# 1998 Bedford Borough Council election

The 1998 Bedford Borough Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of Bedford Borough Council in Bedfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.
Prior to the election, two councillors left the Liberal Democrats group to sit as Independents.

## Summary
### Election result

1998 Bedford Borough Council election :
| Party | Party | This election | This election | This election | Full council | Full council | Full council | This election | This election | This election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| | Labour | 7 | | 38.9 | 15 | 22 | 41.5 | 9,662 | 36.4 | –4.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 6 | 1 | 33.3 | 9 | 15 | 28.3 | 7,414 | 28.0 | +1.7 |
| | Conservative | 2 | 1 | 11.1 | 7 | 9 | 17.0 | 7,995 | 30.1 | +1.6 |
| | Independent | 3 | | 16.7 | 4 | 7 | 13.2 | 1,449 | 5.5 | +1.2 |

## Ward results
### Brickhill

Brickhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Charles Green* | 1,137 | 47.1 | –10.8 |
| | Conservative | Eric Threapleton | 1,015 | 42.1 | +9.6 |
| | Labour | Jason Potter | 260 | 10.8 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 122 | 5.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,412 | 41.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,784 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Castle

Castle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Apu Bagchi* | 900 | 54.0 | +13.6 |
| | Conservative | Robert Rigby | 610 | 36.6 | +10.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Lawson | 158 | 9.5 | −23.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 290 | 17.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,668 | 36.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,600 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Cauldwell

Cauldwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Elizabeth White* | 997 | 71.0 | –4.7 |
| | Conservative | Gilbert Campbell | 211 | 15.0 | +1.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anita Gerard | 196 | 14.0 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 786 | 56.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,404 | 23.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,174 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### De Parys

De Parys :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Graham* | 1,112 | 50.8 | –6.7 |
| | Conservative | Terence Rigby | 767 | 35.1 | +7.6 |
| | Labour | Charles Baily | 308 | 14.1 | –0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 345 | 15.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,187 | 39.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,623 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Felmersham

Felmersham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Geoffrey Hulatt | 346 | 46.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Dudley Hughes* | 253 | 34.2 | –13.6 |
| | Labour | Roger Jackson | 72 | 9.7 | –5.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Linda Borrett | 68 | 9.2 | –27.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 93 | 12.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 739 | 39.5 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,876 | | |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Goldington

Goldington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Smith | 1,121 | 52.2 | −7.1 |
| | Labour | Laurence Evans | 859 | 40.0 | +8.0 |
| | Conservative | Valerie Fulford | 167 | 7.8 | –0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 262 | 12.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,147 | 40.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,302 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Harpur

Harpur :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Hazel Mitchell* | 848 | 57.6 | –4.2 |
| | Conservative | Jean Pilgrim | 469 | 31.8 | +6.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Vogel | 156 | 10.6 | −2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 379 | 25.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,473 | 24.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,067 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Harrold

Harrold :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Martin Bridgman | 341 | 58.2 | +12.9 |
| | Labour | Eleanor Falkner | 144 | 24.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Hall | 101 | 17.2 | –37.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 197 | 33.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 586 | 28.2 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,089 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

### Kempston East

Kempston East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ray Oliver* | 1,141 | 60.9 | +4.6 |
| | Conservative | Jagdish Singh | 515 | 27.5 | –3.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jacqueline Smithson | 218 | 11.6 | –2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 626 | 33.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,874 | 25.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,285 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Kempston West

Kempston West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Shan Hunt* | 856 | 55.6 | –0.2 |
| | Conservative | Cecil Cove | 553 | 35.9 | +2.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian White | 131 | 8.5 | –2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 303 | 19.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,540 | 23.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,481 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Kingsbrook

Kingsbrook :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Luder* | 766 | 63.4 | –7.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Buddle | 254 | 21.0 | +6.0 |
| | Conservative | Phillip Ashley | 189 | 15.6 | +1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 512 | 42.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,209 | 24.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,959 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Newnham

Newnham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Russell | 641 | 36.3 | −11.2 |
| | Conservative | Louise Kirke | 568 | 32.2 | –0.8 |
| | Labour | Richard Crane | 557 | 31.5 | +12.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 73 | 4.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,766 | 35.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,033 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Oakley

Oakley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Patricia Olney* | 499 | 65.5 | +2.2 |
| | Conservative | Domenico De Benedictis | 209 | 27.4 | −6.3 |
| | Labour | Terence Carroll | 45 | 5.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Howker | 9 | 1.2 | −1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 290 | 38.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 843 | 42.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,816 | | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |

### Putnoe

Putnoe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Headley* | 1,183 | 60.9 | +7.5 |
| | Conservative | Paul Sinclair | 577 | 29.7 | −4.3 |
| | Labour | Paban Sharma | 182 | 9.4 | –3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 606 | 31.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,942 | 36.2 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,373 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Queens Park

Queens Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Derek Jones* | 1,257 | 72.3 | −5.3 |
| | Conservative | Janet Pilgrim | 274 | 15.8 | +3.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Murphy | 208 | 12.0 | +2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 983 | 56.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,739 | 28.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,275 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Renhold

Renhold :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Harrison* | 555 | 74.0 | +10.6 |
| | Labour | Robert Atkins | 113 | 15.1 | +5.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Stekelis | 82 | 10.9 | –15.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 442 | 58.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 750 | 40.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,857 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Riseley

Riseley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Ian Clifton* | 604 | 64.9 | +27.6 |
| | Conservative | Arthur Foster | 233 | 25.0 | –8.7 |
| | Labour | Adrien Beardmore | 48 | 5.2 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Joanna Wood | 46 | 4.9 | –24.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 371 | 39.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 931 | 44.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,098 | | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |

### Wilshamstead

Wilshamstead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Parker | 593 | 42.6 | +26.3 |
| | Conservative | Mark Haines | 489 | 35.2 | –11.6 |
| | Labour | Daniel Bisset | 309 | 22.2 | –14.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 104 | 7.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,391 | 50.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,775 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |