# 2004 Colchester Borough Council election

The 2004 Colchester Borough Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Colchester Borough Council in Essex, England. This was the same day as the other 2004 United Kingdom local elections and as the 2004 European Parliament Elections. One third of the seats were up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.

## Background

Following the previous election, Cllr Bob Newman (Wivenhoe Quay) left the Labour group to sit as an independent, reducing Labour to 4 councillors. Labour then went into opposition after refusing to work with the Conservatives and a new cabinet was formed with 4 Conservative and 4 Liberal Democrat members.
A by-election took place in Wivenhoe Quay ward after the death of sitting Independent councillor Richard Davies. The by-election was won by Labour, increasing their seat count to 5.

## Election result

The Conservatives gained 4 seats to become the largest party on the council with 28 seats, 3 short of a majority. They overtook the Liberal Democrats who held 23 seats, Labour with 6 seats and 3 independents. Overall turnout at the election was 34.4%.
As a result, the Conservatives took all the seats on the council cabinet for the first time since that style of government was introduced in Colchester, with the Conservative group leader John Jowers becoming the new leader of the council.
2004 Colchester Borough Council election :
| Party | Party | This election | This election | This election | Full council | Full council | Full council | This election | This election | This election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| | Conservative | 11 | 4 | 55.0 | 17 | 28 | 46.7 | 13,908 | 40.9 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 6 | 2 | 30.0 | 17 | 23 | 38.3 | 11,619 | 34.2 | +2.2 |
| | Labour | 2 | 1 | 10.0 | 4 | 6 | 10.0 | 6,197 | 18.2 | –1.8 |
| | Independent | 1 | 3 | 5.0 | 2 | 3 | 5.0 | 2,266 | 6.7 | +1.0 |

## Ward results
### Berechurch

Berechurch :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Craig Sutton* | 757 | 45.7 | −6.4 |
| | Labour | Dave Harris | 504 | 30.5 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative | Pauline Hazell | 394 | 23.8 | +4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 253 | 15.3 | −8.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,655 | 28.8 | +4.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,805 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 4.4 | |

### Castle

Castle Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Henry Spyvee* | 1,185 | 57.9 | +3.5 |
| | Conservative | Pauline Lucas | 566 | 27.7 | +3.4 |
| | Labour | Malcolm Cannon | 296 | 14.5 | +1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 619 | 30.2 | +0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,047 | 35.4 | +6.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,830 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 0.1 | |
No Green candidate as previous (8.0%).

### Dedham & Langham

Dedham & Langham Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Garnett* | 991 | 79.0 | +5.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carolyn Catney | 180 | 14.3 | −4.9 |
| | Labour | Ian Yates | 84 | 6.7 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 811 | 64.6 | +10.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,255 | 53.7 | +8.7'"`UNIQ−−ref−0000002C−QINU`"' |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,341 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 5.1 | |

### East Donyland

East Donyland Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Andrew Raison* | 428 | 43.9 | +0.7 |
| | Conservative | Patricia Sanderson | 296 | 30.3 | −6.9 |
| | Independent | Peter Byham | 159 | 16.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barry Woodward | 93 | 9.5 | −10.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 132 | 13.5 | +7.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 976 | 48.9 | +12.9'"`UNIQ−−ref−00000032−QINU`"' |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,996 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 3.8 | |

### Harbour

Harbour Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Justin Knight* | 594 | 51.2 | −1.4 |
| | Conservative | Susan Harper | 292 | 25.2 | +10.8 |
| | Labour | David Canning | 275 | 23.7 | −9.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 302 | 26.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,161 | 27.2 | −1.8'"`UNIQ−−ref−00000038−QINU`"' |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,306 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 6.1 | |

### Highwoods

Highwoods Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Beverley Oxford* | 807 | 42.5 | +16.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Booker | 507 | 26.7 | −4.9 |
| | Conservative | Shahid Husain | 423 | 22.3 | −10.0 |
| | Labour | Hugh Thomas | 163 | 8.6 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 300 | 15.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,900 | 30.3 | +8.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,103 | | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | 10.6 | |

### Lexden

Lexden Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Donald Henshall* | 1,194 | 62.3 | +4.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Helen Bayliss | 569 | 29.7 | −1.8 |
| | Labour | Alan Trudgian | 154 | 8.0 | −2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 625 | 32.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,917 | 44.7 | +0.7'"`UNIQ−−ref−00000043−QINU`"' |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,328 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 3.3 | |

### Marks Tey

Marks Tey Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Gower* | 517 | 61.5 | −3.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Verran | 134 | 16.0 | +0.7 |
| | Labour | John Wood | 106 | 12.6 | −7.4 |
| | Independent | Patrick Mead | 83 | 9.9 | +9.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 383 | 45.6 | +0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 840 | 39.0 | +8.0'"`UNIQ−−ref−00000049−QINU`"' |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,044 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 2.0 | |

### Mile End

Mile End Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Brian Jarvis | 681 | 46.1 | +15.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Mecklenburg | 631 | 42.7 | −1.8 |
| | Labour | Janet Smith | 166 | 11.2 | −1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 50 | 3.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,478 | 28.3 | +2.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,183 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 8.9 | |
No Independent (9.4%) or Green (3.0%) candidates as previous.

### New Town

New Town Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Higgins* | 972 | 55.3 | −0.6 |
| | Conservative | Glenn Bath | 483 | 27.5 | +3.8 |
| | Labour | David Hough | 302 | 17.2 | −3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 489 | 27.8 | −3.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,757 | 28.2 | +5.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,236 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 2.2 | |

### Prettygate

Prettygate Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ron Levy* | 1,304 | 49.0 | +5.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Gray* | 1,151 | 43.2 | −5.1 |
| | Labour | Luke Dopson | 208 | 7.8 | −0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 153 | 5.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,663 | 44.8 | +8.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,989 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | 5.4 | |

### St. Andrew's

St Andrew's Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tina Dopson | 823 | 52.8 | −9.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ralph Johnston | 378 | 24.3 | +3.7 |
| | Conservative | Anne Allan | 357 | 22.9 | +8.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 445 | 28.6 | −19.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,558 | 22.3 | +2.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,011 | | |
| | Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent | Swing | 6.6 | |
No Socialist Alliance candidate as previous (3.1%).

### St. Anne's

St Annes's Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Helen Chuah | 998 | 54.7 | −3.6 |
| | Conservative | Angus Allan | 464 | 25.5 | +6.1 |
| | Labour | Robert Fisher | 361 | 19.8 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 534 | 29.3 | −8.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,823 | 28.3 | +5.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,477 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 4.9 | |
No Socialist Alliance candidate as previous (2.1%).

### St. John's

St John's Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Smith* | 929 | 55.4 | −12.4 |
| | Conservative | Derek Smith | 587 | 35.0 | +10.9 |
| | Labour | Mike Warner | 160 | 9.5 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 342 | 20.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,676 | 40.2 | +4.2'"`UNIQ−−ref−00000069−QINU`"' |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,202 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 11.7 | |

### Shrub End

Shrub End Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Roger Buston* | 777 | 38.4 | +4.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barry James | 737 | 36.4 | +10.4 |
| | Labour | Kim Naish | 512 | 25.3 | −12.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 40 | 2.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,026 | 34.0 | +9.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,988 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 2.9 | |
No Socialist Alliance candidate as previous (1.5%).

### Stanway

Stanway Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Ellis | 1,027 | 47.7 | +12.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gwendoline Ilott* | 839 | 39.0 | −13.3 |
| | Labour | John Spademan | 285 | 13.2 | +0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 188 | 8.7 | −8.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,151 | 35.3 | +6.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,118 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | 13.1 | |

### Tiptree

Tiptree Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Martin | 925 | 41.0 | +6.0 |
| | Independent | John Elliott* | 741 | 32.8 | −1.9 |
| | Labour | Alan Mogridge | 590 | 26.2 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 184 | 8.2 | +7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,256 | 37.9 | +11.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,993 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | 4.0 | |

### West Mersea

West Mersea Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Bouckley* | 1,581 | 71.0 | +8.0 |
| | Labour | Audrey Spencer | 329 | 14.8 | −5.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ronald Baker | 316 | 14.2 | +0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,252 | 56.2 | +13.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,226 | 38.6 | +8.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,799 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 6.8 | |

### Wivenhoe Cross

Wivenhoe Cross Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Eugene Kraft* | 420 | 46.4 | −7.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Galpin | 356 | 39.3 | +22.1 |
| | Labour | Aulay MacKenzie | 129 | 14.3 | −15.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 64 | 7.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 905 | 27.2 | +10.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,355 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 14.6 | |

### Wivenhoe Quay

Wivenhoe Quay Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ann Quarry | 629 | 36.6 | +7.9 |
| | Independent | Bob Newman* | 476 | 27.7 | N/A |
| | Labour | Thomas Prosser | 322 | 18.7 | −5.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jeremy Jacobs | 293 | 17.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 153 | 8.9 | +2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,720 | 43.7 | +8.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,915 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | N/A | |

## By-elections
### Berechurch

A by-election took place on 21 October 2004 in Berechurch after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Susan Brooks. Labour's Dave Harris took the seat from the Liberal Democrats by a majority of 345.
Berechurch: 21 October 2004 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dave Harris | 838 | 51.5 | +21.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Verran | 493 | 30.3 | −15.4 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Bright | 296 | 18.2 | −5.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 345 | 21.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,627 | 30.0 | +1.2 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | 18.2 | |