Slough Council election, 2006

Elections to Slough Borough Council were held on 4 May 2006. One third of the council was up for election. This was the 121st Slough general local authority election (including both whole Council elections and elections by thirds) since Slough became a local government unit in 1863.

Overall, the Labour Party gained three seats, the Conservative Party lost two and the Liberal Democrats lost one. This result was slightly unusual compared with the other UK local elections on the same day whereby the Conservative Party generally gained seats at the expense of the Labour Party.

This election filled thirteen seats for the term 2006-2010. The remaining twenty-eight Slough Councillors continued in office. These seats were previously contested in the whole Council election of 2004 following the redrawing of the ward boundaries in the Borough.

Recent political history of Slough

Slough has an unusual balance of political forces. In the twenty-first century the town has developed something that more resembles the party systems of countries like France and Italy, than that typical in England.

The council has, since 2004, had no party in overall control. A coalition of the Britwellian, Independent, Liberal and Liberal Democrat Group (BILLD) and the Conservative Group form the current administration, with the Labour Group in opposition. There were (in April 2006) two non-Group affiliated Independents, one an Independent Conservative and the other an Independent Britwellian Residents Councillor, who is seeking re-election on a Slough Independents ticket.

The BILLD Group is itself a local coalition, containing members from six parties or groups of Independent Councillors based on particular Wards. The existing members of the Group have an electoral pact for the current election, continuing electoral arrangements which started with the Slough Council election 2001.

A number of Independents and others, not affiliated to BILLD, contested the 2006 election.

In April 2006, the composition of the 41 member council was:-
* BILLD 17 (Slough Liberal Democrats 6, Slough Liberals 3, (Wexham Lea) Independents 3, Independent Britwellian Residents 2, Independent Langley Residents 2, United Kingdom Independence Party 1)
* Labour 15
* Conservative 7
* Independent Britwellian Residents (Paul Janik) 1
* Independent Conservative (Balwinder Singh Dhillon) 1

In the 2006 election 51 candidates were nominated for the 13 seats up for election. The list is broken down by Party or group of Independents, with a residual category of Independent candidates standing without prefix or suffix and not affiliated to BILLD.

* Conservative 13
* Labour 13
* BILLD 12 (Slough Liberal Democrats 8, Independent 1, Independent Britwellian Residents 1, Independent Langley Residents 1, Slough Liberals 1)
* Independent 5
* Slough Independents 4
* Green Party of England and Wales 2
* Independent Farnham Residents 1
* Respect for Peace, Justice and Equality 1

ummary of Council composition 2004-2006

Before the elections held on 4 May 2006, the composition of Slough Borough Council was as follows:

Notes:-
* * Member of the BILLD Group
* (a) Simmons: Formerly served 1979-1994
* (b) Howard: Formerly Labour 1995-2001 and Conservative 2001-2005
* (c) Parmar: Formerly served 1995-2000
* (d) Stokes: Formerly served as a Labour Councillor 1983-1986
* (e) Cryer: Formerly served 1967-1974
* (f) Long: Formerly served 1983-1990
* (g) Dhillon: Formerly Conservative 2004
* (h) Bains: Formerly 2003-2004
* (i) Haines: Formerly served as a Labour Councillor 1987-1991 and 1992-1998
* (j) Khan: Formerly served as a Labour Councillor 1999-2002

References

* "The History of Slough", by Miss Maxwell Fraser (Slough Corporation 1973)
* "A Short History of Slough", by Kathleen M. Jones (bound typescript volume in Slough Central Library)

ee also

* Slough
* Slough local elections
* Slough Borough Council
* Slough (UK Parliament constituency)

External links

* [http://www.slough.gov.uk/promos/10470.asp Slough Borough Council's main election results page]
* [http://www.slough.gov.uk/services/10746.asp Detailed results]
* [http://www.lgce.gov.uk/your-area/slough.cfm] "The Boundary Committee for England page about Slough Unitary Authority, with links to pre and post 2004 ward maps"
* [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.asp?gid=3] "The Victoria County History of Buckinghamshire"

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