# 2011 Copeland Borough Council election

The 2011 Copeland Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of Copeland Borough Council in Cumbria, England. The whole council was up for election and the Labour Party stayed in overall control of the council.

## Background

At the last election in 2007 Labour won 31 seats, compared to 19 Conservatives and 1 independent. However between 2007 and 2011 Labour councillors Brian Dixon and Sam Meteer quit the party to sit as independents.
A total of 95 candidates stood in the election for the 51 seats being contested. These were 45 Labour, 37 Conservative, 4 independent, 4 British National Party, 3 Green Party and 2 Liberal Democrats. Meanwhile, 12 sitting councillors stood down at the election.

## Election result

The results saw Labour hold control of the council after winning 34 of the 51 seats, up 5 on the situation before the election and 3 more than at the 2007 election. The Conservatives dropped 4 seats to have 15 councillors, while 2 independents were elected in Arlecdon and Distington. Overall turnout at the election was 40.98%.
Labour's biggest gains came in Bransty ward in Whitehaven, where they gained all 3 seats from the Conservatives. This included defeating the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Copeland at the 2010 general election, Chris Whiteside. Labour also picked up one seat in Newtown from the Conservatives and defeated the independent, former Labour, councillor Sam Meteer in Egremont North.
Copeland Local Election Result 2011 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 34 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 66.7 | 56.7 | 23,697 | +3.6% |
| Conservative | 15 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 29.4 | 36.6 | 15,294 | -7.0% |
| Independent | 2 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 1,649 | +2.3% |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 | 541 | +1.3% |
| Liberal Democrats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 | 342 | -0.9% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 | 253 | +0.6% |

## Ward results

Arlecdon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Joseph Sunderland | 359 | 80.5 | +26.5 |
| | Conservative | Marie Simpson | 87 | 19.5 | −4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 272 | 61.0 | +30.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 446 | 37.3 | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |
Beckermet (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Yvonne Clarkson | 681 | |
| | Conservative | John Jackson | 536 | |
| | Labour | Jim Hewitson | 340 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,557 | 46.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Bootle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Keith Hitchen | 453 | 83.1 |
| | Labour | Anne Bradshaw | 92 | 16.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 361 | 66.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 545 | 51.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Bransty (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Dave Smith | 803 | |
| | Labour | Gillian Troughton | 801 | |
| | Labour | Phil Greatorex | 710 | |
| | Conservative | Brian O'Kane | 653 | |
| | Conservative | Christopher Whiteside | 649 | |
| | Conservative | Allan Mossop | 642 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,258 | 40.4 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | |
Cleator Moor North (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Joan Hully | 723 | |
| | Labour | Bill Southward | 688 | |
| | Labour | Hugh Branney | 680 | |
| | Conservative | Alexander Carroll | 280 | |
| | BNP | Daniel Verity | 129 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,500 | 33.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Cleator Moor South (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | David Riley | 576 | |
| | Labour | Dave Banks | 502 | |
| | Conservative | David Walker | 118 | |
| | BNP | Colin Boyton | 88 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,284 | 33.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Distington (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | John Bowman | 614 | |
| | Labour | Jackie Bowman | 598 | |
| | Independent | Brian Dixon | 486 | |
| | Labour | Simon Leyton | 431 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Frank Hollowell | 284 | |
| | Conservative | Sheena Gray | 272 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,685 | 39.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | |
Egremont North (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Sam Pollen | 714 | |
| | Labour | Elaine Woodburn | 685 | |
| | Labour | Karl Connor | 635 | |
| | Independent | Sam Meteer | 509 | |
| | Conservative | John Holmes | 371 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,914 | 40.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent | Swing | |
Egremont South (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Mike McVeigh | 803 | |
| | Labour | Lena Hogg | 694 | |
| | Labour | Carole Woodman | 676 | |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Hutson | 398 | |
| | Conservative | Graham Hutson | 374 | |
| | Independent | Nicola Hewitt | 295 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,240 | 43.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Ennerdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bob Salkeld | 265 | 59.3 | +1.0 |
| | Labour | Cam Ross | 96 | 21.5 | +4.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mike Minogue | 58 | 13.0 | −11.6 |
| | Green | Andy Crow | 28 | 6.3 | +6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 169 | 37.8 | +4.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 447 | 54.3 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Frizington (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Peter Connolly | 489 | |
| | Labour | Jon Downie | 355 | |
| | Conservative | Hazel Dirom | 255 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,099 | 37.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Gosforth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alan Jacob | 478 | 77.5 | +6.5 |
| | Labour | Bernard Kirk | 139 | 22.5 | −6.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 339 | 54.9 | +12.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 61.7 | 46.7 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Harbour (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | John Kane | 913 | |
| | Labour | Henry Wormstrup | 746 | |
| | Labour | Jeanette Williams | 730 | |
| | Conservative | Martin Barbour | 468 | |
| | Conservative | Dorothy Wonnacott | 447 | |
| | Conservative | Graham Roberts | 440 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,744 | 40.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Haverigg :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Doug Wilson | 282 | 55.6 | +14.5 |
| | Labour | Carl Carter | 225 | 44.4 | +17.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 57 | 11.2 | +2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 507 | 48.2 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Hensingham (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Geoff Garrity | 729 | |
| | Labour | Norman Williams | 653 | |
| | Labour | Margarita Docherty | 619 | |
| | Conservative | Mary Lomas | 302 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,303 | 33.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Hillcrest (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Stephen Haraldsen | 567 | |
| | Conservative | Alistair Norwood | 518 | |
| | Labour | John Wooley | 360 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,445 | 45.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Holborn Hill (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Fred Gleaves | 398 | |
| | Labour | Jack Park | 360 | |
| | Conservative | Jane Micklethwaite | 308 | |
| | Labour | Denise Burness | 259 | |
| | Green | Neil Wilson | 73 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,398 | 41.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Kells (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | George Clemnts | 508 | |
| | Labour | Alan Holliday | 399 | |
| | Conservative | Glenn Gray | 199 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,106 | 37.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Millom Without :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Gilbert Scurrah | 386 | 62.3 |
| | Green | Lynette Gilligan | 152 | 24.5 |
| | Labour | Karon Carter | 82 | 13.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 234 | 37.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 620 | 52.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Mirehouse (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Anne Faichney | 775 | |
| | Labour | Peter Kane | 711 | |
| | Labour | Paul Whalley | 583 | |
| | Conservative | Jim King | 225 | |
| | BNP | George Benson | 194 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,488 | 32.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Moresby :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Geoff Blackwell | 243 | 55.6 | +1.3 |
| | Conservative | Brigid Whiteside | 194 | 44.4 | −1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 49 | 11.2 | +2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 437 | 40.8 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Newtown (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | John Fallows | 725 | |
| | Conservative | Francis Heathcote | 613 | |
| | Conservative | Fee Wilson | 480 | |
| | Conservative | Brian Crawford | 432 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,250 | 43.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | |
Sandwith (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Peter Stephenson | 373 | |
| | Labour | Peter Tyson | 352 | |
| | Conservative | Adrian Davis-Johnson | 131 | |
| | BNP | Malcolm Southward | 130 | |
| | Conservative | John Dirom | 104 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,090 | 35.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Seascale (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David Moore | 935 | |
| | Conservative | Eileen Eastwood | 878 | |
| | Labour | Wendy Skillicorn | 292 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,105 | 54.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
St Bees :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ian Hill | 475 | 68.7 | −4.7 |
| | Labour | Alan Alexander | 216 | 31.3 | +4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 259 | 37.5 | −9.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 691 | 51.7 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |