# 1999 Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 1999 Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 6 May 1999 to elect members of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
* Labour 61
* Liberal Democrat 9
* Conservative 2

## Campaign

Before the election Labour held 60 of the 72 seats on the council, with the Liberal Democrats the main opposition on the council. Labour were defending 19 seats, the Liberal Democrats 3 and the Conservatives 1 seat. The Conservative seat being defended in Wednesbury North was one of only 2 the party held, but both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats planned to contest all 24 seats. The other seat being contested was in Tipton Green, where an independent Labour councillor stood down at the election. Candidates in the election included 2 from the British National Party and 1 from the National Front, meanwhile the Liberal Democrat candidate in Friar Park ward withdrew from the election.
During the election the Conservatives had an error on one of their leaflets with the phone number being for a Labour supporter.

## Election result

The results saw Labour increase their majority on the council after gaining 1 seat to hold 61 of the 72 seats. Labour made the only gain in Tipton Green with the successful Labour candidate, Syeda Khatun, becoming the first Muslim woman to win a seat on Sandwell council. Tipton Green also saw the British National Party win 17.2% of the vote, the best result for the party in the West Midlands area. The Liberal Democrats held the 3 seats they had been defending to keep 9 councillors, with Victoria Handy becoming the youngest councillor at the age of 21 after holding Charlemont for the party. Meanwhile, the Conservatives held Wednesbury North, but failed to make any gains, to stay on just 2 seats. Overall turnout in the election was 23.6%, with Princes End ward seeing one of the lowest turnouts in the country.
Sandwell Local Election Result 1999 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 20 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 83.3 | 54.9 | 28,383 | -0.2% |
| Liberal Democrats | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.5 | 15.7 | 8,124 | -0.3% |
| Conservative | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.2 | 25.2 | 13,024 | +0.9% |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 2.5 | 1,277 | |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.4 | 714 | |
| Socialist Alternative | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 145 | |
| National Front | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 75 | |

## Ward results

Abbey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Robert Piper | 1,687 | 59.6 |
| | Conservative | Karen Bissell | 832 | 29.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roger Prior | 310 | 11.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 855 | 30.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,829 | 31.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Blackheath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Robert Price | 1,220 | 65.8 |
| | Conservative | David Dixon | 421 | 22.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Walter Bowdler | 212 | 11.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 799 | 43.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,853 | 20.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Bristnall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Richard Young | 1,398 | 61.6 |
| | Conservative | Ewart Johnson | 649 | 28.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian Rogers | 223 | 9.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 749 | 33.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,270 | 23.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Charlemont :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Victoria Handy | 1,054 | 41.2 |
| | Labour | Jacqueline Harper | 811 | 31.7 |
| | Conservative | Norman Lawley | 695 | 27.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 243 | 9.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,560 | 27.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Cradley Heath and Old Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | John Southall | 1,357 | 66.8 |
| | Conservative | David Burgess | 463 | 22.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Malcolm Wilson | 212 | 10.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 894 | 44.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,032 | 22.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Friar Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Geoffrey Lewis | 1,049 | 68.8 |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Smith | 475 | 31.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 574 | 37.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,524 | 18.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Great Barr :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert White | 1,377 | 49.7 |
| | Labour | Jean Heywood | 753 | 27.2 |
| | Conservative | Robert Lawrence | 641 | 23.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 624 | 22.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,771 | 28.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Great Bridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Jean Marson | 965 | 59.8 |
| | Conservative | Philip Mansell | 325 | 20.1 |
| | BNP | Sharron Edwards | 209 | 12.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian Burkitt | 116 | 7.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 640 | 39.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,615 | 16.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Greets Green and Lyng :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Robert Badham | 1,351 | 75.9 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Hackett | 283 | 15.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Philip Roberts | 147 | 8.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,068 | 60.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,781 | 21.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Hateley Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | William Edis | 875 | 54.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rachel Cheeseman | 491 | 30.4 |
| | Conservative | Margaret Smith | 247 | 15.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 384 | 23.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,613 | 17.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Langley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Martin Prestidge | 1,449 | 60.5 |
| | Conservative | Roland Hill | 671 | 28.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Julia Garrett | 276 | 11.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 778 | 32.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,396 | 24.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Newton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Joyce Underhill | 1,410 | 53.4 |
| | Labour | Thomas Slater | 811 | 30.7 |
| | Conservative | Peter Leavesley | 420 | 15.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 599 | 22.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,641 | 28.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Old Warley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Brian Caddick | 1,217 | 46.7 |
| | Conservative | William Shipman | 1,125 | 43.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gaynor Skeldon | 263 | 10.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 92 | 3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,605 | 29.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Oldbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Mahbbob Hussain | 1,911 | 69.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Wilkinson | 450 | 16.3 |
| | Conservative | William Aitken | 393 | 14.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,461 | 53.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,754 | 33.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Princes End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Christopher Couzens | 589 | 49.3 |
| | Conservative | Raymond Nock | 246 | 20.6 |
| | Independent Tipton Labour | June Newell | 219 | 18.3 |
| | National Front | John Lord | 75 | 6.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Samantha Ford | 65 | 5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 343 | 28.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,194 | 12.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Rowley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Adrian Bailey | 1,302 | 66.7 |
| | Conservative | Fredric Powles | 267 | 13.7 |
| | Independent | Fred Hadley | 251 | 12.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Cole | 133 | 6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,035 | 53.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,953 | 20.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Smethwick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Keith Davies | 1,483 | 71.4 |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Meacham | 389 | 18.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Miriam Banting | 206 | 9.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,094 | 52.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,078 | 24.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Soho and Victoria :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Darren Cooper | 1,020 | 73.3 |
| | Conservative | Jeanette Hill | 279 | 20.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sara Richards | 92 | 6.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 741 | 53.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,391 | 26.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
St Paul's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Bawa Dhallu | 1,286 | 51.9 |
| | Doctor Practising at Lewisham Road Surgery | Kazi Rahman | 807 | 32.6 |
| | Conservative | David Read | 283 | 11.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Charles Simms | 101 | 4.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 479 | 19.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,477 | 30.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Tipton Green :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Syeda Khatun | 1,303 | 44.3 |
| | Conservative | Alison Jones | 833 | 28.3 |
| | BNP | Stephen Edwards | 505 | 17.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Underhill | 156 | 5.3 |
| | Socialist Alternative | Ian Barton | 145 | 4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 470 | 16.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,942 | 24.9 |
| | Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent | Swing | |
Tividale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Brian James | 986 | 57.2 |
| | Conservative | Steven Hockley | 433 | 25.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roger Bradley | 304 | 17.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 553 | 32.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,723 | 18.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Wednesbury North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Raymond Partridge | 1,378 | 60.0 |
| | Labour | Elaine Giles | 839 | 36.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Handy | 78 | 3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 539 | 23.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,295 | 26.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Wednesbury South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | George Turton | 1,162 | 56.3 |
| | Conservative | Margaret Dixon | 762 | 36.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Samantha Campbell | 141 | 6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 400 | 19.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,065 | 22.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
West Bromwich Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Mohinder Tagger | 1,559 | 65.5 |
| | Conservative | Anne Hughes | 514 | 21.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sheila Rogers | 307 | 12.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,045 | 43.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,380 | 28.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |