2008 Wyre Forest District Council election

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Map of the results of the 2008 Wyre Forest District Council election. Conservatives in blue, Liberal in orange, Health Concern in pink and Liberal Democrats in yellow. Wards in grey were not contested in 2008. Wyre Forest UK local election 2008 map.svg
Map of the results of the 2008 Wyre Forest District Council election. Conservatives in blue, Liberal in orange, Health Concern in pink and Liberal Democrats in yellow. Wards in grey were not contested in 2008.

The 2008 Wyre Forest District Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Wyre Forest District Council in Worcestershire, 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:

Campaign

Before the election the Conservatives ran the council as a minority administration with them holding 18 seats, as compared to 10 for Health Concern, 7 Liberals, 3 Labour, 2 Liberal Democrats and 2 independents. [3] 14 seats were contested at the election with the Conservatives defending 6, Liberals 3, independents 2 and Health Concern, Labour and Liberal Democrats 1 each. [3]

The Conservatives needed to gain 4 seats to win a majority, [4] but Health Concern were also hoping to make gains to take over as largest party on the council. [5] Health Concern campaigned on issues including bringing more entertainment facilities to the council area and opposing a new fleet of black taxis, as well as their health policies. [5]

Election result

The Conservatives won a majority on the council for the first time since 1979, [6] after gaining 4 more seats to end the election with 22 councillors, while Health Concern stayed second with 10 seats. [7] Among the Conservative gains were Mumshad Ahmed in Broadwaters ward, who became the first Asian councillor in Wyre Forest, and Julian Phillips in Bewdley and Arley, who became a councillor at the age of 23. [7] Both Labour and the Liberals lost one seat to the Conservatives, while the two independent councillors were defeated. [8] [9]

The Conservatives described the results as an endorsement of their record, [9] while Labour saw them as being due to anti-government feeling. [8] The results were also reported as being a sign that the Conservatives could gain the parliamentary constituency at the next general election from Health Concern's Richard Taylor. [10]

Wyre Forest local election result 2008 [11]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Conservative 1040+471.441.110,155+5.4%
  Liberal 201-114.310.42,579+0.0%
  Health Concern 10007.124.76,100-6.1%
  Liberal Democrats 10007.16.31,565+0.3%
  Labour 001-1013.83,418-2.0%
  Independent 002-203.6885+3.1%

Ward results

Aggborough and Spennells [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Helen Dyke91350.0+10.3
Conservative Chris Rogers51628.3−4.4
Health Concern Ken Henderson28815.8−5.5
Labour Adrian Sewell1096.0−0.4
Majority39721.7+14.7
Turnout 1,82635.0−3.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Areley Kings [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mike Partridge66635.2+2.1
Labour James Shaw62132.8−0.4
Health Concern Chris Thomas55229.2−4.5
Liberal Iain Price542.9+2.9
Majority452.4
Turnout 1,89340.9−0.3
Conservative hold Swing
Bewdley and Arley [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Julian Phillips91742.1−4.3
Independent Louise Edginton51823.8+23.8
Health Concern Derek Killingworth43520.0−8.3
Labour Bill Mason30614.1−4.5
Majority39918.3+0.2
Turnout 2,17641.0+2.0
Conservative gain from Independent Swing
Broadwaters [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mumshad Ahmed61732.5+7.2
Health Concern Linda Candlin47124.8−16.9
Liberal Shazu Miah44523.4+3.2
Labour Dan Watson1849.7−3.1
Majority1467.7
Turnout 1,90129.9−8.2
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing
Franche [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Jeff Baker1,12054.9+4.5
Health Concern Raymond Barber54126.5−0.3
Labour Lee Wright30214.8−3.9
Liberal Alane Harvey773.8−0.4
Majority57928.4+4.8
Turnout 2,04037.8−1.9
Conservative hold Swing
Greenhill [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Graham Ballinger91952.2−0.1
Health Concern Lynne Wainewright35520.2−5.5
Conservative Ammar Ahmad33318.9+3.1
Labour Peter Nielsen1548.7+8.7
Majority56432.0+5.4
Turnout 1,76129.5−1.6
Liberal hold Swing
Habberley and Blakebrook [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Ken Prosser82739.6+11.1
Labour Barry McFarland55026.4−9.2
Health Concern Nigel Addison45221.7−9.3
Liberal Democrats Vicky Dixon25812.4+12.4
Majority27713.2
Turnout 2,08740.0+0.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Lickhill [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Health Concern Brian Glass92449.6−5.5
Conservative David Little74339.9+8.1
Labour Cedric Smith19610.5−0.1
Majority1819.7−13.6
Turnout 1,86334.0−1.5
Health Concern hold Swing
Mitton [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Holden91646.2+4.0
Health Concern Jim Parish76538.6−4.0
Labour Gary Watson22711.5+0.9
Liberal Democrats Mike Dixon733.7−0.9
Majority1517.6
Turnout 1,98134.0−0.7
Conservative hold Swing
Offmore and Comberton [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Frances Oborski1,02751.9+7.6
Conservative Gillian Onslow54527.5−6.3
Health Concern Gill Smith24112.2−2.1
Labour Matthew Nicholls1668.4+0.8
Majority48224.4+13.9
Turnout 1,97937.0−0.8
Liberal hold Swing
Oldington and Foley Park [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Nathan Desmond51050.4+11.9
Health Concern Peter Young21020.8−2.2
Liberal Democrats Samantha Walker15215.0−6.8
Labour Paul Mills13913.7−2.9
Majority30029.6+14.1
Turnout 1,01127.9−3.2
Conservative hold Swing
Rock [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Douglas Godwin60662.3+16.0
Independent John Simmonds36737.7−16.0
Majority23924.6
Turnout 97348.0+1.8
Conservative gain from Independent Swing
Sutton Park [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Marcus Hart1,11859.6+12.3
Health Concern John Griffiths41422.1−4.5
Labour David Prain1759.3−1.5
Liberal Democrats Adrian Beavis1699.0−6.3
Majority70437.5+16.8
Turnout 1,87634.0−1.2
Conservative hold Swing
Wribbenhall [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Arthur Buckley72147.5−4.2
Health Concern Liz Davies45229.8+0.8
Labour Paul Gittins28919.0−0.3
Liberal Alexander Harvey573.8+3.8
Majority26917.7−5.0
Turnout 1,51939.2+0.7
Conservative hold Swing

By-elections between 2008 and 2010

Lickhill

A by-election was held in Lickhill on 10 September 2009 after the death of Health Concern councillor Jill Fairbrother-Millis. [12] The seat was held for Health Concern by Jim Parish with a majority of 131 votes over Conservative Chris Rogers. [12]

Lickhill by-election 10 September 2009 [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Health Concern Jim Parish64348.1−1.5
Conservative Chris Rogers51238.3−1.6
Labour Jenny Knowles14010.50.0
Liberal Democrats Clare Cassidy413.1+3.1
Majority1319.8+0.1
Turnout 1,33624.4−9.6
Health Concern hold Swing

Areley Kings

A by-election was held in Areley Kings on 10 December 2009 after the death of Conservative councillor Mike Partridge. [13] [14] The seat was gained for Labour by James Shaw with a majority of 123 votes over Health Concern candidate Gary Talbot. [14] [15]

Areley Kings by-election 10 December 2009 [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour James Shaw54438.3+5.5
Health Concern Gary Talbot42129.6+0.4
Conservative Kenneth Henderson39427.7−7.5
UKIP Anthony Baker634.4+4.4
Majority1238.7
Turnout 1,42231.0−9.9
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

References

  1. "Wyre Forest". BBC News. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  2. "Local elections: Results: Voters in the cities and the shires have their say in the ballot box". The Guardian. 2 May 2008. p. 7.
  3. 1 2 "Council candidates: full list". Malvern Gazette . 8 April 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  4. "Key battles for local councils". BBC News. 25 April 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  5. 1 2 Bradley, Paul (16 April 2008). "Tory rule is so bad for Health". Birmingham Mail . p. 14.
  6. Kirkup, James (2 May 2008). "Cameron's Tories predicting more than 200 gains". The Daily Telegraph. p. 4.
  7. 1 2 "Local elections: Blue tide sweeps 23-year-old into council seat". Birmingham Post . 3 May 2008. p. 3.
  8. 1 2 "Tories gain 'weathervane' council". BBC News. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  9. 1 2 "Tories take overall control of Wyre Forest". Malvern Gazette . 2 May 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  10. Walker, Jonathan (3 May 2008). "Local elections: Conservatives hammer Labour". Birmingham Post . p. 4.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "District Council Election Results 2008". Wyre Forest District Council. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  12. 1 2 3 "ICHC candidate wins Lickhill by-election". The Shuttle . 11 September 2009 via NewsBank.
  13. "Town's shock at sudden death of popular former mayor". Worcester News . 22 October 2009 via NewsBank.
  14. 1 2 Land, Jon (11 December 2009). "Huge boost for Labour in latest council by-elections". 24dash.com. Archived from the original on 16 December 2009. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  15. 1 2 "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Wyre Forest District Council. Retrieved 16 April 2015.