# 2004 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2004 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2003. The Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.

## Campaign

During the lead up to the election the Labour Party suffered 2 defections. Firstly councillor Jim Ryan quit the party to sit as an independent after disagreements over policy. He was then followed in May 2004 by Jeff Potts who defected to join the Conservatives and blamed infighting within the Labour Party for his decision. Both councillors contested the election, Jim Ryan as an independent, and Jeff Potts as a Conservative in Kingshurst and Fordbridge ward.
The election saw the British National Party (BNP) contest 2 seats in Chelmsley Wood and Olton wards, while the National Front contested Silhill ward. The presence of these candidates led the leaders of each of the Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour parties on the council to condemn the policies of both the BNP and National Front.

## Election result

The results saw the Conservatives stay in control of the council but with their majority cut from 5 to 3 seats. The Conservative dropped by 1 seat, while the Liberal Democrats became the next largest party on the council after gaining 5 seats. Labour dropped by 5 seats, 3 of which could be put down to the boundary changes, while another seat was lost by Labour to the Conservatives in Kingshurst and Fordbridge. The final Labour loss came in Bickenhill where former Labour councillor Jim Ryan was re-elected onto the council as an independent. Overall turnout increased by 10% from 2003 to reach 39%.
Solihull Local Election Result 2004 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52.9 | 46.3 | 30,098 | -12.6% |
| Liberal Democrats | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29.4 | 32.7 | 21,232 | +10.1% |
| Labour | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15.7 | 15.6 | 10,116 | -2.6% |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 3.6 | 2,346 | +3.6% |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 935 | +1.4% |
| National Front | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 287 | +0.4% |
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 | 28 | 27 |
| | Liberal Democrat | 10 | 15 |
| | Labour | 13 | 8 |
| | Independent | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 51 | 51 | 51 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 5 | 3 |

## Ward results

Bickenhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Jim Ryan | 2,346 | 48.5 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Robert Sleigh | 1,510 | 31.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Alan Martin | 1,472 | | |
| | Conservative | James Williams | 1,079 | | |
| | Labour | Arthur Harper | 554 | 11.4 | N/A |
| | Labour | Ann Wood | 464 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jennifer Wright | 430 | 8.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jean Hamilton | 413 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 836 | 17.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,840 | 40.4 | N/A |
| | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
Blythe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Allen | 1,720 | 46.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Leonard Cresswell | 1,664 | | |
| | Conservative | Brian Burgess | 1,605 | 43.4 | N/A |
| | Conservative | David Skelding | 1,589 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Charles Robinson | 1,555 | | |
| | Conservative | Rosemary Worsley | 1,553 | | |
| | Labour | Shirley Young | 376 | 10.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 115 | 3.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,701 | 40.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
Castle Bromwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Richards | 2,603 | 64.5 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Ian Hillas | 2,133 | | |
| | Conservative | Michael Robinson | 2,074 | | |
| | Labour | Kenneth Nye | 796 | 19.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Daniell | 639 | 15.8 | N/A |
| | Labour | Patricia Harrop | 636 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,807 | 44.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,038 | 38.3 | N/A |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
Chelmsley Wood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Alfred Hill | 1,051 | 40.1 | N/A |
| | Labour | Michael Corser | 871 | | |
| | Labour | Nicholas Stephens | 778 | | |
| | BNP | George Morgan | 679 | 25.9 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Gail Sleigh | 510 | 19.5 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Martin McCarthy | 487 | | |
| | Conservative | Graham Juniper | 484 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Scriven | 380 | 14.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 372 | 14.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,620 | 25.5 | N/A |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
Dorridge and Hockley Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Kenneth Meeson | 2,889 | 59.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Andrzej Mackiewicz | 2,710 | | |
| | Conservative | Ian Courts | 2,533 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Claire Berry | 1,398 | 28.6 | N/A |
| | Labour | Janet Fletcher | 595 | 12.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,491 | 30.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,882 | 47.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
Elmdon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Bramham | 1,832 | 44.8 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barbara Harber | 1,651 | 40.3 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Kenneth Hawkins | 1,642 | | |
| | Conservative | James Wild | 1,612 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nigel Dyer | 1,553 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Reeves | 1,519 | | |
| | Labour | Frederick Churchill | 609 | 14.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 181 | 4.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,092 | 41.5 | N/A |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
Kingshurst and Fordbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Kimberley | 872 | 40.2 | N/A |
| | Labour | Frederick Nash | 840 | | |
| | Conservative | Robert Hall | 831 | 38.3 | N/A |
| | Labour | Kenneth Harrop | 811 | | |
| | Conservative | Jeffrey Potts | 775 | | |
| | Conservative | Elspeth Martin | 757 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Hayes | 468 | 21.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 41 | 1.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,169 | 24.2 | N/A |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
Knowle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Blake | 2,617 | 61.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Leslie Kyles | 2,384 | | |
| | Conservative | Diana Holl-Allen | 2,370 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Verduyn | 1,050 | 24.7 | N/A |
| | Labour | Alan Jacques | 581 | 13.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,567 | 36.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,248 | 44.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
Lyndon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Irene Chamberlain | 2,319 | 58.4 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Olive Hogg | 2,100 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Reeves | 1,983 | | |
| | Conservative | Theresa Tedd | 1,143 | 28.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative | David Williams | 1,106 | | |
| | Conservative | Shailesh Parekh | 980 | | |
| | Labour | Catherine Connan | 506 | 12.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,176 | 29.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,968 | 38.1 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
Meriden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Lea | 2,489 | 62.9 | N/A |
| | Conservative | David Bell | 2,182 | | |
| | Conservative | Kenneth Allsopp | 2,087 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Johnson | 888 | 22.4 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Whitlock | 759 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Hugh McCredie | 742 | | |
| | Labour | Jonathan Maltman | 581 | 14.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,601 | 40.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,958 | 40.9 | N/A |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
Olton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Honor Cox | 2,209 | 51.2 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Norman Davies | 2,161 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Windmill | 2,009 | | |
| | Conservative | Charles Drayson | 1,489 | 34.5 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Peter Groom | 1,375 | | |
| | Conservative | Dipak Shah | 1,033 | | |
| | Labour | Gerald Dufficy | 362 | 8.4 | N/A |
| | BNP | Mark James | 256 | 5.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 720 | 16.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,316 | 45.1 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
Shirley East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | June Gandy | 2,181 | 53.4 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Reeve | 2,058 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Hedley | 1,841 | | |
| | Conservative | Neill Watts | 1,540 | 37.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Patricia Handslip | 1,431 | | |
| | Conservative | Joseph Tidesley | 1,391 | | |
| | Labour | Kevin Raven | 360 | 8.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 641 | 15.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,081 | 46.2 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
Shirley South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gary Allport | 2,158 | 52.0 | N/A |
| | Conservative | David Elsmore | 1,999 | | |
| | Conservative | John Hawkswood | 1,922 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Howard Knight | 1,312 | 31.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roger Gemmell | 1,253 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Lynes | 1,030 | | |
| | Labour | James Burman | 676 | 16.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 846 | 20.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,146 | 40.4 | N/A |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
Shirley West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Howard Allen | 1,802 | 52.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Reeve | 1,753 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elsie Cotton | 1,741 | | |
| | Conservative | James Pike | 1,315 | 38.4 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Lee Watts | 1,152 | | |
| | Conservative | Jeffrey Stocks | 1,119 | | |
| | Labour | Rajeshwar Singh | 308 | 9.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 487 | 14.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,425 | 38.2 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
Silhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Susan Gomm | 2,005 | 51.4 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Peter Hogarth | 1,944 | | |
| | Conservative | Sheila Pittaway | 1,846 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brenda Davies | 1,158 | 29.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Knight | 1,042 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Douglas Hogg | 976 | | |
| | Labour | Una Kimberley | 453 | 11.6 | N/A |
| | National Front | Norman Tomkinson | 287 | 7.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 847 | 21.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,903 | 43.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
Smith's Wood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Hugh Hendry | 1,014 | 47.1 | N/A |
| | Labour | Graham Craig | 1,004 | | |
| | Labour | Donald Cornock | 994 | | |
| | Conservative | Daniel Kettle | 713 | 33.1 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Robert Jolley | 544 | | |
| | Conservative | Clive Nelson | 537 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bernard Wright | 427 | 19.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 301 | 14.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,154 | 23.5 | N/A |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
St Alphege :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Kathleen Wild | 2,849 | 63.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Jean Clark | 2,799 | | |
| | Conservative | Stuart Davis | 2,664 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brenda Chapple | 1,202 | 26.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Small | 1,023 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Hodgson | 980 | | |
| | Labour | Michelle Cluney | 422 | 9.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,647 | 36.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,473 | 44.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |

## By-elections between 2004 and 2006

St Alphege by-election 3 March 2005 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Theresa Tedd | 1,760 | 49.4 | −14.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Reeves | 1,673 | 46.9 | +20.0 |
| | Labour | Janet Fletcher | 133 | 3.7 | −5.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 87 | 2.5 | −34.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,566 | 36.0 | −8.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -17.1 | |
Knowle by-election 15 September 2005 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jefrey Potts | 1,247 | 46.6 | −15.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Berry | 1,232 | 46.0 | +21.3 |
| | Green | Christopher Williams | 134 | 5.0 | +5.0 |
| | Labour | Ian McDonald | 63 | 2.3 | −11.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15 | 0.6 | −36.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,676 | 32.8 | −12.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -18.1 | |