2004 St Albans City and District Council election

Background

After the last election in 2003 the Liberal Democrats were the largest party on the council with 23 seats, compared to 21 for the Conservatives, 13 for Labour and there was 1 independent. In April 2004 the Liberal Democrats gained a seat from the Conservatives at a by-election in Verulam, which meant they needed to gain 6 seats at the 2004 council election to take a majority on the council. St Albans was reported by national newspapers to be a council that the Liberal Democrats were hoping to win a majority on.

18 seats were contested at the election with only Colney Heath and Sandridge wards not having elections. Candidates from the 3 main parties stood in all 18 wards apart from in Redbourn, where the Liberal Democrats did not put up a candidate to oppose the independent councillor, Tony Swendell, who was standing for re-election. Two other parties put up some candidates, 3 from the new St Albans Party and 2 from the Green Party.

4 Conservative councillors stood down at the election, Mike Bretherton, Mike Jameson, Martin Treasure and Hazel Ward, as well as 1 from Labour, Andrew Rose and 1 Liberal Democrat, John White.

Election result

The results saw the Liberal Democrat make 5 gains but come up one seat short of gaining an overall majority. They gained seats in Ashley and St Peters wards from Labour, and in Marshalswick South, Park Street and Wheathampstead from the Conservatives, to have exactly half of the 58 seats on the council. This reduced the Conservatives to 17 seats and Labour to 11 seats, while independent Anthony Swendell was re-elected in Redbourn.

Following the election the Liberal Democrats took control of the council with all of the seats on the council cabinet after winning a vote 29 to 24, with 1 abstention, despite opposition from both Labour and the Conservatives.

|seats % = 50.0 |votes % = 38.2 |plus/minus = -5.6% |seats % = 27.8 |votes % = 39.6 |plus/minus = +4.2% |seats % = 16.7 |votes % = 17.1 |plus/minus = -3.5% |seats % = 5.6 |votes % = 3.3 |plus/minus = +3.3% |seats % = 0 |votes % = 1.1 |plus/minus = +1.1% |seats % = 0 |votes % = 0.8 |plus/minus = +0.8%

Ward results

References

References

1. "St Albans council". [[BBC News Online]].
2. (12 June 2004). "Elections 2004: Results at a glance". [[The Guardian]].
3. "Local elections". [[BBC News Online]].
4. (26 February 2004). "By-election date set after councillor quits". [[NewsBank]].
5. "Verulam Ward By Election Result 5th April 2004". St Albans City and District Council.
6. Lewis, Alex. (20 May 2004). "Parties get set to do battle". [[NewsBank]].
7. Sherman, Jill. (7 June 2004). "Labour set for severe losses on all sides". [[NewsBank]].
8. Johnston, Philip. (9 June 2004). "Clue to result of general election lies with how we vote for councils". [[NewsBank]].
9. Lydall, Ross. (11 June 2004). "Tories claim to have turned tide after South-East wins". [[Evening Standard]].
10. (11 June 2004). "Watford Lib Dems are strengthened". [[BBC News Online]].
11. (11 June 2004). "Blair: War cast shadow over election". [[This is Local London]].
12. Bateman, Aaron. (11 June 2004). "Liberal Democrats win fifth seat". [[NewsBank]].
13. "Local Elections: St Albans". [[BBC Online]].
14. (29 June 2004). "Council control seized by Lib Dems". St Albans & Harpenden Review.
15. "District Council Election Results 10th June 2004". St Albans District and City Council.