# 2006 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council election

The 2006 Southend-on-Sea Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Southend-on-Sea Unitary Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
* Conservative 30
* Liberal Democrat 9
* Labour 8
* Alliance Southend 4

## Campaign

The election saw a candidate from a new party, Mums' Army, stand in West Shoebury ward. The party was founded by Take a Break magazine with a platform of addressing anti-social behaviour in the community.
Meanwhile, the Labour party was unable to put up candidates in 5 wards after their nomination papers were stolen just before they were to be handed in.

## Election result

The results saw the Conservatives stay in control of the council after winning 11 of the 19 seats which were contested. However this was one down on before the election, after the Conservative council leader, Anna Waite, was defeated in Prittlewell by the Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats gained 2 seats to overtake Labour as the second largest party on the council with 9 councillors, as against 8 for Labour. Overall turnout in the election was 34%.
Southend-on-Sea Local Election Result 2006 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 11 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 57.9 | 42.2 | 19,640 | -7.3% |
| Liberal Democrats | 4 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 21.1 | 25.8 | 12,004 | -0.3% |
| Labour | 3 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 15.8 | 12.7 | 5,931 | -3.9% |
| Alliance Southend | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5.3 | 9.1 | 4,249 | +9.1% |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.6 | 2,140 | +4.6% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 1,385 | +0.2% |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 954 | +0.4% |
| Mums' Army | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 140 | +0.3% |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 132 | -2.1% |

## Ward results

Belfairs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Margaret Evans | 1,326 | 46.0 | −8.4 |
| | Alliance Southend | Margaret Webb | 879 | 30.5 | +30.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ronald Streeter | 679 | 23.5 | −10.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 447 | 15.5 | −4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,884 | 39.9 | −2.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Blenheim Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian Smith | 1,009 | 38.9 | −7.4 |
| | Conservative | Duncan Newham | 814 | 31.4 | −9.1 |
| | UKIP | Seantino Callaghan | 458 | 17.7 | +17.7 |
| | Labour | Julian Ware-Lane | 313 | 12.1 | −1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 195 | 7.5 | +1.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,594 | 34.2 | −1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Chalkwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Brown | 1,309 | 56.4 | +0.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Adams | 648 | 27.9 | +5.4 |
| | Labour | John Aitkin | 365 | 15.7 | +2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 661 | 28.5 | −5.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,322 | 32.6 | −2.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Eastwood Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Moring | 1,539 | 59.1 | +3.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Walton | 830 | 31.9 | −4.4 |
| | Labour | Raoul Meade | 233 | 9.0 | +0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 709 | 27.2 | +8.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,602 | 35.0 | −3.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Kursaal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Judith McMahon | 650 | 35.3 | +0.8 |
| | Conservative | Blaine Robin | 522 | 28.4 | −5.8 |
| | BNP | Dean Fenner | 391 | 21.2 | +21.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jennifer Wrexham | 278 | 15.1 | +3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 128 | 7.0 | +6.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,841 | 27.8 | +1.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Leigh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barry Godwin | 1,316 | 51.4 | −3.0 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Ryan | 872 | 34.0 | −2.0 |
| | Green | Nicola Gilbey | 374 | 14.6 | +14.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 444 | 17.3 | −1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,562 | 36.4 | −1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Milton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ann Robertson | 818 | 40.0 | −11.2 |
| | Labour | Reginald Copley | 431 | 21.1 | −6.5 |
| | Alliance Southend | John Bacon | 318 | 15.6 | +15.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Collins | 269 | 13.2 | −8.0 |
| | Green | Stephen Jordan | 208 | 10.2 | +10.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 387 | 18.9 | −4.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,044 | 30.0 | −0.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Prittlewell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Grimwade | 1,124 | 40.9 | +8.4 |
| | Conservative | Anna Waite | 999 | 36.3 | −9.5 |
| | UKIP | John Croft | 496 | 18.0 | +18.0 |
| | Independent | Alan Hart | 132 | 4.8 | +4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 125 | 4.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,751 | 37.4 | −0.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
St Laurence :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | George Lewin | 1,385 | 55.8 | +25.6 |
| | Conservative | Brian Houssart | 1,099 | 44.2 | +8.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 286 | 11.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,484 | 33.3 | −5.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
St Lukes :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Michael Royston | 800 | 33.0 | +2.9 |
| | Conservative | Nigel Folkard | 604 | 24.9 | −13.2 |
| | BNP | Geoffrey Strobridge | 534 | 22.0 | +22.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian Ayling | 291 | 12.0 | −6.0 |
| | Green | Cristian Ramis | 197 | 8.1 | −5.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 196 | 8.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,426 | 31.0 | +1.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Shoeburyness (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Roger Hadley | 1,071 | 26.1 | |
| | Conservative | Allan Cole | 884 | 21.5 | |
| | Labour | Anne Chalk | 707 | 17.2 | |
| | Alliance Southend | Michael Assenheim | 629 | 15.3 | |
| | Labour | Charles Willis | 438 | 10.7 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Amanda Spraggs | 232 | 5.6 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Colin Spraggs | 150 | 3.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,111 | 30.9 | +1.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Southchurch :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Brian Kelly | 1,296 | 50.3 | −14.5 |
| | BNP | Stuart Freeman | 489 | 19.0 | +19.0 |
| | Labour | Joyce Mapp | 311 | 12.1 | −2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Linda Smith | 300 | 11.7 | +0.8 |
| | Green | Stuart Salmon | 178 | 6.9 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 807 | 31.4 | −19.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,574 | 36.1 | −0.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Thorpe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Daphne White | 1,346 | 42.3 | −31.2 |
| | Alliance Southend | Ronald Woodley | 950 | 29.8 | +29.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Howard Gibeon | 670 | 21.0 | +5.8 |
| | Labour | Christopher Gasper | 218 | 6.8 | −4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 396 | 12.4 | −45.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,184 | 44.3 | +4.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Victoria :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Margaret Borton | 719 | 38.5 | −4.1 |
| | Conservative | Roger Kemp | 456 | 24.4 | −10.1 |
| | BNP | Fenton Bowley | 366 | 19.6 | +19.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ronella Streeter | 328 | 17.5 | −5.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 263 | 14.1 | +6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,869 | 26.9 | −0.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
West Leigh (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Holdcroft | 1,562 | 27.2 | |
| | Conservative | Gwendoline Horrigan | 1,559 | 27.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Shirley Pawson | 983 | 17.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bryan Paddison | 874 | 15.2 | |
| | Green | Paul Circus | 428 | 7.4 | |
| | Alliance Southend | Colin Ritchie | 344 | 6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,750 | 44.7 | −3.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
West Shoebury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tony Cox | 1,175 | 43.8 | −24.1 |
| | Alliance Southend | Verina Weaver | 456 | 17.0 | +17.0 |
| | BNP | Terence Jellis | 360 | 13.4 | +13.4 |
| | Labour | Joan Richards | 352 | 13.1 | −6.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Mallam | 198 | 7.4 | −4.9 |
| | Mums' Army | Linda Martin | 140 | 5.2 | +5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 719 | 26.8 | −21.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,681 | 36.6 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | | |
Westborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance Southend | Tania Painton | 673 | 35.5 | −11.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Vincent | 440 | 23.2 | +2.8 |
| | Labour | Teresa Merrison | 394 | 20.8 | +4.7 |
| | Conservative | Richard Waite | 389 | 20.5 | +3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 233 | 12.3 | −14.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,896 | 27.0 | −5.2 |
| | Independent gain from Labour | Independent gain from Labour | Swing | | |