# 2002 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council election

The 2002 Southend-on-Sea Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Southend-on-Sea Unitary Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
* Conservative 33
* Labour 11
* Liberal Democrat 7

## Campaign

The election saw a group of seven campaigners stand as independent candidates in the election. They described themselves as "the magnificent seven" and were standing in protest against plans to widen Prioy Crescent and to move St Laurence Church in Eastwood.

## Election result

The results saw no seats change hands so the Conservatives kept control as a result with 35 of the 51 seats on the council.
Southend-on-Sea Local Election Result 2002 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64.7 | 46.3 | 16,732 | -0.6% |
| Labour | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23.5 | 21.0 | 7,586 | -6.9% |
| Liberal Democrats | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.8 | 21.3 | 7,687 | -2.7% |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.5 | 3,417 | +8.8% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 | 683 | +1.4% |

## Ward results

Belfairs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Margaret Evans | 1,246 | 50.3 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Grimwade | 739 | 29.8 | |
| | Labour | Linda Cook | 274 | 11.1 | |
| | Independent | Michael Downer | 219 | 8.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 507 | 20.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,478 | 34.2 | −28.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Blenheim Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian Smith | 988 | 45.7 | |
| | Conservative | Peter Collins | 819 | 37.9 | |
| | Labour | Charles Willis | 356 | 16.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 169 | 7.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,163 | 28.9 | −26.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Chalkwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Brown | 1,217 | 59.8 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ronald Alexander | 379 | 18.6 | |
| | Labour | Lydia Sookias | 280 | 13.8 | |
| | Independent | Donald Weedon | 160 | 7.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 838 | 41.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,036 | 27.8 | −25.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Eastwood Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Moring | 1,236 | 49.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nora Goodman | 837 | 33.3 | |
| | Labour | Julian Ware-Lane | 232 | 9.2 | |
| | Independent | Keith Richardson | 206 | 8.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 399 | 15.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,511 | 33.7 | −25.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Kursaal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Julian McMahon | 648 | 49.7 | |
| | Conservative | Judith Smithson | 458 | 35.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Linda Smith | 199 | 15.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 190 | 14.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,305 | 18.9 | −23.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Leigh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nigel Baker | 1,068 | 45.4 | |
| | Conservative | Terence Gray | 800 | 34.0 | |
| | Independent | Douglas Copping | 268 | 11.4 | |
| | Labour | Vera Norman | 215 | 9.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 268 | 11.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,351 | 33.2 | −26.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Milton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ann Robertson | 1,069 | 54.3 | |
| | Labour | Lilias Felton | 682 | 34.7 | |
| | Green | William Ferrett | 216 | 11.0 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 387 | 19.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,967 | 27.5 | −19.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Prittlewell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Anna Waite | 851 | 33.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Adams | 745 | 29.0 | |
| | Independent | Peter Walker | 602 | 23.4 | |
| | Labour | Margaret Borton | 370 | 14.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 106 | 4.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,568 | 34.0 | −24.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
St Laurence :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Brian Houssart | 796 | 31.5 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carole Roast | 749 | 29.6 | |
| | Independent | Adrian Sinclair-McCall | 661 | 26.1 | |
| | Labour | Paul White | 325 | 12.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 47 | 1.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,531 | 33.7 | −33.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
St Lukes :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Michael Royston | 848 | 50.4 | |
| | Conservative | Ellen Hodgson | 627 | 37.3 | |
| | Green | Adrian Hedges | 208 | 12.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 221 | 13.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,683 | 21.9 | −30.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Shoeburyness :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Allan Cole | 675 | 37.7 | |
| | Independent | Roger Hadley | 535 | 29.9 | |
| | Labour | Anne Chalk | 479 | 26.7 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marion Boulton | 103 | 5.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 140 | 7.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,792 | 24.5 | −26.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Southchurch :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Brian Kelly | 1,290 | 60.7 | |
| | Labour | Joyce Mapp | 354 | 16.7 | |
| | Independent | Susan Richardson | 306 | 14.4 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Gage | 175 | 8.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 936 | 44.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,125 | 29.9 | −27.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Thorpe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Daphne White | 1,765 | 75.5 | |
| | Labour | John Townsend | 346 | 14.8 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Timothy Ray | 226 | 9.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,419 | 60.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,337 | 32.5 | −31.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Victoria :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jane Norman | 906 | 57.3 | |
| | Conservative | Paul Jones | 526 | 33.3 | |
| | Green | Andrew Vaughan | 149 | 9.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 380 | 24.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,581 | 22.7 | −29.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
West Leigh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gwendoline Horrigan | 1,692 | 61.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Albert Wren | 875 | 31.7 | |
| | Labour | Raoul Meade | 196 | 7.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 817 | 29.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,763 | 40.5 | −26.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
West Shoebury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Verina Wilson | 1,347 | 63.8 |
| | Labour | George Saville | 588 | 27.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Goldsmith | 176 | 8.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 759 | 36.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,111 | 28.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Westborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Teresa Merrison | 487 | 27.0 | |
| | Independent | Martin Terry | 460 | 25.5 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Colin Ritchie | 428 | 23.7 | |
| | Conservative | Mark Newman | 318 | 17.6 | |
| | Green | Rita Wood | 110 | 6.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 27 | 1.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,803 | 25.3 | −23.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |