20 out of 60 seats to Colchester Borough Council 31 seats needed for a majority
Turnout
34.0% (6.5%)
First party
Second party
Party
Conservative
Liberal Democrats
Last election
24 seats, 40.6%
25 seats, 32.0%
Seats before
24
25
Seats won
11
6
Seats after
28
23
Seat change
4
2
Popular vote
13,908
11,619
Percentage
40.9%
34.2%
Swing
0.3%
2.2%
Third party
Fourth party
Party
Labour
Independent
Last election
5 seats, 20.0%
6 seats, 5.7%
Seats before
5
6
Seats won
2
1
Seats after
6
3
Seat change
1
3
Popular vote
6,197
2,266
Percentage
18.2%
6.7%
Swing
1.8%
1.0%
Council control before election
No overall control
Council control after election
No overall control
The 2004 Colchester Borough Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Colchester Borough Council in Essex, England. This was the same day as the other 2004 United Kingdom local elections and as the 2004 European Parliament Elections. One third of the seats were up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1]
Background
Following the previous election, Cllr Bob Newman (Wivenhoe Quay) left the Labour group to sit as an independent, reducing Labour to 4 councillors.[2][3] Labour then went into opposition after refusing to work with the Conservatives and a new cabinet was formed with 4 Conservative and 4 Liberal Democrat members.[2]
A by-election took place in Wivenhoe Quay ward after the death of sitting Independent councillor Richard Davies. The by-election was won by Labour, increasing their seat count to 5.
Election result
The Conservatives gained 4 seats to become the largest party on the council with 28 seats, 3 short of a majority.[4][2] They overtook the Liberal Democrats who held 23 seats, Labour with 6 seats and 3 independents.[4] Overall turnout at the election was 34.4%.[5]
As a result, the Conservatives took all the seats on the council cabinet for the first time since that style of government was introduced in Colchester, with the Conservative group leader John Jowers becoming the new leader of the council.[2]
A by-election took place on 21 October 2004 in Berechurch after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Susan Brooks.[7] Labour's Dave Harris took the seat from the Liberal Democrats by a majority of 345.[7]
^ ab"BBC News Vote 2004 Colchester Council". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
^ abcd"Colchester : Council names all-Tory cabinet". Essex County Publications. NewsBank. 16 June 2004.
^"Wivenhoe: Councillor Newman leaves Labour". Essex County Publications. NewsBank. 7 May 2003.
^ abc"Colchester : Conservatives become leading party". Essex County Publications. NewsBank. 12 June 2004.
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstu"Summary of the number of votes cast and % turnout". Colchester Borough Council. Archived from the original on 9 September 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstu"Colchester Borough Council Elections 10 June 2004 - Results". Colchester Borough Council. Archived from the original on 9 September 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
^ abDines, Graham (22 October 2004). "Mixed results for the Lib Dems". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
^"Labour wins byelection in army town". The Guardian. London. 22 October 2004. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
^"Local Authority Byelection Results". Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 27 May 2014.