2008 United Kingdom local elections

* * *

| <- 2007 | 1 May 2008 | 2009 ->

|
|

* * *

All 36 metropolitan boroughs, 23 out of 50 unitary authorities,
78 out of 238 English districts, all 22 Welsh principal councils,
and 1 directly elected mayor
|  | First party  | Second party  | Third party

|
|
|

|  |  |
Leader  | David Cameron | Gordon Brown | Nick Clegg
Party  | Conservative | Labour | Liberal Democrats
Leader since  | 6 December 2005 | 24 June 2007 | 18 December 2007
Percentage  | 44% | 24%  | 25%
Swing  | 4%  | 3%  | 1%
Councils  | 65 | 18  | 12
Councils +/–  | 12  | 9  | 1
Councillors  | 3,154 | 2,368  | 1,805
Councillors +/–  | 256  | 331  | 34

* * *

Colours denote the winning party, as shown in the main table of results.

The 2008 United Kingdom local elections were held on 1 May 2008. These elections took place in 137 English Local Authorities and all Welsh Councils.[1]

There were also extraordinary elections held for four of the new unitary authorities being created, in Northumberland, County Durham and Cheshire (two councils – Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester).[2] Scheduled elections for Penwith in Cornwall, Shrewsbury and Atcham in Shropshire, Bedford and South Bedfordshire in Bedfordshire and five district councils in Cheshire were cancelled, due to the up-coming unitary authorities being established in those counties.

The Labour Party finished in 3rd place by vote share, trailing the Conservatives by 20%, the largest such margin ever between the two main parties. Aside from the strong showing for David Cameron's Conservatives, Plaid Cymru and the Lib Dems each made net gains of over 30 seats and the BNP made 10 net gains to finish with over 30 seats.

The strong showing for the Conservatives and the disappointing showing by Labour reflected the change in the political mood of Britain at the time, where the Labour government, now led by prime minister Gordon Brown, had suffered a slump in popularity due to the 2008 financial crisis and economic fears which were affecting Britain at the time.

## Summary of results

[edit]

Party  | Councillors  | Councils

|
|

Number  | Change  | Number  | Change
| Conservative | 3,155  | 257  | 65  | 12
| Labour | 2,365  | 334  | 18  | 9
| Liberal Democrats | 1,804  | 33  | 12  | 1
| Plaid Cymru | 205  | 31  | 0  | 1
| Green | 47  | 5  | 0  |
| Residents | 43  | 11  | 0  |
| BNP | 37  | 10  | 0  |
| Liberal | 20  | 2  | 0  |
| Health Concern | 10  |  | 0  |
| UKIP | 8  | 3  | 0  |
| Respect | 4  | 1  | 0  |
| Socialist Alternative | 2  |  | 0  |
| Others  | 716  | 4  | 0  |
| No overall control | n/a  | n/a  | 64  | 3

## England

[edit]

### Metropolitan boroughs

[edit]

All 36 English metropolitan borough councils had one third of their seats up for election.

Council  | Previous control  | Result  | Details

|
|
|

Barnsley |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Birmingham |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Bolton |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Bradford |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Bury |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Calderdale |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Coventry |  | Conservative |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Doncaster |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Dudley |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Gateshead |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Kirklees |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Knowsley |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Leeds |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Liverpool |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Manchester |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Newcastle upon Tyne |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
North Tyneside |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Oldham |  | Labour |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Rochdale |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Rotherham |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Salford |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Sandwell |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Sefton |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Sheffield |  | No overall control |  | Liberal Democrats gain  | Details
Solihull |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
South Tyneside |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
St Helens |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Stockport |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Sunderland |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Tameside |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Trafford |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Wakefield |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Walsall |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Wigan |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Wirral |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Wolverhampton |  | Labour |  | No overall control gain  | Details

### Unitary authorities

[edit]

#### Existing councils

[edit]

In 19 English unitary authorities one third of the council was up for election.

Council  | Previous control  | Result  | Details

|
|
|

Blackburn with Darwen |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Derby |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Halton |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Hartlepool |  | Labour |  | No overall control gain
Kingston upon Hull |  | No overall control |  | Liberal Democrats gain  | Details
Milton Keynes |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
North East Lincolnshire |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold
Peterborough |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Plymouth |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold
Portsmouth |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Reading |  | Labour |  | No overall control gain
Slough |  | No overall control |  | Labour gain  | Details
Southampton |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Southend-on-Sea |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Stoke-on-Trent |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Swindon |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Thurrock |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Warrington |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold
Wokingham |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details

#### New councils

[edit]

Elections were held in three of the current non-metropolitan counties of Cheshire, County Durham and Northumberland for four new unitary authorities which were established in 2009. These councils were "shadow councils" until then.

Council  | Result  | Details

|
|

Cheshire East |  | Conservative | Details
Cheshire West and Chester |  | Conservative | Details
Durham |  | Labour | Details
Northumberland |  | No overall control

### District councils

[edit]

#### Whole council

[edit]

In 4 English district authorities the whole council was up for election following ward boundary changes.

Council  | Previous control  | Result  | Details

|
|
|

Barrow-in-Furness |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Basingstoke and Deane |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
South Lakeland |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Welwyn Hatfield |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details

#### Half of council

[edit]

In 7 English district authorities, half of the council was up for election.

Council  | Previous control  | Result  | Details

|
|
|

Adur |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Cheltenham |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Fareham |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Gosport |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Hastings |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Nuneaton and Bedworth |  | Labour |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Oxford |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details

#### Third of council

[edit]

In 67 English district authorities, a third of the council was up for election.

Council  | Previous control  | Result  | Details

|
|
|

Amber Valley |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Basildon |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Bassetlaw |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Brentwood |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Broxbourne |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Burnley |  | No overall control |  | Liberal Democrats gain  | Details
Cambridge |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Cannock Chase |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Carlisle |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Castle Point |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Cherwell |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Chorley |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Colchester |  | Conservative |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Craven |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Crawley |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Daventry |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Eastleigh |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Elmbridge |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Epping Forest |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Exeter |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Gloucester |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Great Yarmouth |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Harlow |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Harrogate |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Hart |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Havant |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Hertsmere |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Huntingdonshire |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Hyndburn |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Ipswich |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Lincoln |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Maidstone |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Mole Valley |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Newcastle-under-Lyme |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
North Hertfordshire |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Norwich |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Pendle |  | Liberal Democrats |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Preston |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Purbeck |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Redditch |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Reigate and Banstead |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Rochford |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Rossendale |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Rugby |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Runnymede |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Rushmoor |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
South Cambridgeshire |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
St Albans |  | No overall control |  | Liberal Democrats gain  | Details
Stevenage |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Stratford-on-Avon |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Stroud |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Swale |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Tamworth |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Tandridge |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Three Rivers |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Tunbridge Wells |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Watford |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Liberal Democrats hold  | Details
Waveney |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
West Lancashire |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
West Lindsey |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Conservative gain  | Details
West Oxfordshire |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Weymouth and Portland |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Winchester |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Woking |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Worcester |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Worthing |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Wyre Forest |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details

### Mayoral elections

[edit]

Local Authority  | Previous Mayor  | Mayor-elect  | Details

|
|
|

London |  | Ken Livingstone (Labour)  |  | Boris Johnson (Conservative) gain  | Details

## Wales

[edit]

Main article: 2008 Welsh local elections

Map showing council control (left) and ward control (right).

In all 22 Welsh councils the whole of the council was up for election.

Council  | Previous control  | Result  | Details

|
|
|

Blaenau Gwent |  | Labour |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Bridgend |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Caerphilly |  | Labour |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Cardiff |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Carmarthenshire |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Ceredigion |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Conwy |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Denbighshire |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Flintshire |  | Labour |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Gwynedd |  | Plaid Cymru |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Isle of Anglesey |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | DetailsI
Merthyr Tydfil |  | Labour |  | Independent gain  | Details
Monmouthshire |  | Conservative |  | Conservative hold  | Details
Neath Port Talbot |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Newport |  | Labour |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Pembrokeshire |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Powys |  | Independent |  | Independent hold  | Details
Rhondda Cynon Taff |  | Labour |  | Labour hold  | Details
Swansea |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details
Torfaen |  | Labour |  | No overall control gain  | Details
Vale of Glamorgan |  | No overall control |  | Conservative gain  | Details
Wrexham |  | No overall control |  | No overall control hold  | Details

## See also

[edit]

* 2008 London Mayoral election
* 2008 London Assembly election

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Trailer – Local Elections May 2008". Archived from the original on 2 August 2009. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
2. ^ "Green light for five flagship Unitary Councils". Archived from the original on 21 April 2008. Retrieved 5 December 2007.

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* v
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(2007 <-)  2008 United Kingdom local elections (-> 2009)

Metropolitan borough elections|

* Barnsley
* Birmingham
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Unitary authorities|

* Blackburn with Darwen
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* Adur
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* Nuneaton and Bedworth
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* Pendle
* Preston
* Purbeck
* Redditch
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* Rochford
* Rossendale
* Rugby
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* Rushmoor
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