▁on ▁ 1 0 ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁to ▁elect ▁members ▁of ▁Sol ih ull ▁Metropolitan ▁Bor ough ▁Council ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁Mid lands , ▁England . ▁ ▁The ▁whole ▁council ▁was ▁up ▁for ▁election ▁with ▁boundary ▁changes ▁since ▁the ▁last ▁election ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁The ▁Conserv ative ▁party ▁stayed ▁in ▁overall ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁council . ▁ ▁Camp aign ▁During ▁the ▁lead ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁election ▁the ▁Labour ▁party ▁suffered ▁ 2 ▁defe ctions . ▁First ly ▁coun c ill or ▁Jim ▁Ryan ▁quit ▁the ▁party ▁to ▁sit ▁as ▁an ▁independent ▁after ▁disag re ements ▁over ▁policy . ▁He ▁was ▁then ▁followed ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁by ▁Jeff ▁Pot ts ▁who ▁defect ed ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Conserv atives ▁and ▁bl amed ▁inf ight ing ▁within ▁the ▁Labour ▁party ▁for ▁his ▁decision . ▁Both ▁coun c ill ors ▁cont ested ▁the ▁election , ▁Jim ▁Ryan ▁as ▁an ▁independent , ▁and ▁Jeff ▁Pot ts ▁as ▁a ▁Conserv ative ▁in ▁King sh urst ▁and ▁Ford bridge ▁w ard . ▁ ▁The ▁election ▁saw ▁the ▁British ▁National ▁Party ▁( B NP ) ▁contest ▁ 2 ▁seats ▁in ▁Ch el ms ley ▁Wood ▁and ▁Ol ton ▁w ards , ▁while ▁the ▁National ▁Front ▁cont ested ▁Sil hill ▁w ard . ▁The ▁presence ▁of ▁these ▁candidates ▁led ▁the ▁leaders ▁of ▁each ▁of ▁the ▁Conserv ative , ▁Liberal ▁Dem ocrat ▁and ▁Labour ▁parties ▁on ▁the ▁council ▁to ▁condem n ▁the ▁policies ▁of ▁both ▁the ▁B NP ▁and ▁National ▁Front .