2008 Southampton City Council election

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Map of the results of the 2008 Southampton council election. Conservatives in blue and Labour in red. Southampton UK local election 2008 map.svg
Map of the results of the 2008 Southampton council election. Conservatives in blue and Labour in red.

The 2008 Southampton Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Southampton Unitary 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]

Contents

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Background

After the 2007 election the Conservative Party took control as a minority administration after one Liberal Democrat councillor, Norah Goss, broke with her party to support the Conservatives. [3] However, at the February 2008 budget meeting, the Labour and Liberal Democrats joined together to take control from the Conservatives. [3]

Election results

The results saw the Conservative Party win a majority on the council for the first time since 1984. [4] The Conservatives gained 8 seats, 4 from Labour, 3 from the Liberal Democrats and 1 from an independent. [5] Two 18-year-olds were among the Conservative winners, David Fuller taking Bitterne by 460 votes and Matthew Jones gaining Peartree by over 500 votes. [6] [7] Meanwhile, both the Labour leader of the council, June Bridle, in Sholing [3] and the Liberal Democrat group leader, Adrian Vinson, in Portswood were among those who lost seats. [8] The Conservative gains meant that they won 15 of the 17 seats contested to take a 4-seat majority [8] with 26 seats, compared to 14 seats for Labour and 8 for the Liberal Democrats. [9] Overall turnout in the election was 29.7%, down on the 30.3% in 2007 and varying between a low of 16.1% in Bargate and a high of 36.9% in Shirley. [10]

The Conservative election success was put down to a combination of a rejection of the pact between the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties, anger at plans to charge people for parking outside their homes and the national issue of the abolition of the 10p rate of income tax. [8] The results were also seen as indications for the next general election, with projections that the Conservatives could gain Southampton Test and Southampton Itchen constituencies from Labour on swings of 15.9% and 18.9% respectively, based on the local election results. [11]

Following the election, Alec Samuels became the new Conservative leader of the council, [12] Richard Williams became leader of the Labour group [12] and Jill Baston took charge of the Liberal Democrat group. [13]

Southampton Local Election Result 2008 [14] [15]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Conservative 1580+888.247.425,374+9.9
  Labour 204-411.826.314,090-4.2
  Liberal Democrats 003-30.018.69,974-5.2
  Green 00000.04.52,394-0.6
  Independent 001-10.01.5816+1.5
  UKIP 00000.01.0551-1.2
 Southampton First00000.00.5292-0.1

Ward results

Bargate

Bargate [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Amy Whiskerd 912 41.5 +8.9
Labour John Noon77635.3−7.9
Liberal Democrats Michelle Milton25011.4−3.3
Green John Spottiswoode1567.1−2.3
Independent Frances Murphy1034.7+4.7
Majority 1366.2
Turnout 2,19716.1+0.1
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Bassett

Bassett [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Hannides 2,103 55.0 +7.6
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Walsh1,20731.6−4.6
Labour Lee Whitbread3489.1−1.8
UKIP Mike Cottrell1664.3−1.2
Majority 89623.4+12.2
Turnout 3,82434.0−1.9
Conservative hold Swing

Bevois

Bevois [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Stephen Barnes-Andrews 965 43.3 −7.5
Conservative Chris Rowland75333.8+12.5
Green Martin Hall26912.1+2.3
Liberal Democrats Simon Mockler24410.9−2.0
Majority 2129.5−20.0
Turnout 2,23120.8−0.1
Labour hold Swing

Bitterne

Bitterne [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Fuller 1,494 51.3 +17.5
Labour Paul Jenks1,03435.5−12.8
Liberal Democrats Robert Naish38713.3−4.6
Majority 46015.8
Turnout 2,91529.4+0.8
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Bitterne Park

Bitterne Park [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Ivan White 1,933 57.7 +8.4
Liberal Democrats Robbie Robinson75722.6+1.2
Labour Shaun Brady66019.7−2.1
Majority 1,17635.1+7.5
Turnout 3,35032.6+0.0
Conservative hold Swing

Coxford

Coxford [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Ben Walker 1,018 31.7 +9.3
Labour Keith Morrell98630.7−4.2
Liberal Democrats Sue Jackson91828.6−4.7
UKIP Leslie Obee2878.9+3.1
Majority 321.0
Turnout 3,20931.3−2.6
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Freemantle

Freemantle [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Michael Ball 1,580 53.6 +7.8
Labour David Sturrum67122.8−4.5
Liberal Democrats Paul Abbott40513.7+0.1
Green Darren Pickering2939.9−3.3
Majority 90930.8+12.2
Turnout 2,94927.5−0.7
Conservative hold Swing

Harefield

Harefield (2) [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Edward Daunt 2,051
Conservative Daniel FitzHenry 1,918
Labour Mike Brainsby888
Labour Funda Pepperell778
Liberal Democrats Diana Wills380
Liberal Democrats Sharon Mintoff351
Green Andy Shaw324
Turnout 6,69034.3
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Millbrook

Millbrook [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Andy Wells 1,527 47.9
Liberal Democrats Ken Darke70022.0
Labour Richard Green67521.2
Green Victoria Payne2879.0
Majority 82725.9
Turnout 3,18929.3−3.5
Conservative hold Swing

Peartree

Peartree [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Matthew Jones 1,334 38.6 +8.7
Liberal Democrats Barbara Cove83224.1−20.2
Labour Andy Wilson58016.8−9.0
Independent Norah Goss50814.7+14.7
Independent Robert Goldie2055.9+5.9
Majority 50214.5
Turnout 3,45934.0+2.1
Conservative gain from Independent Swing

Portswood

Portswood [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Vincenzo Capozzoli 1,273 37.6 +11.3
Liberal Democrats Adrian Vinson1,14433.8+0.5
Labour Samuel Goold47214.0−3.5
Green Christopher Bluemel35010.3−0.7
Southampton FirstPeter Knight1434.2−5.2
Majority 1293.8
Turnout 3,38231.7+2.1
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Redbridge

Redbridge [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Paul Holmes 1,251 43.5 +16.6
Labour Dennis Harryman1,19941.7−1.3
Liberal Democrats Juliet Williams42414.8−15.3
Majority 521.8
Turnout 2,87427.7−1.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Shirley

Shirley [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Terry Matthews 1,922 51.6 +6.7
Labour Graham Giles1,13730.5−1.5
Green Paul Garratt3369.0+0.7
Liberal Democrats Keith Reed3318.9−1.2
Majority 78521.1+8.2
Turnout 3,72636.1−2.1
Conservative hold Swing

Sholing

Sholing [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Neil Fitzgerald 2,022 54.1 +9.0
Labour June Bridle1,33935.9−0.3
Liberal Democrats James Read37410.0+0.2
Majority 68318.3+9.4
Turnout 3,73535.3−2.0
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Swaythling

Swaythling [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Edward Osmond 1,140 41.6 −3.6
Liberal Democrats Ann Milton89732.7+6.2
Labour Cameron Miller33212.1−6.7
Southampton FirstAlan Kebbell1495.4+5.4
Green Joe Cox1244.5−5.0
UKIP Rod Caws983.6+3.6
Majority 2438.9−9.9
Turnout 2,74028.9+0.5
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Woolston

Woolston [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Richard Williams 1,250 41.4 −5.8
Conservative John Whiskerd1,14337.8+8.3
Liberal Democrats Margaret O'Neill37312.3−11.1
Green Colin Reader2558.4+8.4
Majority 1073.5−14.2
Turnout 3,02130.5+2.0
Labour hold Swing

References

  1. "Southampton". BBC News Online . Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  2. "National: Full election results". The Guardian . 3 May 2008. p. 45.
  3. 1 2 3 "Tories seize power in Southampton". BBC News Online. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  4. Watt, Nicholas (2 May 2008). "Local elections: From south to north, seats fall to Cameron: Prediction that Tories will claim 44% of council vote, with Labour down to 24%". The Guardian . p. 6.
  5. Morris, Nigel (2 May 2008). "A result that puts Cameron on course for Downing Street". The Independent . p. 2.
  6. "Teenagers take Southampton". The Independent . 3 May 2008. p. 6.
  7. Barney, Katharine (2 May 2008). "Teenage politicians help turn a city blue". Evening Standard . p. 6.
  8. 1 2 3 Smith, Matt. "Tories sweep into power in Southampton". This is Hampshire. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  9. Smith, Matt (4 May 2008). "Blues back in business". Southern Daily Echo . Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  10. Smith, Matt (2 May 2008). "City turnout results". Southern Daily Echo . Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  11. "National: Local elections: The MPs who would have lost their seats". The Guardian . 3 May 2008. p. 6.
  12. 1 2 Smith, Matt (15 May 2008). "Tories scrap traveller site plans". Southern Daily Echo . Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  13. Kottegoda, Maheesha (5 May 2008). "New leader at helm for Lib Dem's". Southern Daily Echo . Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Election details". Southampton City Council. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  15. "Results". The Times . 3 May 2008. p. 14.
Preceded by
2007 Southampton Council election
Southampton local elections Succeeded by
2010 Southampton Council election