1999 Redditch Borough Council election

Campaign

In total 32 candidates stood for the 10 seats that were up for election. Nine of the ten seats were held by the Labour party before the election, with the remaining seat being Conservative. The Labour Party were confident of remaining in control of the council but the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats were hoping to make gains. A controversial issue in the election was a recent 2 million pound cost-cutting exercise, which the Labour council said had been necessary to safeguard the council's finances but the Conservatives criticised it as having cut services and left residents unhappy. Other major issues in the election included housing, play areas, crime, proposed building developments and the performance of the national Labour government.

Election result

The results saw the defeat of the Labour deputy leader, David Cartwright, in Crabbs Cross ward where the Conservatives gained the seat. Labour also lost their mayor, Andrew Fry, in the election but remained firmly in control of the council. Following the election Phil Mould was elected to succeed David Cartwright as the Labour deputy leader of the council.

|seats % = 60.0 |votes % = |plus/minus = |seats % = 30.0 |votes % = |plus/minus = |seats % = 10.0 |votes % = |plus/minus =

References

References

1. "Redditch". [[BBC News Online]].
2. (1999-04-09). "Control 'is in safe hands'". [[Birmingham Mail]].
3. Probert, Andy. (1999-05-05). "Local election countdown opposition hopes tide has turned". [[Birmingham Mail]].
4. Stote, Martin. (1999-05-07). "Tories stage early gains in the Shires". [[Birmingham Post]].
5. (1999-05-08). "At-a-glance guide to how the councils stand". [[Birmingham Post]].
6. (1999-05-21). "Deputy voted in". [[Birmingham Mail]].
7. (1999-05-08). "Results Continued". [[Financial Times]].