2008 Carlisle City Council election

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

The 2008 Carlisle City Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Carlisle District Council in Cumbria, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Background[edit]

Before the election the Labour Party held 25 seats, compared to 19 Conservatives, 7 Liberal Democrats and 1 independent.[3] However the Conservatives had run the council since 1999, latterly with the support of the Liberal Democrats.[3]

17 seats were scheduled to be contested, with Labour needing 1 gain to probably be able to take control.[3] 3 councillors stood down at the election, Conservative Judith Prest from Brampton ward and Labour's John Reardon and Ray Warwick from Upperby and Yewdale wards respectively.[3] As well as candidates from the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties, there were also 9 candidates from the British National Party, 1 from the English Democrats and 4 independents, including the only sitting independent councillor, Bill Graham in Hayton.[3]

Campaign[edit]

Labour targeted the seat of Morton from the Liberal Democrats, while campaigning on pledges to establish a theatre/arts centre and to review the Carlisle Renaissance programme, which would see 100 new homes built every year for a decade.[3] However the Conservatives aimed to take Belle Vue and Yewdale from Labour, and Dalston from the Liberal Democrat group leader Trevor Allison.[3] The Conservatives defended their record in control of the council, pointing to council tax increases being kept down and increased recycling rates.[3] Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats promised to campaign against the closure of post offices.[3]

During the campaign the British National Party candidate for Upperby, Les Griffiths, died and as a result the election in Upperby was postponed.[4] In the week before the election one of the Labour councillors for Upperby, June Martlew, also died and as a result both seats were set to be filled at a by-election on 12 June after the main council election had taken place.[4][5]

Election result[edit]

The Conservatives gained 2 seats from Labour to move level with Labour on 21 seats.[6] The Conservative gains came in Belle Vue by 62 votes and in Yewdale, which they took by 42 votes after having fallen 10 votes short in 2007.[4] These were the first urban seats the Conservatives had held south of the River Eden since 2004.[4] Elsewhere the Conservatives came within 66 votes of defeating the Labour group leader Michael Boaden in Botcherby and the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Carlisle parliamentary constituency, John Stevenson, easily held his seat in Stanwix Urban.[7] The Conservatives put their gains down to the unpopularity of the national Labour government[4] and saw the results as a good sign for the next general election, as they were 1,481 votes ahead of Labour in the wards that made up Carlisle constituency.[7]

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats stayed on 7 seats after holding all 3 seats they had been defending, with their group leader Trevor Allison increasing his majority to 223 in Dalston, from just 1 when he took the seat in 2004.[7] Independent Bill Graham was the only other candidate elected, holding his seat in Hayton comfortably, but the British National Party did come second in Currock, for the second election in a row, with an increased 28% of the vote.[7] Overall turnout at the election was 38.1%,[2] an increase from 35.5% in 2007.[4]

Following the election Conservative Mike Mitchelson was re-elected as leader of the council,[8] with the Liberal Democrats continuing to have a seat on the council executive.[9]

Carlisle local election result 2008[2][10]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 7 2 0 +2 43.8 40.8 10,346 -1.8%
  Labour 5 0 2 -2 31.3 30.6 7,743 -8.0%
  Liberal Democrats 3 0 0 0 18.8 13.9 3,514 +2.0%
  Independent 1 0 0 0 6.3 5.4 1,377 +3.8%
  BNP 0 0 0 0 0 8.6 2,187 +3.6%
  English Democrat 0 0 0 0 0 0.7 176 +0.3%

Ward results[edit]

Belah[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Morton 1,212 66.6 +23.3
Labour Elaine Thomson 431 23.7 -1.8
English Democrat Stephen Gash 176 9.7 +4.6
Majority 781 42.9 +25.1
Turnout 1,819 38.1 -2.0
Conservative hold Swing
Belle Vue[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mike Clarke 682 42.1 +0.1
Labour Ian Stockdale 620 38.2 -5.9
Liberal Democrats Louise Winspear 163 10.1 -3.8
BNP Glen Gardner 156 9.6 +9.6
Majority 62 3.8
Turnout 1,621 36.1 +1.8
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Botcherby[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Boaden 509 36.1 -13.9
Conservative John Blenkham 443 31.4 -1.0
Independent Bobby Betton 313 22.2 +22.2
BNP Karl Chappell 145 10.3 -7.3
Majority 66 4.7 -13.0
Turnout 1,410 30.8 +3.0
Labour hold Swing
Brampton[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Layden 913 75.1 -2.7
Labour Alex Faulds 302 24.9 +2.7
Majority 611 50.3 -5.4
Turnout 1,215 34.8 -1.9
Conservative hold Swing
Castle[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jim Tootle 562 44.3 -9.8
Labour Christopher Southward 299 23.6 -5.9
Conservative Charlotte Arnold 206 16.2 -0.3
Independent Simon Osman 202 15.9 +15.9
Majority 263 20.7 -3.9
Turnout 1,269 29.7 +2.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Currock[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Colin Glover 692 46.2 +1.7
BNP Brian Allan 420 28.1 +4.0
Conservative Lawrence Fisher 286 19.1 +0.8
Liberal Democrats Olive Hall 99 6.6 -6.6
Majority 272 18.2 -2.2
Turnout 1,497 33.6 +4.8
Labour hold Swing
Dalston[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Trevor Allison 1,151 50.2 +19.6
Conservative Gareth Ellis 928 40.4 -12.7
Labour Grant Warwick 216 9.4 -6.9
Majority 223 9.7
Turnout 2,295 47.4 +6.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Denton Holme[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joan Southward 627 43.5 -23.0
Conservative Geoffrey Prest 347 24.1 -9.4
Independent Allan Stevenson 188 13.1 +13.1
BNP Rob Walker 170 11.8 +11.8
Liberal Democrats Janet Tootle 108 7.5 +7.5
Majority 280 19.4 -13.6
Turnout 1,440 30.7 +2.8
Labour hold Swing
Great Corby and Geltsdale[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Doreen Parsons 471 70.7 +9.5
Labour Helen Horne 195 29.3 +29.3
Majority 276 41.4 +18.9
Turnout 666 39.0 -13.2
Conservative hold Swing
Harraby[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Carole Rutherford 685 41.7 -3.3
Conservative Michele Gwillim 513 31.3 +4.9
BNP Joyce Chisholm 272 16.6 +1.4
Liberal Democrats Colin Farmer 171 10.4 -3.0
Majority 172 10.5 -8.0
Turnout 1,641 34.4 -1.8
Labour hold Swing
Hayton[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent William Graham 674 74.2 -9.3
Conservative Harry Cain 234 25.8 +9.3
Majority 440 48.5 -18.5
Turnout 908 54.5 -2.9
Independent hold Swing
Morton[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Nan Farmer 799 35.6 -4.1
Labour Ann Warwick 740 32.9 -15.1
BNP David Barnes 466 20.7 +20.7
Conservative Teresa Cartner 242 10.8 -1.5
Majority 59 2.6
Turnout 2,247 47.2 +5.6
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
St. Aidans[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lucy Patrick 661 42.2 -9.1
Conservative Barbara Eden 453 28.9 -6.1
BNP Tony Carvell 232 14.8 +1.1
Liberal Democrats Paul Hendy 219 14.0 +14.0
Majority 208 13.3 -3.0
Turnout 1,565 34.1 +1.6
Labour hold Swing
Stanwix Urban[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Stevenson 1,188 61.2 -6.3
Labour Richard Thurn 511 26.3 -6.2
Liberal Democrats Deborah Clode 242 12.5 +12.5
Majority 677 34.9 -0.1
Turnout 1,941 41.1 +1.3
Conservative hold Swing
Wetheral[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Barry Earp 1,283 78.5 +12.9
Labour Roger Horne 352 21.5 +7.2
Majority 931 56.9 +5.6
Turnout 1,635 43.8 +0.6
Conservative hold Swing
Yewdale[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Fiona Robson 945 43.5 -6.2
Labour Steven Bowditch 903 41.5 -8.8
BNP Michael Elliott 326 15.0 +15.0
Majority 42 1.9
Turnout 2,174 44.4 +4.0
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

By-elections between 2008 and 2010[edit]

Upperby[edit]

A by-election in Upperby was held on 12 June 2008 for 2 seats on the council, after the deaths of a British National Party candidate during the council election campaign, and then the death of Labour councillor June Martlew.[11] Labour held both seats, with a reduced majority, thereby becoming the largest party on the council with 23 seats, compared to 21 for the Conservatives.[11]

Upperby by-election 12 June 2008 (2 seats)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Donald Cape 595
Labour Ann Warwick 515
Liberal Democrats James Osler 428
Conservative Georgina Clarke 346
BNP Brian Allan 321
BNP Alistair Barbour 278
Conservative Gareth Ellis 275
Turnout 2,758 36.1 +0.7
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Belah and Castle[edit]

By-elections were held in Belah and Castle wards on 5 March 2009, after the death of Conservative councillor for Belah, Sandra Fisher, in December 2008, and the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor for Castle, Kimberly Hunter, in January 2009.[12] Both seats were held by the defending party, Conservative Gareth Ellis in Belah and Liberal Democrat Colin Farmer in Castle, with Labour finishing second in both seats.[12]

Belah by-election 5 March 2009[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gareth Ellis 700 46.4 -20.3
Labour Paul Thurn 307 20.3 -3.4
Independent Dave Miller 221 14.6 +14.6
BNP Tony Carvell 142 9.4 +9.4
Liberal Democrats James Osler 79 5.2 +5.2
Green Hazel Bowmaker 61 4.0 +4.0
Majority 393 26.0 -16.9
Turnout 1,510 31.4 -6.7
Conservative hold Swing
Castle by-election 5 March 2009[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Colin Farmer 465 36.0 -8.3
Labour Steven Bowditch 304 23.5 +0.0
BNP Alistair Barbour 255 19.7 +19.7
Conservative Allan Stevenson 143 11.1 -5.2
Green John Reardon 125 9.7 +9.7
Majority 161 12.5 -8.2
Turnout 1,292 30.4 -0.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Carlisle". BBC News Online. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Election Results 2008". Carlisle City Council. Archived from the original on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Whittle, Julian (9 April 2008). "Who will get your vote on May 1?". News and Star. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "Tories take seats from Labour". News and Star. 2 May 2008. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  5. ^ "By-election date is set". News and Star. 12 May 2008. Retrieved 3 December 2011.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "No overall control for Carlisle". BBC News Online. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  7. ^ a b c d Whittle, Julian (3 May 2008). "Tories on course to take Carlisle at next election". News and Star. Retrieved 3 December 2011.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ Whittle, Julian (23 May 2008). "Jacqui takes the chains as new city mayor". News and Star. Retrieved 3 December 2011.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ Whittle, Julian (20 May 2008). "Council executive shake-up". News and Star. Retrieved 3 December 2011.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ "Local elections 2008" (PDF). House of Commons Library. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  11. ^ a b c Whittle, Julian (14 June 2008). "Labour hold onto seats in by-election". News and Star. Archived from the original on 9 February 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  12. ^ a b c d "Tories and Lib Dems hold Carlisle by-election seats". News and Star. 6 March 2009. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
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