Map of the results of the 2008 Stratford-on-Avon council election. Conservatives in blue, Liberal Democrats in yellow and independent in white. Wards in grey were not contested in 2008.

The 2008 Stratford-on-Avon District Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Stratford-on-Avon District Council in Warwickshire, 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

Background

Before the election the Conservatives had a 21-seat majority with 37 councillors, as compared to 14 for the Liberal Democrats and 2 independents.[3] 19 seats were being contested in the election, which was expected to be fought mainly between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.[3]

Election result

The results saw the Liberal Democrats make 5 gains to reduce the Conservatives majority on the council.[4] 3 of the gains for the Liberal Democrats came in the wards of Stratford-upon-Avon itself, along with 2 in Harbury and Shipston.[5] Meanwhile, the one independent councillor who was up for election, Kim James, successfully held his seat in Bidford and Salford ward, defeating the Liberal Democrat candidate by 185 votes.[4]

The losses for the Conservatives were one of the worst performances by the party in the 2008 local elections, in contrast to the national picture where they made strong gains. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg described the Stratford election as "an excellent result".[6]

Stratford-on-Avon Local Election Result 2008[7]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 11 0 5 -5 57.9 51.0 15,222 -0.9%
  Liberal Democrats 7 5 0 +5 36.8 39.9 11,916 +4.3%
  Independent 1 0 0 0 5.3 3.4 1,019 +0.4%
  Labour 0 0 0 0 0 3.7 1,103 -1.8%
  UKIP 0 0 0 0 0 1.4 406 -0.9%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 0.6 183 -1.1%

Ward results

Alcester[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Susan Adams 1,139 55.1 -4.9
Liberal Democrats Carol Lane 856 41.4 +10.3
Labour Michael Gerrard 73 3.5 -0.2
Majority 283 13.7 -15.2
Turnout 2,068 43.9 +0.2
Conservative hold Swing
Aston Cantlow[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Lawrence 524 73.0 +11.9
Liberal Democrats John Bicknell 194 27.0 -11.9
Majority 330 46.0 +23.8
Turnout 718 47.0 -5.9
Conservative hold Swing
Bardon[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Valerie Hobbs 537 73.1 +10.8
Liberal Democrats John Insoll 198 26.9 +3.8
Majority 339 46.1 +6.9
Turnout 735 41.7 -0.5
Conservative hold Swing
Bidford and Salford[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Kim James 903 52.0 +52.0
Liberal Democrats Rona Fitzpatrick 718 41.3 +4.9
Labour Alec Brown 116 6.7 -0.9
Majority 185 10.7
Turnout 1,737 32.9 -5.3
Independent hold Swing
Burton Dassett[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Simon Jackson 647 78.8 +13.0
Liberal Democrats Alan Hill 174 21.2 -13.0
Majority 473 57.6 +26.1
Turnout 821 45.9 -3.7
Conservative hold Swing
Claverdon[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Horner 684 82.6 +9.3
Liberal Democrats Jeanne Lowe 144 17.4 -9.3
Majority 540 65.2 +18.7
Turnout 828 45.9 -1.4
Conservative hold Swing
Ettington[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Izzi Seccombe 597 68.0 +2.6
Liberal Democrats Christian Senior 165 18.8 -15.8
Independent Darryl Armstrong 116 13.2 +13.2
Majority 432 49.2 +18.4
Turnout 878 47.4 -2.3
Conservative hold Swing
Harbury[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Beverley Mann 861 50.3 +6.8
Conservative Peter Barton 850 49.7 -6.8
Majority 11 0.6
Turnout 1,711 45.5 +2.1
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Henley[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Thirlwell 1,172 74.6 -2.3
Liberal Democrats Karyl Rees 215 13.7 +6.0
UKIP Brett Parsons 184 11.7 +3.5
Majority 957 60.9 -7.8
Turnout 1,571 44.0 -2.2
Conservative hold Swing
Kineton[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Susan Wixey 979 70.0 +10.9
Liberal Democrats Vivien Purdy 420 30.0 -10.9
Majority 559 40.0 +21.7
Turnout 1,399 41.5 -4.5
Conservative hold Swing
Shipston[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Richard Cheney 934 48.7 -0.5
Conservative Trevor Russel 921 48.0 +1.5
Labour Jeffrey Kenner 64 3.3 -1.0
Majority 13 0.7 -1.9
Turnout 1,919 48.6 -0.7
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Southam[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Appleton 853 52.1 -4.7
Labour Peter Thomas 404 24.7 -7.6
Liberal Democrats Angela Adkins 380 23.2 +12.3
Majority 449 27.4 +2.9
Turnout 1,637 33.1 -1.5
Conservative hold Swing
Stratford Alveston[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Kate Rolfe 1,264 49.1 +10.3
Conservative Lynda Organ 1,088 42.3 -6.3
UKIP Ralph Berry 222 8.6 +0.7
Majority 176 6.8
Turnout 2,574 48.3 +1.7
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Stratford Avenue and New Town[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Trevor Honychurch 991 47.6 +30.0
Conservative Juliet Short 957 46.0 +5.1
Labour Matthew Stephens 132 6.3 +0.2
Majority 34 1.6
Turnout 2,080 37.5 -5.5
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Stratford Guild and Hathaway[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ron Cockings 1,141 47.3 +16.3
Conservative Michael Perry 956 39.6 -10.8
Green Hugh Chatwin 183 7.6 +1.7
Labour George Hathaway 134 5.6 -2.1
Majority 185 7.7
Turnout 2,414 42.0 -2.4
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Stratford Mount Pleasant[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Joyce Taylor 798 66.8 -1.3
Conservative Karen Parnell 317 26.5 +3.3
Labour David Talbot 80 6.7 -2.0
Majority 481 40.3 -4.6
Turnout 1,195 35.6 -4.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Studley[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Paul Beaman 1,083 59.0 +15.1
Conservative Jon Vale 652 35.5 -13.0
Labour Jacqueline Abbott 100 5.4 -2.2
Majority 431 23.5
Turnout 1,835 40.6 +0.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Tanworth[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Atkinson 1,140 86.6 +5.7
Liberal Democrats Sally Hinchley 176 13.4 -5.7
Majority 964 73.3 +1.5
Turnout 1,316 41.5 +0.3
Conservative hold Swing
Wellesbourne[5][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sue Main 1,209 50.1 +7.2
Liberal Democrats Michala Piotrowski 1,204 49.9 -2.5
Majority 5 0.2
Turnout 2,413 45.0 +1.5
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. ^ "Stratford-On-Avon". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
  2. ^ "Local elections: Results: Voters in the cities and the shires have their say in the ballot box". The Guardian. 2 May 2008. p. 7.
  3. ^ a b Corley, Michael (30 April 2008). "Last-minute bid to catch the floating voters". Coventry Evening Telegraph. p. 6.
  4. ^ a b "Good night for LibDems". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 3 May 2008. p. 20.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Election results for Stratford district - Lib Dems gain five". The Courier. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
  6. ^ "Councillors hold on to their seats". Redditch Advertiser. 7 May 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "District Council election" (PDF). Stratford on Avon District Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Stratford-upon-Avon". Birmingham Post. Archived from the original on 8 September 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
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