2008 Rossendale Borough Council election

Elections to Rossendale Borough Council were held on 1 May 2008. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.[1] Overall turnout was up by one per cent from the last election in 2007 at 36.3%.[2]

The Conservative party gained three seats in the election including Worsley, the seat of the former Conservative leader of the council, Duncan Ruddick, who had defected from the party in 2007 to become an independent councillor.[2] The Liberal Democrats gained one seat, while the Labour party lost three seats, with one defeated Labour councillor, Tina Durkin, blaming the Prime Minister Gordon Brown for the losses.[3]

After the election, the composition of the council was

Election result

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Rossendale Local Election Result 2008
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 10 3 0 +3 76.9 42.4 7,512 +3.0%
  Liberal Democrats 2 1 0 +1 15.4 17.7 3,129 -2.3%
  Labour 1 0 3 -3 7.7 30.4 5,385 -4.9%
  BNP 0 0 0 0 0 5.6 998 +0.3%
  Independent 0 0 1 -1 0 3.8 680 +3.8%

Ward results

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Cribden
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Janet Graham 386 35.4 +14.3
Labour Andrea Fletcher 367 33.6 −8.0
Liberal Democrats Bob Sheffield 338 31.0 +4.6
Majority 19 1.8
Turnout 1,091 38.9 +0.0
Conservative hold Swing
Eden
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Darryl Smith 916 79.5 +15.2
Labour John Pilling 236 20.5 −3.7
Majority 680 59.0 +18.9
Turnout 1,152 41.7 +2.4
Conservative hold Swing
Facit and Shawforth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lynda Barnes 336 29.0 +5.7
Liberal Democrats Reggie Lane 298 25.7 −10.9
BNP Michael Crossley 218 18.8 +18.8
Independent Karen Ruane 185 16.0 +16.0
Labour Ian Mycock 121 10.4 −29.7
Majority 38 3.3
Turnout 1,158 41.7 +2.2
Conservative hold Swing
Goodshaw
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dorothy Farrington 631 55.3 +2.3
Conservative Judy Bates 510 44.7 −2.3
Majority 121 10.6 +4.6
Turnout 1,141 36.9 +0.2
Labour hold Swing
Greenfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gladys Sandiford 993 60.8 +18.3
Liberal Democrats Sadaqut Amin 350 21.4 −36.1
Labour John McManus 290 17.8 +17.8
Majority 643 39.4
Turnout 1,633 37.4 +0.4
Conservative hold Swing
Greensclough
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Judith Driver 697 43.2 +15.4
Labour Dale Connearn 422 26.1 −1.0
BNP Peter Salt 273 16.9 −4.9
Liberal Democrats Michael Carr 223 13.8 −9.5
Majority 275 17.1 +16.4
Turnout 1,615 36.5 −1.6
Conservative hold Swing
Hareholme
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicola May 775 53.3
Labour Amanda Hewlett 679 46.7
Majority 96 6.6
Turnout 1454 34.8 −0.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Helmshore
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Evans 975 60.1 +4.2
Labour Emma Harding 320 19.7 −8.5
Liberal Democrats Cliff Adamson 181 11.2 −4.7
Independent Noel O'Brien 145 8.9 +8.9
Majority 655 40.4 +12.7
Turnout 1,621 36.0 +2.2
Conservative hold Swing
Irwell
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hazel Steen 529 41.1 +8.9
Labour Tina Durkin 450 35.0 +3.0
BNP Kevin Bryan 307 23.9 −2.4
Majority 79 6.1 +5.9
Turnout 1,286 33.3 +1.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Longholme
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jason Gledhill 679 44.9
Labour Maurice Jones 484 32.0
Independent Leonard Entwistle 350 23.1
Majority 195 12.9
Turnout 1513 36.3 +2.2
Conservative hold Swing
Whitewell (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Tim Nuttall 1,006
Liberal Democrats Jim Pilling 733
Labour Trisha Dearden 433
Labour Michael Wilkinson 277
BNP Matthew Perry 200
Turnout 2,649 34.1 +1.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing
Worsley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Stansfield 716 51.5 +8.2
Labour Ann Kenyon 675 48.5 +12.3
Majority 41 3.0 −4.1
Turnout 1,391 32.5 −1.7
Conservative gain from Independent Swing

References

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  1. ^ "Tories take control of Rossendale". BBC Online. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2008.
  2. ^ a b "Tories take charge in election". Rossendale Free Press. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2008.
  3. ^ "Rossendale election results: Conservative strengthen control". Lancashire Telegraph. 2 May 2008. Archived from the original on 7 May 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2008.