The 2008 Wokingham Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Wokingham Unitary Council in Berkshire, 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
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18 seats were contested in the election with candidates from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Labour, United Kingdom Independence Party, Green Party and British National Party standing.[3] The leader of the council, Conservative councillor Frank Browne, was one of a number of councillors who stood down at the election.[3] The Conservatives were defending 14 seats compared to 4 for the Liberal Democrats.[4]
The Conservatives defended their record in running the council and committed themselves to keeping a weekly bin collection, fight to keep down the number of new houses being built in the council area and continue investing in services.[4] Meanwhile the Liberal Democrats criticised cuts in adult social care services and school maintenance funds and attacked a lack of democracy over proposed developments.[4] Other issues raised in the election included crime and council tax increases.[4]
The election saw only one seat change hands with the Conservatives gaining Hillside from the Liberal Democrats to remain in control of the council with 44 of the 54 seats.[5] Hillside ward had seen the former Liberal Democrat councillor, Alan Spratling, step down at the election and he was succeeded by Conservative Pauline Jorgensen, wife of another councillor for Hillside, Norman Jorgensen.[6] The election also saw the United Kingdom Independence Party overtake Labour in the number of votes won across the council to win the third most number of votes.[6] Overall turnout in the election was 38.23%.[7]
Following the election David Lee was elected as the new leader of the council to replace Frank Browne after he had stood down at the election.[8]
Wokingham Local Election Result 2008[7] | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/- | ||
Conservative | 15 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 83.3 | 57.7 | 21,241 | +6.2% | ||
Liberal Democrat | 3 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 16.7 | 30.5 | 11,218 | -1.8% | ||
UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.1 | 2,239 | -0.4% | ||
Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.8 | 1,781 | -1.9% | ||
Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 272 | -0.1% | ||
BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 44 | +0.1% |
Bulmershe & Whitegates[7][9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal Democrat | Jennifer Lissaman | 1,168 | 45.1 | -5.8 | |
Conservative | Mohammed Younis | 944 | 36.5 | +6.9 | |
Labour | Gregory Bello | 345 | 13.3 | -0.9 | |
UKIP | Peter Jackson | 131 | 5.1 | -0.2 | |
Majority | 224 | 8.6 | -12.7 | ||
Turnout | 2,588 | 40.8 | +2.8 | ||
Liberal Democrat hold | Swing |
Charvil[7][9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Emma Hobbs | 746 | 65.8 | +14.8 | |
Liberal Democrat | Arthur Illenden | 317 | 28.0 | -14.0 | |
Labour | Brian Scott | 51 | 4.5 | +1.5 | |
UKIP | Joan Huntley | 20 | 1.8 | -2.3 | |
Majority | 429 | 37.8 | +28.8 | ||
Turnout | 1,134 | 50.3 | -3.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Emmbrook[7][9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Ullakarin Clark | 1,521 | 55.8 | +6.6 | |
Liberal Democrat | Keith Malvern | 788 | 28.9 | -4.7 | |
UKIP | Ann Davis | 289 | 10.6 | -1.3 | |
Labour | Paul Sharples | 128 | 4.7 | -0.5 | |
Majority | 733 | 26.9 | +11.3 | ||
Turnout | 2,726 | 44.0 | +0.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Evendons[7][9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Dianne King | 1,456 | 63.1 | +5.3 | |
Liberal Democrat | Jeremy Harley | 521 | 22.6 | -1.8 | |
UKIP | Michael Spencer | 203 | 8.8 | -2.6 | |
Labour | Anthony Skuse | 128 | 5.5 | -0.9 | |
Majority | 935 | 40.5 | +7.1 | ||
Turnout | 2,308 | 35.2 | -1.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Finchampstead North[7][9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Michael Gore | 1,420 | 76.2 | +5.1 | |
Liberal Democrat | James May | 325 | 17.4 | -2.5 | |
UKIP | Ian Gordon | 118 | 6.3 | +0.3 | |
Majority | 1,095 | 58.8 | +7.6 | ||
Turnout | 1,863 | 44.2 | -2.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Finchampstead South[7][9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Gerald Cockcroft | 1,177 | 67.0 | -1.9 | |
Liberal Democrat | Roland Cundy | 438 | 24.9 | +5.1 | |
UKIP | Geoffrey Bulpitt | 142 | 8.1 | +1.7 | |
Majority | 739 | 42.1 | -7.0 | ||
Turnout | 1,757 | 39.9 | -2.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Hawkedon[7][9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Matthew Deegan | 1,275 | 67.0 | +7.1 | |
Liberal Democrat | John Eastwell | 538 | 28.3 | +3.4 | |
UKIP | David Lamb | 90 | 4.7 | +2.0 | |
Majority | 737 | 38.7 | +3.7 | ||
Turnout | 1,903 | 27.5 | -2.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Hillside[7][9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Pauline Jorgensen | 1,449 | 52.5 | +2.0 | |
Liberal Democrat | David Hare | 1,038 | 37.6 | -2.7 | |
Labour | David Sharp | 174 | 6.3 | +0.9 | |
UKIP | Geraint Jones | 99 | 3.6 | -0.2 | |
Majority | 411 | 14.9 | +4.7 | ||
Turnout | 2,760 | 42.2 | -0.6 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat | Swing |
Hurst[7][9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Annette Drake | 699 | 75.4 | +3.8 | |
Liberal Democrat | Haydon Trott | 136 | 14.7 | -6.5 | |
Labour | Daniel Clifton | 53 | 5.7 | -1.5 | |
UKIP | Amy Thornton | 39 | 4.2 | +4.2 | |
Majority | 563 | 60.7 | +10.3 | ||
Turnout | 927 | 43.6 | +0.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Loddon[7][9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal Democrat | Phillip Challis | 1,234 | 54.3 | +12.1 | |
Conservative | Parvinder Batth | 842 | 37.1 | -8.4 | |
Labour | Alberto Troccoli | 112 | 4.9 | -2.5 | |
UKIP | Bernard Wakeford | 84 | 3.7 | -1.2 | |
Majority | 392 | 17.2 | |||
Turnout | 2,272 | 34.9 | +1.7 | ||
Liberal Democrat hold | Swing |
Maiden Erlegh[7][9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Christopher Edmunds | 1,508 | 58.7 | +2.5 | |
Liberal Democrat | Caroline Smith | 584 | 22.7 | -3.5 | |
Labour | Jacqueline Rupert | 206 | 8.0 | +0.6 | |
Green | David Hogg | 136 | 5.3 | -0.4 | |
UKIP | Peter Williams | 134 | 5.2 | +0.8 | |
Majority | 924 | 36.0 | +6.0 | ||
Turnout | 2,568 | 35.2 | -0.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Norreys[7][9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Lee Gordon-Walker | 1,369 | 59.4 | +0.0 | |
Liberal Democrat | Stephen Bacon | 446 | 19.3 | +0.5 | |
UKIP | Keith Knight | 257 | 11.1 | +3.6 | |
Labour | Jennifer Spratley | 234 | 10.1 | -0.2 | |
Majority | 923 | 40.1 | -0.5 | ||
Turnout | 2,306 | 35.2 | -3.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe[7][9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Claire Stretton | 1,330 | 74.5 | +1.0 | |
Liberal Democrat | Martin Alder | 382 | 21.4 | +2.6 | |
Labour | Stuart Crainer | 73 | 4.1 | +0.3 | |
Majority | 948 | 53.1 | -1.6 | ||
Turnout | 1,785 | 42.3 | -4.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Shinfield South[7][9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Malcolm Bryant | 1,140 | 71.6 | +19.0 | |
Liberal Democrat | Richard Mitchell | 259 | 16.3 | +16.3 | |
Green | Marjory Bisset | 136 | 8.5 | +0.6 | |
UKIP | Andrew Findlay | 57 | 3.6 | +0.8 | |
Majority | 881 | 55.3 | +39.5 | ||
Turnout | 1,592 | 32.7 | -10.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Twyford[7][9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal Democrat | Stephen Conway | 1,441 | 68.3 | +7.6 | |
Conservative | John Jarvis | 560 | 26.5 | +2.7 | |
Labour | Roy Mantel | 65 | 3.1 | -9.2 | |
UKIP | Gerald Sleep | 45 | 2.1 | -1.1 | |
Majority | 881 | 41.8 | +4.9 | ||
Turnout | 2,111 | 46.9 | -0.2 | ||
Liberal Democrat hold | Swing |
Wescott[7][9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Robert Wyatt | 929 | 60.2 | +0.2 | |
Liberal Democrat | David Vaughan | 304 | 19.7 | -3.8 | |
UKIP | Franklin Carstairs | 164 | 10.6 | -0.2 | |
Labour | John Woodward | 102 | 6.6 | +0.9 | |
BNP | Mark Burke | 44 | 2.9 | +2.9 | |
Majority | 625 | 40.5 | +4.0 | ||
Turnout | 1,543 | 37.9 | -0.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Winnersh[7][9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Elizabeth Siggery | 1,162 | 48.4 | +5.5 | |
Liberal Democrat | John Peffers | 997 | 41.5 | -6.2 | |
UKIP | Vincent Pearson | 134 | 5.6 | -0.1 | |
Labour | John Baker | 110 | 4.6 | +1.0 | |
Majority | 165 | 6.9 | |||
Turnout | 2,403 | 36.1 | -2.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Wokingham Without[7][9] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Pauline Helliar-Symons | 1,714 | 76.2 | +4.6 | |
Liberal Democrat | Robert May | 302 | 13.4 | -3.5 | |
UKIP | Graham Widdows | 233 | 10.4 | -1.1 | |
Majority | 1,412 | 62.8 | +8.1 | ||
Turnout | 2,249 | 37.4 | -0.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Preceded by Wokingham Council election, 2007 |
Wokingham local elections | Succeeded by Wokingham Council election, 2010 |
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