St Albans Council election, 2008

The 2008 St Albans Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of St Albans District Council in Hertfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrat party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was

Election result

The results saw the Liberal Democrats regain an overall majority on the council after making one net gain in seats.[3][4] They gained seats in Batchwood, Sopwell and Verualam wards but lost Harpenden East and Wheathampstead to the Conservatives.[4] The Labour party lost all of the seats they had been defending including London Colney to the Conservatives.[4] Labour blamed their defeats on voters protesting against the national Labour government.[4] Overall turnout was 42.5% a drop from the 43.6% in 2007.[4]

Following the election the Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg came to St Albans to celebrate the results.[5]

St Albans Local Election Result 2008[6]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/-
  Liberal Democrat 10 3 2 +1 55.6 34.3 13,642 -3.5%
  Conservative 7 4 1 +3 38.9 43.2 17,184 +0.6%
  Independent 1 0 1 -1 5.6 3.2 1,258 +3.2%
  Labour 0 0 3 -3 0 12.6 5,031 -0.3%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 6.7 2,675 -0.1%

Ward results

Ashley[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Mike Ellis 1,016 50.0 +8.7
Conservative Guy Young 521 25.6 +1.3
Labour Alistair Cooper 272 13.4 -6.9
Green Graham Ward 223 11.0 -3.1
Majority 495 24.4 +7.4
Turnout 2,032 37.7 +1.5
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
Batchwood[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Allan Witherick 864 39.4 +9.3
Labour David McManus 702 32.0 -2.6
Conservative Indranil Chakravorty 454 20.7 -5.0
Green Naomi Love 174 7.9 -1.7
Majority 162 7.4
Turnout 2,194 40.9 +2.3
Liberal Democrat gain from Labour Swing
Clarence[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Dursun Altun 1029 51.6 +18.8
Liberal Democrat Christopher White 548 27.6 -19.3
Green Pete Eggleston 237 11.5 -1.3
Labour Richard Harris 211 10.3 -1.2
Majority 350 17.0 -15.1
Turnout 2,056 43.3 +0.5
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
Cunningham[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Geoff Harrison 971 49.0 -4.9
Conservative James Vessey 659 33.3 +5.4
Labour John Paton 208 10.5 -0.4
Green Jack Easton 143 7.2 -0.1
Majority 312 15.7 -10.3
Turnout 1,981 41.4 -2.5
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
Harpenden East[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Julie Bell 1,259 51.6 +1.3
Liberal Democrat Jeffrey Phillips 944 38.7 +0.9
Labour David Crew 158 6.5 -0.7
Green Lydia El-Khouri 81 3.3 -1.3
Majority 315 12.9 +0.4
Turnout 2,442 46.4 +1.1
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat Swing
Harpenden North[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Chambers 1,201 64.4 +0.7
Liberal Democrat Gordon Burrow 394 21.1 -0.1
Labour Rosemary Ross 142 7.6 -0.8
Green Annett Tate 127 6.8 +0.1
Majority 807 43.3 +0.5
Turnout 1,864 36.3 -2.8
Conservative hold Swing
Harpenden South[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stuart Roberts 1,518 75.2 +1.0
Liberal Democrat Paul Spinks 278 13.8 +1.8
Labour Linda Spiri 126 6.2 -1.9
Green Lorna Hann 96 4.8 -1.0
Majority 1,240 61.4 -0.8
Turnout 2,018 38.4 -2.6
Conservative hold Swing
Harpenden West[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Allen Chamberlain 1,495 68.0
Liberal Democrat Albert Moses 418 19.0
Labour Benjamin Dearman 160 7.3
Green Tim Blackwell 125 5.7
Majority 1,077 49.0
Turnout 2,198 39.6 -4.0
Conservative gain from Independent Swing
London Colney[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Dave Winstone 1,175 47.5 +4.0
Labour Chris Flynn 1,044 42.2 -3.1
Liberal Democrat Mike Ketley 140 5.7 -5.6
Green Rosalind Hardy 113 4.6 +4.6
Majority 131 5.3
Turnout 2,472 36.6 +6.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Marshalswick North[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Janet Churchyard 1,174 51.4 -3.2
Conservative Seema Kennedy 874 38.2 +4.4
Labour Ruairi McCourt 128 5.6 -0.7
Green Rosalind Paul 109 4.8 -0.5
Majority 300 13.2 -7.6
Turnout 2,285 47.4 +1.5
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
Marshalswick South[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Melvyn Teare 1,190 47.7 -0.1
Conservative Sabena Khan 848 34.0 -0.2
Labour Anthony Nicholson 254 10.2 -0.8
Green Gillian Mills 202 8.1 +1.1
Majority 342 13.7 +0.1
Turnout 2,494 48.1 -0.2
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
Park Street[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat David Yates 1,125 50.8 +1.3
Conservative Mary Zambra 861 38.9 +0.4
Labour Alex Breed 153 6.9 -0.7
Green Stephen Clough 74 3.3 -1.1
Majority 264 11.9 +0.9
Turnout 2,213 41.4 +0.8
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
Redbourn[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Tony Swendell 1,258 59.8 +59.8
Conservative Roger Gray 687 32.7 -13.7
Labour Richard Bruckdorfer 81 3.9 -0.5
Green Kate Metcalf 77 3.7 +0.1
Majority 571 27.1 +26.3
Turnout 2,103 44.8 -2.3
Independent hold Swing
Sopwell[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Roger Axworthy 711 34.5 +2.3
Labour Janet Smith 707 34.3 -2.7
Conservative Mary Murphy 462 22.4 +1.7
Green Thomas Hardy 183 8.9 -1.2
Majority 4 0.2
Turnout 2,063 40.2 +2.1
Liberal Democrat gain from Labour Swing
St Peters[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Martin Morris 773 36.5 -3.5
Conservative Nadia Davies 661 31.2 +8.5
Green Simon Grover 362 17.1 -1.7
Labour Michael Jewitt 321 15.2 -4.3
Majority 112 5.3 -13.0
Turnout 2,117 38.8 +2.0
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
St Stephen[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Canham 1,542 72.0 +12.9
Liberal Democrat Tom Allum 357 16.7 -11.8
Labour Janet Blackwell 153 7.1 -1.0
Green Lucy Eggleston 89 4.2 -0.1
Majority 1,185 55.3 +24.7
Turnout 2,141 42.7 +0.8
Conservative hold Swing
Verulam[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrat Fred Wartenberg 1,273 47.5 -4.4
Conservative Nigel Wood Smith 1,098 41.0 +3.3
Green Margaret Grover 185 6.9 +1.2
Labour Jill Gipps 125 4.7 +0.0
Majority 175 6.5 -7.7
Turnout 2,681 52.5 +0.2
Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative Swing
Wheathampstead[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gillian Clark 1,240 50.9 +6.3
Liberal Democrat Paul Edelston 1,035 42.5 -5.9
Labour Peter Woodhams 86 3.5 +0.3
Green Simon Wakeling 75 3.1 -0.7
Majority 205 8.4
Turnout 2,436 52.5 -1.6
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat Swing

References

  1. ^ "St Albans". BBC News Online. 2008-04-19. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/elections/local_council/08/html/26ug.stm. Retrieved 2009-11-22. 
  2. ^ "Local elections: Results: Voters in the cities and the shires have their say in the ballot box". The Guardian. 2008-05-02. p. 7. 
  3. ^ "Lib Dems win St Albans from NOC". BBC Online. 2008-05-02. http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolpda/ukfs_news/hi/newsid_7376000/7376332.stm. Retrieved 2008-11-26. 
  4. ^ a b c d e "Labour's collapse is Lib Dem gain". St Albans & Harpenden Review. 2008-05-02. http://www.stalbansreview.co.uk/news/2243899.labours_collapse_is_lib_dem_gain/. Retrieved 2009-11-22. 
  5. ^ "Lib Dem leader celebrates victory in the city". St Albsn & Harpenden Review. 2008-05-02. http://www.stalbansreview.co.uk/news/2244018.lib_dem_leader_celebrates_victory_in_the_city/. Retrieved 2009-11-22. 
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "District council election results 1 May 2008". St Albans City and District Council. http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/elections/electionresults/districtresults/sadc-2008.aspx. Retrieved 2009-11-22. 
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Election 2008 ward by ward". St Albans & Harpenden Review. 2008-05-02. http://harpendenobserver.co.uk/display.var.2244209.0.election_2008_ward_by_ward.php. Retrieved 2009-11-22. 
Preceded by
St Albans Council election, 2007		 St Albans local elections Succeeded by
St Albans Council election, 2010
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