2002 Hartlepool Borough Council election

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Elections for Hartlepool Borough Council in County Durham, England, were held on 2 May 2002. One third of the council seats were up for election, and the council remained under no overall control. On the same day, Hartlepool elected a directly elected mayor. Independent Stuart Drummond, known as H'Angus the Monkey, won the mayoralty.

Five candidates stood for mayor: Labour’s Leo Gillen, Liberal Democrat Arthur Preece, Conservative Stephen Close, and independents Stuart Drummond and Ian Cameron. Drummond campaigned with a pledge to give free bananas to all school pupils under 11, keep a local sports centre open, improve sporting facilities, tackle crime, and reduce the number of councillors. The Hartlepool United football club backed him and even helped with his deposit. What began as a joke gained real support during the campaign.

The mayoral election used a supplementary voting system, where second preferences were counted if no candidate received over half the vote. A local bookmaker initially made Drummond a 100–1 outsider, but betting was halted after many locals placed bets on him. Drummond defeated Labour’s Gillen on second preferences. He said the victory reflected disillusionment with local politicians and that he would work hard as mayor. MP Peter Mandelson praised him as very committed, while some opponents called the result a laughing stock.

In the previous election in 2000, Labour had lost control, and the council had been run by a Liberal Democrat–Conservative coalition. In 2002, elections were held in 16 of the 17 wards, with Greatham ward not voting. There was a large swing to Labour in the council election, but Labour gained only one seat, in Seaton ward from the Conservatives. After the results, the council remained under no overall control.