2008 Sunderland City Council election

The 2008 Sunderland Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Sunderland Metropolitan Borough Council in Tyne and Wear, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour Party stayed in overall control of the council.[1][2]

2008 Sunderland City Council election
1 May 2008
One third of 75 seats on Sunderland City Council
38 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Labour Conservative Independent
Seats before 53 17 4
Seats won 14 9 2
Seats after 48 22 4
Seat change Decrease5 Increase5 Steady0
  Fourth party
 
Party Liberal Democrats
Seats before 1
Seats won 0
Seats after 1
Seat change Steady0
Map of the 2008 Sunderland City Council election results. Labour in red, Conservatives in blue, Lib Dems in yellow and Independents in white.
Majority party before election

Labour

 Majority party after election

Labour

Background

Before the election the council had 53 Labour, 17 Conservative, 4 independents and 1 Liberal Democrat councillors. 25 seats were contested in the election with a record 70,828 voters being registered to vote by post, a third of all registered voters.[3]

In the period since the previous local elections, the Conservatives had won a seat from Labour in a by-election in September 2007 in Washington East.[4] Two Labour councillors who had left the party in November 2006 to sit as Independents, George Blyth in Doxford and Bryn Sidaway in Hendon, retired at this election.

Election result

The results saw Labour remain in control of the council, but with a reduced majority after the Conservative Party gained 5 seats,[5] including 4 from Labour.[6] The Conservatives gained 2 seats from Labour in Washington and a seat each in Ryhope and St Chads, while also taking a seat from an independent, formerly Labour, councillor in Doxford.[7] The Conservative gains took the party to 22 seats, compared to 48 for Labour.[8] Labour also lost 2 seats to independents in Copt Hill and Houghton wards, but did take one seat back in Hendon which had been held by an independent.[7][8] This meant there were 4 independents on the council, while the Liberal Democrats remained on 1 seat.[8] Overall turnout in the election was 34.9%.[9]

The leader of the Conservatives on the council, Lee Martin, put the Labour losses partly down to national issues such as the abolition of the 10 pence income tax rate and partly down to local issues.[10] The Labour leader of the council described the results as "mid-term blues", while the defeat of the Labour cabinet member Joseph Lawson in Houghton ward to an independent was put down to plans to shut a quarry in the area.[11]

Sunderland Local Election Result 2008[12][13]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 13 1 6 Decrease5 52 39.6 29,109 Decrease3.7
  Conservative 9 5 0 Increase5 36 32 23,547 Increase3.9
  Liberal Democrats 1 0 0 Steady0 4 11.6 8,543 Increase2.9
  BNP 0 0 0 Steady0 0 10.2 7,540 Decrease0.4
  Independent 2 2 2 Steady0 8 6.4 4,710 Decrease1.9
  The Left Party 0 0 0 Steady0 0 0.1 90 Increase0.1
  UKIP 0 0 0 Steady0 0 0.1 40 Steady0

This resulted in the following composition of the Council:

Party Previous Council New Council
Labour 53 48
Conservatives 17 22
Independent 4 4
Liberal Democrats 1 1
Total 75 75
Working majority  31   21 

Ward results
Barnes[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Anthony Morrissey 1,712 51.6 -2.1
Labour Philip Routledge 809 24.4 +1.7
Liberal Democrats Gulya Dixon 489 14.7 -0.2
BNP Robert Fletcher 308 9.3 +0.6
Majority 903 27.2 -3.8
Turnout 3,318 38.0 +0.3
Conservative hold Swing
Castle[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tommy Foster 1,376 52.8 -13.2
BNP John Humble 350 13.4 -2.2
Conservative Clair Hall 343 13.2 +5.7
Independent Ronald McQuillan 264 10.1 -0.8
Liberal Democrats Jon Dewart 182 7.0 +7.0
The Left Party Gary Duncan 90 3.5 +3.5
Majority 1,026 39.4 -11.1
Turnout 2,605 30.5 +0.5
Labour hold Swing
Copt Hill[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Derrick Smith 1,487 45.6 +2.7
Labour Joan Carthy 1,123 34.5 -1.1
Conservative George Brown 451 13.8 +2.7
BNP Terence Woolford 197 6.0 +0.5
Majority 364 11.2 +3.9
Turnout 3,258 36.7 +0.7
Independent gain from Labour Swing
Doxford[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Vardy 1,178 41.6 +17.5
Labour Linda Mitchell 991 35.0 -0.8
Liberal Democrats Lewis Green 371 13.1 +13.1
BNP Peter Swain 292 10.3 +1.9
Majority 187 6.6
Turnout 2,832 35.7 -0.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

The incumbent Labour councillor, George Blyth, had been elected in 2004 as a Labour candidate, but subsequently left the party to sit as an Independent councillor, and retired at this election.

Fulwell[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bob Francis 2,092 53.2 -0.7
Labour Bob Price 1,032 26.2 +1.1
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Pryke 459 11.7 -1.4
BNP Frederick Donkin 352 8.9 +1.0
Majority 1,060 26.9 -1.9
Turnout 3,935 43.5 +0.8
Conservative hold Swing
Hendon[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Mordey 874 36.4 -6.6
Independent Sammy Doran 557 23.2 +4.6
Conservative Deborah Lorraine 517 21.5 +3.3
BNP Ian Sayers 234 9.7 -5.2
Liberal Democrats Nathan Hazlett 219 9.1 +9.1
Majority 317 13.2 -11.2
Turnout 2,401 29.5 -0.7
Labour gain from Independent Swing

The incumbent Labour councillor, Bryn Sidaway, had been elected in 2004 as a Labour candidate, but subsequently left the party to sit as an Independent councillor, and retired at this election.

Hetton[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Blackburn 1,843 69.2 +13.9
Conservative Douglas Middlemiss 821 30.8 +18.8
Majority 1,022 38.4 +1.1
Turnout 2,664 30.6 -0.7
Labour hold Swing
Houghton[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Sheila Ellis 1,415 44.8 +26.4
Labour Joe Lawson 1,168 37.0 -13.7
Conservative Edward Allen 355 11.2 -0.3
BNP Kevin Robe 219 6.9 -1.4
Majority 247 7.8
Turnout 3,157 35.8 +2.0
Independent gain from Labour Swing
Millfield[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Paul Dixon 1,059 46.0 +15.5
Labour Bob Bowman 558 24.3 -8.6
Conservative Gwennyth Gibson 346 15.0 +1.6
BNP Christopher Lathan 179 7.8 -0.9
Independent Margaret Snaith 84 3.7 -3.6
UKIP Pauline Featonby-Warren 40 1.7 -1.4
Independent Gary Hollern 35 1.5 +1.5
Majority 501 21.8
Turnout 2,301 32.3 +0.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Pallion[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Amy Wilson 1,055 44.3 -0.4
Conservative Michael Leadbitter 645 27.1 +8.4
BNP Paul Humble 377 15.8 +4.1
Liberal Democrats Sham Vedhara 305 12.8 +1.1
Majority 410 17.2 -8.7
Turnout 2,382 31.6 +1.1
Labour hold Swing
Redhill[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bryan Charlton 1,315 49.5 -6.6
BNP John Martin 517 19.5 -3.5
Independent Ian Leadbitter 359 13.5 +6.6
Conservative Martin Anderson 279 10.5 -0.3
Liberal Democrats Rob Boyce 185 7.0 +7.0
Majority 798 30.1 -3.0
Turnout 2,655 31.0 +1.1
Labour hold Swing
Ryhope[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Christopher Fairs 1,012 33.7 +3.5
Labour Ronald Bainbridge 983 32.7 -8.6
Independent Patrick Lavelle 509 16.9 +1.6
BNP Wayne Watts 291 9.7 -3.5
Liberal Democrats David Slone 209 7.0 +7.0
Majority 29 1.0
Turnout 3,004 37.3 +1.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Sandhill[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Scott 1,196 47.0 -9.8
Conservative Paula Wilkinson 662 26.0 -0.9
BNP Carl Donkin 358 14.1 -2.2
Liberal Democrats Robert Peel 327 12.9 +12.9
Majority 534 21.0 -8.8
Turnout 2,543 30.7 +0.3
Labour hold Swing
Shiney Row[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Anne Hall 1,571 48.4 -5.8
Conservative Joyce Wake 900 27.7 +3.5
Liberal Democrats Carol Attewell 424 13.1 +13.1
BNP Ian Baillie 350 10.8 +0.7
Majority 671 20.7 -9.3
Turnout 3,245 33.4 +1.7
Labour hold Swing
Silksworth[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Pat Smith 1,503 49.3 -6.0
Conservative Patricia Francis 866 28.4 -3.0
BNP Anthony James 406 13.3 +0.0
Liberal Democrats Alf Fowler 275 9.0 +9.0
Majority 637 20.9 -3.0
Turnout 3,050 36.7 +1.1
Labour hold Swing
Southwick[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rosalind Copeland 1,151 43.5 -1.3
Conservative Terence Docherty 702 26.5 +6.2
BNP Alan Brettwood 530 20.0 +2.6
Liberal Democrats Anne Griffin 263 9.9 -0.5
Majority 449 17.0 -7.5
Turnout 2,646 32.7 -0.2
Labour hold Swing
St Annes[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Susan Watson 1,089 45.3 -5.1
Conservative Shaun Cudworth 528 22.0 +4.8
BNP Julie Potter 415 17.3 +6.1
Liberal Democrats Simon Dawes 371 15.4 +5.2
Majority 561 23.3 -9.9
Turnout 2,403 29.5 +0.5
Labour hold Swing
St Chads[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Wright 1,660 50.3 +3.4
Labour Darryl Dixon 1,206 36.5 -3.9
BNP Lynne Hudson 249 7.5 +0.1
Liberal Democrats Diana Lambton 185 5.6 +5.6
Majority 454 13.8 +7.4
Turnout 3,300 41.7 -0.9
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
St Michaels[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Margaret Forbes 2,046 60.2 +0.8
Labour Lewis Atkinson 797 23.4 -2.1
Liberal Democrats Les Wascoe 342 10.1 +10.1
BNP Joanne Cruickshanks 216 6.4 +0.4
Majority 1,249 36.7 +2.8
Turnout 3,401 40.8 +1.5
Conservative hold Swing
St Peters[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lilian Walton 1,501 47.8 +4.0
Labour Stephen Bonallie 840 26.7 -4.5
Liberal Democrats Diana Matthew 443 14.1 +0.7
BNP Derek Wright 358 11.4 +2.5
Majority 661 21.0 +8.4
Turnout 3,142 37.8 +0.1
Conservative hold Swing
Washington Central[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dianne Snowdon 1,283 40.3 -8.3
Conservative Hilary Johnson 833 26.2 +3.0
Liberal Democrats John Mclelland 741 23.3 +5.6
BNP Clive Thompson 328 10.3 -0.2
Majority 450 14.1 -11.3
Turnout 3,185 36.3 +0.6
Labour hold Swing
Washington East[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ivan Richardson 1,384 43.2 +3.1
Labour Neville Padgett 1,291 40.3 +1.0
Liberal Democrats Malcolm Bannister 401 12.5 -1.7
BNP Paul Masters 130 4.1 -2.2
Majority 93 2.9 +2.1
Turnout 3,206 37.1 +1.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Washington North[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Kelly 1,490 53.0 -5.0
Conservative Kathleen Irvine 625 22.2 +5.9
Liberal Democrats Steve Thomas 365 13.0 -3.3
BNP Lynne Baillie 329 11.7 +2.3
Majority 865 30.8 -10.9
Turnout 2,809 32.3 +1.0
Labour hold Swing
Washington South[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Eddie Wake 1,326 42.5 +5.4
Labour Linda Williams 1,173 37.6 +2.2
Liberal Democrats David Griffin 390 12.5 -2.9
BNP Mildred Smart 229 7.3 -0.4
Majority 153 4.9 +3.3
Turnout 3,118 37.5 +2.7
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Washington West[12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bernard Scaplehorn 1,392 46.1 -6.8
Conservative Olwyn Bird 763 25.3 +7.8
Liberal Democrats Irene Bannister 538 17.8 -0.4
BNP Doreen Smart 326 10.8 +2.6
Majority 629 20.8 -13.9
Turnout 3,019 33.9 +0.8
Labour hold Swing

References
  1. "Sunderland". BBC News Online. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  2. "National: Full election results". The Guardian. 3 May 2008. p. 45.
  3. "Postal voting hits record high in polls". Sunderland Echo. 5 April 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  4. "Tory victory in by-election". Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  5. Webster, Philip (2 May 2008). "Labour endures worst poll night for 30 years". The Times. p. 2.
  6. "Labour to control unitary council". BBC News Online. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  7. "Tory leader: We can go on to win Sunderland". Sunderland Echo. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  8. Young, Peter (2 May 2008). "Labour takes a real hammering". Evening Chronicle. p. 8.
  9. "All the results from Tyneside and Wearside's local councils". Evening Chronicle. 8 May 2010. p. 2.
  10. Pearson, Adrian (2 May 2008). "Even loyal areas punish Labour for national ills". The Journal. p. 5.
  11. "Sunderland Tories celebrate; local elections 2008". The Journal. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  12. "Results of Poll". Sunderland City Council. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  13. "Results". The Times. 3 May 2008. p. 14.
  14. "Labour down five seats + video". Sunderland Echo. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
Preceded by
2007 Sunderland City Council election		 Sunderland City Council elections Succeeded by
2010 Sunderland City Council election
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