2012 Harlow District Council election

The 2012 Harlow District Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of Harlow District Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party gained overall control of the council from the Conservative party.[1]

2012 Harlow District Council election
3 May 2012
11 of the 33 seats to Harlow District Council
17 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats
Seats before 14 17 2
Seats won 7 4 0
Seats after 20 13 0
Seat change 6 4 2
Popular vote 9,722 7,083 1,467
Percentage 52.1% 38.0% 7.9%
Map showing the results of contested wards in the 2012 Harlow District Council elections.
Council control before election

Conservative

 Council control after election

Labour

After the election, the composition of the council was

Background

After the last election in 2011 the Conservatives remained in control of the council with 17 councillors, compared to 14 for Labour and 2 for the Liberal Democrats.[3] However, in October 2011 one of the two Liberal Democrat councillors, John Strachan of Staple Tye ward defected to the Labour party.[4]

Harlow was reported in the national press to be one of Labour's top targets in the 2012 local elections.[5][6][7]

Election result

The Labour party gained control of Harlow from the Conservatives after gaining 5 seats including 4 from the Conservatives.[8] The Labour gains from the Conservatives came in Harlow Common, Little Parndon and Hare Street, Netteswell and Toddbrook and meant Labour won 8 of the 12 seats contested.[9] The Conservatives had controlled the council since winning a majority at the 2008 election.[10]

The other Labour gain came from the Liberal Democrats in Mark Hall ward and meant the Liberal Democrats no longer had any councillors in Harlow.[8][9] The Liberal Democrats did not come close to taking any of the seats contested, with some candidates getting less than 100 votes.[9] Overall turnout at the election was 28.43%,[11] the lowest turnout ever for a local election in Harlow.[9]

Harlow local election result 2012[2][11]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 8 5 0 5 66.7 52.1 9,722 6.0
  Conservative 4 0 4 4 33.3 38.0 7,083 4.3
  Liberal Democrats 0 0 1 1 0 7.9 1,467 2.9
  UKIP 0 0 0 0 1.3 236 0.5
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0.8 149 0.8

Ward results

Bush Fair (2 seats)
Location of Bush Fair ward
Bush Fair (2 seats)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Manny Doku 1,021
Labour Daniella Pritchard 877
Conservative Michael Hardware 259
UKIP Donald Crane 236
Conservative Andy Shannon 182
Liberal Democrats Ian Jackson 109
Liberal Democrats Roy Jackson 90
Turnout 2,774 28.0 -8.4
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Church Langley
Location of Church Langley ward
Church Langley[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Simon Carter 1,007 65.3 -0.8
Labour Ken Lawrie 454 29.4 +1.4
Liberal Democrats Laura Rideout 82 5.3 -0.6
Majority 553 35.8 -2.4
Turnout 1,543 24.3 -9.8
Conservative hold Swing

Great Parndon
Location of Great Parndon ward
Great Parndon[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Eddie Johnson 774 47.8 -4.2
Labour Norman Knight 749 46.2 +5.5
Liberal Democrats Lesley Rideout 97 6.0 -1.2
Majority 25 1.5 -9.8
Turnout 1,620 31.6 -9.5
Conservative hold Swing

Harlow Common
Location of Harlow Common ward
Harlow Common[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Emma Toal 902 51.3 +0.3
Conservative Clive Souter 637 36.2 -5.3
Independent Gary Roberts 149 8.5 +8.5
Liberal Democrats Chris Millington 72 4.1 -3.4
Majority 265 15.1 +5.7
Turnout 1,760 31.7 -8.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Little Parndon and Hare Street
Location of Little Parndon and Hare Street ward
Little Parndon and Hare Street[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Jon Clempner 1,099 63.9 +4.2
Conservative Shona Johnson 521 30.3 -3.6
Liberal Democrats Neil Kerlen 100 5.8 -0.6
Majority 578 33.6 +7.9
Turnout 1,720 28.4 -7.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Mark Hall
Location of Mark Hall ward
Mark Hall[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Jacqui Cross 849 53.0 +7.6
Conservative Jane Steer 440 27.5 +0.5
Liberal Democrats James Rideout 312 19.5 -8.1
Majority 409 25.5 +7.7
Turnout 1,601 30.5 -9.0
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Netteswell
Location of Netteswell ward
Netteswell[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Waida Forman 818 55.4 +2.2
Conservative Mark Gough 538 36.4 +1.1
Liberal Democrats Kuzna Jackson 120 8.1 -3.3
Majority 280 19.0 +1.1
Turnout 1,476 26.7 -6.2
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Old Harlow
Location of Old Harlow ward
Old Harlow[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Muriel Jolles 934 51.6 -2.4
Labour Tom Newens 771 42.6 +3.1
Liberal Democrats Mary Wiltshire 105 5.8 -0.6
Majority 163 9.0 -5.5
Turnout 1,810 33.2 -8.4
Conservative hold Swing

Staple Tye
Location of Staple Tye ward
Staple Tye[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Patrick McCabe 657 50.9 +6.3
Conservative Stevie Souter 450 34.8 +0.3
Liberal Democrats Cheryl Hickey 185 14.3 -6.6
Majority 207 16.0 +5.9
Turnout 1,292 24.3 -9.8
Labour hold Swing

Sumners and Kingsmoor
Location of Summers and Kingsmoor ward
Sumners and Kingsmoor[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Russell Perrin 687 49.1 -0.6
Labour Dan Long 623 44.6 +2.6
Liberal Democrats Brenda Nichols 88 6.3 -2.0
Majority 64 4.6 -3.0
Turnout 1,398 25.7 -8.3
Conservative hold Swing

Toddbrook
Location of Toddbrook ward
Toddbrook[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Phil Waite 902 54.2 +5.0
Conservative Joel Charles 654 39.3 -3.9
Liberal Democrats Christopher Robins 107 6.4 -1.2
Majority 248 14.9 +8.8
Turnout 1,663 29.2 -8.4
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

By-elections between 2012 and 2014

A by-election was held in Toddbrook on 15 November 2012 after Labour councillor Bob Davis resigned from the council.[12] The seat was held for Labour by Christine O'Dell with a majority of 221 votes over the Conservatives.[12]

Toddbrook by-election 15 November 2012[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Christine O'Dell 604 52.5 -1.7
Conservative Clive Souter 383 33.3 -6.0
UKIP Bill Pryor 111 9.6 +9.6
Liberal Democrats Roy Jackson 53 4.6 -1.8
Majority 221 19.2 +4.3
Turnout 1,151 20.2 -9.0
Labour hold Swing
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References
  1. "Vote 2012". BBC News Online. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  2. "Election results 2012: Non-Metro". The Guardian. NewsBank. 5 May 2012.
  3. "England council elections". BBC News Online. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  4. Moss, Chris (20 October 2011). "Lib Dem councillor defects to Labour in protest at NHS reforms". Harlow Star. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  5. Watt, Nicholas (2 May 2012). "Education: 'On policy we win. On personality it is tough': Taxation Schools Libraries Transport Social care & the elderly: Miliband prepares for a challenging London result Labour party plays down high seat expectations". The Guardian. NewsBank.
  6. Grice, Andrew (2 May 2012). "Threat of London defeat prompts Miliband to attack 'typical Tory'". The Independent. NewsBank.
  7. Sherman, Jill; Coates, Sam (3 May 2012). "Cameron lets slip as Tories prepare for poll defeats". The Times. NewsBank. p. 13.
  8. Watt, Nicholas (4 May 2012). "Great expectations as Labour ends 'southern discomfort': Miliband's party wins big victory in Birmingham But Boris looks set to fend off Ken's London challenge". The Guardian. NewsBank.
  9. Moss, Chris (4 May 2012). "Labour take control of Harlow Council". Harlow Star. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  10. "Labour take Harlow council from Conservatives". BBC News Online. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  11. "Harlow Council Elections 2012 Results". Harlow District Council. Archived from the original on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  12. "Labour wins Toddbrook by-election". Harlow Star. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
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