2008 Tamworth Borough Council election

Map of the results of the 2008 Tamworth council election. Conservatives in blue and Labour in red.

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

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Background

Before the election the Conservatives held 23 seats, Labour had 6 and there was 1 independent councillor.[3] 10 seats were being contested, with the Conservatives defending 8 and Labour 2.[3] Among the councillors defending seats were the former Conservative council leader Ron Cook in Spittal ward and the Mayoress Mary Oates in Wilnecote.[3] Labour would have needed to gain every Conservative seat that was being contested in order to deprive the Conservatives of a majority.[3]

Election result

The results in Tamworth were one of the first local election results to be declared and saw just one seat change hands.[4] The Conservative party gained Galscote ward from the Labour to hold 24 seats, compared to 5 for Labour.[4][5] Galscote was taken by Conservative, Nicola Annandale, who was the fiancee of the leader of the council Jeremy Oates.[6] Overall turnout was 29.97%.[6]

The Conservative leader of the council Jeremy Oates said that voters were "fed up of party politics and have voted on the delivery of services".[6] However the Labour Member of Parliament for Tamworth, Brian Jenkins said that people had wanted "to give the Government a kicking" and that the election had been "all about national issues".[6]

Tamworth Local Election Result 2008[7]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 9 1 0 +1 90.0 49.5 8,477 +4.5%
  Labour 1 0 1 -1 10.0 36.7 6,285 -1.0%
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0 6.3 1,072 -2.6%
  Liberal Democrats 0 0 0 0 0 5.7 981 -0.4%
  BNP 0 0 0 0 0 1.7 293 -0.5%

Ward results

Amington[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Evelyn Rowe 887 48.7 +5.5
Labour Mark Fielding 680 37.3 −1.6
Independent James Mckay 255 14.0 −3.9
Majority 207 11.4 +7.1
Turnout 1,822 30.1 −1.9
Conservative hold Swing
Belgrave[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Pritchard 785 50.1 +1.3
Labour John Harper 587 37.4 +1.6
Independent Kevin Harcourt-Taylor 196 12.5 −2.9
Majority 198 12.7 −0.3
Turnout 1,568 28.6 −0.5
Conservative hold Swing
Bolehall[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Faulkner 864 54.9 −3.1
Conservative Simon Clements 710 45.1 +3.1
Majority 154 9.8 −6.2
Turnout 1,574 28.6 −2.9
Labour hold Swing
Castle[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Chippy Lees 963 52.6 +5.0
Labour Garry Hirons 651 35.6 −2.6
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Pinkett 216 11.8 −2.4
Majority 312 17.0 +7.6
Turnout 1,830 33.6 −0.9
Conservative hold Swing
Glascote[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicola Annandale 675 51.6 +25.0
Labour Dennis Powick 634 48.4 +15.9
Majority 41 3.2
Turnout 1,309 24.3 −1.3
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Mercian[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Samuel Munn 763 40.2 +3.7
Labour Neil Fuller 526 27.7 −1.3
Independent Richard Kingstone 403 21.3 −1.0
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Blake 204 10.8 −1.4
Majority 237 12.5 +5.0
Turnout 1,896 36.3 −1.7
Conservative hold Swing
Spital[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ronald Cook 1,053 51.3 −1.6
Labour Mike Cooke 728 35.4 +3.2
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Blake 273 13.3 −1.6
Majority 325 15.9 −4.8
Turnout 2,054 37.2 −1.3
Conservative hold Swing
Stonydelph[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Danny Cook 689 47.8 +9.2
Labour Margaret Clarke 458 31.8 −4.5
BNP Lynne Smith 293 20.3 −4.8
Majority 231 16.0 +13.7
Turnout 1,440 25.0 −2.4
Conservative hold Swing
Trinity[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gerald Pinner 1,017 57.3 +3.1
Labour David Foster 471 26.5 −5.4
Liberal Democrats Roger Jones 288 16.2 +2.3
Majority 546 30.8 +8.5
Turnout 1,776 30.2 −3.8
Conservative hold Swing
Wilnecote[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mary Oates 935 50.8 −2.9
Labour Kenneth Lewis 686 37.3 −9.0
Independent Andrew Whiles 218 11.9 +11.9
Majority 249 13.5 +6.1
Turnout 1,839 27.1 −1.9
Conservative hold Swing

References

  1. ^ "Tamworth". BBC News Online. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  2. ^ "National: Full election results". The Guardian. 3 May 2008. p. 45.
  3. ^ a b c d Thandi, Gurdip (16 April 2008). "Blue defence almost impregnable". Birmingham Mail. p. 14.
  4. ^ a b "Tories pick up a seat in Tamworth". Coventry Telegraph. 1 May 2008. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
  5. ^ "BNP makes gains in Stoke-on-Trent". BBC Online. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
  6. ^ a b c d "Fiancee helps to tighten the grip in Tamworth". Birmingham Mail. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
  7. ^ "Local elections Results". The Times. 2 May 2008. p. 28.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Tamworth". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 8 May 2011.