The 2008 Swindon Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2008 to elect members of Swindon Unitary Council in Wiltshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council. [1]
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national government.
Wiltshire is a county in South West England with an area of 3,485 km2. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. The county town was originally Wilton, after which the county is named, but Wiltshire Council is now based in the county town of Trowbridge.
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to the west and Scotland to the north-northwest. The Irish Sea lies west of England and the Celtic Sea lies to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the North Atlantic, and includes over 100 smaller islands, such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.
After the election, the composition of the council was
The Conservative Party, officially the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom. Presently led by Theresa May, it has been the governing party since 2010. It presently has 314 Members of Parliament in the House of Commons, 249 members of the House of Lords, and 18 members of the European Parliament. It also has 31 Members of the Scottish Parliament, 12 members of the Welsh Assembly, eight members of the London Assembly and 9,008 local councillors. One of the major parties of UK politics, it has formed the government on 45 occasions, more than any other party.
The Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom which has been described as an alliance of social democrats, democratic socialists and trade unionists. The party's platform emphasises greater state intervention, social justice and strengthening workers' rights. Labour is a full member of the Party of European Socialists and Progressive Alliance, and holds observer status in the Socialist International. As of 2017, the party was considered the "largest party in Western Europe" in terms of party membership, with more than half a million members.
The Liberal Democrats are a liberal, centrist political party in the United Kingdom. They presently have 11 Members of Parliament in the House of Commons, 96 members of the House of Lords, and one member of the European Parliament. They also have five Members of the Scottish Parliament and a member each in the Welsh Assembly and London Assembly. The party reached the height of its influence in the early 2010s, forming a junior partner in a coalition government from 2010 to 2015. It is presently led by Vince Cable.
Several unusual events attracted attention during the campaign with one of the Labour candidates, James Grant, having to withdraw a campaign leaflet after it was sent out with his name spelt wrongly as Jim Gant. [3] In another incident a yorkshire terrier was reported as having received a polling card for the election, [4] with his owner being faced with being charged with supplying false electoral information and as a result had to write a letter of apology. [5] Meanwhile, Swindon council got a look-alike of Captain Jack Sparrow to hand out balloons and leaflets on the election in an attempt to increasse interest in the election. [6]
A look-alike, double, or doppelgänger is a person, real or fictitious, who closely resembles another person—respectively, real or fictitious—in appearance.
The results saw each party end with the same number of seats as before the election with the Conservatives remaining in control with 43 seats. [2] The Conservatives gained one seat from Labour in Park ward but Labour also took a seat back from the Conservatives in Central ward. [7] In total 15 councillors were re-elected with Labour staying on 12 seats, the Liberal Democrats 3 and 1 independent. [2]
A Councillor is a member of a local government council.
Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 77.3 | 54.8 | 25,109 | +8.0% | |
Labour | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18.2 | 25.3 | 11,567 | -3.6% | |
Liberal Democrat | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.5 | 14.5 | 6,644 | +1.3% | |
UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 2,301 | +1.3% | |
Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 181 | +0.1% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Vera Tomlinson | 1,836 | 75.9 | +6.6 | |
Labour | Gerald Lawson | 266 | 11.0 | -4.9 | |
Liberal Democrat | Richard Law | 226 | 9.3 | +0.7 | |
UKIP | Robin Tingey | 90 | 3.7 | +3.7 | |
Majority | 1,570 | 64.9 | +11.4 | ||
Turnout | 2,418 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Junab Ali | 902 | 44.1 | -3.0 | |
Conservative | Kevin Leakey | 664 | 32.5 | +3.9 | |
Liberal Democrat | Hannah Pajak | 224 | 11.0 | -2.0 | |
UKIP | Eric Bagwell | 130 | 6.4 | +6.4 | |
Independent | David Cox | 125 | 6.1 | +1.6 | |
Majority | 238 | 11.6 | -6.9 | ||
Turnout | 2,045 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Dale Heenan | 1,362 | 57.6 | +3.4 | |
Labour | Joanne Dilley | 586 | 24.8 | -2.1 | |
UKIP | Cynthia Desmond | 264 | 11.2 | -0.5 | |
Liberal Democrat | David Pajak | 152 | 6.4 | -0.8 | |
Majority | 776 | 32.8 | +5.5 | ||
Turnout | 2,364 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Kevin Parry | 1,326 | |||
Conservative | Roderick Bluh | 1,292 | |||
Labour | Cindy Matthews | 447 | |||
Labour | Samuel James | 430 | |||
UKIP | Robert Sheppard | 294 | |||
Liberal Democrat | Ellen Aylett | 286 | |||
Turnout | 4,075 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrat | Stanley Pajak | 1,237 | 58.6 | +19.0 | |
Conservative | Paul Gregory | 496 | 23.5 | -1.4 | |
Labour | Sarah Bush | 378 | 17.9 | -5.8 | |
Majority | 741 | 35.1 | +20.3 | ||
Turnout | 2,111 | ||||
Liberal Democrat hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Greenhalgh | 1,184 | 60.4 | +11.4 | |
Liberal Democrat | Judith Peppitt | 535 | 27.3 | -1.2 | |
Labour | Jamal Miah | 240 | 12.3 | -4.4 | |
Majority | 649 | 33.1 | +12.5 | ||
Turnout | 1,959 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Ericqua Ballman | 736 | 44.6 | -0.2 | |
Conservative | Louise Gallavin | 687 | 41.6 | +16.0 | |
Liberal Democrat | Leslie Wood | 229 | 13.9 | +5.8 | |
Majority | 49 | 3.0 | -16.3 | ||
Turnout | 1,652 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Rex Barnett | 1,363 | 61.0 | ||
Labour | John Keepin | 440 | 19.7 | ||
UKIP | Michael Stuckey | 246 | 11.0 | ||
Liberal Democrat | Tel Hudson | 186 | 8.3 | ||
Majority | 923 | 41.3 | |||
Turnout | 2,235 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Anthony Peake | 1,345 | 62.3 | +5.5 | |
Labour | Phillip Beaumont | 492 | 22.8 | -3.7 | |
Liberal Democrat | Jennifer Shorten | 321 | 14.9 | +7.9 | |
Majority | 853 | 39.5 | +9.2 | ||
Turnout | 2,158 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Colin Lovell | 1,110 | 54.4 | +6.7 | |
Labour | James d'Avila | 590 | 28.9 | -6.7 | |
UKIP | Kathleen Webb | 229 | 11.2 | +2.4 | |
Liberal Democrat | Heidi Teague | 111 | 5.4 | -2.5 | |
Majority | 520 | 25.5 | +13.4 | ||
Turnout | 2,040 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Michael Bawden | 2,015 | 64.2 | +5.5 | |
Liberal Democrat | Mark Wheaver | 538 | 17.1 | +1.5 | |
Labour | Walid Meah | 409 | 13.0 | -0.4 | |
UKIP | Noel Gardner | 177 | 5.6 | +0.4 | |
Majority | 1,477 | 47.1 | +4.0 | ||
Turnout | 3,139 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Stephen Allsopp | 815 | |||
Conservative | Graham Cherry | 746 | |||
Labour | Mark Dempsey | 703 | |||
Conservative | Claire Ellis | 628 | |||
UKIP | Terence Hayward | 248 | |||
Liberal Democrat | Mark Grant | 153 | |||
Liberal Democrat | John Kurton | 125 | |||
Turnout | 3,418 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Andrew Bennett | 652 | 61.6 | +6.9 | |
Liberal Democrat | Thomas Pajak | 351 | 33.1 | -2.8 | |
Labour | Mary Gladman | 56 | 5.3 | -4.1 | |
Majority | 301 | 28.4 | +9.5 | ||
Turnout | 1,059 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nicholas Martin | 1,291 | 70.5 | +14.4 | |
Liberal Democrat | James Farr | 333 | 18.2 | +0.5 | |
Labour | Mohammad Talukdar | 208 | 11.4 | -5.5 | |
Majority | 958 | 52.3 | +13.9 | ||
Turnout | 1,832 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Raymond Fisher | 1,337 | 59.2 | +7.4 | |
Labour | Michael Spry | 517 | 22.9 | -5.6 | |
UKIP | Robert Feal-Martinez | 217 | 9.6 | +0.2 | |
Liberal Democrat | Ann Morgan | 187 | 8.3 | -2.0 | |
Majority | 820 | 36.3 | +12.9 | ||
Turnout | 2,258 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Maire Darker | 1,300 | 52.7 | +10.8 | |
Labour | Joseph Tray | 771 | 31.3 | -9.4 | |
UKIP | Peter Thompson-Watt | 232 | 9.4 | +2.3 | |
Liberal Democrat | Ann Richards | 163 | 6.6 | +0.4 | |
Majority | 529 | 21.5 | +20.3 | ||
Turnout | 2,466 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Dwynwen Martin | 961 | 60.7 | +8.4 | |
Labour | Abdul Amin | 412 | 26.0 | +4.1 | |
Liberal Democrat | Christopher Shepherd | 209 | 13.2 | -2.7 | |
Majority | 549 | 34.7 | +4.4 | ||
Turnout | 1,582 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Mavis Childs | 783 | 46.2 | +7.2 | |
Labour | Carol Heavens | 648 | 38.3 | +1.6 | |
Liberal Democrat | Kathleen McCarthy | 263 | 15.5 | +2.6 | |
Majority | 135 | 8.0 | +5.7 | ||
Turnout | 1,694 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | James Grant | 1,161 | 45.6 | -3.8 | |
Conservative | Peter Heaton-Jones | 990 | 38.9 | +13.4 | |
UKIP | Gregory Heathcliffe | 174 | 6.8 | -0.5 | |
Liberal Democrat | Clive Hooper | 166 | 6.5 | -3.0 | |
Independent | Michael Morton | 56 | 2.2 | -0.1 | |
Majority | 171 | 6.7 | -17.1 | ||
Turnout | 2,547 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Brian Ford | 1,741 | 63.3 | +8.0 | |
Liberal Democrat | Victor Godman | 649 | 23.6 | +1.2 | |
Labour | Sandra Parsons | 360 | 13.1 | -1.7 | |
Majority | 1,092 | 39.7 | +6.8 | ||
Turnout | 2,750 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
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