# 2002 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Wigan Council were held on 2 May 2002, with one-third of the council to be re-elected. There had been a number of by-elections in the gap year, with a Labour gain from the Liberal Democrats in Hindsford, effectively cancelling out an earlier loss to them in Atherton. A Labour hold in Hope Carr in-between left both parties unchanged going into the election.
Candidates contesting rose slightly on the prior election's, with the Socialist Alliance's debut eclipsing the Liberal Democrat offering, with 9 candidates to 8, and the newly formed Community Action Party fielding their first handful, as well as a sole BNP contender in Abram. This counteracted the traditional opposition parties - the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats - fielding slightly less this year and one fewer Independent contester than the last election.
The worrying string of poor turnout seen in recent elections was partially reversed, as turnout rose by a quarter upon the 2000s figure of 19.5%, to 25.2%. The Conservatives and the Independents fell back from their impressive performances in 2000, to the benefit of the newcomers, with Community Action immediately gaining two seats in the previously-unblemished Labour strongholds of Bryn and Lightshaw. Labour successfully defended Orrell from another Tory gain, but suffered a loss in the former Conservative bastion of Swinley, with the Conservatives holding representation in Orrell and Swinley for the first time in just shy of twenty years. Elsewhere, the Lib Dems comfortably captured another seat in Hindsford. These gains reverted Labour's majority to a more normative 58, ending their five-year peak.

## Election result

Wigan Local Election Result 2002 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 20 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 83.3 | 56.7 | 32,772 | -0.2% |
| Community Action | 2 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 8.3 | 9.2 | 5,307 | +9.2% |
| Conservative | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4.2 | 17.2 | 9,936 | -7.9% |
| Liberal Democrats | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4.2 | 11.6 | 6,681 | -0.3% |
| Socialist Alliance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.5 | 1,428 | +2.5% |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 859 | -2.9% |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 571 | +1.0% |
This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the Council after the elections:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Labour | 69 | 65 |
| | Liberal Democrat | 2 | 3 |
| | Community Action | 0 | 2 |
| | Conservative | 1 | 2 |
| | Socialist Alliance | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent | 0 | 0 |
| | BNP | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 72 | 72 | 72 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 66 | 58 |

## Ward results

Abram :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Eunice Smethurst | 1,631 | 65.2 | −3.6 |
| | BNP | Dennis Shambley | 571 | 22.8 | +22.8 |
| | Conservative | Alicia Eccles | 292 | 11.7 | −19.5 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 7 | 0.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,060 | 42.4 | +4.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,501 | 28.1 | +15.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -13.2 | |
Ashton-Golborne :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Andrew Bullen | 1,313 | 44.3 | −20.1 |
| | Community Action | Stanley Barnes | 1,250 | 42.1 | +42.1 |
| | Conservative | Jonathan Cartwright | 300 | 10.1 | −25.5 |
| | Socialist Alliance | Marian Markham | 100 | 3.4 | +3.4 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 4 | 0.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 63 | 2.1 | −26.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,967 | 26.9 | +11.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -31.1 | |
Aspull-Standish :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Hilton | 1,584 | 44.3 | −5.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Trevor Beswick | 1,091 | 30.5 | +10.8 |
| | Conservative | Barry Wolley | 792 | 22.2 | −4.6 |
| | Socialist Alliance | Janet Philips | 105 | 2.9 | +2.9 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 2 | 0.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 493 | 13.8 | −9.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,574 | 30.5 | +9.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -8.3 | |
Atherton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Susan Loudon | 1,353 | 54.8 | −8.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Patricia Myler | 827 | 33.5 | +12.7 |
| | Conservative | Ann Davies | 155 | 6.3 | −9.5 |
| | Independent | David Shallcross | 132 | 5.3 | +5.3 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 1 | 0.0 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 526 | 21.3 | −21.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,468 | 28.6 | +8.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -10.6 | |
Bedford-Astley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Frederick Walker | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Beech Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Garry Rankin | 1,416 | 57.8 | +2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Malcolm Hudson | 774 | 31.6 | −7.8 |
| | Independent | William Hurst | 252 | 10.3 | +10.3 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 9 | 0.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 642 | 26.2 | +10.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,451 | 27.1 | +1.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.2 | |
Bryn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Community Action | John Hodgkinson | 1,397 | 48.0 | +48.0 |
| | Labour | Alan Melling | 1,311 | 45.0 | −24.4 |
| | Conservative | Marion Green | 200 | 6.9 | −23.7 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 3 | 0.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 86 | 2.9 | −36.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,911 | 29.4 | +12.2 |
| | Community Action gain from Labour | Community Action gain from Labour | Swing | +36.2 | |
Hindley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stuart Shaw | 1,656 | 73.7 | +24.1 |
| | Conservative | Andre Walker | 567 | 25.2 | +13.4 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 25 | 1.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,089 | 48.4 | +37.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,248 | 21.3 | +3.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.3 | |
Hindley Green :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stanley Simmons | 1,535 | 71.7 | +23.2 |
| | Conservative | Rosina Oxley | 580 | 27.1 | +8.1 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 27 | 1.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 955 | 44.6 | +28.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,142 | 19.6 | +3.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +7.5 | |
Hindsford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Neil Hogg | 1,724 | 55.4 | +8.9 |
| | Labour | Philip Loudon | 1,024 | 32.9 | −11.3 |
| | Independent | Stephen Hall | 234 | 7.5 | +3.2 |
| | Conservative | William Graham | 125 | 4.0 | −0.9 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 4 | 0.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 700 | 22.5 | +20.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,111 | 28.5 | +4.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | +10.1 | |
Hope Carr :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kevin Anderson | 1,498 | 52.1 | +13.0 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Oxley | 713 | 24.8 | −3.0 |
| | Community Action | Peter Solinas | 549 | 19.1 | +19.1 |
| | Socialist Alliance | Keith Fry | 104 | 3.6 | +3.6 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 11 | 0.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 785 | 27.3 | +16.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,875 | 28.1 | +4.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +8.0 | |
Ince :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Joan Hurst | 1,231 | 76.3 | +1.2 |
| | Socialist Alliance | Michael Doherty | 200 | 12.4 | +12.4 |
| | Conservative | Robert Rees | 176 | 10.9 | −3.4 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 6 | 0.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,031 | 63.9 | +3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,613 | 21.2 | +6.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -5.6 | |
Langtree :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John O'Neill | 1,733 | 51.9 | +4.0 |
| | Conservative | Gareth Fairhurst | 988 | 29.6 | −3.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Freda Graham | 607 | 18.2 | −0.4 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 11 | 0.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 745 | 22.3 | +7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,339 | 28.7 | +8.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.9 | |
Leigh Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Smith | 1,298 | 71.5 | +1.3 |
| | Conservative | Timothy Matthews | 301 | 16.6 | −13.2 |
| | Community Action | Daniel Burrows | 212 | 11.7 | +11.7 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 5 | 0.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 997 | 54.9 | +14.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,816 | 21.5 | +6.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +7.2 | |
Leigh East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Anne Turnock | 1,571 | 76.9 | +22.2 |
| | Conservative | Derek Davies | 454 | 22.2 | +2.9 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 17 | 0.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,117 | 54.7 | +25.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,042 | 19.0 | +4.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.6 | |
Lightshaw :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Community Action | Peter Franzen | 1,899 | 44.5 | +44.5 |
| | Labour | Tom Sherratt | 1,776 | 41.7 | −18.6 |
| | Conservative | James Grundy | 581 | 13.6 | −26.1 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 8 | 0.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 123 | 2.9 | −17.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,264 | 34.9 | +13.4 |
| | Community Action gain from Labour | Community Action gain from Labour | Swing | +31.5 | |
Newtown :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Christine Hitchen | 1,204 | 76.9 | +8.0 |
| | Socialist Alliance | Barry Conway | 332 | 21.2 | +21.2 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 29 | 1.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 872 | 55.7 | +9.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,565 | 18.8 | +5.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.6 | |
Norley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jeanette Prescott | 1,017 | 83.5 | N/A |
| | Socialist Alliance | William Markham | 195 | 16.0 | N/A |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 6 | 0.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 822 | 67.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,218 | 17.9 | N/A |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |
Orrell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ernest Swift | 1,478 | 52.2 | +3.9 |
| | Conservative | Stuart Foy | 1,336 | 47.2 | −4.4 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 15 | 0.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 142 | 5.0 | +1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,829 | 30.4 | +9.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.1 | |
Swinley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Davies | 1,189 | 40.3 | −1.0 |
| | Labour | Susan Turner | 1,084 | 36.8 | −8.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Robinson | 365 | 12.4 | +0.3 |
| | Independent | Stephen Halsall | 241 | 8.2 | +6.7 |
| | Socialist Alliance | Frances Thomas | 65 | 2.2 | +2.2 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 5 | 0.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 105 | 3.6 | −0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,949 | 34.4 | +7.9 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +3.7 | |
Tyldesley East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Brian Wilson | 1,574 | 64.0 | +7.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Derricutt | 866 | 35.2 | +2.3 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 19 | 0.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 708 | 28.8 | +4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,459 | 20.9 | +5.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.4 | |
Whelley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James Roberts | 1,391 | 70.8 | −4.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jean Beswick | 427 | 21.7 | +21.7 |
| | Socialist Alliance | Judith Ford | 138 | 7.0 | +7.0 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 10 | 0.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 964 | 49.0 | −1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,966 | 24.2 | −1.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -13.0 | |
Winstanley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Evans | 1,667 | 64.6 | −0.7 |
| | Conservative | Richard Clayton | 895 | 34.7 | +0.0 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 20 | 0.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 772 | 29.9 | −0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,582 | 20.0 | −5.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.3 | |
Worsley Mesnes :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Rotherham | 1,427 | 74.6 | +5.0 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Sutton | 292 | 15.3 | −15.1 |
| | Socialist Alliance | Jacqueline Pointon | 189 | 9.9 | +9.9 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 6 | 0.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,135 | 59.3 | +20.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,914 | 20.1 | +7.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +10.0 | |

## By-elections between 2002 and 2003

Leigh Central By-Election 26 September 2002 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Myra Whiteside | 904 | 62.6 | −8.9 |
| | Community Action | Peter Solinas | 392 | 27.1 | +15.4 |
| | Conservative | Tim Matthews | 149 | 10.3 | −6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 512 | 35.5 | −19.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,445 | 17.1 | −4.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -12.1 | |