2008 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election
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]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/Wakefield_UK_ward_map_2008.jpg/300px-Wakefield_UK_ward_map_2008.jpg)
After the election, the composition of the council was
- Labour 32
- Conservative 23
- Independent 6
- Liberal Democrat 2[2]
Background
editBefore 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
editThe 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]
Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | 11 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 50.0 | 34.3 | 28,506 | +4.3% | |
Labour | 8 | 0 | 8 | -8 | 36.4 | 35.1 | 29,168 | -3.9% | |
Independent | 3 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 13.6 | 12.0 | 9,978 | +1.8% | |
Liberal Democrats | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 8.8 | 7,319 | -1.3% | |
BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.9 | 6,567 | -0.4% | |
Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 | 1,024 | -0.2% | |
Socialist Alternative | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 352 | +0.1% | |
UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 145 | +0.0% | |
British Voice | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 142 | -0.2% |
Ward results
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Molloy | 1,653 | 43.2 | +13.5 | |
Labour | Allan Garbutt | 1,466 | 38.3 | +1.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | David Arthur | 709 | 18.5 | +4.1 | |
Majority | 187 | 4.9 | |||
Turnout | 3,828 | ||||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Graham Phelps | 1,401 | 46.7 | −10.5 | |
BNP | Stephen Rogerson | 628 | 20.9 | +2.2 | |
Conservative | Mellisa Wan Omer | 540 | 18.0 | +5.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Paul Kirby | 430 | 14.3 | +2.9 | |
Majority | 773 | 25.8 | −12.7 | ||
Turnout | 2,999 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Peter Box | 1,316 | 37.4 | −10.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Michael Burch | 827 | 23.5 | +4.4 | |
Conservative | Gordon Tennant | 793 | 22.5 | +6.7 | |
BNP | Dawn Byrom | 585 | 16.6 | −0.2 | |
Majority | 489 | 13.9 | −15.2 | ||
Turnout | 3,521 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Mark Burns-Williamson | 1,775 | 54.1 | −9.3 | |
BNP | Rita Robinson | 854 | 26.1 | +3.4 | |
Conservative | Eamonn Mullins | 649 | 19.8 | +6.0 | |
Majority | 921 | 28.0 | −12.7 | ||
Turnout | 3,278 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Susan Lodge | 1,783 | 40.4 | +6.3 | |
Labour | Albert Manifield | 1,730 | 39.2 | −6.9 | |
BNP | Dean Crossland | 902 | 20.4 | +0.6 | |
Majority | 53 | 1.2 | |||
Turnout | 4,415 | ||||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Kay Binnersley | 1,974 | 45.8 | +4.3 | |
Labour | Dick Taylor | 1,872 | 43.4 | +4.9 | |
Conservative | Michael Ledgard | 464 | 10.8 | +5.5 | |
Majority | 102 | 2.4 | −0.6 | ||
Turnout | 4,310 | ||||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Ian Womersley | 1,695 | |||
Labour | Glyn Lloyd | 1,288 | |||
Labour | Sandra Pickin | 1,203 | |||
Independent | John Evans | 663 | |||
Independent | Maurice Kent | 503 | |||
BNP | Jeanette Womack | 400 | |||
Conservative | Christian l'Anson | 371 | |||
Conservative | Rebecca Mullins | 329 | |||
Turnout | 2,986 | ||||
Independent gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Graham Jesty | 1,845 | 40.1 | −2.6 | |
Labour | Janet Holmes | 1,657 | 36.0 | −2.0 | |
Independent | Susan Armitage | 576 | 12.5 | +12.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | David Rowland | 522 | 11.3 | −8.0 | |
Majority | 188 | 4.1 | −0.6 | ||
Turnout | 4,600 | ||||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Graham Stokes | 1,417 | 56.7 | −4.8 | |
Conservative | Tom Dixon | 1,081 | 43.3 | +23.5 | |
Majority | 336 | 13.4 | −28.3 | ||
Turnout | 2,498 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Barry Smith | 1,037 | 31.8 | −8.2 | |
Conservative | Richard Wakefield | 784 | 24.0 | +12.4 | |
Independent | Graeme Milner | 699 | 21.4 | −3.5 | |
BNP | Adam Frazer | 520 | 15.9 | −0.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Jack Smith | 221 | 6.8 | −0.7 | |
Majority | 253 | 7.8 | −7.3 | ||
Turnout | 3,261 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Terry Brown | 1,709 | 37.9 | +12.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Mark Goodair | 1,694 | 37.6 | +1.1 | |
Labour | David Watts | 1,105 | 24.5 | +0.2 | |
Majority | 15 | 0.3 | |||
Turnout | 4,508 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Philip Thomas | 1,352 | 40.8 | −6.4 | |
Labour | Jack Kershaw | 1,323 | 39.9 | −12.9 | |
Independent | Bob Evison | 398 | 12.0 | +12.0 | |
Green | Rennie Smith | 240 | 7.2 | +7.2 | |
Majority | 29 | 0.9 | |||
Turnout | 3,313 | ||||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Mark Crowther | 2,340 | 48.8 | −1.0 | |
Labour | Trevor Izon | 1,801 | 37.6 | +0.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | Chris Rush | 650 | 13.6 | +0.8 | |
Majority | 539 | 11.2 | −1.2 | ||
Turnout | 4,791 | ||||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Wilf Benson | 2,248 | 56.5 | +1.5 | |
Labour | Mollie Wright | 1,342 | 33.7 | −0.8 | |
Conservative | Allan Crouch | 389 | 9.8 | −0.7 | |
Majority | 906 | 22.8 | +2.3 | ||
Turnout | 3,979 | ||||
Independent gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Simon Wilson | 1,392 | 36.9 | +6.6 | |
Labour | Charles Keith | 1,112 | 29.5 | −6.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | David Evans | 661 | 17.5 | −0.7 | |
BNP | Loraine Frazer | 608 | 16.1 | +0.5 | |
Majority | 280 | 7.4 | |||
Turnout | 3,773 | ||||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Ros Lund | 1,478 | 44.8 | −1.8 | |
Conservative | Mark Pickard | 1,022 | 31.0 | +8.5 | |
BNP | Robert Arnold | 447 | 13.5 | +1.9 | |
Socialist Alternative | Michael Griffiths | 352 | 10.7 | +3.7 | |
Majority | 456 | 13.8 | −10.3 | ||
Turnout | 3,299 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Elizabeth Rhodes | 1,177 | 34.7 | −1.9 | |
Conservative | Graham Ridler | 1,140 | 33.6 | +5.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Andrew Tennant | 468 | 13.8 | −4.0 | |
BNP | Graham Thewlis-Hardy | 458 | 13.5 | +1.7 | |
UKIP | Keith Wells | 145 | 4.3 | +0.0 | |
Majority | 37 | 1.1 | −7.7 | ||
Turnout | 3,388 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Colley | 2,837 | 62.0 | +9.6 | |
Labour | Tony Richardson | 1,108 | 24.2 | −2.5 | |
Green | Miriam Hawkins | 628 | 13.7 | −0.5 | |
Majority | 1,729 | 37.8 | +12.1 | ||
Turnout | 4,573 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Hopkins | 1,725 | 40.0 | −1.6 | |
Independent | Norman Hazell | 1,222 | 28.4 | +8.3 | |
Labour | Simon Young | 672 | 15.6 | −1.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Stephen Nuthall | 369 | 8.6 | +1.4 | |
BNP | John Aveyard | 321 | 7.4 | +2.9 | |
Majority | 503 | 11.6 | −9.9 | ||
Turnout | 4,309 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Mike Walker | 2,479 | 60.2 | +5.3 | |
Labour | Matthew Morley | 738 | 17.9 | −3.2 | |
BNP | Neville Poynton | 348 | 8.5 | +8.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | Susan Morgan | 252 | 6.1 | −3.0 | |
Green | Brian Else | 156 | 3.8 | −3.1 | |
British Voice | Norman Tate | 142 | 3.5 | −4.6 | |
Majority | 1,741 | 42.3 | +8.5 | ||
Turnout | 4,115 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Annemarie Glover | 1,829 | 45.8 | +5.9 | |
Labour | Martyn Johnson | 1,150 | 28.8 | −6.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Margaret Dodd | 516 | 12.9 | +0.5 | |
BNP | Grant Rowe | 496 | 12.4 | +0.2 | |
Majority | 679 | 17.0 | +12.7 | ||
Turnout | 3,991 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
References
edit- ^ "Wakefield". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
- ^ "National: Full election results". The Guardian. 3 May 2008. p. 45. ISSN 0261-3077.
- ^ Porter, Andrew (28 April 2008). "Cameron takes aim at Brown with election target of 40pc". The Daily Telegraph. p. 8. ISSN 0307-1235.
- ^ "Voters give their verdict at the ballot box". Yorkshire Post. 1 May 2008. ISSN 0963-1496.
- ^ "Persuading voters to make their mark". Wakefield Express. 25 April 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
- ^ "Misery for Labour as cracks appear in bastions". Yorkshire Post. 3 May 2008. ISSN 0963-1496.
- ^ a b c d e "Jubilant Tories claim city is turning blue". Yorkshire Post. 3 May 2008. ISSN 0963-1496.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w "Local Election Results May 2008". Wakefield Council. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "Local Elections: Wakefield results". Yorkshire Evening Post. 2 May 2008. ISSN 0963-2255.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "Wakefield Council elections - final results". Wakefield Express. 24 April 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2009.