# 2004 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election

The 2004 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council in West Yorkshire, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2003. The Labour party stayed in overall control of the council.

## Campaign

Before the election Labour held 50 of the 63 seats on the council and this was seen as being an insurmountable majority for the other parties. However the Conservatives stood a full slate of 63 candidates and were hopeful of making gains due to dissatisfaction among Labour supporters. The British National Party stood 12 candidates in the election, a substantial increase on the 2 they had stood in the 2003 election but not the 20 candidates the party had been hoping to stand. Other candidates included 19 Liberal Democrats, 18 independents, 5 Socialist Alternative, 3 from the United Kingdom Independence Party and 1 Green Party. All postal voting in the election was expected to increase turnout, which was seen by analysts as making the results difficult to predict.

## Election result

The results saw Labour lose 7 seats but remained firmly in control of the council with 43 of the 63 seats. The Conservatives gained 4 and the independents 3, with the gains for the independents in Featherstone being put down to the closure of a local swimming pool. The Liberal Democrats held their 3 seats in Ossett but neither they nor the British National Party made any gains. Overall voter turnout was 39.6%.
Labour saw the results as not being as bad as they could have been given the losses the party was suffering nationally, which was put down to improved services and listening to local people. Meanwhile, the Conservatives were disappointed that they had not made more gains.
Wakefield Local Election Result 2004 :
| Party | Seats | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 43 | -7 | 68.3 | 45.7 | 108,222 | -0.4% |
| Conservative | 11 | +4 | 17.5 | 29.8 | 70,679 | +4.5% |
| Independent | 6 | +3 | 9.5 | 9.9 | 23,475 | -1.6% |
| Liberal Democrats | 3 | 0 | 4.8 | 8.3 | 19,719 | -2.9% |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 9,492 | +1.6% |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 | 2,601 | -0.4% |
| Socialist Alternative | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 | 1,538 | +0.0% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 1,111 | +0.5% |

## Ward results

Ackworth, North Elmsall and Upton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Allan Garbutt | 1,951 | |
| | Labour | Alan Bell | 1,526 | |
| | Labour | Linda Broom | 1,362 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | James McDougall | 1,259 | |
| | Conservative | Keith Wilson | 1,241 | |
| | Conservative | Katie Denson | 1,060 | |
| | Conservative | Sheila Scholes | 1,021 | |
| | Independent | John Evans | 974 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kenneth Ridgway | 784 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Dodd | 725 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,903 | 38.6 |
Airedale and Ferry Fryston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Graham Phelps | 2,025 | |
| | Labour | Yvonne Crewe | 1,811 | |
| | Labour | Stephen Groves | 1,751 | |
| | Independent | John Bird | 997 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Kirby | 679 | |
| | Conservative | Mary Barton | 469 | |
| | Conservative | Pamela Ledgard | 418 | |
| | Conservative | Rodney Williams | 409 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,559 | 34.0 |
Altofts and Whitwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Peter Box | 1,993 | |
| | Labour | Heather Hudson | 1,939 | |
| | Labour | Darran Travis | 1,855 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Burch | 876 | |
| | BNP | William Draper | 701 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon Curtis | 700 | |
| | Conservative | Allen Glendinning | 625 | |
| | Conservative | Tom Dixon | 584 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carey Chambers | 566 | |
| | Conservative | Jean Molloy | 559 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,398 | 38.0 |
Castleford Central and Glasshoughton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Mark Burns-Williamson | 2,797 | |
| | Labour | Anthony Wallis | 2,692 | |
| | Labour | Denise Jeffery | 2,286 | |
| | BNP | Rita Robinson | 948 | |
| | Conservative | Stanley Hick | 507 | |
| | Conservative | Val Moorey | 484 | |
| | Conservative | Joan Revitt | 483 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,197 | 36.7 |
Crofton, Ryhill and Walton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Albert Manifield | 1,995 | |
| | Labour | Maureen Cummings | 1,757 | |
| | Labour | Graham Isherwood | 1,729 | |
| | Independent | Christopher Hazell | 1,436 | |
| | Independent | Nicholas Hazell | 1,265 | |
| | Conservative | Michael Ledgard | 1,261 | |
| | Conservative | Allan Couch | 1,058 | |
| | Conservative | Alan West | 937 | |
| | BNP | Robert Jaques | 815 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,253 | 43.8 |
Featherstone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Kay Binnersley | 2,356 | |
| | Independent | Pauline Guy | 2,143 | |
| | Independent | Roy Bickerton | 1,859 | |
| | Labour | Margaret Isherwood | 1,771 | |
| | Labour | David Bond | 1,703 | |
| | Labour | Robin Tuffs | 1,583 | |
| | BNP | David Lumb | 685 | |
| | Conservative | Phyllis Brake | 322 | |
| | Conservative | Jean Yarwood | 312 | |
| | Conservative | Brigid Hopkins | 308 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,042 | 41.2 |
Hemsworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Glyn Lloyd | 2,613 | |
| | Labour | Wayne Jenkins | 2,256 | |
| | Labour | Hazel Chowcat | 2,019 | |
| | Conservative | Rebecca Mullins | 712 | |
| | Conservative | Alfred Hall | 661 | |
| | Conservative | Norma Crossley | 654 | |
| | BNP | Ian Kitchen | 508 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,423 | 34.1 |
Horbury and South Ossett :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Janet Holmes | 1,724 | |
| | Labour | Brian Holmes | 1,621 | |
| | Conservative | Graham Smith | 1,578 | |
| | Conservative | Caroline Smith | 1,507 | |
| | Conservative | Roger Robinson | 1,452 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Goodair | 1,245 | |
| | Labour | Robert Kirk | 1,228 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Rowland | 1,176 | |
| | BNP | John Aveyard | 978 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Edmund Marshall | 929 | |
| | Independent | Mark Harrop | 452 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,890 | 45.4 |
Knottingley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Graham Stokes | 1,946 | |
| | Labour | Glenn Burton | 1,734 | |
| | Labour | Patricia Doyle | 1,657 | |
| | Conservative | Christopher Burns | 892 | |
| | BNP | Mark Burton | 831 | |
| | Conservative | Michael Plumbley | 695 | |
| | Conservative | Madge Richards | 587 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,342 | 35.3 |
Normanton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Barry Smith | 2,105 | |
| | Independent | Graeme Milner | 1,694 | |
| | Labour | Peter Loosemore | 1,627 | |
| | Labour | Christine Sharman | 1,463 | |
| | Conservative | Sue Mountain | 877 | |
| | Conservative | Betty Charlesworth | 611 | |
| | Conservative | John Scollan | 555 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,932 | 33.1 |
Ossett :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alec Metcalfe | 2,312 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Knowles | 2,067 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Walker | 1,975 | |
| | Labour | Donald Hitchen | 1,220 | |
| | Labour | David Watts | 1,174 | |
| | Labour | Paul McCartan | 1,143 | |
| | Conservative | John Smith | 958 | |
| | BNP | Suzy Cass | 945 | |
| | Conservative | Jane Garfit | 801 | |
| | Conservative | Andrew Garfit | 791 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,386 | 43.1 |
Pontefract North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Jack Kershaw | 2,008 | |
| | Labour | Patricia Garbutt | 1,716 | |
| | Labour | Clive Tennant | 1,599 | |
| | UKIP | Stephanie Wilder | 994 | |
| | UKIP | Howard Burdon | 848 | |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Walsh | 838 | |
| | Conservative | Eamonn Mullins | 838 | |
| | Conservative | Catherine Campbell-Reitzik | 783 | |
| | Socialist Alternative | John Gill | 232 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,856 | 35.6 |
Pontefract South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Trevor Izon | 2,474 | |
| | Conservative | Philip Booth | 2,464 | |
| | Labour | James Nicholson | 2,374 | |
| | Conservative | Richard Molloy | 2,103 | |
| | Labour | Sylvia Burton | 2,059 | |
| | Conservative | David Howarth | 1,963 | |
| | BNP | David Redfearn | 651 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,088 | 46.0 |
South Elmsall and South Kirkby :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Mollie Wright | 2,414 | |
| | Independent | Harold Mills | 2,162 | |
| | Labour | Laurie Harrison | 1,898 | |
| | Labour | John Evans | 1,884 | |
| | BNP | Linda Westwood | 853 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Wright | 832 | |
| | Conservative | Christian l'Anson | 495 | |
| | Conservative | David Charlesworth | 335 | |
| | Conservative | Patricia Foster | 327 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,200 | 37.3 |
Stanley and Outwood East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | David Atkinson | 2,156 | |
| | Labour | Clive Hudson | 1,686 | |
| | Labour | Jacqueline Williams | 1,645 | |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Hick | 1,640 | |
| | Conservative | David Barton | 1,594 | |
| | Conservative | Charles Scholes | 1,498 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,219 | 36.2 |
Wakefield East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Hilary Mitchell | 1,559 | |
| | Labour | Ronald Halliday | 1,466 | |
| | Labour | Olivia Rowley | 1,434 | |
| | Independent | Meherban Khan | 1,024 | |
| | Conservative | Donald Saunders | 874 | |
| | Conservative | Terence Brown | 763 | |
| | Conservative | John Berry | 732 | |
| | BNP | Michael Wain | 620 | |
| | Socialist Alternative | Michael Griffiths | 436 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,908 | 37.2 |
Wakefield North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Rhodes | 1,434 | |
| | Labour | Melvyn Taylor | 1,360 | |
| | Labour | Keith Rhodes | 1,316 | |
| | Conservative | Jane Brown | 1,105 | |
| | Conservative | Angela Holwell | 1,022 | |
| | Conservative | Patrick Williams | 1,000 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Douglas Dale | 902 | |
| | UKIP | Keith Wells | 759 | |
| | Socialist Alternative | Adrian O'Malley | 351 | |
| | Socialist Alternative | Diane Shepherd | 297 | |
| | Socialist Alternative | Robert Crabb | 222 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,768 | 38.6 |
Wakefield Rural :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Paul Harvey | 2,614 | |
| | Conservative | Bryan Denson | 2,440 | |
| | Conservative | June Drysdale | 2,374 | |
| | Labour | Martyn Johnson | 1,549 | |
| | Labour | Matthew Morley | 1,448 | |
| | Labour | David Dagger | 1,354 | |
| | Independent | Michael Greensmith | 1,123 | |
| | Green | John Lumb | 1,111 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,013 | 42.0 |
Wakefield South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David Hopkins | 1,955 | |
| | Conservative | Monica Graham | 1,745 | |
| | Independent | Norman Hazell | 1,671 | |
| | Conservative | Nadeem Ahmed | 1,452 | |
| | Independent | Brian Hazell | 1,197 | |
| | Independent | Christian Hazell | 999 | |
| | Labour | Richard Hayward | 992 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Nuthall | 950 | |
| | Labour | John Anderson | 878 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jack Smith | 793 | |
| | Labour | Fred Walker | 787 | |
| | Independent | Georgina Fenton | 317 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,736 | 48.8 |
Wakefield West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Walker | 2,637 | |
| | Conservative | William Sanders | 2,586 | |
| | Conservative | John Colley | 2,491 | |
| | Labour | Janet Deighton | 1,620 | |
| | Labour | John Devine | 1,218 | |
| | Labour | Paul Phelps | 1,133 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Morgan | 949 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,634 | 44.0 |
Wrenthorpe and Outwood West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Antony Calvert | 1,852 | |
| | Labour | Philip Dobson | 1,719 | |
| | Labour | David Lund | 1,552 | |
| | Conservative | Glenn Armitage | 1,496 | |
| | Labour | Rosaline Lund | 1,434 | |
| | Conservative | Tony Ayoade | 1,274 | |
| | BNP | Grant Rowe | 957 | |
| | Independent | Alexander Adie | 952 | |
| | Independent | Robert Baulch | 854 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,090 | 43.2 |