The 2006 Winchester Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Winchester District Council in Hampshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.^[1]

Quick Facts 19 of 57 seats to Winchester City Council 29 seats needed for a majority, First party ...

2006 Winchester City Council election

← 2004 4 May 2006 2007 →
19 of 57 seats to Winchester City Council 29 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Party Conservative Liberal Democrats Seats before 22 26 Seats won 13 4 Seats after 29 21 Popular vote 17,604 11,047 Percentage 53.8% 33.8%   Third party Fourth party   Party Labour Independent Seats before 5 4 Seats won 1 1 Seats after 4 3 Popular vote 2,100 1,898 Percentage 6.4% 5.8%
Results by Ward
Council control before election No overall control Council control after election Conservative

Close

After the election, the composition of the council was:

• Conservative 29
• Liberal Democrat 21
• Independent 4
• Labour 3^[2]

Before the election the Liberal Democrats had 26 seats, the Conservatives 22, independents 5 and Labour 4.^[3] 19 seats were being contested with 4 Liberal Democrat and 1 independent councillors standing down at the election, while the council leader Sheila Campbell and 2 other cabinet members were defending seats.^[3]

Issues in the election included anti-social behaviour, council tax, rural transportation and planning policy.^[4]

The count was disrupted delaying the last result after some of the ballot papers were set on fire meaning water had to be poured into the ballot box.^[5] The results saw the Conservatives take control of the council for the first time since the early 1990s.^[6] They gained 7 seats included 5 from the Liberal Democrats and 1 each from Labour and the independents.^[5] Conservatives defeated both the Liberal Democrat council leader Sheila Campbell and the Labour leader Patrick Davies.^[6]

The widespread press coverage earlier in the year about the local Liberal Democrat MP Mark Oaten having had sex with male prostitutes was seen as having damaged the Liberal Democrats and benefited the Conservatives.^[7][8][9] In the July after the election Oaten announced that he would be standing down from parliament at the next general election.^[10]

Following the election George Beckett became the new Conservative leader of the council.^[11]