2012 St Albans City and District Council election

2012 UK local government election

The 2012 St Albans City and District Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of St Albans District Council in Hertfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Background

Before the election the Conservatives were the largest party on the council with 29 of the 58 seats. The Liberal Democrats had 23 seats, Labour had 4 seats, the Green Party had 1 seat and there was 1 Independent. Since the last election in 2011 Labour had gained a seat in Batchwood from the Liberal Democrats at a by-election in January 2012.

19 seats were contested in 2012 with both the Conservative and Labour parties having a full 19 candidates, the Liberal Democrats had 18 and the Greens had 17. There were 3 independent candidates as well, the sitting independent councillor Tony Swendell in Redbourn, the former Labour group leader Maurice MacMillan in London Colney, who had left the party a few years before over the imposition of an all-women shortlist, and Conservative councillor John Chambers, who was standing in Harpenden North as an independent after having been deselected by the Conservatives. Of the 19 seats the Conservatives were defending 9, the Liberal Democrats 8 and both the Green party and an independent were defending 1 seat.

Election result

The Labour Party gained 4 seats to have 8 councillors after taking 3 seats from the Liberal Democrats and 1 seat from the Conservatives. The Conservatives remained the largest party, while the Liberal Democrats dropped to 19 seats and both the Green Party and Independent Tony Swendell held the seats they had been defending.

St Albans local election result 2012
	Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
Conservative	8	1	1	0	42.1	37.9	14,598	-4.6%
Liberal Democrats	5	0	4	-4	26.3	25.0	9,625	-4.3%
Labour	4	4	0	+4	21.1	22.0	8,461	+2.4%
Green	1	0	0	0	5.3	8.6	3,313	+0.3%
Independent	1	0	0	0	5.3	5.6	2,164	+5.3%
UKIP	0	0	0	0	0	0.7	274	+0.7%
English Democrat	0	0	0	0	0	0.2	83	+0.2%

Ward results

Ashley
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Momotaz Rahim	768	35.8	+5.5
	Liberal Democrats	Nik Alatortsev	702	32.7	+0.1
	Conservative	Guy Young	431	20.1	−7.8
	Green	Graham Ward	246	11.5	+2.3
Majority			66	3.1
Turnout			2,147	38	−10
	Labour gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing

Batchwood
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Malachy Pakenham	896	48.5	+7.6
	Conservative	Tim Smith	395	21.4	−5.5
	Liberal Democrats	Allan Witherick	384	20.8	−3.6
	Green	Naomi Love	171	9.3	+7.6
Majority			501	27.1	+13.2
Turnout			1,846	34	−17
	Labour gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing

Clarence
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Christopher White	880	42.5	+5.2
	Conservative	Joe Hames	494	23.9	−8.9
	Labour	Matthew Wilson	383	18.5	−1.6
	Green	Jack Easton	312	15.1	+5.3
Majority			386	18.7	+14.2
Turnout			2,069	40	−24
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing

Cunningham
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Geoff Harrison	735	39.5	−1.9
	Conservative	Jim Vessey	394	21.2	−9.8
	Labour	John Metcalf	386	20.7	−0.2
	UKIP	Michael Mason	151	8.1	+8.1
	Green	Greg Riener	113	6.1	−0.6
	English Democrat	Alan Malin	83	4.5	+4.5
Majority			341	18.3	+7.9
Turnout			1,862	38	−12
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing

Harpenden East
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Rosemary Farmer	920	53.2	−0.9
	Liberal Democrats	Maria Moyes	420	24.3	−0.4
	Labour	Rosemary Ross	250	14.5	+1.6
	Green	Lorna Hann	139	8.0	−0.2
Majority			500	28.9	−0.4
Turnout			1,729	32	−17
	Conservative hold		Swing

Harpenden North
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Julie Bell	806	46.9	−12.5
	Independent	John Chambers	434	25.2	+25.2
	Labour	Linda Spiri	226	13.1	−0.7
	Liberal Democrats	Gordon Burrow	170	9.9	−8.4
	Green	Lucy Eggleston	84	4.9	−3.5
Majority			372	21.6	−19.5
Turnout			1,720	32	−19
	Conservative hold		Swing

Harpenden South
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Heritage	1,280	71.1	+3.0
	Labour	Michael Gray-Higgins	215	11.9	−0.1
	Liberal Democrats	Andrew Crofts	196	10.9	−3.1
	Green	Pete Eggleston	110	6.1	+0.2
Majority			1,065	59.1	+4.9
Turnout			1,801	34	−18
	Conservative hold		Swing

Harpenden West
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Weaver	1,345	66.8	+3.1
	Liberal Democrats	Alison Steer	280	13.9	−4.8
	Labour	Geoffrey Dignum	251	12.5	+0.4
	Green	Lydia El-Khouri	136	6.8	+1.3
Majority			1,065	52.9	+7.9
Turnout			2,012	35	−20
	Conservative hold		Swing

London Colney (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Dreda Gordon	1,162	47.1	+2.6
	Conservative	Simon Calder	912	36.9	−3.4
	Conservative	Dave Winstone	859	34.8	−5.5
	Labour	Ian Orton	813	32.9	−11.6
	Independent	Malcolm MacMillan	556	22.5	N/A
	Green	Mary Warren	197	8.0	+0.6
	Liberal Democrats	Vibs Nazeri	114	4.6	−3.2
	Liberal Democrats	Mark Pedroz	84	3.4	−4.4
Turnout			2,469	35	−5
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Marshalswick North
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Janet Churchard	889	44.5	+3.7
	Conservative	Lyn Bolton	713	35.7	−3.4
	Labour	John Paton	239	12.0	−1.5
	Green	Rosalind Paul	155	7.8	+1.2
Majority			176	8.8	+7.1
Turnout			1,996	40	−14
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing

Marshalswick South
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Heidi Allen	929	39.8	−6.8
	Liberal Democrats	Melvyn Teare	651	27.9	+2.6
	Labour	Iain Grant	441	18.9	+0.7
	Green	Jill Mills	188	8.1	−1.8
	UKIP	Philip Singleton	123	5.3	+5.3
Majority			278	11.9	−9.5
Turnout			2,332	44	−14
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing

Park Street
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	David Yates	945	45.7	+5.7
	Conservative	Stella Nash	766	37.0	−4.0
	Labour	Martin McGrath	258	12.5	−1.9
	Green	Robert Barton	100	4.8	+0.2
Majority			179	8.7
Turnout			2,069	36	−12
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing

Redbourn
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Tony Swendell	1,174	59.5	+59.5
	Conservative	Victoria Mead	624	31.6	−21.1
	Labour	Richard Windle	175	8.9	−1.1
Majority			550	27.9
Turnout			1,973	41	−12
	Independent hold		Swing

Sopwell
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Janet Smith	881	47.1	+1.9
	Liberal Democrats	Roger Axworthy	481	25.7	−0.1
	Conservative	Bruce Snell	324	17.3	−3.0
	Green	Kate Metcalf	184	9.8	+1.1
Majority			400	21.4	+2.0
Turnout			1,870	35	−13
	Labour gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing

St Peters
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Green	Simon Grover	719	34.7	+7.1
	Labour	Andrew Dixon	485	23.4	+0.1
	Conservative	Paul Davies	454	21.9	−4.5
	Liberal Democrats	Liz Needham	412	19.9	−5.3
Majority			234	11.3
Turnout			2,070	36	−11
	Green hold		Swing

St Stephen
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Brian Gibbard	1,085	57.7	+2.0
	Liberal Democrats	Jay Baillie	430	22.9	−3.6
	Labour	Janet Blackwell	238	12.7	+1.7
	Green	Lesley Baker	127	6.8	−0.1
Majority			655	34.8	+5.6
Turnout			1,880	36	−15
	Conservative hold		Swing

Verulam
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Fred Wartenberg	1,211	50.2	+11.7
	Conservative	Panos Ifans	776	32.2	−9.6
	Labour	Dominic Benson	213	8.8	−3.4
	Green	Margaret Grover	213	8.8	+1.2
Majority			435	18.0
Turnout			2,413	47	−14
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing

Wheathampstead
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Gill Clark	1,091	53.7	+9.2
	Liberal Democrats	Jon Bareham	641	31.5	−12.2
	Labour	Gavin Ross	181	8.9	+1.8
	Green	Ian Troughton	119	5.9	+1.2
Majority			450	22.1	+21.3
Turnout			2,032	42	−17
	Conservative hold		Swing

References

"St Albans". BBC News Online. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
^ "Election results 2012: Non-Metro". The Guardian. NewsBank. 5 May 2012.
^ "Local elections 2012". BBC News Online. 24 April 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
White, Debbie (20 January 2012). "Roma Mills wins St Albans by-election". The Herts Advertiser. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
^ Burton, Madeleine (16 April 2012). "Surprise independent candidates in St Albans Council elections". The Herts Advertiser. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
"2012 local election counting begins". St Albans & Harpenden Review. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
^ Mistry, Manisha (4 May 2012). "Conservatives still largest St Albans District Council party". St Albans & Harpenden Review. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
^ "3rd May 2012 District Council Election Results". St Albans City & District Council. Retrieved 1 February 2015.

v t e Council elections in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire County Council	1889 1892 1895 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1937 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1961 1964 1967 1970 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025
Broxbourne Borough Council	1973 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Dacorum Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
East Hertfordshire District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Hertsmere Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2019 2023
North Hertfordshire District Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
St Albans City and District Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Stevenage Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Three Rivers District Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Watford Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council	1973 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
See also: Wards Boundary changes Middlesex County Council elections

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