# 2006 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election

The 2006 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council in West Yorkshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party kept overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
* Labour 41
* Conservative 14
* Independent 5
* Liberal Democrat 3

## Campaign

Before the election Labour had 44 seats, the Conservatives 10, independents 6 and the Liberal Democrats 3 seats. 75 candidates stood in the election for the 21 seats that were being contested, with Labour very unlikely to lose control of the council, which was the only council in West Yorkshire they still had a majority on.

## Election result

The results saw the Conservatives gain 4 seats, 3 from Labour and 1 from an independent. Labour were defeated in Horbury and South Ossett, Pontefract South and Wrenthorpe and Outwood West wards, with the losses blamed by the Labour leader on national issues. The other Conservative gain came in Wakefield South where they defeated independent councillor Norman Hazell by 17 votes. Hazell was a former Conservative member who had left the party in 2001 to sit as an independent councillor. However the other independent member managed to hold his seat in Featherstone despite a strong challenge from Labour.
Wakefield Local Election Result 2006 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 13 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 61.9 | 41.7 | 32,765 | -4.0% |
| Conservative | 6 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 28.6 | 29.1 | 22,832 | -0.7% |
| Liberal Democrats | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.8 | 9.4 | 7,375 | +1.1% |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 4.8 | 7.6 | 5,962 | -2.3% |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.7 | 8,426 | +6.7% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 | 861 | +0.6% |
| Socialist Alternative | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 231 | -0.3% |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 128 | -0.9% |

## Ward results

Ackworth, North Elmsall and Upton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Sarah Balfour | 1,707 | 41.6 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Crowther | 1,285 | 31.3 |
| | Independent | John Evans | 566 | 13.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Oliver Wadsworth | 543 | 13.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 422 | 10.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,101 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Airedale and Ferry Fryston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Linda Broom | 1,655 | 58.0 |
| | BNP | Stephen Rogerson | 709 | 24.9 |
| | Conservative | Eamonn Mullins | 489 | 17.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 946 | 33.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,853 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Altofts and Whitwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Darran Travis | 1,717 | 49.6 |
| | BNP | Loraine Frazer | 682 | 19.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Burch | 572 | 16.5 |
| | Conservative | Tom Dixon | 490 | 14.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,035 | 29.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,461 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Castleford Central and Glasshoughton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Denise Jeffery | 1,884 | 52.8 |
| | BNP | Rita Robinson | 876 | 24.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Mann | 475 | 13.3 |
| | Conservative | Rebecca Mullins | 333 | 9.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,008 | 28.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,568 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Crofton, Ryhill and Walton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Graham Isherwood | 1,594 | 35.9 |
| | Conservative | Adam Parry | 1,247 | 28.1 |
| | BNP | Dean Crossland | 868 | 19.6 |
| | Independent | Janice Power | 729 | 16.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 347 | 7.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,438 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Featherstone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Roy Bickerton | 2,207 | 50.1 |
| | Labour | Margaret Isherwood | 1,871 | 42.5 |
| | Conservative | Jean Molloy | 326 | 7.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 336 | 7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,404 | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | |
Hemsworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Tracey Hardwick | 1,773 | 66.1 |
| | Conservative | Christian l'Anson | 908 | 33.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 865 | 32.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,681 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Horbury and South Ossett :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Sharp | 1,411 | 34.3 |
| | Labour | David Watts | 1,245 | 30.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Goodair | 873 | 21.2 |
| | BNP | John Aveyard | 582 | 14.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 166 | 4.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,111 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | |
Knottingley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Patricia Doyle | 1,673 | 64.1 |
| | Conservative | Nathan Garbutt | 937 | 35.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 736 | 28.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,610 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Normanton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Susan Blezard | 1,370 | 43.3 |
| | BNP | Adam Frazer | 667 | 21.1 |
| | Independent | William Wood | 432 | 13.6 |
| | Conservative | Tony Ayoade | 426 | 13.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jack Smith | 272 | 8.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 703 | 22.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,167 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Ossett :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Walker | 1,752 | 38.7 |
| | Labour | Gwendoline Page | 1,179 | 26.0 |
| | BNP | Suzy Cass | 806 | 17.8 |
| | Conservative | Tony Homewood | 794 | 17.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 573 | 12.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,531 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Pontefract North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Clive Tennant | 1,757 | 62.0 |
| | Conservative | Mellisa Wan Omer | 1,077 | 38.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 680 | 24.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,834 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Pontefract South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Walsh | 1,852 | 42.2 |
| | Labour | James Nicholson | 1,810 | 41.2 |
| | Independent | Clive Wigham | 730 | 16.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 42 | 1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,392 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | |
South Elmsall and South Kirkby :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Laurie Harrison | 2,482 | 73.3 |
| | Conservative | Sheila Scholes | 902 | 26.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,580 | 46.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,384 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Stanley and Outwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Jacqueline Williams | 1,246 | 33.5 |
| | Conservative | Graham Ridler | 986 | 26.5 |
| | BNP | Glenn Fothergill | 777 | 20.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Evans | 706 | 19.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 260 | 7.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,715 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Wakefield East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Olivia Rowley | 1,541 | 44.2 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Pesterfield | 648 | 18.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ather Mohammed | 540 | 15.5 |
| | BNP | Dawn Byrom | 528 | 15.1 |
| | Socialist Alternative | Michael Griffiths | 231 | 6.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 893 | 25.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,488 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Wakefield North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Keith Rhodes | 1,356 | 38.9 |
| | Conservative | Angela Holwell | 774 | 22.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Douglas Dale | 621 | 17.8 |
| | BNP | Graham Thewlis-Hardy | 609 | 17.5 |
| | UKIP | Keith Wells | 128 | 3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 582 | 16.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,488 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Wakefield Rural :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | June Drysdale | 2,471 | 51.1 |
| | Labour | Hazel Chowcat | 1,507 | 31.1 |
| | Green | John Lumb | 861 | 17.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 964 | 20.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,839 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Wakefield South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Nadeen Ahmed | 1,315 | 29.4 |
| | Independent | Norman Hazell | 1,298 | 29.0 |
| | Labour | Charles Keith | 747 | 16.7 |
| | BNP | Neville Poynton | 594 | 13.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Huthall | 521 | 11.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17 | 0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,475 | |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | |
Wakefield West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David Stone | 2,318 | 57.1 |
| | Labour | Anthony Richardson | 1,241 | 30.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Morgan | 500 | 12.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,077 | 26.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,059 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Wrenthorpe and Outwood West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Betty Liles | 1,843 | 46.3 |
| | Labour | Rosaline Lund | 1,410 | 35.4 |
| | BNP | Grant Rowe | 728 | 18.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 433 | 10.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,981 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | |