2008 Harrogate Borough Council election

The 2008 Harrogate Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Harrogate Borough Council in North Yorkshire, 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 Harrogate council election. Conservatives in blue and Liberal Democrats in yellow. Urban areas of the council, which did not have elections in 2008, are shown in grey.

After the election, the composition of the council was

Campaign

Before the election the Conservatives held 24 of the 54 seats, the Liberal Democrats 23 and independents 6.[3] A further seat in Lower Nidderdale was vacant after the death of Conservative councillor Elwyn Hinchcliffe.[3]

16 seats were contested in the election, all from the rural areas of the council, with the Conservatives the party defending in 13 seats and the Liberal Democrats in 3.[3] 2 incumbent councillors stood down at the election, Nick Wilson from Newby ward and Chris Lewis from Ouseburn ward.[4] The Conservatives contested all 16 seats, the Liberal Democrats 15, British National Party 6, Labour 5, United Kingdom Independence Party 3 and 1 independent.[3]

Issues in the election included a possible recycling plant near Boroughbridge and the storage site for toxic chemicals in Melmerby,[5] as well as the issues of transport, affordable housing and the council tax.[4]

Election result

The results saw the Conservatives gain 2 seats from the Liberal Democrats to hold 27 seats, exactly half of the council.[6] The Conservatives gained Boroughbridge and Ouseburn wards, by 161 and 731 votes respectively, to reduce the Liberal Democrats to 21 seats.[7] The only seat held by the Liberal Democrats was in Pateley Bridge by 77 votes, but they came 34 votes short of taking Lower Nidderdale and 37 votes from taking Claro.[8] No other party won any seats in the election, while 6 independent councillors remained on the council, after none of them had been defending seats in the election.[6] Overall turnout in the election was 48%, the highest in a decade apart from the all postal voting election in 2004.[6]

Harrogate local election result 2008[9][10]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 15 2 0 +2 93.8 65.8 11,590 +27.8%
  Liberal Democrats 1 0 2 -2 6.3 27.0 4,749 -18.9%
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0 3.0 537 -5.1%
  BNP 0 0 0 0 0 2.0 353 -2.3%
  Labour 0 0 0 0 0 1.5 258 -1.8%
  UKIP 0 0 0 0 0 0.7 132 +0.3%

Ward results
Bishop Monkton[9][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Galloway 675 68.4 -2.5
Liberal Democrats Steve Barlow 312 31.6 +2.5
Majority 363 36.8 -5.0
Turnout 987 45.0 -8.0
Conservative hold Swing
Boroughbridge[9][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Windass 660 55.6 +9.8
Liberal Democrats Peter Phillips 499 42.0 -12.2
Labour Pat Foxall 28 2.4 +2.4
Majority 161 13.6
Turnout 1,187 50.7 +1.8
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Claro[9][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Anthony Alton 713 50.4 -16.9
Liberal Democrats Malcolm Howe 676 47.8 +15.1
Labour Geoff Foxall 26 1.8 +1.8
Majority 37 2.6 -32.0
Turnout 1,415 56.6 +3.7
Conservative hold Swing
Killinghall[9][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Harrison 823 77.7 +2.8
Liberal Democrats Paul Butters 173 16.3 -8.8
UKIP Jennifer Hunter 32 3.0 +3.0
Labour Andrew Gray 31 2.9 +2.9
Majority 650 61.4 +11.6
Turnout 1,059 45.1 -7.4
Conservative hold Swing
Kirkby Malzeard[9][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Margaret Atkinson 765 73.3 +5.5
Liberal Democrats Albert Weidemann 210 20.1 -12.1
BNP Ashley Banner 68 6.5 +6.5
Majority 555 53.2 +17.6
Turnout 1,043 44.8 -9.9
Conservative hold Swing
Lower Nidderdale[9][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Christine Hill 648 49.7 -2.0
Liberal Democrats Tom Watson 614 47.0 -1.3
BNP James Thackray 43 3.3 +3.3
Majority 34 2.6 -0.8
Turnout 1,305 53.9 -10.5
Conservative hold Swing
Marston Moor[9][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Savage 663 53.6 -12.3
Independent Norman Waller 537 43.4 +43.4
BNP Sam Clayton 36 2.9 +2.9
Majority 126 10.2 -21.6
Turnout 1,236 56.1 +12.3
Conservative hold Swing
Mashamshire[9][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nigel Simms 594 76.4 +18.5
Liberal Democrats John Stockdale 183 23.6 +6.4
Majority 411 52.9 +19.9
Turnout 777 39.8 -16.0
Conservative hold Swing
Newby[9][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nick Brown 621 61.5 +2.6
Liberal Democrats Steve Jones 388 38.5 -2.6
Majority 233 23.1 +5.3
Turnout 1,009 42.2 -8.2
Conservative hold Swing
Nidd Valley[9][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Les Ellington 829 74.9 +27.0
Liberal Democrats Howard Cohen 177 16.0 -15.9
BNP Colin Banner 72 6.5 -3.6
UKIP John Upex 29 2.6 +2.6
Majority 652 58.9 +32.9
Turnout 1,107 52.2 -11.3
Conservative hold Swing
Ouseburn[9][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Martin Leather 865 77.1 +30.9
Liberal Democrats Clare McKenzie 134 11.9 -41.9
Labour John Fisher 123 11.0 +11.0
Majority 731 65.2
Turnout 1,122 48.0 -13.1
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Pateley Bridge[9][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Stan Beer 544 51.5 -0.3
Conservative Kathy Sewell 467 44.2 -4.0
BNP Joel Banner 46 4.4 +4.4
Majority 77 7.3 +3.7
Turnout 1,057 53.7 -4.6
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Ribston[9][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Caroline Bayliss 742 75.0 +6.9
Liberal Democrats David Tankard 176 17.8 -14.1
UKIP Timothy Hunter 71 7.2 +7.2
Majority 566 57.2 +21.0
Turnout 989 41.6 -11.6
Conservative hold Swing
Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale[9][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Shirley Fawcett 804 75.6 +11.4
Liberal Democrats Matthew Webber 121 11.4 -7.0
BNP Michelle Shrubb 88 8.3 +8.3
Labour Richard Wilson 50 4.7 +4.7
Majority 683 64.3 +18.5
Turnout 1,063 43.4 -13.9
Conservative hold Swing
Washburn[9][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Grange 957 79.5 +5.9
Liberal Democrats Nick Anderson 247 20.5 -5.9
Majority 710 59.0 +11.9
Turnout 1,204 48.5 -11.3
Conservative hold Swing
Wathvale[9][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Chris Brown 764 72.1 -1.7
Liberal Democrats Bernard Bateman 295 27.9 +1.7
Majority 469 44.3 -3.2
Turnout 1,059 46.3 +0.1
Conservative hold Swing

References
  1. "Harrogate". BBC News Online. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  2. "National: Full election results". The Guardian. 3 May 2008. p. 45.
  3. "Tories look to keep their grip on rural wards". Harrogate Advertiser. 7 April 2008. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  4. "Sixteen wards set to vote in elections". The Northern Echo. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  5. "Tory rule on a knife edge at council elections". Harrogate Advertiser. 24 April 2008. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  6. "Tories pleased by election gains". Harrogate Advertiser. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  7. "Tory joy but no power shift in council". Yorkshire Post. 3 May 2008. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  8. "Council hung as Tories gain". Harrogate Advertiser. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  9. "District Council election" (PDF). Harrogate Borough Council. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  10. "Results". The Times. 3 May 2008. p. 14.
  11. "Election Results 2008". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
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