# 2006 Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2006 Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour Party stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was:
* Labour 50
* Conservative 11
* Liberal Democrat 5
* British National Party 4
* Independent 2

## Campaign

24 of the 72 seats on the council were being contested in the election, with Labour holding control beforehand with 53 seats.
The election saw 9 candidates from the British National Party, part of a record number for the party in the West Midlands.
In the run up to the election councillor Alan Burkitt was arrested by the police on suspicion of selling his girlfriend for sex. As a result, Burkitt, representing Charlemont with Grove Vale ward, was suspended from the Conservative Party; Burkitt had previously been a Liberal Democrat councillor before defecting to the Conservatives.
During the election the Conservative candidate in Tipton Green Shahzad Chaudhry accused the Labour councillor, Ahmadul Haque, of breaking the code of conduct for candidates by giving his home number for voters who wanted help with postal votes, however Haque denied he had done anything wrong. Meanwhile, Chaudhry received the backing of the former British National Party organiser for the West Midlands, Steve Edwards, in the election for Tipton Green.

## Election result

The results saw the British National Party win 3 seats, all gains from Labour. The gains for the British National Party came in the wards of Great Bridge, Princes End and Tividale, taking the party to 4 seats on the council. Labour dropped to 50 seats, after losing 4 but gaining another 1, the Conservatives stayed on 11 seats, the Liberal Democrats 5 and independents on 2 seats.
Sandwell Local Election Result 2006 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 15 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 62.5 | 44.2 | 33,127 | -6.5% |
| Conservative | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16.7 | 27.1 | 20,321 | -1.0% |
| BNP | 3 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 12.5 | 12.4 | 9,268 | +8.4% |
| Liberal Democrats | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.3 | 15.0 | 11,263 | +1.7% |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 | 621 | +0.7% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 317 | +0.4% |

## Ward results

Abbey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Robert Piper | 1,592 | 48.9 |
| | Conservative | Ewart Johnson | 968 | 29.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roger Prior | 695 | 21.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 624 | 19.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,255 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Blackheath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Shirley Ching | 1,330 | 46.5 |
| | Labour | Susan Downing | 1,265 | 44.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mazhar Hussain | 267 | 9.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 65 | 2.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,862 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | |
Bristnall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Steven Frear | 1,486 | 49.9 |
| | Conservative | Terence Grainger | 1,088 | 36.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sandra Berisford | 402 | 13.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 398 | 13.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,976 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | |
Charlemont with Grove Vale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Tony Ward | 1,737 | 48.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Keith Allcock | 830 | 23.2 |
| | Labour | Jean Heywood | 750 | 21.0 |
| | Independent | Kathleen Ryan | 254 | 7.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 907 | 25.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,571 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Cradley Heath and Old Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Glenis Webb | 1,545 | 53.0 |
| | Conservative | Ronald Griffiths | 1,372 | 47.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 173 | 6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,917 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Friar Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Simon Hackett | 1,127 | 47.9 |
| | Conservative | Barry Nelson | 903 | 38.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dorothy Brayshaw | 321 | 13.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 224 | 9.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,351 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Great Barr with Yew Tree :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mary Wilson | 1,212 | 31.5 |
| | BNP | Scott Dale | 970 | 25.2 |
| | Labour | Harbinder Deol | 957 | 24.9 |
| | Conservative | Stephanie Page | 703 | 18.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 242 | 6.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,842 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Great Bridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | BNP | Simon Smith | 1,278 | 45.1 |
| | Labour | Maureen Whitehouse | 1,096 | 38.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Philip Roberts | 461 | 16.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 182 | 6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,835 | |
| | BNP gain from Labour | BNP gain from Labour | Swing | |
Greets Green and Lyng :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Robert Badham | 1,340 | 46.5 |
| | BNP | Gordon Howells | 793 | 27.5 |
| | Conservative | Elaine Fitzpatrick | 475 | 16.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dorothy Jones | 246 | 8.5 |
| | Independent | Ivor Morgan | 30 | 1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 547 | 19.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,884 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Hateley Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Terry Williams | 1,411 | 45.1 |
| | BNP | Sarah Dale | 951 | 30.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rachel Cheeseman | 416 | 13.3 |
| | Conservative | Robert Lawrence | 351 | 11.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 460 | 14.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,129 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Langley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Mick Davies | 1,263 | 39.8 |
| | BNP | Karen Parkes | 876 | 27.6 |
| | Conservative | Leslie Pawlowski | 777 | 24.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Allcock | 257 | 8.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 387 | 12.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,173 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Newton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Underhill | 1,424 | 42.9 |
| | Labour | David Hosell | 1,119 | 33.7 |
| | Conservative | Valerie Ward | 778 | 23.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 305 | 9.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,321 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Oldbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Mahboob Hussain | 2,347 | 64.5 |
| | Conservative | David Hadley | 989 | 27.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Emma Underhill | 300 | 8.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,358 | 37.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,636 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Old Warley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John McHard | 1,419 | 43.7 |
| | Labour | Susan Crumpton | 1,268 | 39.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Reed | 562 | 17.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 151 | 4.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,249 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Princes End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | BNP | Russell Green | 1,128 | 43.5 |
| | Labour | June Newell | 1,050 | 40.5 |
| | Conservative | Jean Nugent | 415 | 16.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 78 | 3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,593 | |
| | BNP gain from Labour | BNP gain from Labour | Swing | |
Rowley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | William Thomas | 1,524 | 56.1 |
| | Conservative | Joanne Hadley | 1,192 | 43.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 332 | 12.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,716 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
St Pauls :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Gurinder Josan | 2,196 | 53.5 |
| | Conservative | Mohammed Ahmed | 1,370 | 33.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Russell George | 414 | 10.1 |
| | Independent | Kulbir Singh | 121 | 3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 826 | 20.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,101 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Smethwick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Victor Silvester | 1,730 | 61.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ronald Hackett | 858 | 30.6 |
| | Independent | Narinder Dosanjh | 216 | 7.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 872 | 31.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,804 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Soho and Victoria :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Mohammad Rouf | 1,942 | 65.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Shamim Ahmed | 708 | 23.9 |
| | Green | Shari Temochin | 317 | 10.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,234 | 41.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,967 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Tipton Green :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Ahmadul Haque | 1,268 | 35.7 |
| | BNP | Steven Parkes | 1,195 | 33.6 |
| | Conservative | Chaudhry Shehzad | 1,091 | 30.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 73 | 2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,554 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Tividale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | BNP | Carl Butler | 1,191 | 37.0 |
| | Labour | Lorraine Ashman | 1,158 | 36.0 |
| | Conservative | Michael Hardy | 562 | 17.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Diane Gorton | 308 | 9.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 33 | 1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,219 | |
| | BNP gain from Labour | BNP gain from Labour | Swing | |
Wednesbury North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Mavis Hughes | 1,533 | 61.6 |
| | Labour | Tony Middleton | 659 | 26.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Roebuck | 298 | 12.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 874 | 35.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,490 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Wednesbury South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Giles | 1,256 | 39.4 |
| | BNP | Sharon Butler | 886 | 27.8 |
| | Conservative | Alan Nugent | 822 | 25.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Mitchener | 222 | 7.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 370 | 11.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,186 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
West Bromwich Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Mohinder Tagger | 1,778 | 54.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jarnail Sandhu | 1,062 | 32.3 |
| | Conservative | Christine Vickers | 446 | 13.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 716 | 21.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,286 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |