# 2002 Basildon District Council election

The 2002 Basildon District Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Basildon District Council in Essex, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2000. The council stayed under no overall control.

## Background

A review of the boundaries on Basildon council made changes for this election leading to the whole council being elected. Several new wards were created for the election including Crouch, Pitsea South East and St Martin's.
Before the election both the Labour and Conservative parties had 19 seats, while the Liberal Democrats had 4 seats and Labour led a minority administration. Several councillors stood down at the election including the Labour leader of the council John Potter. Candidates standing in the election included the first member of the British National Party to do so, Matthew Single in Vange ward.

## Election result

The results saw the Conservatives become the largest party on the council with 21 seats, but fail to win a majority. They gained 1 seat each from Labour and the Liberal Democrats, who were left with 18 and 3 seats respectively. However the expectation was that an alliance between Labour and the Liberal Democrats would continue to run the council as the outgoing Labour chairman could use his casting vote to keep Labour in power. Meanwhile, the British National Party failed to win a seat after coming fifth in Vange ward.
Following the election the alliance between Labour and the Liberal Democrats was confirmed in control of the council, with Labour councillor Nigel Smith, husband of Member of Parliament for Basildon Angela Smith, becoming the new leader of the council.
2002 Basildon Local Election Result :
| Party | Seats | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes |
| Conservative | 21 | 2 | 50.0 | 48.0 | 41,157 |
| Labour | 18 | 1 | 42.9 | 34.4 | 29,475 |
| Liberal Democrats | 3 | 1 | 7.1 | 16.6 | 14,251 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 599 |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 189 |
| Socialist Alliance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 93 |

## Ward results
### Billericay East

Billericay East (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Anthony Archer | 1,786 | 22.0 |
| | Conservative | Stuart Sullivan | 1,745 | 21.5 |
| | Conservative | David Dadds | 1,702 | 21.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gilda Bellard | 623 | 7.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dorothy Edwards | 597 | 7.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John James | 573 | 7.1 |
| | Labour | Anthony Bennett | 387 | 4.8 |
| | Labour | Conor O'Brien | 363 | 4.5 |
| | Labour | Kevin Wood | 341 | 4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,117 | |

### Billericay West

Billericay West (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Anthony Hedley | 1,965 | 25.1 |
| | Conservative | Philip Turner | 1,869 | 23.8 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Horgan | 1,844 | 23.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Francis Bellard | 556 | 7.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Craig Hands | 496 | 6.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Myall | 373 | 4.8 |
| | Labour | Aidan McGurran | 253 | 3.2 |
| | Labour | Fiona Smith | 253 | 3.2 |
| | Labour | Mohamed Javed | 229 | 2.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,838 | |

### Burstead

Burstead (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Buckenham | 1,627 | 20.9 |
| | Conservative | Desmond Lake | 1,521 | 19.6 |
| | Conservative | Kevin Blake | 1,469 | 18.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Belinda Jackson | 779 | 10.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Edwards | 762 | 9.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Taylor | 757 | 9.7 |
| | Labour | Margaret Mary | 294 | 3.8 |
| | Labour | Viney Reid | 286 | 3.7 |
| | Labour | Patricia Reid | 272 | 3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,767 | |

### Crouch

Crouch (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Terri Sargent | 1,073 | 34.9 |
| | Conservative | Stuart Allen | 1,023 | 33.3 |
| | Labour | Wendy Aitken | 406 | 13.2 |
| | Labour | Eva Borlase | 322 | 10.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Arthur Ferriss | 248 | 8.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,072 | |

### Fryerns

Fryerns (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Janet Payn | 1,470 | 22.1 |
| | Labour | Paul Kirkman | 1,452 | 21.8 |
| | Labour | Julia Woods | 1,344 | 20.2 |
| | Conservative | Deborah Allen | 596 | 9.0 |
| | Conservative | Kenneth Evens | 560 | 8.4 |
| | Conservative | Harold Liebner | 501 | 7.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Lutton | 279 | 4.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Nice | 224 | 3.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tracey Williams | 222 | 3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,648 | |

### Laindon Park

Laindon Park (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Barbara Croft | 1,148 | 20.6 |
| | Labour | William Archibald | 1,077 | 19.3 |
| | Labour | Anthony Borlase | 1,006 | 18.1 |
| | Conservative | John Schofield | 766 | 13.8 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Hills | 715 | 12.8 |
| | Conservative | Francis Tomlin | 691 | 12.2 |
| | Independent | Alfred Viccary | 165 | 3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,568 | |

### Langdon Hills

Langdon Hills (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Sandra Hillier | 923 | 27.2 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Hillier | 871 | 25.7 |
| | Independent | Derrick Fellowes | 434 | 12.8 |
| | Labour | Lynda Gordon | 392 | 11.6 |
| | Labour | Emily Evans | 363 | 10.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Linda Williams | 239 | 7.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Dickinson | 171 | 5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,393 | |

### Lee Chapel North

Lee Chapel North (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Nigel Smith | 1,165 | 20.3 |
| | Labour | Maureen Larkin | 1,159 | 20.2 |
| | Labour | Richard Rackham | 1,086 | 18.9 |
| | Conservative | Sharon Cleasby | 530 | 9.2 |
| | Conservative | Richard Hyland | 518 | 9.0 |
| | Conservative | Sharon Reid | 515 | 9.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Linda Martin | 241 | 4.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael James | 229 | 4.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Neale | 214 | 3.7 |
| | Socialist Alliance | Richard Duane | 93 | 1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,750 | |

### Nethermayne

Nethermayne (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Williams | 1,268 | 15.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Joseph White | 1,245 | 14.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Benjamin Williams | 1,199 | 14.2 |
| | Labour | Michael Plant | 945 | 11.3 |
| | Labour | Andrew Manning | 930 | 11.1 |
| | Labour | Peter Wedlock | 841 | 10.0 |
| | Conservative | Henry Tucker | 676 | 8.1 |
| | Conservative | David Walsh | 642 | 7.7 |
| | Conservative | Christine Walsh | 636 | 7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,382 | |

### Pitsea North West

Pitsea North West (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Keith Bobbin | 997 | 21.2 |
| | Labour | Allan Davies | 893 | 19.0 |
| | Labour | Philip Rackley | 856 | 18.2 |
| | Conservative | Roy Clarke | 543 | 11.5 |
| | Conservative | Mark Levey | 491 | 10.4 |
| | Conservative | Roy Watkinson | 456 | 9.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Howard | 238 | 5.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Vivien Howard | 229 | 4.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,703 | |

### Pitsea South East

Pitsea South East (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Patrick Evans | 1,142 | 18.2 |
| | Conservative | Jacqueline Blake | 1,120 | 17.8 |
| | Labour | Dean Golding | 1,077 | 17.2 |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Geddes | 1,001 | 15.9 |
| | Conservative | Edward Phelan | 995 | 15.8 |
| | Labour | Andrew Powderly | 944 | 15.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,279 | |

### St Martin's

St Martin's (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Richard Llewellyn | 771 | 30.4 |
| | Labour | Colin Payn | 758 | 29.8 |
| | Conservative | Gwen Ball | 329 | 13.0 |
| | Conservative | Carol Mowe | 278 | 10.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Dickinson | 213 | 8.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Annie Humphries | 191 | 7.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,540 | |

### Vange

Vange (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | David Abrahall | 772 | 28.0 |
| | Labour | Swatantra Nandanwar | 665 | 24.1 |
| | Conservative | Garry Johnson | 403 | 14.6 |
| | Conservative | Philip Johnson | 380 | 13.8 |
| | BNP | Matthew Single | 189 | 6.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Hulse | 178 | 6.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Seth Williams | 167 | 6.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,754 | |

### Wickford Castledon

Wickford Castledon (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Buckley | 1,165 | 33.4 |
| | Conservative | Sylvia Buckley | 1,099 | 31.5 |
| | Labour | Derek Burn | 356 | 10.2 |
| | Labour | Albert Ede | 316 | 9.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kenneth Ward | 309 | 8.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Arnald Thorpe | 248 | 7.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,493 | |

### Wickford North

Wickford North (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Anthony Ball | 1,658 | 22.9 |
| | Conservative | Carole Morris | 1,562 | 21.6 |
| | Conservative | Michael Mowe | 1,522 | 21.0 |
| | Labour | Jacqueline Brown | 639 | 8.8 |
| | Labour | Christopher Wilson | 543 | 7.5 |
| | Labour | Linda Howard | 489 | 6.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Maguire | 454 | 6.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Robertson | 368 | 5.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,235 | |

### Wickford Park

Wickford Park (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Donald Morris | 731 | 32.9 |
| | Conservative | Christopher Jackman | 660 | 29.7 |
| | Labour | Leroy Stephenson | 237 | 10.7 |
| | Labour | Clive Thomas | 236 | 10.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Woods | 208 | 9.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Fane Cummings | 153 | 6.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,225 | |