Campaign
In the run up to the election a private Conservative poll was leaked which showed them 17% behind Labour and likely to only win in 4 wards as compared to 18 for Labour.[3] However Labour and the Liberal Democrats accused the Conservatives of leaking the poll in order to lower expectations.[4] The Conservatives would have lost control of the council on a 7% swing from the 1994 election,[5][6] or if the 1997 general election results in the area were repeated.[7] However Wandsworth had low council tax levels, the lowest in the country,[6] and the Conservatives had recently cut the tax by 24%.[8] This meant commentators expected the Conservatives to stay in control of what was described as their showpiece council.[7][9]
For the election 9 of the 22 wards that made up the council were seen as being marginal.[9]
Election result
The results saw the Conservatives increase their control of the council gaining an extra 5 seats.[10] This meant that with 50 seats the Conservatives had the most seats they had yet had on the council.[11] Labour lost seats in St John and Roehampton wards, which was put down to the closure of the local Queen Mary's Hospital.[12] Voter turnout at 40% was 10% down on the previous 1994 election.[12]
Wandsworth Local Election Result 1998[13]
Party |
Seats |
Gains |
Losses |
Net gain/loss |
Seats % |
Votes % |
Votes |
+/− |
|
Conservative |
50 |
5 |
0 |
+5 |
82.0 |
|
|
|
|
Labour |
11 |
0 |
5 |
-5 |
18.0 |
|
|
|
Ward results
Balham (3)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
Bedford (3)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
Earlsfield (2)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
East Putney (3)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
Fairfield (2)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
Furzedown (3)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
Graveney (3)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
Latchmere (3)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
Nightingale (3)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
Northcote (3)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
Parkside (2)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
Queenstown (2)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
Roehampton (3)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
St John (3)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
St Mary's Park (3)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
Shaftesbury (3)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
Southfield (3)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
Springfield (3)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
Thamesfield (3)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
Tooting (3)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
West Hill (2)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
West Putney (3)
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |