1998 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

1998 UK local government election March 2020 March 2020 thumb|500px|right|Map of the results of the 1998 Wigan council election. Elections to Wigan Council were held on 7 May 1998. One third of the council was up for election. Following the previous election there had been three by-elections held—in Aspull-Standish, Ince and Hope Carr—with all three successfully defended by Labour. Candidate numbers improved dramatically from the preceding election, thanks mostly to the first concerted effort by the Greens, having only tested the waters previously. The Liberal Democrats fielded were, on the other hand, the sparsest from them since 1978, following a similarly poor effort the previous year—perhaps reflecting the party giving up on its previous ambitions. There were also an independent (formerly a Conservative candidate for Bryn in the 1995 election) and the first UKIP candidate fighting Ashton-Golborne. In total all wards but Tydlesday East were contested. Far from recovering, turnout plummeted to new depths at 17.4%. There was a general apathy emerging across the country during this period, as well as a disillusionment among Conservative voters, but with Labour's complete dominance and the only competitive party standing in less than a quarter of seats, there were evidently other factors for the lack of enthusiasm. The dire turnout understandably had implications for the party votes, with Labour recording their second-lowest vote (the lowest being 1975), the Conservatives sinking below their rock-bottom set in 1995, and the Lib Dems gaining their worst vote since the aforementioned 1978 election—falling to fourth behind the Greens, who comfortably achieved their best vote. Voter shares were less dramatic for Labour and the Conservatives; however, the Lib Dems' share of 6.7% was their poorest since 1979 and the Greens' share was more than two-and-a-half times larger than their previous peak. Labour survived substantial challenges against from the Independent in Ashton-Golborne and the Greens in Hope Carr, making the only gain of the night from the Lib Dems in Beech Hill. This reduced the Lib Dems to a sole councillor, losing their status as main opposition for the first time in near twenty years. With only a Liberal Democrat in another Beech Hill seat and an Independent Labour in Hindley remaining as opposition, Labour commanded a record majority of 68. http://www.wigan.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/3692F771-E969-41EE-B068-1F9F20DFE0B7/0/WiganResults1973to2007.pdf Wigan Council results from 1973 to 2008 wigan.gov.uk 2012-01-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20111120022015/http://www.wigan.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/3692F771-E969-41EE-B068-1F9F20DFE0B7/0/WiganResults1973to2007.pdf 2011-11-20 dead Election result Wigan local election result 1998 Labour Party (UK) 24 3 0 +1 100.0 69.3 26,962 -6.1% Conservative Party (UK) 0 0 0 0 0.0 13.3 5,179 -1.5% Green Party of England and Wales 0 0 0 0 0.0 8.7 3,375 +8.7% Liberal Democrats (UK) 0 0 1 -1 0.0 6.7 2,618 -3.1% Independent (politician) 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.8 694 +1.8% UK Independence Party 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.2 66 +0.2% This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the Council after the elections: PartyPrevious councilNew council Labour 69 70 Liberal Democrat 2 1 Independent Labour 1 1 Conservative 0 0 Green 0 0 Independent 0 0 UKIP 0 0 Total 72 72 Working majority #FFBF00 66 darkgray #FFBF00 68 darkgray Ward results Abram Labour Party (UK) E. Smethurst 936 86.5 -4.1 Conservative Party (UK) J. Cartwright 146 13.5 +4.1 790 73.0 -8.2 1,082 11.8 -5.0 Labour Party (UK) -4.1 Ashton-Golborne Labour Party (UK) A. Bullen 1,042 52.8 -27.1 Independent (politician) W. Holmes 694 35.1 +35.1 Conservative Party (UK) D. Norris 172 8.7 -11.4 UK Independence Party J. Venables 66 3.3 +3.3 348 17.6 -42.2 1,974 19.4 -3.9 Labour Party (UK) -31.1 Aspull-Standish Labour Party (UK) J. Hilton 1,494 66.4 +0.0 Conservative Party (UK) E. Mather 458 20.3 +5.6 Green Party of England and Wales J. Maile 298 13.2 +13.2 1,036 46.0 -1.4 2,250 19.3 -7.8 Labour Party (UK) -2.8 Atherton Labour Party (UK) S. Loudon 1,111 72.0 -13.3 Conservative Party (UK) N. Isherwood 261 16.9 +2.3 Green Party of England and Wales C. Clarke 170 11.0 +11.0 850 55.1 -15.6 1,542 17.4 -7.7 Labour Party (UK) -7.8 Bedford-Astley Labour Party (UK) F. Walker 1,020 75.9 +11.3 Green Party of England and Wales P. Murphy 323 24.0 +24.0 697 51.9 +22.7 1,343 15.7 -7.5 Labour Party (UK) -6.3 Beech Hill Labour Party (UK) G. Rankin 1,280 53.8 +6.1 Liberal Democrats (UK) T. Beswick 1,099 46.2 -2.6 181 7.6 +6.4 2,379 26.6 -7.1 Labour Party (UK) Liberal Democrats (UK) +4.3 Bryn Labour Party (UK) A. Melling 1,346 75.8 -10.7 Conservative Party (UK) M. Green 259 14.6 +1.1 Green Party of England and Wales L. Maile 170 9.6 +9.6 1,087 61.2 -11.8 1,775 17.8 -5.2 Labour Party (UK) -5.9 Hindley Labour Party (UK) W. Shaw 945 67.2 N/A Green Party of England and Wales C. Littler 460 32.7 N/A 485 34.5 N/A 1,405 14.1 N/A Labour Party (UK) N/A Hindley Green Labour Party (UK) W. Simmons 1,147 75.0 -7.2 Conservative Party (UK) C. Butterworth 282 18.4 +0.6 Green Party of England and Wales S. Clarke 101 6.6 +6.6 865 56.5 -7.9 1,530 13.9 -4.9 Labour Party (UK) -3.9 Hindsford Labour Party (UK) E. Smith 1,214 62.7 N/A Liberal Democrats (UK) R. Bleakley 641 33.1 N/A Green Party of England and Wales S. Clarke 82 4.2 N/A 573 29.6 N/A 1,937 18.2 N/A Labour Party (UK) N/A Hope Carr Labour Party (UK) K. Anderson 1,270 49.1 -10.4 Green Party of England and Wales C. Maile 873 33.8 +33.8 Conservative Party (UK) A. Oxley 442 17.1 -1.6 397 15.3 -22.5 2,585 25.7 -4.1 Labour Party (UK) -22.1 Ince Labour Party (UK) J. Hurst 981 90.1 -2.5 Conservative Party (UK) H. Topping 108 9.9 +2.5 873 80.2 -5.1 1,089 14.1 -8.7 Labour Party (UK) -2.5 Langtree Labour Party (UK) J. O'Neill 1,360 69.4 +1.2 Liberal Democrats (UK) F. Graham 491 25.1 +4.0 Green Party of England and Wales E. Kismul 108 5.5 +5.5 869 44.3 -2.8 1,959 16.8 -8.4 Labour Party (UK) -1.4 Leigh Central Labour Party (UK) P. Smith 1,233 80.6 N/A Green Party of England and Wales S. Critchley 164 10.7 N/A Conservative Party (UK) T. Matthews 133 8.7 N/A 1,069 69.9 N/A 1,530 17.4 N/A Labour Party (UK) N/A Leigh East Labour Party (UK) A. Turnock 1,158 73.7 -8.9 Conservative Party (UK) D. Davies 298 19.0 +1.6 Green Party of England and Wales J. Critchley 114 7.2 +7.2 860 54.8 -10.5 1,570 14.9 -5.6 Labour Party (UK) -5.2 Lightshaw Labour Party (UK) T. Sherratt 1,798 73.3 -9.2 Conservative Party (UK) N. Culshaw 541 22.1 +4.6 Green Party of England and Wales N. Howarth 113 4.6 +4.6 1,257 51.3 -13.8 2,452 21.3 -7.2 Labour Party (UK) -6.9 Newtown Labour Party (UK) C. Hitchen 949 75.2 -10.6 Conservative Party (UK) T. Peet 143 11.3 +3.1 Liberal Democrats (UK) J. Beswick 136 10.8 +4.9 Green Party of England and Wales P. Brown 33 2.6 +2.6 806 63.9 -13.8 1,261 14.5 -6.7 Labour Party (UK) -6.8 Norley Labour Party (UK) N. Turner 943 91.3 N/A Green Party of England and Wales V. Cutrupi 90 8.7 N/A 853 82.6 N/A 1,033 14.3 N/A Labour Party (UK) N/A Orrell Labour Party (UK) G. Seaward 1,038 59.6 -11.4 Conservative Party (UK) M. Winstanley 593 34.0 +5.0 Green Party of England and Wales N. Stout 110 6.3 +6.3 445 25.5 -16.4 1,741 18.9 -7.0 Labour Party (UK) -8.2 Swinley Labour Party (UK) S. Turner 1,077 53.5 -5.2 Conservative Party (UK) J. Davies 608 30.2 -0.2 Liberal Democrats (UK) A. Robinson 251 12.5 +1.6 Green Party of England and Wales D. Saunders 76 3.8 +3.8 469 23.3 -5.1 2,012 23.0 -9.4 Labour Party (UK) -2.5 Tyldesley East Labour Party (UK) B. Wilson Unopposed N/A N/A Labour Party (UK) N/A Whelley Labour Party (UK) W. Pendleton 1,150 84.3 -4.7 Conservative Party (UK) T. Sharpe 124 9.1 -1.9 Green Party of England and Wales D. Schanzl 90 6.6 +6.6 1,026 75.2 -2.8 1,364 16.8 -6.4 Labour Party (UK) -1.4 Winstanley Labour Party (UK) W. Evans 1,385 78.1 -5.5 Conservative Party (UK) F. Parkinson 388 21.9 +5.5 997 56.2 -11.1 1,773 14.5 -5.4 Labour Party (UK) -5.5 Worsley Mesnes Labour Party (UK) W. Rotherham 1,085 82.9 -6.2 Conservative Party (UK) T. Sutton 223 17.0 +6.2 862 65.9 -12.4 1,308 13.4 -7.6 Labour Party (UK) -6.2 By-elections between 1998 and 1999 Beech Hill By-Election 5 November 1998 http://www.gwydir.demon.co.uk/byelections/index.htm Local Authority Byelection Results gwydir.demon.co.uk 2012-06-13 29 March 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100329041227/http://www.gwydir.demon.co.uk/byelections/index.htm dead Liberal Democrats (UK) T. Beswick 849 49.4 +3.2 Labour Party (UK) 795 46.3 -7.5 Conservative Party (UK) 39 2.3 +2.3 Green Party of England and Wales 35 2.0 +2.0 54 3.1 -4.5 1,718 19.2 -7.4 Liberal Democrats (UK) Labour Party (UK) +5.3 References "Council poll results", The Guardian 9 May 1998 page 16 expanded Category:1998 English local elections 1998 Category:1990s in Greater Manchester