2008 Wokingham Borough Council election

The 2008 Wokingham Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Wokingham Unitary Council in Berkshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

Map of the results of the 2008 Wokingham council election. Conservatives in blue and Liberal Democrats in yellow. Wards in grey were not contested in 2008.

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Campaign

18 seats were contested in the election with candidates from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Labour, United Kingdom Independence Party, Green Party and British National Party standing.[3] The leader of the council, Conservative councillor Frank Browne, was one of a number of councillors who stood down at the election.[3] The Conservatives were defending 14 seats compared to 4 for the Liberal Democrats.[4]

The Conservatives defended their record in running the council and committed themselves to keeping a weekly bin collection, fight to keep down the number of new houses being built in the council area and continue investing in services.[4] Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats criticised cuts in adult social care services and school maintenance funds and attacked a lack of democracy over proposed developments.[4] Other issues raised in the election included crime and council tax increases.[4]

Election result

The election saw only one seat change hands with the Conservatives gaining Hillside from the Liberal Democrats to remain in control of the council with 44 of the 54 seats.[5] Hillside ward had seen the former Liberal Democrat councillor, Alan Spratling, step down at the election and he was succeeded by Conservative Pauline Jorgensen, wife of another councillor for Hillside, Norman Jorgensen.[6] The election also saw the United Kingdom Independence Party overtake Labour in the number of votes won across the council to win the third most votes.[6] Overall turnout in the election was 38.23%.[7]

Following the election David Lee was elected as the new leader of the council to replace Frank Browne after he had stood down at the election.[8]

Wokingham Local Election Result 2008[7]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 15 1 0 +1 83.3 57.7 21,241 +6.2%
  Liberal Democrats 3 0 1 -1 16.7 30.5 11,218 -1.8%
  UKIP 0 0 0 0 0 6.1 2,239 -0.4%
  Labour 0 0 0 0 0 4.8 1,781 -1.9%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 0.7 272 -0.1%
  BNP 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 44 +0.1%

Ward results
Bulmershe & Whitegates[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Lissaman 1,168 45.1 -5.8
Conservative Mohammed Younis 944 36.5 +6.9
Labour Gregory Bello 345 13.3 -0.9
UKIP Peter Jackson 131 5.1 -0.2
Majority 224 8.6 -12.7
Turnout 2,588 40.8 +2.8
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Charvil[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Emma Hobbs 746 65.8 +14.8
Liberal Democrats Arthur Illenden 317 28.0 -14.0
Labour Brian Scott 51 4.5 +1.5
UKIP Joan Huntley 20 1.8 -2.3
Majority 429 37.8 +28.8
Turnout 1,134 50.3 -3.1
Conservative hold Swing
Emmbrook[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ullakarin Clark 1,521 55.8 +6.6
Liberal Democrats Keith Malvern 788 28.9 -4.7
UKIP Ann Davis 289 10.6 -1.3
Labour Paul Sharples 128 4.7 -0.5
Majority 733 26.9 +11.3
Turnout 2,726 44.0 +0.5
Conservative hold Swing
Evendons[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Dianne King 1,456 63.1 +5.3
Liberal Democrats Jeremy Harley 521 22.6 -1.8
UKIP Michael Spencer 203 8.8 -2.6
Labour Anthony Skuse 128 5.5 -0.9
Majority 935 40.5 +7.1
Turnout 2,308 35.2 -1.2
Conservative hold Swing
Finchampstead North[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Gore 1,420 76.2 +5.1
Liberal Democrats James May 325 17.4 -2.5
UKIP Ian Gordon 118 6.3 +0.3
Majority 1,095 58.8 +7.6
Turnout 1,863 44.2 -2.6
Conservative hold Swing
Finchampstead South[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gerald Cockcroft 1,177 67.0 -1.9
Liberal Democrats Roland Cundy 438 24.9 +5.1
UKIP Geoffrey Bulpitt 142 8.1 +1.7
Majority 739 42.1 -7.0
Turnout 1,757 39.9 -2.1
Conservative hold Swing
Hawkedon[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Matthew Deegan 1,275 67.0 +7.1
Liberal Democrats John Eastwell 538 28.3 +3.4
UKIP David Lamb 90 4.7 +2.0
Majority 737 38.7 +3.7
Turnout 1,903 27.5 -2.7
Conservative hold Swing
Hillside[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Pauline Jorgensen 1,449 52.5 +2.0
Liberal Democrats David Hare 1,038 37.6 -2.7
Labour David Sharp 174 6.3 +0.9
UKIP Geraint Jones 99 3.6 -0.2
Majority 411 14.9 +4.7
Turnout 2,760 42.2 -0.6
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Hurst[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Annette Drake 699 75.4 +3.8
Liberal Democrats Haydon Trott 136 14.7 -6.5
Labour Daniel Clifton 53 5.7 -1.5
UKIP Amy Thornton 39 4.2 +4.2
Majority 563 60.7 +10.3
Turnout 927 43.6 +0.2
Conservative hold Swing
Loddon[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Phillip Challis 1,234 54.3 +12.1
Conservative Parvinder Batth 842 37.1 -8.4
Labour Alberto Troccoli 112 4.9 -2.5
UKIP Bernard Wakeford 84 3.7 -1.2
Majority 392 17.2
Turnout 2,272 34.9 +1.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Maiden Erlegh[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Christopher Edmunds 1,508 58.7 +2.5
Liberal Democrats Caroline Smith 584 22.7 -3.5
Labour Jacqueline Rupert 206 8.0 +0.6
Green David Hogg 136 5.3 -0.4
UKIP Peter Williams 134 5.2 +0.8
Majority 924 36.0 +6.0
Turnout 2,568 35.2 -0.6
Conservative hold Swing
Norreys[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lee Gordon-Walker 1,369 59.4 0.0
Liberal Democrats Stephen Bacon 446 19.3 +0.5
UKIP Keith Knight 257 11.1 +3.6
Labour Jennifer Spratley 234 10.1 -0.2
Majority 923 40.1 -0.5
Turnout 2,306 35.2 -3.1
Conservative hold Swing
Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Claire Stretton 1,330 74.5 +1.0
Liberal Democrats Martin Alder 382 21.4 +2.6
Labour Stuart Crainer 73 4.1 +0.3
Majority 948 53.1 -1.6
Turnout 1,785 42.3 -4.7
Conservative hold Swing
Shinfield South[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Malcolm Bryant 1,140 71.6 +19.0
Liberal Democrats Richard Mitchell 259 16.3 +16.3
Green Marjory Bisset 136 8.5 +0.6
UKIP Andrew Findlay 57 3.6 +0.8
Majority 881 55.3 +39.5
Turnout 1,592 32.7 -10.0
Conservative hold Swing
Twyford[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Stephen Conway 1,441 68.3 +7.6
Conservative John Jarvis 560 26.5 +2.7
Labour Roy Mantel 65 3.1 -9.2
UKIP Gerald Sleep 45 2.1 -1.1
Majority 881 41.8 +4.9
Turnout 2,111 46.9 -0.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Wescott[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Wyatt 929 60.2 +0.2
Liberal Democrats David Vaughan 304 19.7 -3.8
UKIP Franklin Carstairs 164 10.6 -0.2
Labour John Woodward 102 6.6 +0.9
BNP Mark Burke 44 2.9 +2.9
Majority 625 40.5 +4.0
Turnout 1,543 37.9 -0.9
Conservative hold Swing
Winnersh[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Elizabeth Siggery 1,162 48.4 +5.5
Liberal Democrats John Peffers 997 41.5 -6.2
UKIP Vincent Pearson 134 5.6 -0.1
Labour John Baker 110 4.6 +1.0
Majority 165 6.9
Turnout 2,403 36.1 -2.8
Conservative hold Swing
Wokingham Without[7][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Pauline Helliar-Symons 1,714 76.2 +4.6
Liberal Democrats Robert May 302 13.4 -3.5
UKIP Graham Widdows 233 10.4 -1.1
Majority 1,412 62.8 +8.1
Turnout 2,249 37.4 -0.7
Conservative hold Swing

References
  1. "Wokingham". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
  2. "National: Full election results". The Guardian. 3 May 2008. p. 45.
  3. "Parties line up for May elections". getwokingham. 17 April 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
  4. "Lib Dems fight with Tories to hang on to vital seats in elections". getwokingham. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
  5. "Wokingham: Election news mini-feed". getwokingham. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
  6. "Tories increase hold in borough". Reading Post. 6 May 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
  7. "Local election results". Wokingham Borough Council. Archived from the original on 12 May 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
  8. "Meet the leader". getwokingham. 15 May 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
  9. "Wokingham Borough Council election results". Reading Chronicle. 2 May 2008. Archived from the original on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
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