1996 English local election
The 1996 Exeter City Council election took place on 2 May 1996 to elect members of Exeter City Council in Devon, England.[1] This was on the same day as other local elections.
Summary
Overview
At the election, the Labour Party gained an overall majority on the council, while the Conservatives suffered their biggest loss of seats in a single election since the local government re-organisation in 1974, with a net loss of eight seats.
Despite improvements in the popular vote (where they came second) and in marginal wards, the Conservatives fell to a record low of two seats and ended up in fourth place, behind the Liberal Party.
Both the Liberal Democrats and Liberal Party made minor gains, each winning an extra seat and obtaining a higher or similar share of the popular vote than the 1995 election. The Liberal Democrats became the official opposition for the first time.
Election result
1996 Exeter City Council election |
Party | This election | Full council | This election |
Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| Labour | 9 | 6 | 69.2 | 15 | 24 | 66.7 | 11,713 | 45.9 | –6.1 |
| Liberal Democrats | 3 | 1 | 23.1 | 4 | 7 | 19.4 | 5,423 | 21.2 | ±0.0 |
| Liberal | 1 | 1 | 7.7 | 2 | 3 | 8.3 | 1,717 | 6.7 | +2.3 |
| Conservative | 0 | 8 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 5.6 | 6,036 | 23.6 | +5.7 |
| Green | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 610 | 2.4 | +0.5 |
| Independent | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 31 | 0.1 | N/A |
Ward results
Alphington
Alphington Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | P. Smith | 1,156 | 48.6 | –12.7 |
| Labour | R. Mathers | 702 | 29.5 | +4.8 |
| Conservative | M. Jordan | 469 | 19.7 | +8.3 |
| Green | R. Gittens | 54 | 2.3 | +0.5 |
Majority | 454 | 19.1 | –17.5 |
Turnout | 2,381 | 39.7 | –7.7 |
Registered electors | 6,033 | | |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 8.8 | |
Barton
Barton (2 seats due to by-election) Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Labour | B. McNamara* | 1,032 | 54.6 |
| Labour | C. McNamara | 966 | 51.1 |
| Liberal | H. Alford | 495 | 26.2 |
| Liberal | V. Iiolt | 419 | 22.2 |
| Conservative | A. Leadbetter | 308 | 16.3 |
| Conservative | D. Yeld | 259 | 13.7 |
| Liberal Democrats | G. Philpotts | 89 | 4.7 |
| Liberal Democrats | T. Revesz | 57 | 3.0 |
Turnout | 1,889 | 46.9 |
Registered electors | 4,028 | |
| Labour gain from Conservative |
| Labour hold |
Countess Wear
Countess Wear Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | G. Sheldon | 886 | 50.0 | +8.6 |
| Conservative | A. Stilliard | 561 | 31.7 | –5.1 |
| Liberal Democrats | S. Barrett | 270 | 15.2 | –2.2 |
| Liberal | M. Berry | 54 | 3.0 | +0.5 |
Majority | 325 | 18.4 | +13.7 |
Turnout | 1,771 | 50.2 | –9.3 |
Registered electors | 3,566 | | |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 6.9 | |
Cowick
Cowick Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | B. Robson | 1,161 | 61.3 | –5.3 |
| Conservative | E. Knapp* | 513 | 27.1 | +6.1 |
| Liberal Democrats | M. Pack | 219 | 11.6 | –0.8 |
Majority | 648 | 34.2 | –11.3 |
Turnout | 1,893 | 44.3 | –4.1 |
Registered electors | 4,330 | | |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 5.7 | |
Exwick
Exwick Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | H. Slack | 1,473 | 71.9 | +5.4 |
| Liberal Democrats | T. Thompson | 270 | 13.2 | –5.3 |
| Conservative | T. Porter | 264 | 12.9 | +1.4 |
| Green | B. Packer | 43 | 2.1 | –1.4 |
Majority | 1,203 | 58.7 | +10.7 |
Turnout | 2,050 | 35.2 | –6.0 |
Registered electors | 5,915 | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | 5.4 | |
Heavitree
Heavitree Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal | D. Morrish | 749 | 36.9 | N/A |
| Labour | D. Perrin | 568 | 28.0 | –8.8 |
| Liberal Democrats | A. Williamson | 440 | 21.7 | –20.0 |
| Conservative | C. Hodgson | 244 | 12.0 | –6.1 |
| Green | S. Pfeiffer | 30 | 1.5 | –1.9 |
Majority | 181 | 8.9 | N/A |
Turnout | 2,031 | 47.5 | +1.9 |
Registered electors | 4,304 | | |
| Liberal gain from Conservative |
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | D. Treharne | 871 | 42.2 | –16.0 |
| Conservative | S. Syvret* | 672 | 32.6 | +10.1 |
| Labour | C. Boyle | 440 | 21.3 | +5.6 |
| Green | T. Brenan | 80 | 3.9 | +0.3 |
Majority | 199 | 9.6 | –26.1 |
Turnout | 2,063 | 42.2 | –7.0 |
Registered electors | 4,937 | | |
| Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | 13.1 | |
Pinhoe
Pinhoe Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | V. Dixon | 1,126 | 53.1 | +3.7 |
| Conservative | J. Landers* | 672 | 37.6 | +7.8 |
| Liberal Democrats | A. Vokes | 174 | 8.2 | –10.9 |
| Green | S. Dunstan | 23 | 1.1 | –0.6 |
Majority | 454 | 15.5 | –11.3 |
Turnout | 1,995 | 53.9 | –3.5 |
Registered electors | 3,967 | | |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 2.1 | |
Polsloe
Polsloe Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | M. Mills | 709 | 43.0 | –0.7 |
| Conservative | Y. Henson* | 648 | 39.3 | +19.1 |
| Liberal Democrats | A. Vokes | 174 | 8.2 | –17.5 |
| Green | T. Canning | 69 | 4.2 | –0.8 |
| Independent | K. Needs | 31 | 1.9 | N/A |
Majority | 61 | 3.7 | –12.3 |
Turnout | 1,631 | 39.7 | –10.5 |
Registered electors | 4,153 | | |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 9.9 | |
Rougemont
Rougemont Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | R. Slack* | 1,124 | 64.3 | +6.5 |
| Conservative | G. Williams | 336 | 19.2 | +2.9 |
| Liberal Democrats | J. Bahrij | 176 | 10.1 | –9.6 |
| Green | A. Thomas | 111 | 6.4 | +0.3 |
Majority | 788 | 45.1 | +7.0 |
Turnout | 1,747 | 35.6 | –12.3 |
Registered electors | 4,927 | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | 1.8 | |
St. Davids
St. Davids Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | M. Griffiths | 939 | 40.1 | +3.9 |
| Liberal Democrats | A. Hoey | 848 | 36.2 | +0.8 |
| Conservative | G. Gooding | 442 | 18.9 | –4.6 |
| Green | P. Edwards | 115 | 4.9 | ±0.0 |
Majority | 91 | 3.9 | +3.1 |
Turnout | 2,344 | 36.9 | –11.4 |
Registered electors | 6,389 | | |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 1.6 | |
St. Leonards
St. Leonards Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | P. Davies | 679 | 34.0 | –15.9 |
| Conservative | N. Shiel* | 648 | 32.4 | +11.3 |
| Labour | V. Vincent | 587 | 29.4 | +5.3 |
| Green | K. Morris | 85 | 4.3 | N/A |
Majority | 31 | 1.6 | –24.3 |
Turnout | 1,999 | 42.9 | –10.7 |
Registered electors | 4,700 | | |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 13.6 | |
References
- ^ "Exeter City Council Election Results 1973–2012" (PDF). Colin Rallings & Michael Thrasher. The Elections Centre, Plymouth University. Retrieved 5 December 2023.