# 1998 Bromley London Borough Council election

Elections to Bromley Council in England were held on 7 May 1998. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative party lost overall control of the council to no overall control.
Because the council fell into no overall control, for the first time in the London Borough of Bromley history it was taken over by a Liberal Democrat/Labour Coalition. This ended in 2001 when the Conservatives regained the council.

## Election result

Turn out across the borough dropped to 40.8%, the lowest in the history of the council.
Bromley Local Election Result 1998 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | +/− |
| Conservative | 28 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 46.7 | 45.3 | +4.4 |
| Liberal Democrats | 25 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 41.7 | 35.0 | -1.6 |
| Labour | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11.7 | 18.7 | -1.5 |
Despite the Conservatives increasing their share of the vote at the expense of both Labour and Liberal Democrats, they still lost seats to the Liberal Democrats and with it, control of the council. Labour, despite losing votes and seats found themselves as part of the administration. For the first time, the Liberal Democrats had managed to get the first past the post voting system to work in their favour by winning a higher share of seats than share of vote.

## Ward results
### Beckenham

Anerley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Richard Gaster* | 1,362 | 55.5 | −0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | William Alan Macdonald MacCormick* | 1,289 | | |
| | Labour | Clinton Valvis McCree | 765 | 31.2 | −1.0 |
| | Labour | Andrew Jonathan Pharoah | 658 | | |
| | Conservative | Adrian Grantham Smith | 328 | 13.4 | +1.1 |
| | Conservative | John Anthony De'Giovanni | 308 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 24.3 | −0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 34.2 | −12.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | -0.4 | |
Clock House (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Edward Aubrey Crowe* | 1,871 | 53.7 | +12.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Arthur Lockwood* | 1,802 | | |
| | Labour | John Alec Dempster | | 24.0 | −7.3 |
| | Conservative | David Eric Burch | | 22.3 | −5.3 |
| | Labour | Richard Ernest Hart | | | |
| | Conservative | Simon Henry Fawthorp | | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 29.7 | +20.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 45.4 | −11.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +10.0 | |
Copers Cope (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Anthony Millar Wilkinson | | | |
| | Conservative | Russell Lawrence Mellor | 1,327 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | George Douglas Denyer | 486 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Patricia Bianca Mary Weal | 478 | | |
| | Labour | Richard Michael Rory O'Kelly | 361 | | |
| | Labour | Simon John Dawe | | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 39.4 | +12.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 35.1 | −6.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +6.0 | |
Eden Park (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jane Elizabeth Green | 1,474 | 45.5 | +12.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Robert Phillips | 1,338 | | |
| | Conservative | Albert George Miles* | 1,237 | 38.2 | −8.4 |
| | Conservative | Robert Alistair Herd | 1,207 | | |
| | Labour | Raymond Grenville Taylor | 526 | 16.2 | −4.4 |
| | Labour | Richard Frederick Watts | 453 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 7.3 | 21.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 45.8 | −0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +10.5 | |
Kelsey Park (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael John Tickner* | | | |
| | Conservative | Christopher John Elgar* | 1,909 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Reginald William Adams | 662 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Edward Hilary Whitaker | 636 | | |
| | Labour | Catherine Boyle | 400 | | |
| | Labour | Stephen Maynard Hale | | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 42.5 | +9.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 45.9 | +5.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.5 | |
Lawrie Park & Kent House (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Arthur Lewis* | 1,105 | 36.8 | +1.8 |
| | Conservative | Philip Geoffrey Jones* | 1,044 | | |
| | Labour | Catherine Rose Newman | 999 | 33.2 | +1.6 |
| | Labour | Munir Malik | 975 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian James Astell | 901 | 30.0 | +8.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul David Nash | 859 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 3.5 | +0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 44.9 | −5.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.0 | |
Penge (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Timothy Fookes* | | | |
| | Labour | Karen Anne Roberts | 958 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Daniel Ward | 813 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sonia Mary Whitaker | 787 | | |
| | Conservative | June Rose Briggs | 413 | | |
| | Conservative | Robert James Erskine | | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 8.2 | −0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 35.1 | −8.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.4 | |
Shortlands (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Peter Hyland* | | | |
| | Conservative | George Roger Taylor | 1,960 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Heather Isabel Donovan | 690 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Hilary Elizabeth-Anne Gaster | 674 | | |
| | Labour | Laurence Ronald Pocock | 466 | | |
| | Labour | Nicholas James Reed | | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 41.1 | +7.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 42.3 | −4.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.7 | |
West Wickham North (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Carole Mary Hubbard* | | | |
| | Conservative | Bryan Charles Humphrys* | 1,689 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jennifer Margaret Fitch | 673 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon David Wales | 597 | | |
| | Labour | Graham David Blackwood | 531 | | |
| | Labour | Rebecca Helen Pearson-Close | | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 36.6 | +21.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 42.8 | −7.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +10.5 | |
West Wickham South (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Frederick Ivan Gray* | | | |
| | Conservative | Leonard Walter Tutt | 2,022 | | |
| | Labour | Richard Henry Redden | 646 | | |
| | Labour | Janet Ilma Ambrose | 622 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Graham Frederick Keith Radford | 593 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Raymond Maydwell | | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 44.3 | +17.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 43.5 | −5.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +8.5 | |

### Bromley & Chislehurst

Bickley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Ingrid Alexandra Buckley* | 2,507 | 20.5 |
| | Conservative | Sheila Ann Humphreys* | 2,449 | 20.0 |
| | Conservative | Gordon William Jenkins* | 2,357 | 19.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Malcolm Dear | 1,027 | 8.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anne Wendy Chaplin | 991 | 8.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Anne Taylor | 989 | 8.1 |
| | Labour | Susan Noelle Cox | 690 | 5.6 |
| | Labour | Arthur Harold Johnson | 638 | 5.2 |
| | Labour | Alfred Ernest Parish | 579 | 4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 40.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Bromley Common & Keston (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Jeremy Hudson Booth* | 2,284 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Carter | 2,030 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alexa Christine Anne Michael* | 2,027 | |
| | Conservative | Stephen Leslie Carr | 1,670 | |
| | Conservative | Sharon Claire Evans | 1,533 | |
| | Conservative | Toby Sanders | 1,495 | |
| | Labour | Christopher Lee Leonard Bartram | 531 | |
| | Labour | Simon Timothy Williams | | |
| | Labour | Julia Margaret Ann Fogden | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 36.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Chislehurst (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Joan Bryant* | | |
| | Conservative | Kathleen Ann Boughey* | | |
| | Conservative | Joan Kathleen Wykes* | 2,734 | |
| | Labour | Charles Phillips | 988 | |
| | Labour | Andrew Robert Amos | | |
| | Labour | Sharon Wheeler | 876 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Frances Catherine Borrowman | 742 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Malcolm Magrath | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Olwen Michele Wade-Jones | 646 | |
| | Green | John William Taylor | 213 | |
| | Green | Glen Adrian Shipley-Younan | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 38.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Hayes (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Thelma Ann Manning | | |
| | Conservative | Graham Leslie Arthur | | |
| | Conservative | Neil Richard Reddin | 2,666 | |
| | Labour | Gary Ian Boxall | 882 | |
| | Labour | George Fryer Johnstone | 824 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bob Reginald Skinner | 820 | |
| | Labour | Michael Thomas King | 811 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Andrew Gill | 784 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | William Harold Stott | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 41.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Martins Hill & Town (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter John Ayres* | 1,274 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Raymond Philip Warner* | 1,144 | |
| | Conservative | Philip Thomas Hollobone | 1,111 | |
| | Conservative | Paul Louis Jemetta* | 1,024 | |
| | Labour | Iain Philip Ambler | 406 | |
| | Labour | Marcus Sherrard Oliver | | |
| | Green | John Robert Street | 109 | |
| | Green | Gillian Frances Windall | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 38.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Mottingham (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Ernest William Dyer* | | |
| | Labour | Robert Justin Yeldham* | 826 | |
| | Conservative | Michael John Hennessey | 708 | |
| | Conservative | Dennis Arthur Boughey | 685 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carmel Bernadette Anne Butler | 235 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian Harry Taylor | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 31.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Plaistow & Sundridge (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Gillespie | 1,865 | 42.2 | +18.7 |
| | Conservative | Catherine Ann Bustard | 1,824 | 41.3 | −2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Frank Gosling | 1,818 | | |
| | Conservative | Michael Turner | 1,812 | | |
| | Conservative | Dorothy Joan Laird* | 1,791 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lennard Douglas Woods | 1,768 | | |
| | Labour | Robert Armstrong | 580 | 13.1 | −9.9 |
| | Labour | Nicholas Anthony Wright | 501 | | |
| | Labour | Gordon Thomas Yates* | 464 | | |
| | Green | Joyce Linda Brown | 147 | 3.3 | −6.2 |
| | Green | Ann Christine Garrett | 133 | | |
| | Green | Frances Mary Speed | 124 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 39.9 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +10.7 | |

### Orpington

Biggin Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Colin Gostt* | 1,830 | 50.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Walter Robert Shekyls* | 1,742 | |
| | Conservative | David Robert Haslam | 1,481 | 41.2 |
| | Conservative | Christopher Douglas Wordingham | 1,366 | |
| | Labour | Brendan French | 284 | 7.9 |
| | Labour | Leonard David Hall | 283 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 9.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 43.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Chelsfield & Goddington (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Graem Peters* | 2,477 | 48.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gillian Margaret Chamarette* | 2,461 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael James Hall* | 2,399 | |
| | Conservative | Adrian Stuart Marshall | 2,146 | 42.1 |
| | Conservative | Andre Clive Madrell | | |
| | Conservative | Dean Alastair Saint | | |
| | Labour | Charles Walter Hailes | | 9.4 |
| | Labour | Carol Anne Hannay | | |
| | Labour | Peter John Tozer | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 6.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 45.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Crofton (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Helen Cecilia Rabbatts* | 2,007 | 51.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Vivian Charles Ross* | 1,883 | |
| | Conservative | Judith Elizabeth Ellis | | 41.2 |
| | Conservative | Richard Michael Rayment | | |
| | Labour | Lynn Ann Selwood | | 7.3 |
| | Labour | Christopher William Taylor | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 10.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 49.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Darwin (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Peter John Bloomfield* | 1,268 | |
| | Labour | John Charles Henry Lewis | 210 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Sperling | 208 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 62.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 50.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Farnborough (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Jennifer Mary Hillier* | | |
| | Conservative | Eric Norman Goodman* | 1,832 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Terence Frank Clark | 612 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Curtis Chamarette | 518 | |
| | Labour | Malcolm Barker | 318 | |
| | UKIP | James Bruce Carver | 285 | |
| | Labour | Canh Linh | 238 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 40.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 41.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Orpington Central (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Stewart Maines | | 66.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael John Morris | 1,475 | |
| | Conservative | Paul Martin Bonter | 579 | 23.9 |
| | Conservative | Julian Patrick Greville Grainger | 549 | |
| | Labour | Keith Aubrey Galley | 235 | 9.7 |
| | Labour | Christopher Arthur Purnell | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 42.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 37.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Petts Wood & Knoll (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Peter Charles Woods* | | |
| | Conservative | Tara Anne Bowman | | |
| | Conservative | John Richard Ince | 2,791 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Eileen G D Edwards | 1,948 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Georgina Ayres | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Derek Gambell | 1,706 | |
| | Labour | Joan Headington | 606 | |
| | Labour | Amanda Jayne Williams | | |
| | Labour | Peter John Lisle | 493 | |
| | Green | Martin James Childs | 295 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 17.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 46.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
St Mary Cray (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Susan Ann Polydorou* | 1,381 | 38.4 | −9.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David McBride | 1,332 | 37.0 | +12.2 |
| | Labour | John Richard Holbrook* | 1,312 | | |
| | Labour | Christopher John Price | 1,225 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Oldman | 1,255 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brenda Denise Thompson | 1,246 | | |
| | Conservative | Carole Linda Bowman | | 24.6 | −2.3 |
| | Conservative | Valerie Anita Cosette Huntingdon-Thresher | | | |
| | Conservative | Anne Susan Barrow | | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 1.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 35.4 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | +11.0 | |
St Paul's Cray (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Colin Willetts | 1,662 | 42.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Thomas William Hawthorne* | 1,597 | 41.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Alan Curry* | 1,471 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Duncan Keith Borrowman* | 1,443 | |
| | Labour | Kelly Jane Galvin | 1,440 | |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Ruth Johnstone | 1,411 | |
| | Conservative | Mary Winifred Macpherson | | 15.8 |
| | Conservative | Richard John Wells | | |
| | Conservative | Christopher George Hillier | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 1.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 35.0 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | |