# 1996 Exeter City Council election

The 1996 Exeter City Council election took place on 2 May 1996 to elect members of Exeter City Council in Devon, England. 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | Majority | Majority | 454 | 19.1 | –17.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,381 | 39.7 | –7.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,033 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 8.8 | |

### Barton

Barton (2 seats due to by-election) :
| Party | 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 | Turnout | Turnout | 1,889 | 46.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,028 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### Countess Wear

Countess Wear :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 325 | 18.4 | +13.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,771 | 50.2 | –9.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,566 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 6.9 | |

### Cowick

Cowick :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 648 | 34.2 | –11.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,893 | 44.3 | –4.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,330 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 5.7 | |

### Exwick

Exwick :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,203 | 58.7 | +10.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,050 | 35.2 | –6.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,915 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 5.4 | |

### Heavitree

Heavitree :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 181 | 8.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,031 | 47.5 | +1.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,304 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative |

### Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 199 | 9.6 | –26.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,063 | 42.2 | –7.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,937 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | 13.1 | |

### Pinhoe

Pinhoe :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 454 | 15.5 | –11.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,995 | 53.9 | –3.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,967 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 2.1 | |

### Polsloe

Polsloe :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 61 | 3.7 | –12.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,631 | 39.7 | –10.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,153 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 9.9 | |

### Rougemont

Rougemont :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 788 | 45.1 | +7.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,747 | 35.6 | –12.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,927 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 1.8 | |

### St. Davids

St. Davids :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 91 | 3.9 | +3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,344 | 36.9 | –11.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,389 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 1.6 | |

### St. Leonards

St. Leonards :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 31 | 1.6 | –24.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,999 | 42.9 | –10.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,700 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 13.6 | |