Weymouth and Portland Borough Council election, 2008
Elections to Weymouth and Portland Borough 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 position 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
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% |
Ward results
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 |
|
|
References