Weymouth and Portland Council election, 2008

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Elections to Weymouth and Portland Council in Dorset, England were held on 1 May 2008. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control as it has been since 1980.[1]

The Mayor David Harris and four other councillors stood down at the election. A further seat was vacant for Melcombe Regis after the death of a Liberal Democrat councillor.[2]

The election saw the Conservative party gain 3 seats, including their first ever seat in Portland, consolidating their postion as largest party on the council. However their leader Nigel Reed lost in Weymouth East to the Liberal Democrats.[3] The leader of the Labour party on the council, Kate Wheller, was one of two Labour losses when she lost in Westham West.[4]

After the election, the composition of the council was

[edit] Election result

Weymouth and Portland Local Election Result 2008
Party Seats Gains Losses Net Gain/Loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/-
  Liberal Democrat 7 2 1 +1 53.8 31.5 5,332 +3.4%
  Conservative 4 3 1 +2 30.8 40.3 6,824 +1.6%
  Labour 1 0 2 -2 7.7 21.4 3,635 -3.5%
  Independent 1 0 1 -1 7.7 5.9 1,008 +1.2%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 0.9 154 -1.2%

[edit] Ward results

Littlemoor
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Simon Bowkett 383 58.1 +2.8
Conservative Ronald Peattie 276 41.9 +12.1
Majority 107 16.2 -9.3
Turnout 659 25.5 -10.5
Labour hold Swing
Melcombe Regis (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Peter Farrell 625
Conservative Grant Leighton 605
Conservative Derek Model 503
Liberal Democrat John Liles 494
Labour Maria Blackwood 184
Green Paul McIntosh 154
Labour Justine Marriott 137
Turnout 2,702 29.6 +1.2
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat Swing
Preston
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat David Mannings 1,201 48.5 +5.2
Conservative Dominic Lonsdale 1,157 46.8 -4.4
Labour Maureen Drake 116 4.7 -0.9
Majority 44 1.7
Turnout 2,474 57.6 +3.2
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
Radipole
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Ian Roebuck 704 54.2 -13.2
Conservative Ralph Johnson 407 31.4 +14.2
Labour Matt Pitman 187 14.4 +7.4
Majority 294 22.8 -27.4
Turnout 1,298 42.8 +0.2
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
Tophill West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Amanda Alsop 518 48.7 -18.5
Independent Gareth Duncan 332 31.2 +31.2
Labour Jo Atwell 214 20.1 -12.7
Majority 186 17.5 -16.9
Turnout 1,064 27.0 -0.6
Conservative gain from Independent Swing
Underhill
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Tim Munro 354 38.6
Independent Richard Denton-White 322 35.1
Labour Sandy West 157 17.1
Conservative Margaret Gadd 84 9.2
Majority 32 3.5
Turnout 917 34.0
Independent hold Swing
Westham East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Howard Legg 334 46.1 -10.5
Conservative Liisa Wallace 218 30.1 +9.6
Labour Stewart Pearson 172 23.8 +0.9
Majority 116 16.0 -17.7
Turnout 724 25.8 -7.3
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
Westham North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Graham Winter 750 52.7 +10.6
Conservative David Wallace 354 24.9 +2.6
Labour Lindsay Drage 319 22.4 -13.2
Majority 396 27.8 +21.3
Turnout 1,423 34.1 -2.7
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
Westham West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Gill Taylor 530 44.1 +10.7
Labour Kate Wheller 351 29.2 -2.0
Conservative Margaret Alsop 321 26.7 -8.6
Majority 179 14.9
Turnout 1,202 41.4 -1.7
Liberal Democrat gain from Labour Swing
Weymouth East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat John Birtwistle 694 53.2 +17.1
Conservative Nigel Reed 489 37.5 -2.4
Labour Richard Baker 121 9.3 -8.9
Majority 205 15.7
Turnout 1,304 45.7 +3.3
Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative Swing
Weymouth West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sonia Cash 856 54.8 +14.2
Labour Andy Blackwood 705 45.2 +8.6
Majority 151 9.6 +5.6
Turnout 1,561 38.9 -2.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Wyke Regis
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Doug Hollings 1,036 63.8 +25.7
Labour Colin Huckle 589 36.2 -6.2
Majority 447 27.6
Turnout 1,625 37.7 -0.6
Conservative hold Swing

[edit] References

  1. ^ Councils set for election fever. BBC Online (2008-04-29). Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  2. ^ Mayor to miss election. Dorset Echo (2008-04-05). Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  3. ^ Tories gain seats and Labour lose. BBC Online (2008-05-02). Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  4. ^ Tory gains in Weymouth and Portland elections. Dorset Echo (2008-05-02). Retrieved on 2008-05-04.


Preceded by
Weymouth and Portland Council election, 2007		 Weymouth and Portland local elections Succeeded by
Weymouth and Portland Council election, 2010