Map of the results of the 2008 Craven District Council election. Conservatives in blue, Liberal Democrats in yellow and independents in light grey. Wards in dark grey were not contested in 2008.

The 2008 Craven District Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Craven District Council in North Yorkshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was

Background

Before the election an alliance between 9 of the 10 independents and the 6 Liberal Democrats controlled the council, with independent Carl Liss as council leader.[3] The 14 Conservative councillors were in opposition, supported by the remaining independent councillor, Ken Hart.[3]

Election result

The Conservatives won 8 of the 11 seats contested, including gaining one seat, to have exactly half of seats on the council.[4] The Conservative gain came in Skipton East where Pam Heseltine took the seat from the Liberal Democrats.[4] This reduced the Liberal Democrats to 5 councillors after they held the other 2 seats they were defending.[4] The only independent councillor to be defending a seat, David Ireton, retained it in Ingleton and Clapham, while the 5 Labour candidates came last in each of the wards they contested.[4]

Following the election Conservative Chris Knowles-Fitton became leader of the council, taking over from independent Carl Lis.[5]

Craven local election result 2008[2][6]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 8 1 0 +1 72.7 55.0 6,268 +9.9%
  Liberal Democrats 2 0 1 -1 18.2 27.4 3,124 +12.8%
  Independent 1 0 0 0 9.1 10.2 1,159 -28.2%
  Labour 0 0 0 0 0 7.4 843 +7.4%

Ward results

Aire Valley with Lothersdale[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Pat Fairbank 824 63.0 +16.0
Liberal Democrats Stephen Walpole 307 23.5 -29.5
Labour Bob Holland 177 13.5 +13.5
Majority 517 39.5
Turnout 1,308 45.7 +1.0
Conservative hold Swing
Barden Fell[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Chris Knowles-Fitton 550 83.3 +32.1
Liberal Democrats Andrew Rankine 110 16.7 +5.2
Majority 440 66.7 +52.8
Turnout 660 49.6 -10.3
Conservative hold Swing
Cowling[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ady Green 470 69.5 +52.6
Labour Paul Routledge 206 30.5 +30.5
Majority 264 39.1 +32.1
Turnout 676 38.9 -11.2
Conservative hold Swing
Grassington[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Foster 539 77.1 +3.9
Liberal Democrats John Manley 160 22.9 -3.9
Majority 379 54.2 +7.7
Turnout 699 52.4 -13.0
Conservative hold Swing
Ingleton and Clapham[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent David Ireton 1,159 78.6
Conservative Terence Thorpe 315 21.4
Majority 844 57.2
Turnout 1,474 46.7
Independent hold Swing
Settle and Ribblebanks[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Donny Whaites 860 64.3 +24.8
Liberal Democrats Alison Fawcett 300 22.4 -31.8
Labour Edward Saunders 178 13.3 +13.3
Majority 560 41.9
Turnout 1,338 45.3 -1.0
Conservative hold Swing
Skipton East[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Pamela Heseltine 595 50.5 -3.4
Liberal Democrats Eric Jaquin 464 39.4 +39.4
Labour Chris Rose 119 10.1 +10.1
Majority 131 11.1 +3.2
Turnout 1,178 42.3 +1.8
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Skipton North[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Paul Whitaker 737 57.4 +15.4
Liberal Democrats Carole Manley 547 42.6 +15.0
Majority 190 14.8 +3.2
Turnout 1,284 46.5 -3.5
Conservative hold Swing
Skipton South[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Andrew Solloway 391 50.4 +50.4
Conservative Charlotte Gott 222 28.6 +15.0
Labour Duncan Hall 163 21.0 +21.0
Majority 169 21.8
Turnout 776 27.7 -8.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Skipton West[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Paul English 592 56.9 -5.0
Conservative John Garton 449 43.1 +5.0
Majority 143 13.7 -10.1
Turnout 1,041 35.7 +0.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Upper Wharfedale[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Roberts 707 73.6 +10.1
Liberal Democrats John Bennett 253 26.4 +26.4
Majority 454 47.3 +20.3
Turnout 960 62.5 +1.4
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. ^ "Craven". BBC News Online. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Full election results". The Guardian. NewsBank. 3 May 2008. ISSN 0261-3077.
  3. ^ a b "Conservative likely to become leader". The Yorkshire Post. NewsBank. 3 May 2008. ISSN 0963-1496.
  4. ^ a b c d "Tories gain one Craven Council seat but fail to take control". Craven Herald & Pioneer. NewsBank. 2 May 2008. ISSN 0961-1908.
  5. ^ Tate, Lesley (23 May 2008). "Tories take over leadership of council". Craven Herald & Pioneer. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Craven District Council. Political Science Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
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