2008 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2008 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council in Merseyside, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1]

Map of the results of the 2008 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election. Labour in red, Liberal Democrats in yellow and Conservatives in blue.

After the election, the composition of the council was

Background

At the last election in 2007, Labour remained the largest party with 21 seats, the Liberal Democrats has 20, Conservatives 6 and there was 1 independent.[3] However soon after the election the independent councillor, Bessie Griffin, joined the Liberal Democrats.[4] Since the 2006 election the Liberal Democrats and Conservative had run the council together, while Labour was in opposition.[5]

16 seats were contested in 2008 and as well as candidates from Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, there were 10 candidates from the British National Party.[6][7]

Election result

Labour gained 2 seats to have 23 councillors, but fell 2 short of regaining a majority on the council, as the Liberal Democrats had 19 seats and the Conservatives 6.[8] The Labour gains from the Liberal Democrats came in Billinge and Seneley Green and in West Park, while they held marginal seats in Haydock and Bold, with the result in Bold only coming after 3 recounts.[9] The Labour gain in Billinge and Seneley Green meant the party regained the seat they had lost when councillor Bessie Griffin had left Labour to become an independent and then later joined the Liberal Democrats.[10]

Following the election the Liberal Democrat and Conservative parties continued to run the council together, with Liberal Democrat Brian Spencer remaining leader of the council.[11]

St Helens local election result 2008[2][12]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 9 2 0 +2 56.3 37.0 16,730 -0.7%
  Liberal Democrats 5 0 2 -2 31.3 37.7 17,052 -3.7%
  Conservative 2 0 0 0 12.5 19.7 8,908 +2.7%
  BNP 0 0 0 0 0 5.6 2,528 +3.8%

Ward results
Billinge and Seneley Green[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Richard Ward 1,335 41.7 -0.8
Conservative Michael Hodgson 1,292 40.4 +10.7
Liberal Democrats Richard Gadsden 574 17.9 +0.2
Majority 43 1.3 -11.5
Turnout 3,201 35.5 +1.5
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Blackbrook[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eric Smith 1,207 46.4 -17.3
Liberal Democrats Ruth Smith 1,016 39.0 +24.0
Conservative Judith Collins 381 14.6 +1.6
Majority 191 7.3 -41.3
Turnout 2,604 31.8 +2.9
Labour hold Swing
Bold[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Hargreaves 984 41.4 -1.5
Liberal Democrats Marise Roberts 974 41.0 -2.9
BNP Carl Telford 218 9.2 +9.2
Conservative Charmian Pyke 198 8.3 +0.5
Majority 10 0.4 -0.6
Turnout 2,374 31.6 +2.9
Labour hold Swing
Earlestown[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Leon McGuire 1,242 52.0 +7.2
Liberal Democrats David Smith 951 39.8 -1.3
Conservative Brian Honey 196 8.2 -1.4
Majority 291 12.2 +8.5
Turnout 2,389 31.8 +1.6
Labour hold Swing
Eccleston[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Teresa Sims 2,606 69.1 -0.7
Conservative Kathleen Barton 549 14.6 -0.6
Labour Pat Ireland 417 11.1 -3.8
BNP Harry Berridge 197 5.2 +5.2
Majority 2,057 54.6 +0.0
Turnout 3,769 40.5 -0.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Haydock[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Caunce 1,390 45.5 +12.0
Liberal Democrats Stephen Broughton 1,087 35.6 -24.0
Conservative Anthony Rigby 299 9.8 +2.9
BNP Karen Smith 278 9.1 +9.1
Majority 303 9.9
Turnout 3,054 33.7 +0.1
Labour hold Swing
Moss Bank[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Carole Kavanagh 1,911 62.5 +8.3
Labour Jeffrey Fletcher 864 28.2 -9.5
Conservative Elizabeth Black 285 9.3 +1.2
Majority 1,047 34.2 +17.8
Turnout 3,060 35.3 -0.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Newton[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Suzanne Knight 2,028 69.3 -0.4
Labour Graham Barr 605 20.7 -0.6
Conservative Margaret Harvey 293 10.0 +1.1
Majority 1,423 48.6 +0.2
Turnout 2,926 35.2 +0.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Parr[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ken Pinder 1,251 63.5 -5.7
Liberal Democrats Josephine Ellison 506 25.7 +2.3
Conservative Madeleine Wilcock 212 10.8 +3.4
Majority 745 37.8 -8.0
Turnout 1,969 23.0 -0.2
Labour hold Swing
Rainford[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Betty Lowe 1,938 67.2 -4.5
Labour David Wood 562 19.5 -2.2
BNP Mathew Berridge-James 202 7.0 +7.0
Liberal Democrats Frederick Barrett 184 6.4 -0.2
Majority 1,376 47.7 -2.4
Turnout 2,886 43.1 +0.2
Conservative hold Swing
Rainhill[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Doyle 1,740 51.6 +5.7
Conservative Helen Smith 877 26.0 -0.5
Liberal Democrats Christina Duncan 455 13.5 -5.6
BNP Frances Chesney 299 8.9 +0.4
Majority 863 25.6 +6.3
Turnout 3,371 37.6 +1.8
Labour hold Swing
Sutton[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Brian Spencer 1,826 62.0
Labour Derek Maylor 686 23.3
BNP John Chesney 273 9.3
Conservative Pauline Wilcock 158 5.4
Majority 1,140 38.7
Turnout 2,943 31.8 +1.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Thatto Heath[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sheila Seddon 1,328 53.2 +4.9
Liberal Democrats Carol Pearl 581 23.3 -6.8
Conservative Barbara Woodcock 301 12.1 +4.5
BNP Paul Telford 284 11.4 +4.3
Majority 747 30.0 +11.8
Turnout 2,494 28.1 -1.1
Labour hold Swing
Town Centre[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John Beirne 1,193 48.9 +3.7
Labour Geoff Almond 876 35.9 -3.5
BNP Damian Smith 237 9.7 +1.7
Conservative Jill Jones 134 5.5 +0.2
Majority 317 13.0 +7.2
Turnout 2,440 29.7 +0.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
West Park[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robbie Ayres 1,493 50.3 -1.9
Liberal Democrats David Evans 814 27.4 -7.1
BNP Eric Swindells 331 11.2 +4.6
Conservative Richard Barton 329 11.1 +5.9
Majority 679 22.9 +5.2
Turnout 2,967 33.2 -3.9
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Windle[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Wally Ashcroft 1,466 52.9 +3.2
Labour Lynn Glover 750 27.1 -7.5
Liberal Democrats Noreen Knowles 346 12.5 -3.2
BNP Keith Davies 209 7.5 +7.5
Majority 716 25.8 +10.7
Turnout 2,771 34.9 -0.3
Conservative hold Swing

By-elections between 2008 and 2010

Parr

A by-election took place in Parr on 12 March 2009 after the death of Labour councillor Ken Pinder.[13] The seat was held for Labour by Andy Bowden with a majority of 340 votes over Liberal Democrat Barry Dodd.[13]

Parr by-election 12 March 2009[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andy Bowden 851 49.3 -14.2
Liberal Democrats Barry Dodd 511 29.6 +3.9
BNP Paul Telford 183 10.6 +10.6
Independent Mark Arnold 98 5.7 +5.7
Conservative Madeleine Wilcock 55 3.2 -7.6
Green Andrea Pennington 27 1.6 +1.6
Majority 340 19.7 -18.1
Turnout 1,725 20.1 -2.9
Labour hold Swing

Rainhill

A by-election took place in Rainhill on 12 March 2009 after the death of Labour councillor Mike Doyle.[13] The seat was held for Labour by Barrie Grunewald with a majority of 503 votes over Liberal Democrat Denise Aspinall.[13]

Rainhill by-election 12 March 2009[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Barrie Grunewald 1,562 45.6 -6.0
Liberal Democrats Denise Aspinall 1,059 30.9 +17.4
Conservative Stephen Bligh 512 14.9 -11.1
BNP Eric Swindells 215 6.3 -2.6
Green David Rothwell 80 2.3 +2.3
Majority 503 14.7 -10.9
Turnout 3,428 38.2 +0.6
Labour hold Swing

Moss Bank

A by-election was held in Moss Bank on 16 July 2009 after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Anna Heyes.[15] The seat was held for Liberal Democrats by David Kent with a majority of 469 votes over Labour's Jeffrey Fletcher.[15]

Moss Bank by-election 16 July 2009[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats David Kent 1,480 53.9 -8.6
Labour Jeffrey Fletcher 1,011 36.8 +8.6
Conservative Madeleine Wilcock 111 4.0 -5.3
Green David Rothwell 73 2.7 +2.7
Independent Christopher Hackett 71 2.6 +2.6
Majority 469 17.1 -17.1
Turnout 2,746 31.8 -3.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

References
  1. "St Helens". BBC News Online. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  2. "Full election results". The Guardian. NewsBank. 3 May 2008.
  3. "Results - Election 2007". The Times. NewsBank. 5 May 2007. p. 83.
  4. "St Helens leadership unchanged". Liverpool Daily Post. NewsBank. 17 May 2007.
  5. Coligan, Nick (5 April 2008). "Candidates set for showdown". Liverpool Echo. NewsBank.
  6. "Candidate list for Local Election 2008". St Helens Star. 10 April 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  7. Bartlett, David (5 April 2008). "BNP out in force in Mersey elections". Liverpool Daily Post. NewsBank.
  8. "Recounts and drawing lots - the final picture around the region after election night". Liverpool Daily Post. NewsBank. 3 May 2008.
  9. "Stalemate rules in split town". Liverpool Echo. NewsBank. 2 May 2008.
  10. "Vote 2008: Deal or no deal?". St Helens Star. NewsBank. 3 May 2008.
  11. Mather, Stephen (14 May 2008). "Lib Dems/Tories keep grip on power". St Helens Star. NewsBank.
  12. "Local Election results - 1 May 2008" (PDF). St Helens Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  13. Mather, Stephen (13 March 2009). "Updated: Labour holds by-election seats". St Helens Star. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  14. "Declaration of Result of Poll" (PDF). St Helens Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 March 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  15. Kilmurray, Andrew (16 July 2009). "Moss Bank election update: Lib Dems win crucial vote". St Helens Star. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  16. "Declaration of Result of Poll" (PDF). St Helens Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 March 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
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