2008 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council election

The 2008 Southend-on-Sea Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Southend-on-Sea Unitary Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was

Campaign

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Before the election the Conservatives ran the council with 29 seats, compared to 10 for the Liberal Democrats, 7 Labour and 5 independents.[3] The election was seen as being the closest for years with the other parties needing to gain 4 seats from the Conservatives to deprive them of a majority.[3]

There was a record number of candidates in the election, with St Luke's ward having 7 candidates and the British National Party putting up candidates in every ward for the first time.[4]

Election result

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Overall turnout in the election was 34%.[2]

Southend-on-Sea Local Election Result 2008[2]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 9 1 3 -2 52.9 40.8 16,880 -0.1%
  Independent 4 2 0 +2 23.5 15.3 6,313 +4.4%
  Liberal Democrats 3 1 0 +1 17.6 19.2 7,940 -2.9%
  Labour 1 0 1 -1 5.9 12.3 5,104 -3.4%
  BNP 0 0 0 0 0 10.7 4,444 +4.7%
  UKIP 0 0 0 0 0 1.3 523 -0.4%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 0.5 190 -1.9%

Ward results

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Belfairs[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Aylen 1,219 43.9 −3.6
Independent Maria Jeffery 753 27.1 −4.4
BNP Garry Curtis-Wiggins 326 11.7 +11.7
Liberal Democrats Michael Woolcott 301 10.8 −3.0
Labour Teresa Merrison 176 6.3 −0.9
Majority 466 16.8 +0.8
Turnout 2,775 38.1 +2.5
Conservative hold Swing
Blenheim Park[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Graham Longley 966 40.2 −0.2
Conservative Ray Davy 950 39.5 +8.8
BNP Barry Harvey 269 11.2 −0.5
Labour Simon Morley 220 9.1 −1.5
Majority 16 0.7 −9.1
Turnout 2,405 32.1 +0.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Chalkwell[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Robertson 1,257 56.8 +2.4
Liberal Democrats Christopher Mallam 363 16.4 −0.1
Labour Lars Davidsson 306 13.8 +2.1
UKIP Toni Thornes 154 7.0 −3.0
BNP James Haggar 132 6.0 +6.0
Majority 894 40.4 +2.5
Turnout 2,212 32.1 +2.5
Conservative hold Swing
Eastwood Park[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Christopher Walker 1,458 57.5 −5.9
Liberal Democrats Paul Collins 582 22.9 −0.3
BNP Helen Darcy 332 13.1 +13.1
Labour Raoul Meade 165 6.5 −7.0
Majority 876 34.5 −5.7
Turnout 2,537 33.7 +3.7
Conservative hold Swing
Kursaal[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Blaine Robin 747 38.4 +8.4
Labour Denis Garne 741 38.1 −1.8
BNP Roger Gander 246 12.7 −2.7
Liberal Democrats Howard Gibeon 210 10.8 −4.0
Majority 6 0.3
Turnout 1,944 27.8 +2.9
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Leigh[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Alan Crystall 1,239 53.2 −10.5
Conservative Victoria Salter 770 33.1 +3.9
BNP Geoffrey Stringer 160 6.9 +6.9
Labour Helen Symons 160 6.9 −0.2
Majority 469 20.1 −14.3
Turnout 2,329 33.0 +2.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Milton[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nigel Folkard 928 47.9 +3.6
Labour Tony Borton 502 25.9 −2.1
Liberal Democrats Justine Farenden 321 16.6 +6.7
BNP Derek King 185 9.6 +9.6
Majority 426 22.0 +5.6
Turnout 1,936 28.1 +1.6
Conservative hold Swing
Prittlewell[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Mary Betson 1,032 38.4 −3.2
Conservative Melvyn Day 960 35.7 −2.1
UKIP John Croft 293 10.9 −0.5
Labour Llynus Pigrem 214 8.0 −1.2
BNP David Armstrong 191 7.1 +7.1
Majority 72 2.7 −1.1
Turnout 2,690 36.6 +2.6
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
St Laurence[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Flewitt 1,072 42.5 +4.4
Liberal Democrats Jill Stone 960 38.1 −5.8
BNP Keith Barrett 284 11.3 +11.3
Labour Jane Norman 204 8.1 −4.0
Majority 112 4.4
Turnout 2,520 33.8 +2.1
Conservative hold Swing
St Lukes[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Ashley 861 31.3 −1.9
Independent Paul Van Looy 675 24.6 +24.6
Labour Anne Chalk 535 19.5 −12.9
BNP Fenton Bowley 415 15.1 −3.6
Liberal Democrats Robert Howes 145 5.3 −4.1
UKIP Lawrence Davies 76 2.8 +2.8
Green Cristian Ramis 40 1.5 −4.8
Majority 186 6.8 +6.1
Turnout 2,747 34.7 +5.2
Conservative hold Swing
Shoeburyness[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Mike Assenheim 1,009 45.8 +17.8
Conservative Graham Hill 659 29.9 −3.6
Labour Chris Gasper 250 11.3 −9.2
BNP John Moss 211 9.6 −3.8
Liberal Democrats Jane Dresner 75 3.4 −1.2
Majority 350 15.9
Turnout 2,204 29.3 −1.0
Independent hold Swing
Southchurch[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Tony Delaney 1,058 40.4 +40.4
Conservative David Garston 971 37.1 −17.2
BNP Raymond Weaver 273 10.4 −5.2
Labour Joyce Mapp 195 7.4 −5.4
Liberal Democrats Linda Smith 121 4.6 −6.5
Majority 87 3.3
Turnout 2,618 37.4 +4.3
Independent gain from Conservative Swing
Thorpe[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Mike Stafford 1,918 57.8 +4.0
Conservative Sally Carr 1,036 31.2 +1.0
BNP David Webster 150 4.5 +4.5
Liberal Democrats Colin Davis 110 3.3 −7.6
Labour Bernard Chalk 105 3.2 −1.9
Majority 882 26.6 +2.9
Turnout 3,319 46.1 −0.2
Independent gain from Conservative Swing
Victoria[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Gilbert 719 37.8 −5.6
Conservative David Manclark 478 25.1 −0.7
BNP Alisdair Lewis 351 18.4 +2.2
Liberal Democrats Ronella Streeter 206 10.8 −3.9
Green Stephen Jordan 150 7.9 +7.9
Majority 241 12.7 −4.9
Turnout 1,904 26.9 +2.6
Labour hold Swing
West Leigh[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Lamb 1,673 58.1 −1.6
Liberal Democrats Margery Jones 821 28.5 +0.8
BNP Antony Winchester 232 8.1 +8.1
Labour Louise Norman 153 5.3 −0.2
Majority 852 29.6 −2.4
Turnout 2,879 41.9 +3.6
Conservative hold Swing
West Shoebury[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Liz Day 1,340 56.4 +2.0
BNP Terence Jellis 447 18.8 +2.6
Liberal Democrats James Allen 319 13.4 +2.5
Labour Joan Richards 270 11.4 −2.0
Majority 893 37.6 −0.6
Turnout 2,376 32.8 +1.8
Conservative hold Swing
Westborough[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Vel Velmurugan 812 40.6 −4.5
Conservative Susan Luty 501 25.1 +3.3
BNP James Burns 240 12.0 +12.0
Labour Chas Willis 189 9.5 −8.6
Liberal Democrats Michael O'Connor 169 8.5 −6.4
Independent Deri Laycock 88 4.4 +4.4
Majority 311 15.6 −7.7
Turnout 1,999 28.9 +5.6
Independent hold Swing

References

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  1. ^ "Southend-On-Sea". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Local Election Results 2008". Southend-on-Sea Borough Council. Archived from the original on 9 June 2008. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Southend: Parties' election predictions". Echo. 25 April 2008. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  4. ^ "Southend Council election candidates". Echo. 7 July 2008. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Southend-on-Sea Borough Council. Retrieved 8 April 2010. [dead link]