2000 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election

(1999 ←) United Kingdom 2000 United Kingdom local elections (→ 2002) Local election in the UK October 2020 December 2013 right|thumb|474px|Map of the results for the 2000 Solihull council election. The 2000 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2000 to elect members of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party gained overall control of the council from no overall control. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/uk_politics/vote2000/locals/108.stm Solihull 11 December 2010 BBC News Online Campaign Solihull was a top target for the Conservatives in the 2000 local elections Roland Watson 'Lots to lose', Blair tells local party activists The Times 10 10 April 2000 with the party needing 2 gains to win an overall majority. Peter Hetherington Nicholas Watt Armchair rebels threaten Labour hopes: Local elections: Party workers fear disillusionment and apathy as expected low turnouts prompt experiments to woo the voters The Guardian 8 25 April 2000 Among the councillors defending seats in the election were the Conservative leader of the council in Castle Bromwich ward and the Labour group leader. Deborah Luck Hang on to your seats as election fight begins Birmingham Post 4 4 May 2000 The Conservatives campaigned on promises to protect the green belt and carefully manage the council's finances, while the national party's hard line on asylum seekers was also seen by the party as helping in the election. Battleground Solihull: Conservatives fight for a metropolitan foothold Financial Times 6 5 May 2000 Labour defended its strongholds in the north of the council area, pledging to target spending on addressing social problems in an area with high unemployment. Election result The results saw the Conservatives win a majority of 5 on the council to have majority control for the first time since 1991. Alexandra Frean Tory grass roots burst into life The Times 1 5 May 2000 Chris Gray Tories win Solihull City socialists axed Knowles out as Labour crumbles Birmingham Post 1 5 May 2000 Borough still not true Blue Birmingham Post 5 6 May 2000 Solihull also became the first metropolitan borough with a Conservative majority since the mid-1990s. Tories set to revive power base in local government Financial Times 6 5 May 2000 The Conservative gained Elmdon from the Labour Party, Packwood and Shirley East from the Liberal Democrats and Shirley South where an independent councillor stood down at the election. Jonathan Walker Labour leader is ousted as Tories regain control Birmingham Post 3 5 May 2000 Meanwhile, the Labour group leader Mick Corser lost the election in Bickenhill after having been deselected in his previous ward of Fordbridge. Labour vote hit by crisis at Rover Birmingham Post 1 5 May 2000 Overall turnout in the election was 30.1%, a rise from 28.3% in 1999. http://www.solihull.gov.uk/wwwce/Election2000.htm local election results - 2000 11 December 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20000902115445/http://www.solihull.gov.uk/wwwce/Election2000.htm 2 September 2000 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council dead The Labour Party blamed the threatened closure of the Longbridge plant for a disappointing performance in the election, while the Conservatives put their success down to local campaigning and the national issue of pensions only going up by 75 pence. https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-61929794/election-special-end-of-a-10-year-tory-wait Election special: End of a 10-year Tory wait 12 December 2010 5 May 2000 2020-09-03 Questia subscription https://web.archive.org/web/20200903172557/https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-61929794/election-special-end-of-a-10-year-tory-wait England Birmingham Mail Following the election the former deputy group leader Hugh Hendry was elected as the new leader of the Labour group. Vicky Lissaman Labour group appoints leader Birmingham Mail 6 8 May 2000 Solihull local election result 2000 Election results: local councils The Times 4 5 May 2000 Conservative Party (UK) 11 4 0 +4 64.7 58.9 27,601 +7.9 Labour Party (UK) 4 0 1 -1 23.5 18.2 8,524 -5.3 Liberal Democrats (UK) 2 0 2 -2 11.8 22.6 10,608 -2.9 Independent Labour 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.3 158 +0.3 This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections : Local council results Financial Times 6 6 May 2000 PartyPrevious councilNew council Conservatives 24 28 Labour 15 14 Liberal Democrat 11 9 Independent Ratepayers & Residents 1 0 Total 51 51 Working majority #FFBF00 -3 darkgray #FFBF00 5 darkgray Ward results Bickenhill Conservative Party (UK) Robert Sleigh 2,070 66.0 +7.4 Labour Party (UK) Michael Corser 854 27.2 -7.6 Liberal Democrats (UK) Linda Whitlock 213 6.8 +0.1 1,216 38.8 +15.0 3,137 31.5 +1.6 Conservative Party (UK) +7.5 Castle Bromwich Conservative Party (UK) George Richards 2,149 74.7 +11.7 Labour Party (UK) Florence Nash 518 18.0 -11.1 Liberal Democrats (UK) John Knight 211 7.3 -0.6 1,631 56.7 +22.8 2,878 30.4 +1.9 Conservative Party (UK) +11.4 Chelmsley Wood Labour Party (UK) Alfred Hill 630 53.8 -12.7 Conservative Party (UK) Graham Juniper 391 33.4 +9.7 Liberal Democrats (UK) Jennifer Wright 149 12.7 +3.1 239 20.4 -22.4 1,170 15.5 -0.2 Labour Party (UK) -11.2 Elmdon Conservative Party (UK) James Wild 1,782 58.0 +5.3 Labour Party (UK) Ann Littley 1,085 35.3 -1.6 Liberal Democrats (UK) Anthony Verduyn 208 6.8 -3.7 697 22.7 +6.9 3,075 38.2 +4.8 Conservative Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) +3.4 Fordbridge Labour Party (UK) Frederick Nash 436 48.7 -17.4 Conservative Party (UK) Graham White 319 35.6 +10.8 Liberal Democrats (UK) Christopher Hayes 140 15.6 +6.6 117 13.1 -28.2 895 14.6 -0.7 Labour Party (UK) -14.1 Kingshurst Labour Party (UK) Andrew Montgomerie 608 46.8 -14.6 Conservative Party (UK) Martin Diggins 443 34.1 +5.0 Independent Labour Brian Carter 158 12.2 +12.2 Liberal Democrats (UK) Christine Reeves 89 6.9 -2.6 165 12.7 -19.6 1,298 22.9 +2.2 Labour Party (UK) -9.8 Knowle Conservative Party (UK) Leslie Kyles 2,306 73.4 +4.6 Liberal Democrats (UK) Eric Widger 514 16.4 +1.3 Labour Party (UK) Kevin Foster 320 10.2 -5.9 1,792 57.1 +4.4 3,140 35.3 +3.2 Conservative Party (UK) +1.7 Lyndon Liberal Democrats (UK) Irene Chamberlain 1,297 58.2 -1.5 Conservative Party (UK) Alan Vincent 643 28.8 +4.5 Labour Party (UK) Michael Weale 290 13.0 -3.0 654 29.3 -6.0 2,230 28.6 -0.4 Liberal Democrats (UK) -3.0 Meriden Conservative Party (UK) David Bell 2,061 69.0 +4.7 Labour Party (UK) Jonathan Maltman 508 17.0 -4.2 Liberal Democrats (UK) Peter Whitlock 417 14.0 -0.4 1,553 52.0 +8.9 2,986 32.3 +2.0 Conservative Party (UK) +4.4 Olton Liberal Democrats (UK) Norman Davies 1,734 50.8 -4.8 Conservative Party (UK) Patricia Handslip 1,456 42.7 +6.4 Labour Party (UK) Gerald Cooke 221 6.5 -1.6 278 8.2 -11.2 3,411 35.9 +0.1 Liberal Democrats (UK) -5.6 Packwood Conservative Party (UK) Andrzej Mackiewicz 2,515 56.1 +9.4 Liberal Democrats (UK) Robert Reeves 1,752 39.1 -9.4 Labour Party (UK) Margaret Brittin 218 4.9 -0.0 763 17.0 +15.2 4,485 41.1 +2.4 Conservative Party (UK) Liberal Democrats (UK) +9.4 Shirley East Conservative Party (UK) Neill Watts 1,861 51.3 +6.7 Liberal Democrats (UK) June Gandy 1,556 42.9 -2.1 Labour Party (UK) Philip Knowles 212 5.8 -4.6 305 8.4 +7.9 3,629 39.0 +4.4 Conservative Party (UK) Liberal Democrats (UK) +4.4 Shirley South Conservative Party (UK) Rosemary Worsley 2,325 67.3 +4.1 Labour Party (UK) James Burman 626 18.1 -3.2 Liberal Democrats (UK) Douglas Hogg 502 14.5 -0.9 1,699 49.2 +7.3 3,453 26.2 +1.4 |- style="background-color:#F6F6F6" ! style="background-color: Conservative Party (UK)" | | colspan="2" | Conservative gain from Independent Ratepayers | align="right" | Swing | align="right" | +3.7 |- Shirley West Conservative Party (UK) Ian Hillas 1,694 63.0 +12.1 Labour Party (UK) David George 617 22.9 -10.0 Liberal Democrats (UK) Susan Reeve 379 14.1 -2.1 1,077 40.0 +22.0 2,690 29.5 +0.9 Conservative Party (UK) +11.0 Silhill Conservative Party (UK) Peter Hogarth 2,325 67.7 +13.5 Liberal Democrats (UK) Barbara Harber 692 20.2 -12.6 Labour Party (UK) Marcus Bennion 416 12.1 -0.8 1,633 47.6 +26.1 3,433 33.7 +0.7 Conservative Party (UK) +13.0 Smith's Wood Labour Party (UK) Graham Craig 605 55.0 -10.4 Conservative Party (UK) Daniel Kettle 361 32.8 +9.3 Liberal Democrats (UK) Sandra Oakes 135 12.3 +1.1 244 22.2 -19.7 1,101 14.5 +0.2 Labour Party (UK) -9.8 St Alphege Conservative Party (UK) Nicholas Worley 2,900 74.7 +4.0 Liberal Democrats (UK) Brenda Chapple 620 16.0 -1.4 Labour Party (UK) Irma Shaw 360 9.3 -2.6 2,280 58.8 +5.4 3,880 34.5 -4.9 Conservative Party (UK) +2.7 By-elections between 2000 and 2002 Shirley East by-election 28 September 2000 Vicky Lissaman Tories tighten grip on council Birmingham Mail 31 29 September 2000 Conservative Party (UK) Brian Burgess 1,194 49.0 -2.3 Liberal Democrats (UK) June Gandy 1,116 45.8 +2.9 Labour Party (UK) James Burman 128 5.3 -0.5 78 3.2 -5.2 2,438 26.1 -12.9 Conservative Party (UK) Liberal Democrats (UK) -2.6 References Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election 2000 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election, 2000