# 1996 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council election

The 1996 Southend-on-Sea Council election took place on 2 May 1996 to elect members of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election.

## Results summary

1996 Southend-on-Sea 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 % | +/− |
| | Liberal Democrats | 7 | 4 | 50.0 | 11 | 18 | 45.0 | 13,100 | 30.7 | –3.3 |
| | Labour | 5 | 2 | 35.7 | 6 | 11 | 27.5 | 14,907 | 34.9 | +1.4 |
| | Conservative | 2 | 6 | 14.3 | 8 | 10 | 25.0 | 14,705 | 34.4 | +1.9 |

## Ward results
### Belfairs

Belfairs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | O. Shapiro | 1,773 | 43.4 |
| | Conservative | H. Briggs | 1,773 | 43.4 |
| | Labour | J. Grindley | 542 | 13.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 0.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 45.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | |

### Blenheim

Blenheim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | B. Smith | 1,586 | 41.0 |
| | Labour | T. Merrison | 1,142 | 29.5 |
| | Conservative | T. Ager | 1,137 | 29.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 11.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 41.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | |

### Chalkwell

Chalkwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | H. Lister-Smith | 1,444 | 44.0 |
| | Conservative | J. Tobin | 1,416 | 43.1 |
| | Labour | M. Humphrey | 425 | 12.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 33.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | |

### Eastwood

Eastwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | R. Fisher | 1,556 | 41.7 |
| | Conservative | R. Weaver | 1,350 | 36.2 |
| | Labour | M. Flewitt | 823 | 22.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 5.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 34.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | |

### Leigh

Leigh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | A. Smulian | 1,574 | 47.9 |
| | Conservative | J. Rowsell | 934 | 28.4 |
| | Labour | P. Circus | 779 | 23.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 19.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 35.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |

### Milton

Milton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | L. Felton | 1,271 | 54.7 |
| | Conservative | R. Davy | 798 | 34.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | W. Petchey | 256 | 11.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 20.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 25.5 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | |

### Prittlewell

Prittlewell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | W. Elf | 1,626 | 56.0 |
| | Conservative | B. Houssart | 744 | 25.6 |
| | Labour | Z. Chaudhri | 533 | 18.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 30.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 31.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |

### Shoebury

Shoebury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | L. Wisken | 2,046 | 50.6 |
| | Conservative | A. North | 1,594 | 39.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | S. Newton | 403 | 10.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 11.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 26.3 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | |

### Southchurch

Southchurch :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | A. Holland | 1,418 | 50.1 |
| | Labour | D. Garne | 1,080 | 38.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | P. Craddock | 331 | 11.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 11.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 31.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### St. Luke's

St. Luke's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | R. Copley | 1,542 | 66.7 | |
| | Labour | J. Mapp | 1,323 | | |
| | Conservative | C. Langlands | 503 | 21.7 | |
| | Conservative | D. Ayre | 481 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | R. Alexander | 268 | 11.6 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | J. Kaufman | 233 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 27.6 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### Thorpe

Thorpe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | S. Ayre | 1,688 | 58.6 |
| | Labour | C. Smith | 748 | 25.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | A. Miller | 447 | 15.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 32.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 28.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Victoria

Victoria :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | R. Crisp | 1,788 | 70.6 |
| | Conservative | M. Longden | 482 | 19.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | T. Ray | 261 | 10.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 51.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 26.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Westborough

Westborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | H. Gibeon | 1,342 | 51.7 |
| | Labour | M. Royston | 865 | 33.3 |
| | Conservative | R. Brown | 387 | 14.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | 18.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 29.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |