1996 Epping Forest District Council election

UK local election 1996 Epping Forest District Council election Essex parliamentary 1995 Epping Forest District Council election 1995 1996 5 2 y 1998 Epping Forest District Council election 1998 20 out of 59 seats to Epping Forest District Council1 by-election to Loughton Roding 30 95x50px|Blank Labour Party (UK) 18 seats, 37.0% 17 19 1 7,557 31.7% 5.3% 95x50px|Blank Liberal Democrats (UK) 10 seats, 20.0% 10 16 6 5,221 21.9% 1.9% 95x50px|Blank Conservative Party (UK) 18 seats, 28.2% 18 11 7 7,091 29.8% 1.6% 95x50px|Blank Loughton Residents Association 7 seats, 3.7% 7 7 2,101 8.8% 5.1% 95x50px|Blank Independent (politician) 3 seats, N/A 3 4 1 1,143 4.8% N/A 95x50px|Blank Epping Residents 008000 3 seats, 4.6% 3 2 1 674 2.8% 1.8% 1996 Epping Forest District Council local election results map.png 400px Winner of each seat at the 1996 Epping Forest District Council election Rectangular inset (Loughton Roding): By-election result Leader Leader after election Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition No overall control The 1996 Epping Forest District Council election took place on 2 May 1996 to elect members of Epping Forest District Council in Essex, England. 20 members of Epping Forest District Council in Essex were elected, alongside one by-election in Loughton Roding. The council remained in no overall control allowing Labour, as the largest party, to join into a coalition with the Liberal Democrats who had experiences significant gains and beat the Conservatives into third place across the district in terms of seats. Background The 1996 Epping Forest District Council election took place against a turbulent national backdrop that was deeply unfavourable to the governing Conservatives. At Westminster, John Major’s government was beset by crisis, its parliamentary majority whittled down to just three seats by spring. A series of scandals, economic troubles, and public discontent had left the party languishing in the polls. In January, Labour surged to 55% in a MORI poll, with a commanding 26-point lead, while defections such as Arthur Scargill’s creation of the Socialist Labour Party underlined broader fractures on the left. Meanwhile, the country was shaken by events including the Docklands and London bus bombings, the Dunblane massacre, and the BSE crisis. Locally, the Conservatives’ decline was felt more starkly than ever before. For the first time in the history of Epping Forest District Council, the party fell to third place overall, behind both Labour and the Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats enjoyed their strongest performance yet in the district, recording their largest ever gain of seats and making major inroads across the both built up and rural areas. Labour also advanced, taking Epping Lindsey with less than 30% of the vote after a split contest involving the Conservatives and the Epping Residents Association. The Conservatives, by contrast, suffered heavy reverses. They lost not only traditional marginal wards but also their grip on Theydon Bois, a long-standing stronghold that voted in an Independent candidate. This result boosted the number of Independents on the council to four, further fragmenting the chamber. The Epping Residents Association also lost ground, including the symbolic defeat in Epping Lindsey. The outcome forced a dramatic reordering of council politics. With no party close to an outright majority, Labour and the Liberal Democrats reached a coalition agreement to administer the authority, sidelining the Conservatives. This election would see the high water mark for both Labour and Liberal Democrats. By 2011, no Labour councillors would sit in the council chamber. Results summary 1996 Epping Forest District Council electionhttps://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Epping-Forest-1973-2012.pdf Epping Forest District Council Election Results 1973-2012 Elections Centre Labour Party (UK) 6 1 28.5 13 19 32.2 7,557 31.7 5.3 Liberal Democrats (UK) 6 6 28.5 10 16 27.1 5,221 21.9 1.9 Conservative Party (UK) 4 7 19.0 7 11 18.6 7,091 29.8 1.6 Loughton Residents Association 3 14.2 4 7 11.8 2,101 8.8 5.1 Independent (politician) 2 1 9.5 2 2 3.3 1,143 4.8 N/A Epping Residents #008000 0 1 9.5 2 2 3.3 674 2.8 1.8 Ward results Minutes of Annual Council dated 14-05-96 https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/Data/Council/19960514/Minutes/Minutes.htm#:~:text=It%20was%20reported,Mrs%20E%20WebsterSeptember 2025 Buckhurst Hill East Buckhurst Hill East Liberal Democrats (UK) L. Martin 865 66.8 2.2 Labour Party (UK) J. Croke* 225 17.4 0.5 Conservative Party (UK) R. Watts 205 15.8 1.8 640 49.4 N/A 1,295 38.4 0.2 3,377 Liberal Democrats (UK) Labour Party (UK) *Croke was elected in 1992 as an SDP councillor but defected during the middle of her term, hence the result is shown as a Labour loss. Buckhurst Hill West Buckhurst Hill West Liberal Democrats (UK) A. Haigh 1,032 60.3 2.8 Conservative Party (UK) A. Torgut 534 31.2 2.9 Labour Party (UK) L. Baddock 146 8.5 0.1 498 29.1 N/A 1,712 33.6 1.5 5,093 Liberal Democrats (UK) Conservative Party (UK) Chigwell Village Chigwell Village Conservative Party (UK) J. Gilliham* 601 64.4 4.4 Liberal Democrats (UK) M. Spence 185 19.8 6.8 Labour Party (UK) D. Wing 147 15.8 2.4 416 44.6 11.1 933 28.4 10.6 3,283 Conservative Party (UK) Debden Green Debden Green Labour Party (UK) C. Huckle* 882 77.7 5.3 Conservative Party (UK) C. Flan 253 22.3 4.8 629 55.4 0.5 1,135 29.2 6.7 3,882 Labour Party (UK) Epping Hemnall Epping Hemnall Liberal Democrats (UK) Janet Whitehouse 806 43.3 12.2 Conservative Party (UK) P. Burns* 529 28.4 2.8 Labour Party (UK) B. Johns 272 14.6 1.9 Epping Residents #008000 L. Barry 254 13.6 8.6 277 14.9 N/A 1,861 38.9 3.4 4,780 Liberal Democrats (UK) Conservative Party (UK) Epping Lindsey Epping Lindsey Labour Party (UK) T. Norris 455 29.9 4.0 Conservative Party (UK) Chris Whitbread 426 28.0 2.6 Epping Residents #008000 J. Jones* 420 27.6 12.3 Liberal Democrats (UK) A. Moss 221 14.5 5.8 29 1.9 N/A 1,522 32.1 7.8 4,748 Labour Party (UK) Epping Residents Association Grange Hill Grange Hill Liberal Democrats (UK) S. Whiteford 846 55.7 4.6 Conservative Party (UK) E. Buttling 536 35.3 1.5 Labour Party (UK) D. Miller 136 9.0 3.1 310 20.4 6.1 1,518 33.7 2.0 4,511 Liberal Democrats (UK) Conservative Party (UK) High Ongar High Ongar Conservative Party (UK) M. McEwen 263 58.4 3.6 Labour Party (UK) K. Tait 187 41.6 30.5 76 16.9 18.1 450 51.9 7.6 867 Conservative Party (UK) Loughton Broadway Loughton Broadway Labour Party (UK) C. Baggarley 1,156 83.8 2.9 Conservative Party (UK) I. Locks 224 16.2 2.9 932 67.6 5.8 1,380 34.4 5.2 4,013 Labour Party (UK) Loughton Forest Loughton Forest Loughton Residents Association K. Ellis* 729 68.8 6.0 Conservative Party (UK) J. Cantor 203 19.2 4.7 Labour Party (UK) J. Ormston 127 12.0 1.3 526 49.6 10.8 1,059 34.7 8.5 3,051 Loughton Residents Association Loughton Roding Loughton Roding Labour Party (UK) S. Goodwin* 987 67.1 4.9 Labour Party (UK) Ms M. Boatman 917 Conservative Party (UK) A. Jones 299 20.3 7.9 Conservative Party (UK) L. Daniel 256 Liberal Democrats (UK) L. Thompson 186 12.6 6.8 Liberal Democrats (UK) J. Netherclift 180 688 46.7 4.0 1,908 37.1 21.2 3,972 Labour Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) Loughton St. Johns Loughton St. Johns Loughton Residents Association R. Pearce 737 50.5 3.4 Conservative Party (UK) S. Metcalfe 468 32.1 1.7 Labour Party (UK) M. Juniper 254 17.4 5.1 269 18.4 1.7 1,459 34.4 2.1 4,248 Loughton Residents Association Loughton St. Marys Loughton St. Marys Loughton Residents Association M. Wardle* 635 58.7 2.2 Labour Party (UK) P. Lavin 238 22.0 1.9 Conservative Party (UK) P. Gooch 209 19.3 0.3 397 36.7 4.1 1,082 32.4 9.6 3,336 Loughton Residents Association Passingford Passingford Conservative Party (UK) J. Pledge* N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 1544 Conservative Party (UK) Roothing Country Roothing Country Liberal Democrats (UK) D. Kelly 287 40.7 0.9 Conservative Party (UK) M. Wallis 266 37.7 22.5 Independent politician K. Percy 153 21.7 N/A 21 3.0 N/A 706 56.8 3.1 1,244 Liberal Democrats (UK) Conservative Party (UK) Roydon Roydon Independent politician A. Vare 356 46.6 N/A Labour Party (UK) N. Castleden 276 36.1 N/A Liberal Democrats (UK) C. Bagnall 132 17.3 N/A 80 10.5 N/A 764 47.3 13.2 1,615 Independent (politician) Independent (politician) Sheering Sheering Liberal Democrats (UK) D. Yeo 370 48.3 N/A Conservative Party (UK) M. Ridgewell* 211 27.5 41.1 Labour Party (UK) J. Finlay 185 24.2 7.2 159 20.8 N/A 766 34.4 0.9 2,229 Liberal Democrats (UK) Conservative Party (UK) Theydon Bois Theydon Bois Independent (politician) C. Gillam 634 43.9 N/A Conservative Party (UK) J. Axon* 374 25.9 41.0 Labour Party (UK) S. Gymer 290 20.1 13.0 Liberal Democrats (UK) I. Black 147 10.2 N/A 260 18.0 N/A 1,445 45.6 3.8 3,171 Independent politician Conservative Party (UK) Waltham Abbey East Waltham Abbey East Conservative Party (UK) E. Webster* 934 47.7 7.1 Labour Party (UK) A. Liddell 880 44.9 6.9 Liberal Democrats (UK) P. Brooks 144 7.4 0.2 54 2.8 8.4 1,958 34.1 1.7 5,738 Conservative Party (UK) Waltham Abbey Paternoster Waltham Abbey Paternoster Labour Party (UK) C. Sumner 714 56.2 2.4 Conservative Party (UK) L. Rowley 556 43.8 2.4 158 12.4 4.8 1,270 35.6 2.0 3,566 Labour Party (UK) Conservative Party (UK) References Notes Epping Forest District Council election Epping Forest District Council election, 1996 Category:Epping Forest District Council elections