# 2002 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election

The 2002 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council in West Yorkshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party kept overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
* Labour 53
* Conservative 5
* Independent 3
* Liberal Democrat 2

## Campaign

Before the election the council had 55 Labour, 4 Conservative, 3 Independent and 1 Liberal Democrat members. Each of the Labour and Conservative parties stood candidates in all 21 wards, along with 11 Liberal Democrats and 15 other candidates from various parties. Labour were defending 20 seats in the election, with two seats being contested in Pontefract South due to the resignation of a councillor, while the other 2 seats were held by independents. One of the 2 independents who was defending his seat in Wakefield South was Norman Hazell, a former leader of the Conservatives in Wakefield, who had defected from the party in 2001.
During the campaign an investigation was started by West Yorkshire Police after allegations of fraud in South Kirkby ward. Here over a quarter of the 900 postal vote applications had been found to be invalid.

## Election result

The Labour party remained firmly in control of the council and were pleased with only losing 2 seats in the election. The Conservatives gained Wakefield Rural, while the Liberal Democrats took Ossett. Meanwhile, both independents held their seats, with Norman Hazell's defence of Wakefield South as an independent being seen as a surprise result. Overall turnout in the election was 23.5%.
Wakefield Local Election Result 2002 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 18 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 81.8 | 53.5 | 34,330 | +2.3% |
| Independent | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.1 | 6.0 | 3,852 | +1.8% |
| Conservative | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4.5 | 24.7 | 15,817 | -7.3% |
| Liberal Democrats | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4.5 | 11.4 | 7,337 | +0.5% |
| Socialist Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.9 | 1,831 | +1.3% |
| Socialist Alternative | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 | 386 | +0.6% |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 313 | +0.5% |
| Socialist Alliance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 285 | +0.4% |

## Ward results

Castleford Ferry Fryston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stephen Groves | 1,404 | 75.6 | +17.2 |
| | Conservative | Madge Richards | 267 | 14.4 | +6.3 |
| | Socialist Labour | Trevor Holderson | 186 | 10.0 | +10.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,137 | 61.2 | +36.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,857 | 19.4 | −0.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Castleford Glasshoughton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mark Burns-Williamson | 1,864 | 82.1 | +5.6 |
| | Conservative | Charles Scholes | 255 | 11.2 | −4.2 |
| | Socialist Labour | Angela Herbert | 152 | 6.7 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,609 | 70.9 | +9.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,271 | 21.2 | +3.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Castleford Whitwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Colin Churm | 1,812 | 82.9 | +5.6 |
| | Conservative | Jean Molloy | 237 | 10.8 | −4.7 |
| | Socialist Labour | Mary Appleyard | 137 | 6.3 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,575 | 72.1 | +10.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,186 | 22.1 | +2.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Crofton & Ackworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul Beckett | 1,564 | 51.2 | +2.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James McDougall | 669 | 21.9 | −1.1 |
| | Conservative | Catherine Campbell-Reitzik | 554 | 18.1 | −10.3 |
| | UKIP | Howard Burden | 194 | 6.3 | +6.3 |
| | Socialist Labour | David Bruce | 76 | 2.5 | +2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 895 | 29.3 | +9.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,057 | 25.4 | +4.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Featherstone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Robin Tuffs | 1,867 | 83.0 | +28.6 |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Hick | 383 | 17.0 | +4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,484 | 66.0 | +44.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,250 | 20.4 | −2.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Hemsworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Wayne Jenkins | 1,629 | 72.5 | −2.3 |
| | Conservative | Eamonn Mullins | 372 | 16.5 | −8.7 |
| | Socialist Labour | Maurice Kent | 247 | 11.0 | +11.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,257 | 56.0 | +6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,248 | 20.8 | +2.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Horbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Brian Holmes | 1,408 | 43.2 | +10.8 |
| | Conservative | Caroline Sheen | 1,225 | 37.6 | −7.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Goodair | 567 | 17.4 | −5.2 |
| | Socialist Labour | Karen Bruce | 60 | 1.8 | +1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 183 | 5.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,260 | 27.0 | +0.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Knottingley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Graham Stokes | 1,667 | 75.9 | +4.4 |
| | Conservative | David Howarth | 530 | 24.1 | −4.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,137 | 51.8 | +8.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,197 | 20.7 | +2.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Normanton & Sharlston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Loosemore | 1,306 | 49.8 | −11.5 |
| | Independent | Graeme Milner | 665 | 25.3 | +25.3 |
| | Conservative | Allan Couch | 346 | 13.2 | −6.5 |
| | Socialist Labour | Mick Appleyard | 308 | 11.7 | −7.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 641 | 24.5 | −17.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,625 | 20.6 | +1.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Ossett :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Walker | 2,138 | 54.9 | +18.6 |
| | Labour | Maureen Cummings | 1,235 | 31.7 | −3.5 |
| | Conservative | Terence Brown | 518 | 13.3 | −15.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 903 | 23.2 | +22.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,891 | 31.1 | +6.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Pontefract North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jack Kershaw | 1,875 | 68.2 | −2.9 |
| | Conservative | Richard Molloy | 638 | 23.2 | −5.7 |
| | Socialist Alternative | John Gill | 134 | 4.9 | +4.9 |
| | Socialist Labour | Zane Carpenter | 103 | 3.7 | +3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,237 | 45.0 | +2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,750 | 21.0 | +4.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Pontefract South (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Trevor Izon | 1,581 | | |
| | Labour | Martyn Ward | 1,317 | | |
| | Conservative | Ian Bloomer | 1,250 | | |
| | Conservative | Philip Booth | 1,243 | | |
| | Socialist Alliance | Carol Ives | 285 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,676 | 28.4 | +4.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
South Elmsall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Devine | 1,655 | 68.1 | −2.6 |
| | Conservative | Ian Hall | 438 | 18.0 | −11.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mary Neale | 339 | 13.9 | +13.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,217 | 50.1 | +8.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,432 | 21.2 | +4.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
South Kirkby :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Harold Mills | 1,288 | 49.9 | +49.9 |
| | Labour | Malcolm Evans | 1,167 | 45.2 | −17.9 |
| | Conservative | Michael Ledgard | 128 | 5.0 | −5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 121 | 4.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,583 | 24.1 | +4.9 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |
Stanley & Altofts :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Atkinson | 1,670 | 51.9 | +3.3 |
| | Conservative | Norma Crossley | 750 | 23.3 | −4.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Burch | 715 | 22.2 | −1.2 |
| | Socialist Labour | Kathryn Summerscales | 83 | 2.6 | +2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 920 | 28.6 | +8.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,218 | 23.1 | +3.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Stanley & Wrenthorpe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rosaline Lund | 1,655 | 46.0 | +0.9 |
| | Conservative | James Dick | 1,131 | 31.4 | −5.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Dodd | 813 | 22.6 | +4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 524 | 14.6 | +6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,599 | 24.0 | +2.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Wakefield Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Antony Richardson | 1,758 | 48.9 | +6.7 |
| | Conservative | Jane Brown | 1,396 | 38.9 | −3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Morgan | 376 | 10.5 | −0.4 |
| | Socialist Labour | Paul Turek | 62 | 1.7 | −2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 362 | 10.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,592 | 38.5 | +14.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Wakefield East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Olivia Rowley | 1,533 | 45.4 | −8.9 |
| | Conservative | John Berry | 552 | 16.4 | −9.5 |
| | Socialist Labour | Abdul Aziz | 417 | 12.4 | +12.4 |
| | Independent | Georgina Fenton | 324 | 9.6 | +9.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Dale | 298 | 8.8 | −3.1 |
| | Socialist Alternative | Michael Griffiths | 252 | 7.5 | +7.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 981 | 29.0 | +0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,376 | 26.6 | +3.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Wakefield North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Keith Rhodes | 1,562 | 55.8 | +3.4 |
| | Conservative | Michael Mitchell | 674 | 24.1 | −8.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Douglas Dale | 442 | 15.8 | +1.1 |
| | UKIP | Keith Wells | 119 | 4.3 | +4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 888 | 31.7 | +12.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,797 | 24.8 | +3.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Wakefield Rural :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Paul Harvey | 1,566 | 43.6 | −8.1 |
| | Labour | John Newsome | 1,536 | 42.8 | +6.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Neale | 486 | 13.5 | +1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 30 | 0.8 | −14.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,588 | 27.9 | +3.3 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Wakefield South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Norman Hazell | 1,575 | 33.5 | +32.3 |
| | Conservative | Christian L'Anson | 1,364 | 29.0 | −36.2 |
| | Labour | Hazel Chowcat | 1,265 | 26.9 | +3.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Nuthall | 494 | 10.5 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 211 | 4.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,698 | 38.0 | +5.6 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |