2008 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election

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2008 local election results in Wakefield Wakefield UK ward map 2008.jpg
2008 local election results in Wakefield

The 2008 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council in West Yorkshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour Party stayed in overall control of the council. [1]

Contents

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Background

Before the election there was disagreement among commentators about how safe Wakefield council was for Labour. The Daily Telegraph felt Labour would struggle to remain in control, but the Yorkshire Post believed it would remain safe for Labour. [3] [4]

Wakefield council joined with other councils from Yorkshire to run a television advertising campaign in an attempt to increase turnout. [5]

Election result

The results saw the Conservatives make 7 gains, all but one from Labour, and come up only one seat short of depriving Labour of their majority. [6] Altogether Labour lost 8 seats including 2 to independents, while the Liberal Democrats lost their only seat that was being contested in Ossett to the Conservatives. [7] Labour losses included the mayor, Allan Garbutt, and the cabinet member for children and young people, Trevor Izon, in Pontefract South. [7] Overall turnout was 32.28%. [8]

The Conservatives said that their victories were due both to the unpopularity of the national Labour government and due to the Labour council behaving in an arrogant way. [7] The results were seen by the Conservatives as an encouraging sign of how they would perform at the next general election in the Wakefield constituencies. [7] Meanwhile, Labour put their defeats down to national issues such as the abolition of the 10p rate of income tax and immigration. [7]

Wakefield Local Election Result 2008 [8]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Conservative 1170+750.034.328,506+4.3
  Labour 808-836.435.129,168-3.9
  Independent 320+213.612.09,978+1.8
  Liberal Democrats 001-10.08.87,319-1.3
  BNP 00000.07.96,567-0.4
  Green 00000.01.21,024-0.2
  Socialist Alternative 00000.00.4352+0.1
  UKIP 00000.00.2145+0.0
 British Voice00000.00.2142-0.2

Ward results

Ackworth, North Elmsall and Upton [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Richard Molloy1,65343.2+13.5
Labour Allan Garbutt1,46638.3+1.1
Liberal Democrats David Arthur70918.5+4.1
Majority 1874.9
Turnout 3,828
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Airedale and Ferry Fryston [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Graham Phelps1,40146.7−10.5
BNP Stephen Rogerson62820.9+2.2
Conservative Mellisa Wan Omer54018.0+5.3
Liberal Democrats Paul Kirby43014.3+2.9
Majority 77325.8−12.7
Turnout 2,999
Labour hold Swing
Altofts and Whitwood [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Peter Box1,31637.4−10.8
Liberal Democrats Michael Burch82723.5+4.4
Conservative Gordon Tennant79322.5+6.7
BNP Dawn Byrom58516.6−0.2
Majority 48913.9−15.2
Turnout 3,521
Labour hold Swing
Castleford Central and Glasshoughton [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Mark Burns-Williamson 1,77554.1−9.3
BNP Rita Robinson85426.1+3.4
Conservative Eamonn Mullins64919.8+6.0
Majority 92128.0−12.7
Turnout 3,278
Labour hold Swing
Crofton, Ryhill and Walton [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Susan Lodge1,78340.4+6.3
Labour Albert Manifield1,73039.2−6.9
BNP Dean Crossland90220.4+0.6
Majority 531.2
Turnout 4,415
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Featherstone [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Kay Binnersley1,97445.8+4.3
Labour Dick Taylor1,87243.4+4.9
Conservative Michael Ledgard46410.8+5.5
Majority 1022.4−0.6
Turnout 4,310
Independent hold Swing
Hemsworth (2) [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Ian Womersley1,695
Labour Glyn Lloyd1,288
Labour Sandra Pickin1,203
Independent John Evans663
Independent Maurice Kent503
BNP Jeanette Womack400
Conservative Christian l'Anson371
Conservative Rebecca Mullins329
Turnout 2,986
Independent gain from Labour Swing
Labour hold Swing
Horbury and South Ossett [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Graham Jesty1,84540.1−2.6
Labour Janet Holmes1,65736.0−2.0
Independent Susan Armitage57612.5+12.5
Liberal Democrats David Rowland52211.3−8.0
Majority 1884.1−0.6
Turnout 4,600
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Knottingley [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Graham Stokes1,41756.7−4.8
Conservative Tom Dixon1,08143.3+23.5
Majority 33613.4−28.3
Turnout 2,498
Labour hold Swing
Normanton [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Barry Smith1,03731.8−8.2
Conservative Richard Wakefield78424.0+12.4
Independent Graeme Milner69921.4−3.5
BNP Adam Frazer52015.9−0.1
Liberal Democrats Jack Smith2216.8−0.7
Majority 2537.8−7.3
Turnout 3,261
Labour hold Swing
Ossett [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Terry Brown1,70937.9+12.4
Liberal Democrats Mark Goodair1,69437.6+1.1
Labour David Watts1,10524.5+0.2
Majority 150.3
Turnout 4,508
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Pontefract North [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Philip Thomas1,35240.8−6.4
Labour Jack Kershaw1,32339.9−12.9
Independent Bob Evison39812.0+12.0
Green Rennie Smith2407.2+7.2
Majority 290.9
Turnout 3,313
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Pontefract South [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mark Crowther2,34048.8−1.0
Labour Trevor Izon1,80137.6+0.2
Liberal Democrats Chris Rush65013.6+0.8
Majority 53911.2−1.2
Turnout 4,791
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
South Elmsall and South Kirkby [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Wilf Benson2,24856.5+1.5
Labour Mollie Wright1,34233.7−0.8
Conservative Allan Crouch3899.8−0.7
Majority 90622.8+2.3
Turnout 3,979
Independent gain from Labour Swing
Stanley and Outwood East [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Simon Wilson 1,39236.9+6.6
Labour Charles Keith1,11229.5−6.4
Liberal Democrats David Evans66117.5−0.7
BNP Loraine Frazer60816.1+0.5
Majority 2807.4
Turnout 3,773
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Wakefield East [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Ros Lund1,47844.8−1.8
Conservative Mark Pickard1,02231.0+8.5
BNP Robert Arnold44713.5+1.9
Socialist Alternative Michael Griffiths35210.7+3.7
Majority 45613.8−10.3
Turnout 3,299
Labour hold Swing
Wakefield North [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Elizabeth Rhodes1,17734.7−1.9
Conservative Graham Ridler1,14033.6+5.8
Liberal Democrats Andrew Tennant46813.8−4.0
BNP Graham Thewlis-Hardy45813.5+1.7
UKIP Keith Wells1454.3+0.0
Majority 371.1−7.7
Turnout 3,388
Labour hold Swing
Wakefield Rural [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Colley2,83762.0+9.6
Labour Tony Richardson1,10824.2−2.5
Green Miriam Hawkins62813.7−0.5
Majority 1,72937.8+12.1
Turnout 4,573
Conservative hold Swing
Wakefield South [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Hopkins1,72540.0−1.6
Independent Norman Hazell1,22228.4+8.3
Labour Simon Young67215.6−1.7
Liberal Democrats Stephen Nuthall3698.6+1.4
BNP John Aveyard3217.4+2.9
Majority 50311.6−9.9
Turnout 4,309
Conservative hold Swing
Wakefield West [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mike Walker2,47960.2+5.3
Labour Matthew Morley73817.9−3.2
BNP Neville Poynton3488.5+8.5
Liberal Democrats Susan Morgan2526.1−3.0
Green Brian Else1563.8−3.1
British VoiceNorman Tate1423.5−4.6
Majority 1,74142.3+8.5
Turnout 4,115
Conservative hold Swing
Wrenthorpe and Outwood West [8] [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Annemarie Glover1,82945.8+5.9
Labour Martyn Johnson1,15028.8−6.8
Liberal Democrats Margaret Dodd51612.9+0.5
BNP Grant Rowe49612.4+0.2
Majority 67917.0+12.7
Turnout 3,991
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. "Wakefield". BBC News. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  2. "National: Full election results". The Guardian. 3 May 2008. p. 45. ISSN   0261-3077.
  3. Porter, Andrew (28 April 2008). "Cameron takes aim at Brown with election target of 40pc". The Daily Telegraph. p. 8. ISSN   0307-1235.
  4. "Voters give their verdict at the ballot box". The Yorkshire Post . 1 May 2008. ISSN   0963-1496.
  5. "Persuading voters to make their mark". Wakefield Express . 25 April 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  6. "Misery for Labour as cracks appear in bastions". The Yorkshire Post . 3 May 2008. ISSN   0963-1496.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Jubilant Tories claim city is turning blue". The Yorkshire Post . 3 May 2008. ISSN   0963-1496.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 "Local Election Results May 2008". Wakefield Council. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "Local Elections: Wakefield results". Yorkshire Evening Post . 2 May 2008. ISSN   0963-2255.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "Wakefield Council elections – final results". Wakefield Express . 24 April 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2009.