The 2007 Christchurch Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Christchurch Borough Council in Dorset, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.[1]
After the last election in 2003 the Conservatives had a majority on the council with 14 councillors, compared to 8 for the Liberal Democrats and 2 independents.[2] This majority increased when both of the Liberal Democrat councillors for Portfield, Susan Darch and Lillian Jefferis, defected to the Conservatives.[3] However the Liberal Democrats regained one of the seats in a by-election on 5 May 2005 after the resignation of Susan Darch from the council and at the same time picked up a seat in Jumpers ward, which had formerly been held by an independent councillor.[3]
63 candidates stood in 2007 for the 24 seats on the council, with Conservative candidates for every seat.[4] The Liberal Democrats had 19 candidates, with at least one in all 11 wards, while six independents stood for election.[5] After 16 years without a seat on the council, Labour stood 11 candidates in 2007, one in each ward, and the UK Independence Party had three candidates.[4]
Only one councillor stood down at the election, Kevin Dingley from North Highcliffe and Walkford ward.[5]
The Conservatives majority on the council was strengthened after they won 17 of the 24 seats on the council.[6] This was at the expense of the Liberal Democrats who lost half of their seats on the council to fall to four councillors.[7] Meanwhile, independents picked up two seats to have three councillors.[7]
The Conservatives gained seats from the Liberal Democrats in Purewell and Stanpit, but they did lose a seat back in Portfield.[7] In Jumpers ward, independent Fred Neale picked up a seat, while independent Julie Petrie also gained a seat, topping the poll in Grange ward.[7] [8] The second seat in Grange had Conservative Denise Jones and Liberal Democrat John Freeman both finish with 374 votes.[8] The winner of this seat was chosen by drawing a name out of a hat and Conservative Denise Jones gained the seat from the Liberal Democrat after she was given one more vote, as her name was chosen.[8]
A by-election was held in Portfield on 16 July 2009 after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor David Vick due to poor health.[9] The seat was held for the Liberal Democrats by Christine Payne with a one-vote majority over Conservative Lisle Smith.[10]