 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...
, 4 independents
Independent (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...
, 2 Liberal Democrats, 1 independent Conservative and 1 vacant seat. Boundary changes saw the number of seats reduced from 36 to 35 for the 2004 election, meaning that the whole council would be up for election for the first time since 1976. This also meant that the number of 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:...
was increased from 12 to 15, with new wards including Cathedral and Rainbow Hill.
All parties were hoping to make gains with the Conservatives defending their record in control of the council, which they said included having a balanced budget and keeping the 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...
rise down to 2.5%. Other issues raised in the election included recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
, improving public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
, dealing with traffic congestion and keeping the streets clean.