# 1996 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 1996 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council elections were held on Thursday, 2 May 1996, with one third of the council to be elected.The council remained under no overall control, with the Conservatives and Independent Ratepayer and Residents no longer holding enough seats to continue their coalition. Voter turnout was 35.4%.

## Election result

Solihull Local Election Result 1996 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 6 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 35.3 | 37.1 | 20,481 | +4.7 |
| Labour | 5 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 29.4 | 26.9 | 14,821 | -3.4 |
| Liberal Democrats | 4 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 23.5 | 25.7 | 14,190 | -2.3 |
| Independent Ratepayers & Residents | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.8 | 8.0 | 4,419 | +1.6 |
| Ind. Conservative | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 958 | +1.7 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 276 | -1.6 |
This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Conservatives | 21 | 17 |
| | Labour | 15 | 16 |
| | Liberal Democrat | 9 | 12 |
| | Independent Ratepayers & Residents | 5 | 5 |
| | Independent | 1 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 51 | 51 | 51 |
| Working majority | Working majority | -9 | -17 |

## Ward results

Bickenhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Plaister | 1,667 | 48.3 | +7.4 |
| | Labour | Brian Carter | 1,282 | 37.1 | −1.1 |
| | Independent | Clifford Hards | 276 | 8.0 | +8.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | M. Dixon | 228 | 6.6 | −3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 385 | 11.1 | +8.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,453 | 34.6 | −3.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.2 | |
Castle Bromwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Richards | 2,140 | 59.6 | +10.7 |
| | Labour | Vera Wood | 1,128 | 31.4 | −10.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Merkens | 321 | 8.9 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,012 | 28.2 | +21.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,589 | 37.6 | −0.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +10.7 | |
Chelmsley Wood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Alfred Hill | 1,329 | 73.2 | −1.3 |
| | Conservative | Graham Juniper | 343 | 18.9 | +3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | C. Barber | 143 | 7.9 | −2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 986 | 54.3 | −4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,815 | 21.8 | −2.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.4 | |
Elmdon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ann Littley | 1,937 | 55.0 | −4.3 |
| | Conservative | Donald Jones | 1,274 | 36.2 | +3.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | A. Blakeley | 312 | 8.9 | +0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 663 | 18.8 | −7.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,523 | 43.5 | −0.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.8 | |
Fordbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Michael Corser | 970 | 70.6 | −4.4 |
| | Conservative | T. O'Riordan | 238 | 17.3 | +2.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jennifer Wright | 96 | 7.0 | +0.4 |
| | Independent Ratepayers | John Rogers | 70 | 5.1 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 732 | 53.3 | −7.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,374 | 21.0 | −2.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.5 | |
Kingshurst :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Janet Fletcher | 1,035 | 65.3 | −5.6 |
| | Conservative | Dorothy Wallace | 414 | 26.1 | +7.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | H. Edgington | 136 | 8.6 | −2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 621 | 39.2 | −13.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,585 | 25.9 | −3.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.7 | |
Knowle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Leslie Kyles | 2,163 | 63.8 | +4.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bernard Wright | 796 | 23.5 | −2.5 |
| | Labour | William Shaw | 433 | 12.8 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,367 | 40.3 | +6.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,392 | 37.4 | −3.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.2 | |
Lyndon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Irene Chamberlain | 1,738 | 58.0 | −5.8 |
| | Conservative | Neill Watts | 672 | 22.4 | +6.1 |
| | Labour | Eric Collins | 585 | 19.5 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,066 | 35.6 | −8.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,995 | 37.4 | −1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | -6.0 | |
Meriden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alan Vincent | 1,365 | 37.9 | −13.3 |
| | Ind. Conservative | M. Emm | 958 | 26.6 | +26.6 |
| | Labour | Arthur Brill | 827 | 22.9 | −3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Morris | 454 | 12.6 | −9.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 407 | 11.3 | −13.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,604 | 41.2 | +4.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -19.9 | |
Olton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Norman Davies | 2,150 | 52.8 | −4.8 |
| | Conservative | Diana Holl-Allen | 1,622 | 39.9 | +6.7 |
| | Labour | Frederick Nash | 297 | 7.3 | −1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 528 | 13.0 | −11.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,069 | 43.3 | −0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | -5.7 | |
Packwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Dupont | 2,178 | 48.3 | −12.3 |
| | Conservative | Kenneth Meeson | 2,099 | 46.5 | +13.3 |
| | Labour | Irma Shaw | 236 | 5.2 | −1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 79 | 1.7 | −25.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,513 | 43.9 | −1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | -12.8 | |
Shirley East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | June Gandy | 1,942 | 49.7 | −4.3 |
| | Conservative | Theresa Samuels | 1,444 | 36.9 | +5.2 |
| | Labour | James Burman | 523 | 13.4 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 498 | 12.7 | −9.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,909 | 41.9 | +0.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | -4.7 | |
Shirley South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Ratepayers Anti European Union | Ursula Eames | 2,489 | 61.6 | +4.7 |
| | Labour | Peter Ward | 927 | 22.9 | −2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | D. Wilson | 627 | 15.5 | −2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,562 | 38.6 | +7.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,043 | 30.0 | −0.9 |
| | Independent Ratepayers hold | Independent Ratepayers hold | Swing | +3.5 |
Shirley West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Ratepayers | Keith Williamson | 1,860 | 62.8 | +26.0 |
| | Labour | Peter Metcalfe | 781 | 26.4 | +4.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Verduyn | 322 | 10.9 | +4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,079 | 36.4 | +33.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,963 | 32.1 | −2.4 |
| | Independent Ratepayers hold | Independent Ratepayers hold | Swing | +11.0 |
Silhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Hogarth | 1,985 | 47.9 | +4.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Puckering | 1,568 | 37.8 | +3.3 |
| | Labour | Donald Bargery | 591 | 14.3 | −6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 417 | 10.1 | +1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,144 | 41.1 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.8 | |
Smith's Wood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Graham Craig | 1,393 | 73.9 | −3.2 |
| | Conservative | Timothy Vernon | 328 | 17.4 | +5.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Olive Hogg | 164 | 8.7 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,065 | 56.5 | −8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,885 | 22.6 | −2.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.2 | |
St. Alphege :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Worley | 2,727 | 63.6 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brenda Chapple | 1,015 | 23.7 | +0.1 |
| | Labour | Paul Tuxworth | 547 | 12.8 | −2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,712 | 39.9 | +2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,289 | 38.5 | +0.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.1 | |

## By-elections between 1996 and 1998

Castle Bromwich by-election 18 July 1996 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | | 1,490 | 59.0 | −0.6 |
| | Labour | | 794 | 31.5 | +0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 236 | 9.4 | +0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 696 | 27.5 | −0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,520 | 26.2 | −11.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.3 | |
Fordbridge by-election 24 October 1996 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | | 525 | 72.7 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative | | 104 | 14.4 | −2.9 |
| | Independent Ratepayer | | 56 | 7.8 | +2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 37 | 5.1 | −1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 421 | 58.3 | +5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 722 | 11.0 | −10.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.5 | |
Kingshurst by-election 16 October 1997 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | | 345 | 62.5 | −2.8 |
| | Conservative | | 175 | 31.7 | +5.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 32 | 5.8 | −2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 170 | 30.8 | −8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 552 | 16.6 | −9.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.2 | |
Silhill by-election 16 October 1997 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | | 1,328 | 46.1 | −1.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 1,235 | 42.9 | +5.1 |
| | Labour | | 301 | 10.5 | −3.8 |
| | Other | | 16 | 0.5 | +0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 93 | 3.2 | −6.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,880 | 28.1 | −13.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.4 | |