# 2007 Southampton City Council election

The 2007 Southampton Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Southampton Unitary Council in Hampshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.
After the election, the composition of the council was:
* Conservative 18
* Labour 18
* Liberal Democrat 12

## Campaign

Before the election the Conservative and Labour parties both had 16 seats, while the Liberal Democrats who formed the administration had 15 seats, with one seat, formerly Liberal Democrat, being vacant. 17 seats were being contested in the election, with 2 seats up in Millbrook after Liberal Democrat Virginia Moore resigned from the council.
In total 69 candidates were standing and as well as candidates from the national political parties, a couple of candidates stood for local parties called Southampton First and Southampton Save Our Services. They campaigned on local issues, with Southampton Save Our Services running on a platform calling for improved conditions for public sector workers in Southampton. Candidates also included a 20-year-old Conservative, Vince Capozzoli in Portswood, after the age for councillors was reduced from 21 to 18.
National politicians including Conservative leader David Cameron and Labour cabinet minister Peter Hain visited Southampton to campaign for their parties.
The council used an electronic system to check postal votes, but had to check them by hand after the system failed to read up to 40% of them.

## Election result

The results saw no party win a majority, but the Liberal Democrats lost 4 seats, 2 each to the Conservative and Labour parties. The Conservatives won 9 of the 17 seats contested, to move to 18 seats, level with Labour, while the Liberal Democrats fell to 12 seats. One of the Conservative gains from the Liberal Democrats came in Swaythling and was put down to plans for a travellers' camp in the area, which had been opposed by the Conservative candidate. Overall turnout in the election was 30.2%.
Following the election Conservative group leader Alec Samuels was elected leader of the council. This came after one Liberal Democrat councillor, Norah Goss, voted in favour of a Conservative administration, breaking from the rest of the party who abstained.
Southampton Local Election Result 2007 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 52.9 | 37.5 | 20,321 | 5.0 |
| Labour | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 35.3 | 30.5 | 16,489 | 0.7 |
| Liberal Democrats | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 11.8 | 23.8 | 12,892 | 5.0 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 5.1 | 2,745 | 0.8 |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 2.2 | 1,201 | 0.6 |
| Official Southampton First | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0.6 | 299 | 0.6 |
| Socialist Alternative | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0.2 | 116 | 0.1 |
| Southampton Save our Services | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0.1 | 80 | 0.1 |

## Ward results
### Bargate

Bargate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Parvin Damani | 893 | 43.2 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative | Amy Whiskerd | 675 | 32.6 | 0.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sylvia Drake | 305 | 14.7 | −1.2 |
| | Green | Rigel Jenman | 195 | 9.4 | +9.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 218 | 10.5 | +2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,068 | 16.0 | −0.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Bassett

Bassett :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alec Samuels | 1,858 | 47.4 | +2.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sharon Mintoff | 1,420 | 36.2 | −10.4 |
| | Labour | Michael Brainsby | 427 | 10.9 | +2.9 |
| | UKIP | Michael Cottrell | 217 | 5.5 | +5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 438 | 11.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,922 | 35.9 | −4.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Bevois

Bevois :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jacqueline Rayment | 1,113 | 50.8 | −0.2 |
| | Conservative | Matthew Turpin | 466 | 21.3 | +2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Clarke | 282 | 12.9 | −10.0 |
| | Green | Josephine Furness | 215 | 9.8 | +9.8 |
| | Socialist Alternative | Nicholas Chaffey | 116 | 5.3 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 647 | 29.5 | +1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,192 | 20.9 | −2.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Bitterne

Bitterne :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Matthew Stevens | 1,373 | 48.3 | +6.8 |
| | Conservative | Edward Osmond | 961 | 33.8 | +6.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Naish | 510 | 17.9 | +2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 412 | 14.5 | +0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,844 | 28.6 | −1.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Bitterne Park

Bitterne Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Baillie | 1,663 | 49.3 | +4.1 |
| | Labour | Shaun Brady | 734 | 21.8 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Arnold Robinson | 720 | 21.4 | +0.4 |
| | Green | Sarah Curl | 254 | 7.5 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 929 | 27.6 | +3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,371 | 32.6 | −2.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Coxford

Coxford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Donald Thomas | 1,219 | 34.9 | −0.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kenneth Darke | 1,162 | 33.3 | −3.9 |
| | Conservative | Neil Fitzgerald | 784 | 22.4 | +3.6 |
| | UKIP | Leslie Obee | 201 | 5.8 | +5.8 |
| | Green | David Curl | 128 | 3.7 | −4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 57 | 1.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,494 | 33.9 | +1.8 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

### Freemantle

Freemantle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Brian Parnell | 1,369 | 45.8 | +5.1 |
| | Labour | Harry Mitchell | 815 | 27.3 | −3.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Juliet Williams | 407 | 13.6 | −1.4 |
| | Green | Darren Pickering | 395 | 13.2 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 554 | 18.6 | +8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,986 | 28.2 | −2.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Harefield

Harefield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Adrian Johnson | 1,723 | 49.2 | −6.7 |
| | Labour | Paul Jenks | 1,017 | 29.0 | +1.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Diana Wills | 490 | 14.0 | −2.2 |
| | Green | Andrew Shaw | 275 | 7.8 | +7.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 706 | 20.1 | −7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,505 | 33.2 | −2.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Millbrook

Millbrook (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Linda Norris | 1,330 | |
| | Conservative | Andrew Wells | 1,268 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Holmes | 1,048 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Keith Reed | 974 | |
| | Labour | Keith Morrell | 855 | |
| | Labour | Richard Green | 811 | |
| | Green | Victoria Payne | 350 | |
| | UKIP | Stephen Phillips | 246 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,882 | 32.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | |

### Peartree

Peartree :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Slade | 1,443 | 44.3 | −4.4 |
| | Conservative | Kim Baillie | 972 | 29.9 | +2.0 |
| | Labour | Julian Price | 839 | 25.8 | +2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 471 | 14.5 | −6.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,254 | 31.9 | −0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Portswood

Portswood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Steven Sollitt | 1,063 | 33.3 | |
| | Conservative | Vincenzo Capozzoli | 840 | 26.3 | |
| | Labour | Ann Wardle | 560 | 17.5 | |
| | Green | Joseph Cox | 350 | 11.0 | |
| | Official Southampton First | Peter Knight | 299 | 9.4 | |
| | Southampton Save our Services | Neil Kelly | 80 | 2.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 223 | 7.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,192 | 29.6 | −4.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Redbridge

Redbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Marsh-Jenks | 1,292 | 43.0 | −1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Russell | 906 | 30.1 | −1.3 |
| | Conservative | Clare Bettison | 808 | 26.9 | +2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 368 | 12.8 | −0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,006 | 28.9 | −1.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Shirley

Shirley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Matthew Dean | 1,762 | 44.9 | +3.0 |
| | Labour | Graham Giles | 1,256 | 32.0 | +5.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Pauline Harding | 395 | 10.1 | −3.0 |
| | Green | John Spottiswoode | 327 | 8.3 | −4.4 |
| | UKIP | David Geddes | 183 | 4.7 | −1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 506 | 12.9 | −2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,923 | 38.2 | +0.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Sholing

Sholing :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gavin Dick | 1,787 | 45.1 | +10.5 |
| | Labour | David Furnell | 1,435 | 36.2 | −5.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Lisle | 390 | 9.8 | −3.6 |
| | UKIP | Tony Weaver | 354 | 8.9 | −1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 352 | 8.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,966 | 37.3 | +0.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Swaythling

Swaythling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Diana Odgers | 1,215 | 45.2 | +16.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anne Work | 711 | 26.5 | −14.6 |
| | Labour | Andrew Wilson | 504 | 18.8 | −0.5 |
| | Green | Christopher Bluemel | 256 | 9.5 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 504 | 18.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,686 | 28.4 | +3.4 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

### Woolston

Woolston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Warwick Payne | 1,346 | 47.2 | −3.5 |
| | Conservative | John Whiskerd | 840 | 29.5 | +3.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barbara Cove | 666 | 23.4 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 506 | 17.7 | −6.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,852 | 28.5 | −1.8 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |