2010 Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2010 Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 6 May 2010 to elect members of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

Map of the results of the 2010 Sandwell council election. Labour in red, Conservatives in blue and Liberal Democrats in yellow.

After the election, the composition of the council was

• Labour 56
• Conservative 12
• Liberal Democrat 4[2]

Background

24 seats were contested in the election with the British National Party contesting every seat for the first time,[3][4] more than the Liberal Democrats who only stood in 13 seats.[5] Labour were defending over half of the seats being contested, with the deputy leader of the council, Mahboob Hussain in Oldbury ward, being among the councillors standing for re-election.[6]

Election result

The results saw Labour increase their majority on the council after gaining 7 seats.[7] Labour took 2 seats from the Conservatives, 1 from the Liberal Democrats, 2 from the British National Party and 2 from independents.[6] This meant Labour had 56 seats, compared to 12 for the Conservatives and 4 for the Liberal Democrats.[6] Meanwhile, the British National Party losses in Princes End and Tividale meant the party no longer had any seats on the council.[8]

Sandwell Local Election Result 2010[9][2]

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Labour	21	7	0	+7	87.5	47.4	61,128	+3.6%
	Conservative	2	0	2	-2	8.3	27.9	35,924	-8.2%
	Liberal Democrats	1	0	1	-1	4.2	10.5	13,589	+0.7%
	BNP	0	0	2	-2	0	11.5	14,860	+3.1%
	Independent	0	0	2	-2	0	1.4	1,846	+1.3%
	Green	0	0	0	0	0	1.1	1,402	-0.4%
	Christian Peoples Alliance	0	0	0	0	0	0.1	154	+0.1%

Ward results

Abbey[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Bob Piper	3,352	57.6	+5.9
	Conservative	Chris Brown	1,418	24.3	-5.9
	Green	Barry Lim	652	11.2	+4.3
	BNP	Kim Nunn	402	6.9	+6.9
Majority			1,934	33.2	+10.6
Turnout			5,824	66.7
	Labour hold		Swing

Blackheath[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Malcolm Bridges	2,272	41.3	+4.6
	Conservative	Shirley Ching	1,942	35.3	-18.7
	Liberal Democrats	Siobhan Wilson	726	13.2	+3.9
	BNP	Michaela Meachem	555	10.1	+10.1
Majority			330	6.0
Turnout			5,495	59.4
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Bristnall[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Steven Frear	2,495	46.1	+2.0
	Conservative	Clive Brunt	1,558	28.8	-17.9
	Liberal Democrats	Bryan Manley-Green	781	14.4	+5.2
	BNP	Charles Cooper	575	10.6	+10.6
Majority			937	17.3
Turnout			5,409	58.6
	Labour hold		Swing

Charlemont with Grove Vale[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Tony Ward	2,511	40.8	-7.5
	Labour	Liam Preece	1,947	31.7	+12.1
	Liberal Democrats	Michaela Allcock	957	15.6	+4.9
	BNP	Deborah Howe	596	9.7	-7.2
	Green	Dell Macefield	139	2.3	-2.3
Majority			564	9.2	-19.5
Turnout			6,150	65.8
	Conservative hold		Swing

Cradley Heath and Old Hill[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Julie Webb	2,596	44.3	-1.8
	Conservative	Alan Bowler	1,901	32.4	-21.5
	Liberal Democrats	Robert Johns	805	13.7	+13.7
	BNP	Ann-Marie Hamblett	558	9.5	+9.5
Majority			695	11.9
Turnout			5,860	58.7
	Labour hold		Swing

Friar Park[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Simon Hackett	2,201	46.3	+1.4
	Conservative	Paul Farrington	1,296	27.3	-2.9
	BNP	David Sawers	715	15.0	-3.7
	Liberal Democrats	Dorothy Brayshaw	541	11.4	+5.3
Majority			905	19.0	+4.3
Turnout			4,753	52.1
	Labour hold		Swing

Great Barr with Yew Tree[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Steve Melia	2,332	37.3	+10.6
	Liberal Democrats	Mary Wilson	1,862	29.8	-6.2
	Conservative	Robert White	1,420	22.7	+1.6
	BNP	Terence Lewin	637	10.2	-6.0
Majority			470	7.5
Turnout			6,251	64.2
	Labour gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing

Great Bridge[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Joanne Hadley	1,973	40.3	-4.7
	Conservative	Steve Simcox	1,076	22.0	-1.2
	BNP	Jennifer Howells	816	16.7	-9.5
	Independent	Tony Roper	594	12.1	+12.1
	Liberal Democrats	Tom Underhill	431	8.8	+3.1
Majority			897	18.3	-0.5
Turnout			4,890
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Greets Green and Lyng[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Robert Badham	2,436	56.6	+5.3
	Conservative	Elaine Fitzpatrick	889	20.7	-3.4
	BNP	John Howells	540	12.6	-4.6
	Liberal Democrats	Richard Mitchener	437	10.2	+2.9
Majority			1,547	36.0	+8.8
Turnout			4,302	53.5
	Labour hold		Swing

Hateley Heath[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Paul Moore	2,621	52.1	+6.2
	Conservative	Stephanie Page	1,436	28.5	+2.5
	BNP	Emma McCandless	822	16.3	-2.6
	Christian Peoples Alliance	Patrick Fahey	154	3.1	+3.1
Majority			1,185	23.5	+3.6
Turnout			5,033	52.1
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Langley[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Mick Davies	2,355	45.8	-1.8
	Conservative	Michael Cooper	1,522	29.6	-4.0
	Liberal Democrats	Ronald Hackett	651	12.7	+7.6
	BNP	Tracey Morris	615	12.0	-1.6
Majority			833	16.2	+2.2
Turnout			5,143	56.2
	Labour hold		Swing

Newton[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Tony Underhill	2,088	36.0	-9.4
	Labour	Shirley Hosell	1,979	34.2	+9.3
	Conservative	Val Ward	1,303	22.5	-3.9
	BNP	Debbie Johnson	425	7.3	+7.3
Majority			109	1.9	-17.1
Turnout			5,795	64.9
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing

Old Warley[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Steve Trow	2,370	40.2	+1.4
	Conservative	John McHard	1,989	33.8	-11.8
	Liberal Democrats	Bob Smith	866	14.7	+3.7
	BNP	Peter Whitehouse	488	8.3	+8.3
	Green	Aldo Mussi	176	3.0	-1.6
Majority			381	6.5
Turnout			5,889	64.2
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Oldbury[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Mahboob Hussain	3,673	65.9	+14.9
	Conservative	Bisharat Hussain	1,201	21.6	-13.2
	BNP	Mark Morris	697	12.5	+12.5
Majority			2,472	44.4	+28.2
Turnout			5,571	59.3
	Labour hold		Swing

Princes End[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Suzanne Hartwell	1,891	42.1	+8.2
	Conservative	Keith Vaughan	1,412	31.4	-14.6
	BNP	Russ Green	1,189	26.5	+6.3
Majority			479	10.7
Turnout			4,492	48.1
	Labour gain from BNP		Swing

Rowley[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Chris Tranter	2,540	49.2	+3.7
	Conservative	Maurice Gaunt	1,838	35.6	+0.7
	BNP	Joseph Skeldon	786	15.2	+0.2
Majority			702	13.6	+3.0
Turnout			5,164	56.6
	Labour hold		Swing

St. Pauls[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Babu Bawa	2,943	52.1	-0.5
	Conservative	Jagtar Chaggar	1,234	21.9	-16.9
	Independent	Abdul Rehman	887	15.7	+13.5
	BNP	Susan Simpson	321	5.7	+5.7
	Green	Neil Barlow	259	4.6	+4.6
Majority			1,709	30.3	+16.5
Turnout			5,644	60.3
	Labour hold		Swing

Smethwick[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Vic Silvester	3,388	63.0	+4.0
	Conservative	Gurpreet Cheema	1,341	24.9	-2.7
	BNP	Lynne Benion	653	12.1	+12.1
Majority			2,047	38.0	+6.6
Turnout			5,382	56.2
	Labour hold		Swing

Soho and Victoria[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Mohammad Rouf	3,462	67.3	-3.6
	Liberal Democrats	Mazhar Hussain	835	16.2	+0.3
	Conservative	Altaf Ahmed	642	12.5	-0.7
	BNP	Tracy Sefton	208	4.0	+4.0
Majority			2,627	51.0	-4.1
Turnout			5,147	56.3
	Labour hold		Swing

Tipton Green[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Ahmadul Haque	2,252	41.3	-6.4
	Conservative	Steve Downing	1,608	29.5	+5.7
	BNP	Karen Parkes	709	13.0	-5.5
	Liberal Democrats	Nigel Richards	525	9.6	-0.4
	Independent	Steve Wilkinson	365	6.7	+6.7
Majority			644	11.8	-12.1
Turnout			5,459	56.6
	Labour hold		Swing

Tividale[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Jayne Wilkinson	2,166	40.9	-15.4
	Conservative	John Stockall	1,571	29.7	-14.1
	Liberal Democrats	Joanne Arnold	793	15.0	+15.0
	BNP	Gordon Howells	761	14.4	+14.4
Majority			595	11.2	-1.3
Turnout			5,291	56.7
	Labour gain from BNP		Swing

Wednesbury North[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Mavis Hughes	1,989	39.2	-40.1
	Labour	Pete Hughes	1,938	38.2	+17.5
	BNP	Emma Howell	615	12.1	+12.1
	Liberal Democrats	Christopher Stanley	534	10.5	+10.5
Majority			51	1.0	-57.5
Turnout			5,076	55.4
	Conservative hold		Swing

Wednesbury South[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Elizabeth Giles	2,758	51.1	+12.7
	Conservative	Valerie Bowen	1,841	34.1	-6.7
	BNP	Mark Paskin	798	14.8	-0.9
Majority			917	17.0
Turnout			5,397	56.7
	Labour hold		Swing

West Bromwich Central[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Mohinder Tagger	3,188	58.1	+3.7
	Conservative	Jack Sabharwal	986	18.0	-5.7
	Liberal Democrats	David Fisher	757	13.8	+7.7
	BNP	Terence Stanway	379	6.9	-5.0
	Green	David Hawkins	176	3.2	-0.7
Majority			2,202	40.1	+9.3
Turnout			5,486	58.9
	Labour hold		Swing

References

1. "Sandwell". BBC News Online. 19 April 2009. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
2. "Local elections 2010". guardian.co.uk. London. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
3. Lloyd, Matt (13 April 2010). "OAP's son in battle". Birmingham Mail. p. 18.
4. "BNP standing in more Sandwell Council seats than Lib Dems". Halesowen News. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
5. "How the candidates line up for local elections". Sutton Coldfield Observer. 16 April 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
6. Elkes, Neil (8 May 2010). "Labour gains in Midlands". Birmingham Mail. p. 2.
7. "Labour pick up council seats". Birmingham Mail. 8 May 2010. p. 1.
8. "Celebration as Sandwell Council becomes a 'BNP free' zone". Halesowen News. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
9. "Local elections 2010". Sandwell Council. Retrieved 28 February 2011.