# 2012 St Albans City and District Council election

The 2012 St Albans City and District Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of St Albans District Council in Hertfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.
After the election, the composition of the council was:
* Conservative 29
* Liberal Democrats 19
* Labour 8
* Green 1
* Independent 1

## Background

Before the election the Conservatives were the largest party on the council with 29 of the 58 seats. The Liberal Democrats had 23 seats, Labour had 4 seats, the Green Party had 1 seat and there was 1 Independent. Since the last election in 2011 Labour had gained a seat in Batchwood from the Liberal Democrats at a by-election in January 2012.
19 seats were contested in 2012 with both the Conservative and Labour parties having a full 19 candidates, the Liberal Democrats had 18 and the Greens had 17. There were 3 independent candidates as well, the sitting independent councillor Tony Swendell in Redbourn, the former Labour group leader Maurice MacMillan in London Colney, who had left the party a few years before over the imposition of an all-women shortlist, and Conservative councillor John Chambers, who was standing in Harpenden North as an independent after having been deselected by the Conservatives. Of the 19 seats the Conservatives were defending 9, the Liberal Democrats 8 and both the Green party and an independent were defending 1 seat.

## Election result

The Labour Party gained 4 seats to have 8 councillors after taking 3 seats from the Liberal Democrats and 1 seat from the Conservatives. The Conservatives remained the largest party, while the Liberal Democrats dropped to 19 seats and both the Green Party and Independent Tony Swendell held the seats they had been defending.
St Albans local election result 2012 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 42.1 | 37.9 | 14,598 | -4.6% |
| Liberal Democrats | 5 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 26.3 | 25.0 | 9,625 | -4.3% |
| Labour | 4 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 21.1 | 22.0 | 8,461 | +2.4% |
| Green | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.3 | 8.6 | 3,313 | +0.3% |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.3 | 5.6 | 2,164 | +5.3% |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 274 | +0.7% |
| English Democrat | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 83 | +0.2% |

## Ward results

Ashley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Momotaz Rahim | 768 | 35.8 | +5.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nik Alatortsev | 702 | 32.7 | +0.1 |
| | Conservative | Guy Young | 431 | 20.1 | −7.8 |
| | Green | Graham Ward | 246 | 11.5 | +2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 66 | 3.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,147 | 38 | −10 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Batchwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Malachy Pakenham | 896 | 48.5 | +7.6 |
| | Conservative | Tim Smith | 395 | 21.4 | −5.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Allan Witherick | 384 | 20.8 | −3.6 |
| | Green | Naomi Love | 171 | 9.3 | +7.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 501 | 27.1 | +13.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,846 | 34 | −17 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Clarence :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher White | 880 | 42.5 | +5.2 |
| | Conservative | Joe Hames | 494 | 23.9 | −8.9 |
| | Labour | Matthew Wilson | 383 | 18.5 | −1.6 |
| | Green | Jack Easton | 312 | 15.1 | +5.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 386 | 18.7 | +14.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,069 | 40 | −24 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Cunningham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoff Harrison | 735 | 39.5 | −1.9 |
| | Conservative | Jim Vessey | 394 | 21.2 | −9.8 |
| | Labour | John Metcalf | 386 | 20.7 | −0.2 |
| | UKIP | Michael Mason | 151 | 8.1 | +8.1 |
| | Green | Greg Riener | 113 | 6.1 | −0.6 |
| | English Democrat | Alan Malin | 83 | 4.5 | +4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 341 | 18.3 | +7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,862 | 38 | −12 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Harpenden East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Rosemary Farmer | 920 | 53.2 | −0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Maria Moyes | 420 | 24.3 | −0.4 |
| | Labour | Rosemary Ross | 250 | 14.5 | +1.6 |
| | Green | Lorna Hann | 139 | 8.0 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 500 | 28.9 | −0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,729 | 32 | −17 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Harpenden North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Julie Bell | 806 | 46.9 | −12.5 |
| | Independent | John Chambers | 434 | 25.2 | +25.2 |
| | Labour | Linda Spiri | 226 | 13.1 | −0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gordon Burrow | 170 | 9.9 | −8.4 |
| | Green | Lucy Eggleston | 84 | 4.9 | −3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 372 | 21.6 | −19.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,720 | 32 | −19 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Harpenden South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Heritage | 1,280 | 71.1 | +3.0 |
| | Labour | Michael Gray-Higgins | 215 | 11.9 | −0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Crofts | 196 | 10.9 | −3.1 |
| | Green | Pete Eggleston | 110 | 6.1 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,065 | 59.1 | +4.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,801 | 34 | −18 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Harpenden West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Weaver | 1,345 | 66.8 | +3.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alison Steer | 280 | 13.9 | −4.8 |
| | Labour | Geoffrey Dignum | 251 | 12.5 | +0.4 |
| | Green | Lydia El-Khouri | 136 | 6.8 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,065 | 52.9 | +7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,012 | 35 | −20 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
London Colney (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dreda Gordon | 1,162 | 47.1 | +2.6 |
| | Conservative | Simon Calder | 912 | 36.9 | −3.4 |
| | Conservative | Dave Winstone | 859 | 34.8 | −5.5 |
| | Labour | Ian Orton | 813 | 32.9 | −11.6 |
| | Independent | Malcolm MacMillan | 556 | 22.5 | N/A |
| | Green | Mary Warren | 197 | 8.0 | +0.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Vibs Nazeri | 114 | 4.6 | −3.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Pedroz | 84 | 3.4 | −4.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,469 | 35 | −5 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Marshalswick North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Janet Churchard | 889 | 44.5 | +3.7 |
| | Conservative | Lyn Bolton | 713 | 35.7 | −3.4 |
| | Labour | John Paton | 239 | 12.0 | −1.5 |
| | Green | Rosalind Paul | 155 | 7.8 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 176 | 8.8 | +7.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,996 | 40 | −14 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Marshalswick South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Heidi Allen | 929 | 39.8 | −6.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Melvyn Teare | 651 | 27.9 | +2.6 |
| | Labour | Iain Grant | 441 | 18.9 | +0.7 |
| | Green | Jill Mills | 188 | 8.1 | −1.8 |
| | UKIP | Philip Singleton | 123 | 5.3 | +5.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 278 | 11.9 | −9.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,332 | 44 | −14 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Park Street :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Yates | 945 | 45.7 | +5.7 |
| | Conservative | Stella Nash | 766 | 37.0 | −4.0 |
| | Labour | Martin McGrath | 258 | 12.5 | −1.9 |
| | Green | Robert Barton | 100 | 4.8 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 179 | 8.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,069 | 36 | −12 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Redbourn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Tony Swendell | 1,174 | 59.5 | +59.5 |
| | Conservative | Victoria Mead | 624 | 31.6 | −21.1 |
| | Labour | Richard Windle | 175 | 8.9 | −1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 550 | 27.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,973 | 41 | −12 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |
Sopwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Janet Smith | 881 | 47.1 | +1.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roger Axworthy | 481 | 25.7 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative | Bruce Snell | 324 | 17.3 | −3.0 |
| | Green | Kate Metcalf | 184 | 9.8 | +1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 400 | 21.4 | +2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,870 | 35 | −13 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
St Peters :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | Simon Grover | 719 | 34.7 | +7.1 |
| | Labour | Andrew Dixon | 485 | 23.4 | +0.1 |
| | Conservative | Paul Davies | 454 | 21.9 | −4.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Liz Needham | 412 | 19.9 | −5.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 234 | 11.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,070 | 36 | −11 |
| | Green hold | Green hold | Swing | | |
St Stephen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Brian Gibbard | 1,085 | 57.7 | +2.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jay Baillie | 430 | 22.9 | −3.6 |
| | Labour | Janet Blackwell | 238 | 12.7 | +1.7 |
| | Green | Lesley Baker | 127 | 6.8 | −0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 655 | 34.8 | +5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,880 | 36 | −15 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Verulam :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Fred Wartenberg | 1,211 | 50.2 | +11.7 |
| | Conservative | Panos Ifans | 776 | 32.2 | −9.6 |
| | Labour | Dominic Benson | 213 | 8.8 | −3.4 |
| | Green | Margaret Grover | 213 | 8.8 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 435 | 18.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,413 | 47 | −14 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Wheathampstead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gill Clark | 1,091 | 53.7 | +9.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jon Bareham | 641 | 31.5 | −12.2 |
| | Labour | Gavin Ross | 181 | 8.9 | +1.8 |
| | Green | Ian Troughton | 119 | 5.9 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 450 | 22.1 | +21.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,032 | 42 | −17 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |