Council election in England
1992 North Hertfordshire District Council election |
17 of 50 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council 26 seats needed for a majority |
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| First party | Second party | Third party | | Con | Lab | LD | Leader | Bob Flatman | | | Party | Conservative | Labour | Liberal Democrats | Seats before | 26 | 18 | 2 | Seats after | 26 | 17 | 3 | Seat change | | 1 | 1 | | | Fourth party | Fifth party | | RA | Ind | Party | Ratepayers | Independent | Seats before | 3 | 1 | Seats after | 3 | 1 | Seat change | | | |
Leader before election Bob Flatman Conservative | Leader after election Geoff Woods Conservative | |
The 1992 North Hertfordshire District Council election was held on 7 May 1992, at the same time as other local elections across England and Scotland. There were 17 out of 50 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council up for election, being the usual third of the council.[1][2][3]
The Conservatives retained their narrow majority on the council; they lost one seat to the Liberal Democrats but gained one seat from Labour. Following the election, at the annual council meeting on 19 May 1992, the Conservative leader of the council, Bob Flatman, was appointed to the more ceremonial role of vice-chairman. He had been leader since the council's creation in 1974. Geoff Woods was appointed as the new leader of the council and Conservative group leader in his place.[4]
Overall results
The overall results were as follows:[5]
1992 North Hertfordshire District Council election |
Party | This election | Full council | This election |
Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| Conservative | 11 | | 64.7 | 15 | 26 | 52.0 | 14,033 | 43.1 | +7.9 |
| Labour | 4 | 1 | 35.3 | 13 | 17 | 34.0 | 8,993 | 27.6 | -5.8 |
| Liberal Democrats | 1 | 1 | 5.9 | 2 | 3 | 6.0 | 6,849 | 21.1 | -1.3 |
| Ratepayers | 1 | | 5.9 | 2 | 3 | 6.0 | 2,585 | 7.9 | +1.0 |
| Green | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 65 | 0.2 | -0.4 |
Ward results
The results for each ward were as follows. An asterisk(*) indicates a sitting councillor standing for re-election. A double dagger (‡) indicates a sitting councillor contesting a different ward.[5]
Ashbrook ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Michael Tatham* | 789 | 70.4 | +5.9 |
| Labour | John Saunders | 215 | 19.2 | -5.3 |
| Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Upchurch | 116 | 10.4 | -0.6 |
Turnout | | 54.0 | |
Registered electors | 2,136 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +5.6 | |
Baldock ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Bernard Crow* | 1,536 | 51.0 | +4.3 |
| Liberal Democrats | Harry Penfold | 846 | 28.1 | +9.6 |
| Labour | Rodney Leete | 629 | 20.9 | -13.9 |
Turnout | | 42.4 | |
Registered electors | 7,133 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | -2.7 | |
Cadwell ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Richard Lee* | 620 | 67.8 | +12.8 |
| Labour | David Lawson | 294 | 32.2 | -1.3 |
Turnout | | 50.3 | |
Registered electors | 1,832 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +7.1 | |
Hitchin Bearton ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Judi Billing* | 845 | 42.0 | -9.3 |
| Conservative | Michael East | 704 | 35.0 | +1.7 |
| Ratepayers | Chris Parker ‡ | 315 | 15.7 | +15.7 |
| Liberal Democrats | Richard Canning | 148 | 7.4 | -8.1 |
Turnout | | 44.6 | |
Registered electors | 4,520 | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | -5.5 | |
Hitchin Highbury ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Paul Dee | 1,067 | 46.1 | +6.3 |
| Ratepayers | Evelyn Mary Burton (Mary Burton) | 657 | 28.4 | +0.1 |
| Liberal Democrats | Paul Clark | 304 | 13.1 | +0.2 |
| Labour | Paul Gater | 288 | 12.4 | -6.6 |
Turnout | | 45.7 | |
Registered electors | 5,073 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +3.1 | |
Hitchin Oughton ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Joan Kirby* | 796 | 58.4 | -7.3 |
| Conservative | Julia McLean | 431 | 31.6 | +10.0 |
| Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Palmer | 135 | 9.9 | -2.7 |
Turnout | | 34.6 | |
Registered electors | 3,972 | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | -8.7 | |
Hitchin Priory ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Richard Thake* | 822 | 63.4 | +9.6 |
| Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Seabrook | 321 | 24.8 | -5.0 |
| Labour | David Tizzard | 153 | 11.8 | -4.5 |
Turnout | | 46.3 | |
Registered electors | 2,802 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +7.3 | |
Hitchin Walsworth ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Ratepayers | Dennis Ward | 1,613 | 60.8 | +3.4 |
| Labour | Philip Kirk | 821 | 30.9 | -1.3 |
| Liberal Democrats | Penelope Cunningham | 220 | 8.3 | -2.1 |
Turnout | | 43.5 | |
Registered electors | 6,091 | | |
| Ratepayers hold | Swing | +2.4 | |
Knebworth ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Margaret Hilton* | 861 | 62.6 | +6.3 |
| Liberal Democrats | Michael Stiff | 335 | 24.3 | +13.1 |
| Labour | Jack Ashwell | 180 | 13.1 | -10.0 |
Turnout | | 40.7 | |
Registered electors | 3,402 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | -3.4 | |
Letchworth East ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Lorna Kercher* | 878 | 45.0 | -5.1 |
| Conservative | Ravinder Athwal | 603 | 30.9 | +2.1 |
| Liberal Democrats | Martin Gammell | 405 | 20.8 | +4.5 |
| Green | Eric Blakeley | 65 | 3.3 | -1.5 |
Turnout | | 39.8 | |
Registered electors | 4,926 | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | -3.6 | |
Letchworth Grange ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | David Kearns* | 1,078 | 52.3 | -2.0 |
| Conservative | Carole McNelliey | 613 | 29.8 | +1.5 |
| Liberal Democrats | Cathleen Worcester | 369 | 17.9 | +0.5 |
Turnout | | 40.0 | |
Registered electors | 5,169 | | |
| Labour hold | Swing | -1.8 | |
Letchworth South East ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Pauline Wood* | 1,261 | 44.6 | +7.6 |
| Labour | Teresa Trangmar (Tre Trangmar) | 969 | 34.3 | -3.1 |
| Liberal Democrats | Pauline Poole | 596 | 21.1 | -1.0 |
Turnout | | 46.4 | |
Registered electors | 6,097 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +5.4 | |
The poll in Letchworth South East ward was delayed until 11 June following the death of one of the original candidates, former SDP and Labour councillor Tony Quinn, who was to have stood for Labour.[6][7]
Letchworth South West ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Geoffrey Woods* (Geoff Woods) | 1,206 | 48.3 | +8.9 |
| Liberal Democrats | Alison Kingman | 1,030 | 41.2 | -5.4 |
| Labour | Linda Grimes | 263 | 10.5 | -3.5 |
Turnout | | 55.0 | |
Registered electors | 4,551 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +7.2 | |
Letchworth Wilbury ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Raymond Shakespeare-Smith (Ray Shakespeare-Smith) | 773 | 41.7 | +1.1 |
| Labour | Peter Mardell* | 660 | 35.6 | -7.9 |
| Liberal Democrats | Paul Booton | 422 | 22.7 | +6.8 |
Turnout | | 47.4 | |
Registered electors | 3,920 | | |
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +4.5 | |
Royston East ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Francis John Smith* (John Smith) | 1,131 | 61.1 | +12.8 |
| Liberal Democrats | Margaret Pitts | 386 | 20.8 | +7.7 |
| Labour | Jessie Etheridge | 335 | 18.1 | -12.4 |
Turnout | | 43.5 | |
Registered electors | 4,254 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +2.6 | |
Royston West ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Mark Hughes* | 1,288 | 48.1 | +10.7 |
| Liberal Democrats | Pat Kennington | 833 | 31.1 | -11.4 |
| Labour | Les Baker | 559 | 20.9 | +0.7 |
Turnout | | 43.5 | |
Registered electors | 6,189 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +11.1 | |
Weston ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Stephen Jarvis (Steve Jarvis) | 383 | 51.7 | +24.2 |
| Conservative | Robert Evans* | 328 | 44.3 | -12.3 |
| Labour | Teresa Trangmar (Tre Trangmar) | 30 | 4.0 | -11.8 |
Turnout | | 58.8 | |
Registered electors | 1,259 | | |
| Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +18.3 | |
Changes 1992–1994
On 12 June 1992 Labour councillor Don Kitchiner, who represented Letchworth Grange, announced his defection to the Conservatives.[7]
Some time between the 1992 and 1994 elections it would appear that there was a by-election in Hitchin Walsworth ward which saw Ratepayer councillor Jack Swain being replaced by Labour councillor Philip Kirk, whilst the seat in that ward held by Dennis Ward in 1992 had also gone to Labour by the time of the 1994 election, although whether by a defection or a by-election has yet to be established.
References
- ^ The District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1977 (S.I. 1977/1442)
- ^ "Parties all set to fight battle". Letchworth and Baldock Gazette. 1 May 1992. p. 10.
- ^ Lemay, Debbie (1 May 1992). "One lost seat will upset fragile Tory grip on balance of power". Royston and Buntingford Mercury. p. 3. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ "Council elects new chairman". Letchworth and Baldock Gazette. 22 May 1992.
- ^ a b Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "North Hertfordshire District Council Election Results 1973–2012" (PDF). The Elections Centre. Plymouth University. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ^ Hunter, John (22 May 1992). "Labour set for second election". Letchworth and Baldock Gazette. p. 6.
- ^ a b Hunter, John (19 June 1992). "Labour veteran joins Tories". Letchworth and Baldock Gazette. p. 5.