
The2002 St Albans City and District Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members ofSt AlbansDistrict Council inHertfordshire,England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed underno overall control.[1]
After the election, the composition of the council was:
Before the election theLiberal Democrats were the largest party on the council with 23councillors, compared to 19 for theConservatives, 15 forLabour and there was 1independent.[3] 7 councillors stood down at the election, Liberal Democrats John Henchley, John Peters and Brian Roberts, Conservatives Richard Blossom, Patrick Johnston and Julian Turner, and Labour's David Enright.[3]
The Liberal Democrats targeted Labour held seats in Ashley and St Peter's, while Labour aimed to pick up a seat in Cunningham.[3] As well as the 3 main political parties, voters could also vote for the No Candidate Deserves My Vote! party in some wards, which was standing in order to give voters the chance to register theirabstention at the polls.[4]
A trial took place in Sopwell and Verulamwards under which voters could vote either byinternet,phone,post or at thepolling station using atouch screen system.[5][6] The internet voting trial was funded by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions as part of an attempt to get more people involved in elections.[7] As a result of the trial one of the wards set the fastest declaration time at only 4 minutes after the close of polling.[8] Howeverturnout was actually down from 24.1% to 23.3% in Sopwell ward and down from 41.9% to 38.9% in Verulam ward compared to thelast election in 2000.[9]
The Conservatives gained 3 seats from the Liberal Democrats inColney Heath,Harpenden North andSandridge to become the largest party on the council with 21 councillors.[9] The Liberal Democrats dropped to 20 seats, but did gain an increased share of the votes, while Labour stayed on 15 seats.[9] There also remained 1 independent councillor and one seat was vacant after the death of Verulam Conservative councillor Michael Pugh on 22 April 2002.[10] Overall turnout at the election was 38.22%,[11] up from 33.56% at the2000 election.[12]
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 8 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 38.1 | 35.8 | 13,722 | -4.4% | |
| Liberal Democrats | 7 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 33.3 | 38.8 | 14,896 | +6.1% | |
| Labour | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28.6 | 25.1 | 9,632 | +1.2% | |
| No Candidate Deserves My Vote! | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 117 | +0.3% | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Malachy Pakenham | 768 | 41.3 | −7.0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Alan Marshall | 678 | 36.5 | +9.4 | |
| Conservative | Alec Campbell | 382 | 20.5 | −4.1 | |
| No Candidate Deserves My Vote! | Rosemary Flanagan | 31 | 1.7 | +1.7 | |
| Majority | 90 | 4.8 | −16.5 | ||
| Turnout | 1,859 | ||||
| Labourhold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Roma Mills | 993 | 59.9 | −0.6 | |
| Labour | Martin Leach | 871 | 52.6 | −7.5 | |
| Conservative | Margaret Brownlie | 343 | 20.7 | −6.0 | |
| Conservative | Pamela Farley | 339 | 20.5 | −6.2 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Richard Biddle | 323 | 19.5 | +6.7 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Debbie Williams | 267 | 16.1 | +3.3 | |
| Turnout | 1,657 | ||||
| Labourhold | Swing | ||||
| Labourhold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Joyce Lusby | 1,095 | 59.2 | +11.9 | |
| Labour | Taufiq Lodhi | 423 | 22.9 | −5.7 | |
| Conservative | Louisa-Jane Rosalki | 331 | 17.9 | −6.2 | |
| Majority | 672 | 36.3 | +17.6 | ||
| Turnout | 1,849 | ||||
| Liberal Democratshold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | David Clarke | 621 | 44.0 | +18.2 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Christopher Brazier | 514 | 36.4 | −11.1 | |
| Labour | David Mclean | 276 | 19.6 | −6.2 | |
| Majority | 107 | 7.6 | |||
| Turnout | 1,411 | ||||
| Conservativegain fromLiberal Democrats | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Robert Prowse | 842 | 43.3 | +0.3 | |
| Labour | Andrew Gilson | 699 | 36.0 | −0.7 | |
| Conservative | Diana Hall | 402 | 20.7 | +0.4 | |
| Majority | 143 | 7.3 | +0.9 | ||
| Turnout | 1,943 | ||||
| Liberal Democratshold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Alison Steer | 1,013 | 46.7 | +1.1 | |
| Conservative | Victor Holley | 830 | 38.3 | −1.4 | |
| Labour | David Crew | 324 | 15.0 | +2.0 | |
| Majority | 183 | 8.4 | +2.5 | ||
| Turnout | 2,167 | ||||
| Liberal Democratshold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Richard Grenfell-Hill | 935 | 47.9 | −7.4 | |
| Liberal Democrats | John Coad | 812 | 41.6 | +6.9 | |
| Labour | Rosemary Ross | 206 | 10.5 | +0.4 | |
| Majority | 123 | 6.3 | −14.3 | ||
| Turnout | 1,953 | ||||
| Conservativegain fromLiberal Democrats | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Teresa Heritage | 1,254 | 63.4 | −2.5 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Christopher Canfield | 461 | 23.3 | +3.7 | |
| Labour | David Lawlor | 263 | 13.3 | −1.1 | |
| Majority | 793 | 40.1 | −5.2 | ||
| Turnout | 1,978 | ||||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Robert Wicks | 1,211 | 60.1 | −7.0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Nigel Jenkinson | 505 | 25.1 | +6.3 | |
| Labour | Benjamin Dearman | 299 | 14.8 | +0.6 | |
| Majority | 706 | 35.0 | −13.3 | ||
| Turnout | 2,015 | ||||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Etheldreda Gordon | 1,075 | 61.9 | +2.9 | |
| Conservative | Geoffrey Brooking | 409 | 23.5 | −2.4 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Carol Prowse | 253 | 14.6 | −0.5 | |
| Majority | 666 | 38.4 | +5.3 | ||
| Turnout | 1,737 | ||||
| Labourhold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Thomas Clegg | 942 | 47.5 | +0.4 | |
| Conservative | John Foster | 724 | 36.5 | −1.4 | |
| Labour | John Baughan | 319 | 16.1 | +1.0 | |
| Majority | 218 | 11.0 | +1.8 | ||
| Turnout | 1,985 | ||||
| Liberal Democratshold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Michael Ketley | 1,353 | 57.8 | +16.5 | |
| Conservative | Roderick Douglas | 667 | 28.5 | −13.8 | |
| Labour | Janet Smith | 321 | 13.7 | −2.7 | |
| Majority | 686 | 29.3 | |||
| Turnout | 2,341 | ||||
| Liberal Democratshold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Aislinn Lee | 1,276 | 65.5 | +27.7 | |
| Conservative | James Vessey | 418 | 21.5 | −22.0 | |
| Labour | Janet Blackwell | 253 | 13.0 | −5.7 | |
| Majority | 858 | 44.0 | |||
| Turnout | 1,947 | ||||
| Liberal Democratshold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Patricia Schofield | 997 | 52.3 | +9.4 | |
| Conservative | Paul Finigan | 753 | 39.5 | +9.5 | |
| Labour | Clive Newport | 158 | 8.3 | −2.2 | |
| Majority | 244 | 12.8 | |||
| Turnout | 1,908 | ||||
| Liberal Democratshold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Beric Read | 548 | 41.3 | +5.7 | |
| Liberal Democrats | William Morris | 531 | 40.0 | +2.1 | |
| Labour | Christine Dawson | 226 | 17.0 | −0.5 | |
| No Candidate Deserves My Vote! | Cliff Miller | 21 | 1.6 | N/A | |
| Majority | 17 | 1.3 | |||
| Turnout | 1,326 | ||||
| Conservativegain fromLiberal Democrats | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Dawn Pratley | 664 | 58.3 | −2.1 | |
| Conservative | Marilyn Madden | 242 | 21.3 | −5.5 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Moira Seton | 196 | 17.2 | +4.4 | |
| No Candidate Deserves My Vote! | Michael Horan | 36 | 3.2 | +3.2 | |
| Majority | 422 | 37.0 | +3.5 | ||
| Turnout | 1,138 | 23.3 | −0.8 | ||
| Labourhold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Winifred Dunleavy | 783 | 43.7 | +0.3 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Ilyas Khan | 684 | 38.1 | +0.8 | |
| Conservative | Virginia Walker | 326 | 18.2 | −1.1 | |
| Majority | 99 | 5.6 | −0.5 | ||
| Turnout | 1,793 | ||||
| Labourhold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Susan Carr | 1,086 | 55.3 | −0.9 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Jadwiga Baillie | 584 | 29.7 | +0.2 | |
| Labour | Patricia Allen | 295 | 15.0 | +0.8 | |
| Majority | 502 | 25.6 | −1.1 | ||
| Turnout | 1,965 | ||||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Pauline Buffham | 934 | 48.7 | +1.5 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Martin Frearson | 711 | 37.1 | −5.1 | |
| Labour | Linda Spiri | 243 | 12.7 | +2.1 | |
| No Candidate Deserves My Vote! | Peter Goodall | 29 | 1.5 | +1.5 | |
| Majority | 223 | 11.6 | +6.6 | ||
| Turnout | 1,917 | 38.9 | −3.0 | ||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Keith Stammers | 967 | 48.4 | −2.7 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Paul Edelston | 859 | 43.0 | +3.3 | |
| Labour | Mary Cheale | 173 | 8.7 | −0.5 | |
| Majority | 108 | 5.4 | −6.0 | ||
| Turnout | 1,999 | ||||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
Aby-election was held in Verulam ward on 27 June 2002 after the death of Conservative councillor Michael Pugh.[14] The seat was gained for the Liberal Democrats by Martin Frearson with a majority of 24 votes over the Conservatives, after Frearson had come second to the Conservatives in the seat at the council election in May.[14]
Turnout increased by 2% from the May council election and the number ofspoiled ballots dropped to 2 from 30 at the May election when the trial of electronic voting had taken place in the ward.[14]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Martin Frearson | 960 | 46.6 | +9.5 | |
| Conservative | Marilyn Madden | 936 | 45.5 | −3.2 | |
| Labour | Linda Spiri | 145 | 7.0 | −5.7 | |
| No Candidate Deserves My Vote | Peter Goodall | 17 | 0.8 | −0.7 | |
| Majority | 24 | 1.1 | |||
| Turnout | 2,058 | 40.9 | |||
| Liberal Democratsgain fromConservative | Swing | ||||