2008 St Albans City and District Council election

The 2008 St Albans City and District 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 Democrats gained overall control of the council from no overall control.[1]

Map of the results of the 2008 St Albans City and District Council election. Liberal Democrats in yellow, Conservatives in blue and independent in light grey. Wards in dark grey were not contested in 2008.

After the election, the composition of the council was

Background

Before the election the Liberal Democrats had 29 seats, compared to 19 for the Conservatives, 8 for Labour and there were 2 Independents.[3] 18 of the 20 wards were contested in 2008, with only Colney Heath and Sandridge wards not having an election.[3] Each of the Liberal Democrat, Conservative, Labour and Green parties contested every seat, apart from in Redbourn where the Liberal Democrats did not put up a candidate against the sitting independent councillor Tony Swendell.[3]

3 Liberal Democrat councillors, Brian Peyton, Brian Sinfield and Jenny Stroud, and 2 Conservative councillors, Clare Ellis and Liz Stevenson, stood down at the election.[3] Independent, former Conservative, councillor John Newman also did not defend his seat in Harpenden West after moving to Dorset.[3]

Election result

The Liberal Democrats regained an overall majority of 2 on the council with 30 councillors, after making a net gain of one seat.[4][5] They gained seats in Batchwood, Sopwell and Verulam wards, but lost Harpenden East and Wheathampstead to the Conservatives, who increased to 22 seats on the council.[5] The Labour party lost all of the seats they had been defending, including London Colney to the Conservatives, to fall to 5 seats on the council, while independent Tony Swendell held his seat in Redbourn.[5] Labour blamed their defeats on voters protesting against the national Labour government.[5] Overall turnout was 42.5%, a drop from 43.6% at the 2007 election.[5]

Following the election the national Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg came to St Albans to celebrate the results.[6]

St Albans local election result 2008[7]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Liberal Democrats 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[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 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 Democrats hold Swing
Batchwood[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 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 Democrats gain from Labour Swing
Clarence[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Christopher White 979 47.6 -6.3
Conservative Dursun Altun 629 30.6 +8.8
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 Democrats hold Swing
Cunningham[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 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 Democrats hold Swing
Harpenden East[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Julie Bell 1,259 51.6 +1.3
Liberal Democrats 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 Democrats Swing
Harpenden North[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Chambers 1,201 64.4 +0.7
Liberal Democrats 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[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stuart Roberts 1,518 75.2 +1.0
Liberal Democrats 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[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Allen Chamberlain 1,495 68.0
Liberal Democrats 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[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Dave Winstone 1,175 47.5 +4.0
Labour Chris Flynn 1,044 42.2 -3.1
Liberal Democrats 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[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 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 Democrats hold Swing
Marshalswick South[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 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 Democrats hold Swing
Park Street[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 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 Democrats hold Swing
Redbourn[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[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 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 Democrats gain from Labour Swing
St Peters[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 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 Democrats hold Swing
St Stephen[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Canham 1,542 72.0 +12.9
Liberal Democrats 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[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Fred Wartenberg 1,273 47.5 -4.4
Conservative Nigel 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 Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Wheathampstead[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gillian Clark 1,240 50.9 +6.3
Liberal Democrats 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 Democrats Swing

By-elections between 2008 and 2010

A by-election was held in Harpenden South on 4 June 2009 after Conservative councillor Paul Foster resigned from the council.[8] The seat was held for the Conservatives by Brian Ellis with a majority of 899 votes over the Labour Party.[9]

Harpenden South by-election 4 June 2009[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Brian Ellis 1,602 53.5 -21.8
Labour Richard Lane 703 23.5 +17.2
Liberal Democrats Albert Moses 427 14.3 +0.5
Green Annett Tate 264 8.8 +4.1
Majority 899 30.0
Turnout 2,996
Conservative hold Swing

References
  1. "St Albans". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
  2. "Local elections: Results: Voters in the cities and the shires have their say in the ballot box". The Guardian. 2 May 2008. p. 7.
  3. "Ex-mayors step down in election fight". The Herts Advertiser. 10 April 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  4. "Lib Dems win St Albans from NOC". BBC Online. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 26 November 2008.
  5. "Labour's collapse is Lib Dem gain". St Albans & Harpenden Review. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
  6. "Lib Dem leader celebrates victory in the city". St Albsn & Harpenden Review. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
  7. "District council election results 1 May 2008". St Albans City and District Council. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
  8. Lewis, Alex (5 June 2009). "First election results expected this afternoon". St Albans & Harpenden Review. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  9. "Harpenden South Ward - 4th June 2009". St Albans City & District Council. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
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