2008 Southampton City Council election

The 2008 Southampton Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Southampton Unitary Council in Hampshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.[1]

Map of the results of the 2008 Southampton council election. Conservatives in blue and Labour in red.

After the election, the composition of the council was

Background

After the 2007 election the Conservative party took control as a minority administration after one Liberal Democrat councillor, Norah Goss, broke with her party to support the Conservatives.[3] However at the February 2008 budget meeting the Labour and Liberal Democrats joined together to take control from the Conservatives.[3]

Election result

The results saw the Conservative party win a majority on the council for the first time since 1984.[4] The Conservatives gained 8 seats, 4 from Labour, 3 from the Liberal Democrats and 1 from an independent.[5] Two 18-year-olds were among the Conservative winners, David Fuller taking Bitterne by 460 votes and Matthew Jones gaining Peartree by over 500 votes.[6][7] Meanwhile, both the Labour leader of the council, June Bridle, in Sholing[3] and the Liberal Democrat group leader, Adrian Vinson, in Portswood were among those who lost seats.[8] The Conservative gains meant they won 15 of the 17 seats contested to take a 4-seat majority[8] with 26 seats, compared to 14 seats for Labour and 8 for the Liberal Democrats.[9] Overall turnout in the election was 29.7%, down on the 30.3% in 2007 and varying between a low of 16.1% in Bargate and a high of 36.9% in Shirley.[10]

The Conservative election success was put down to a combination of a rejection of the pact between the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties, anger at plans to charge people for parking outside their homes and the national issue of the abolition of the 10p rate of income tax.[8] The results were also seen as indications for the next general election, with projections that the Conservatives could gain Southampton Test and Southampton Itchen constituencies from Labour on swings of 15.9% and 18.9% respectively, based on the local election results.[11]

Following the election Alec Samuels became the new Conservative leader of the council,[12] Richard Williams became leader of the Labour group[12] and Jill Baston took charge of the Liberal Democrat group.[13]

Southampton Local Election Result 2008[14][15]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 15 8 0 +8 88.2 47.4 25,374 +9.9%
  Labour 2 0 4 -4 11.8 26.3 14,090 -4.2%
  Liberal Democrats 0 0 3 -3 0 18.6 9,974 -5.2%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 4.5 2,394 -0.6%
  Independent 0 0 1 -1 0 1.5 816 +1.5%
  UKIP 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 551 -1.2%
  Southampton First 0 0 0 0 0 0.5 292 -0.1%

Ward results

Bargate
Bargate[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Amy Whiskerd 912 41.5 +8.9
Labour John Noon 776 35.3 -7.9
Liberal Democrats Michelle Milton 250 11.4 -3.3
Green John Spottiswoode 156 7.1 -2.3
Independent Frances Murphy 103 4.7 +4.7
Majority 136 6.2
Turnout 2,197 16.1 +0.1
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Bassett
Bassett[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Hannides 2,103 55.0 +7.6
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Walsh 1,207 31.6 -4.6
Labour Lee Whitbread 348 9.1 -1.8
UKIP Mike Cottrell 166 4.3 -1.2
Majority 896 23.4 +12.2
Turnout 3,824 34.0 -1.9
Conservative hold Swing

Bevois
Bevois[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Barnes-Andrews 965 43.3 -7.5
Conservative Chris Rowland 753 33.8 +12.5
Green Martin Hall 269 12.1 +2.3
Liberal Democrats Simon Mockler 244 10.9 -2.0
Majority 212 9.5 -20.0
Turnout 2,231 20.8 -0.1
Labour hold Swing

Bitterne
Bitterne[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Fuller 1,494 51.3 +17.5
Labour Paul Jenks 1,034 35.5 -12.8
Liberal Democrats Robert Naish 387 13.3 -4.6
Majority 460 15.8
Turnout 2,915 29.4 +0.8
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Bitterne Park
Bitterne Park[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ivan White 1,933 57.7 +8.4
Liberal Democrats Robbie Robinson 757 22.6 +1.2
Labour Shaun Brady 660 19.7 -2.1
Majority 1,176 35.1 +7.5
Turnout 3,350 32.6 +0.0
Conservative hold Swing

Coxford
Coxford[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ben Walker 1,018 31.7 +9.3
Labour Keith Morrell 986 30.7 -4.2
Liberal Democrats Sue Jackson 918 28.6 -4.7
UKIP Leslie Obee 287 8.9 +3.1
Majority 32 1.0
Turnout 3,209 31.3 -2.6
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Freemantle
Freemantle[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Ball 1,580 53.6 +7.8
Labour David Sturrum 671 22.8 -4.5
Liberal Democrats Paul Abbott 405 13.7 +0.1
Green Darren Pickering 293 9.9 -3.3
Majority 909 30.8 +12.2
Turnout 2,949 27.5 -0.7
Conservative hold Swing

Harefield
Harefield (2)[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Daunt 2,051
Conservative Daniel FitzHenry 1,918
Labour Mike Brainsby 888
Labour Funda Pepperell 778
Liberal Democrats Diana Wills 380
Liberal Democrats Sharon Mintoff 351
Green Andy Shaw 324
Turnout 6,690 34.3
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Millbrook
Millbrook[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andy Wells 1,527 47.9
Liberal Democrats Ken Darke 700 22.0
Labour Richard Green 675 21.2
Green Victoria Payne 287 9.0
Majority 827 25.9
Turnout 3,189 29.3 -3.5
Conservative hold Swing

Peartree
Peartree[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Matthew Jones 1,334 38.6 +8.7
Liberal Democrats Barbara Cove 832 24.1 -20.2
Labour Andy Wilson 580 16.8 -9.0
Independent Norah Goss 508 14.7 +14.7
Independent Robert Goldie 205 5.9 +5.9
Majority 502 14.5
Turnout 3,459 34.0 +2.1
Conservative gain from Independent Swing

Portswood
Portswood[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Vincenzo Capozzoli 1,273 37.6 +11.3
Liberal Democrats Adrian Vinson 1,144 33.8 +0.5
Labour Samuel Goold 472 14.0 -3.5
Green Christopher Bluemel 350 10.3 -0.7
Southampton First Peter Knight 143 4.2 -5.2
Majority 129 3.8
Turnout 3,382 31.7 +2.1
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Redbridge
Redbridge[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Paul Holmes 1,251 43.5 +16.6
Labour Dennis Harryman 1,199 41.7 -1.3
Liberal Democrats Juliet Williams 424 14.8 -15.3
Majority 52 1.8
Turnout 2,874 27.7 -1.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Shirley
Shirley[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Terry Matthews 1,922 51.6 +6.7
Labour Graham Giles 1,137 30.5 -1.5
Green Paul Garratt 336 9.0 +0.7
Liberal Democrats Keith Reed 331 8.9 -1.2
Majority 785 21.1 +8.2
Turnout 3,726 36.1 -2.1
Conservative hold Swing

Sholing
Sholing[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Neil Fitzgerald 2,022 54.1 +9.0
Labour June Bridle 1,339 35.9 -0.3
Liberal Democrats James Read 374 10.0 +0.2
Majority 683 18.3 +9.4
Turnout 3,735 35.3 -2.0
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Swaythling
Swaythling[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Osmond 1,140 41.6 -3.6
Liberal Democrats Ann Milton 897 32.7 +6.2
Labour Cameron Miller 332 12.1 -6.7
Southampton First Alan Kebbell 149 5.4 +5.4
Green Joe Cox 124 4.5 -5.0
UKIP Rod Caws 98 3.6 +3.6
Majority 243 8.9 -9.9
Turnout 2,740 28.9 +0.5
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Woolston
Woolston[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Richard Williams 1,250 41.4 -5.8
Conservative John Whiskerd 1,143 37.8 +8.3
Liberal Democrats Margaret O'Neill 373 12.3 -11.1
Green Colin Reader 255 8.4 +8.4
Majority 107 3.5 -14.2
Turnout 3,021 30.5 +2.0
Labour hold Swing

References
  1. "Southampton". BBC News Online. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  2. "National: Full election results". The Guardian. 3 May 2008. p. 45.
  3. "Tories seize power in Southampton". BBC News Online. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  4. Watt, Nicholas (2 May 2008). "Local elections: From south to north, seats fall to Cameron: Prediction that Tories will claim 44% of council vote, with Labour down to 24%". The Guardian. p. 6.
  5. Morris, Nigel (2 May 2008). "A result that puts Cameron on course for Downing Street". The Independent. p. 2.
  6. "Teenagers take Southampton". The Independent. 3 May 2008. p. 6.
  7. Barney, Katharine (2 May 2008). "Teenage politicians help turn a city blue". Evening Standard. p. 6.
  8. Smith, Matt. "Tories sweep into power in Southampton". This is Hampshire. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  9. Smith, Matt (4 May 2008). "Blues back in business". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  10. Smith, Matt (2 May 2008). "City turnout results". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  11. "National: Local elections: The MPs who would have lost their seats". The Guardian. 3 May 2008. p. 6.
  12. Smith, Matt (15 May 2008). "Tories scrap traveller site plans". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  13. Kottegoda, Maheesha (5 May 2008). "New leader at helm for Lib Dem's". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  14. "Election details". Southampton City Council. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  15. "Results". The Times. 3 May 2008. p. 14.
Preceded by
2007 Southampton Council election		 Southampton local elections Succeeded by
2010 Southampton Council election
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