2008 Pendle Borough Council election
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Pendle_UK_local_election_2008_map.svg/300px-Pendle_UK_local_election_2008_map.svg.png)
The 2008 Pendle Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Pendle Borough Council in Lancashire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats lost overall control of the council to no overall control.[1]
After the election, the composition of the council was
Background
[edit]Before the election the Liberal Democrats held control of the council with 28 seats,[3] but a loss of 4 seats would mean they lost their majority.[4] 17 seats were contested in the election, with the Liberal Democrats defending 12, the Conservatives 4 and Labour 1 seat.[3]
5 councillors stood down at the election, 2 Liberal Democrats from Bradley and Walverden wards, 2 Conservatives from Earby and Reedley and Labour's David Whalley from Vivary Bridge ward.[3] Councillors who were defending seats included the leader of the council, Liberal Democrat Alan Davies, in Boulsworth, deputy mayor Marjorie Adams in Coates ward and the chairman of the Nelson committee David Foster in Clover Hill.[3] The only candidates standing in the election not from the 3 main parties, were 4 from the British National Party and 2 independents.[3]
Campaign
[edit]The election saw complaints of voting fraud involving postal voting, leading to a police investigation[5] and the matter being raised in Parliament by the local Member of Parliament Gordon Prentice.[6] These allegations involved both the Liberal Democrat parliament candidate for Pendle constituency Afzal Anwar and Labour councillor Mohammed Tariq, after multiple postal votes were registered at their addresses.[7] Both men denied doing anything and were supported by their parties, saying everyone registered at the addresses were entitled to vote.[7] The police dropped the enquiry after concluding that there had been no wrongdoing.[8]
During the campaign the national Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg visited Pendle to support his party.[9]
Election result
[edit]The results saw the Liberal Democrats lost their majority on the council after suffering a net loss of 8 seats.[10] Defeated councillors for the Liberal Democrats included the leader of the council Alan Davies in Boulsworth, Nelson Committee chairman David Foster in Clover Hill, Shelley Franklin in Craven, Frank Wren in Brierfield and Judith Robinson in Southfield.[11] The Liberal Democrats blamed their defeats on a targeted campaign by the Conservatives, while the Conservatives said the "tide is now turning towards us".[12]
The Labour and Conservative parties both made significant gains from the Liberal Democrats.[11] However Labour did lose one seat back to the Liberal Democrats in Vivary Bridge and the Conservatives lost a seat in Marsden to the British National Party.[11] There was also a success for an independent candidate, with Glenn Whittaker taking Craven from the Liberal Democrats.[11] These results meant the Liberal Democrats held 20 seats, the Conservatives 16, Labour 10, British National Party 2 as well as 1 independent.[13] Overall turnout in the election was 41.58%.[14]
Following the election the parties held talks on control of the council with reports that an agreement between the Conservative and Labour parties to take over from the Liberal Democrats was possible.[15] However these were not successful and the new leader of the Liberal Democrats group, John David, became leader of the council at the head of a minority administration,[13] after an 18-17 vote at the council meeting.[16]
Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | 6 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 35.3 | 40.5 | 10,911 | +5.9% | |
Labour | 5 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 29.4 | 23.0 | 6,183 | +5.3% | |
Liberal Democrats | 4 | 1 | 9 | -8 | 23.5 | 29.5 | 7,954 | -5.3% | |
BNP | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 5.9 | 4.8 | 1,289 | -2.2% | |
Independent | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 5.9 | 2.2 | 602 | -2.1% |
Ward results
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/Pendle_2008_election_map.png/300px-Pendle_2008_election_map.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Anthony Beckett | 1,136 | 67.3 | +0.4 | |
Labour | Susan Nike | 411 | 24.4 | −0.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Michael Bradshaw | 140 | 8.3 | +0.5 | |
Majority | 725 | 43.0 | +1.4 | ||
Turnout | 1,687 | 42.4 | +0.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Michael Calvert | 1,189 | |||
Conservative | George Askew | 1,006 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Alan Davies | 663 | |||
Liberal Democrats | David Robertson | 618 | |||
Labour | Gerard McCabe | 133 | |||
Labour | John Pope | 69 | |||
Turnout | 3,678 | 48.4 | |||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Mohammad Sakib | 946 | 54.1 | +10.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Jamil Mohammed | 474 | 27.1 | −7.2 | |
Conservative | Zahid Chaudry | 329 | 18.8 | +4.1 | |
Majority | 472 | 27.0 | +17.3 | ||
Turnout | 1,749 | 39.3 | −11.8 | ||
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Naeem Ashraf | 863 | 47.2 | +25.3 | |
Conservative | Ann Jackson | 632 | 34.6 | +6.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Francis Wren | 332 | 18.2 | −31.5 | |
Majority | 231 | 12.6 | |||
Turnout | 1,827 | 49.7 | −0.9 | ||
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Eileen Ansar | 624 | 37.7 | +13.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | David Foster | 533 | 32.2 | −0.6 | |
Conservative | Timothy Eyre | 496 | 30.0 | +18.0 | |
Majority | 91 | 5.5 | |||
Turnout | 1,653 | 43.4 | −2.1 | ||
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Marjorie Adams | 665 | 45.5 | −4.2 | |
Conservative | Keith Bailey | 637 | 43.6 | +29.9 | |
Labour | William Skinner | 158 | 10.8 | +1.5 | |
Majority | 28 | 1.9 | −20.4 | ||
Turnout | 1,460 | 35.7 | −1.8 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Glenn Whittaker | 559 | 32.6 | +5.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Shelley Franklin | 437 | 25.5 | −21.4 | |
Conservative | Sandra Bunn | 427 | 24.9 | −0.9 | |
BNP | Geoffrey Whitehead | 235 | 13.7 | +13.7 | |
Labour | Robert Oliver | 56 | 3.3 | +3.3 | |
Majority | 122 | 7.1 | |||
Turnout | 1,714 | 48.9 | +10.9 | ||
Independent gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Valerie Langtree | 1,248 | 69.5 | +0.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Jacqueline Taylforth | 325 | 18.1 | +0.4 | |
Labour | David Foat | 223 | 12.4 | −0.7 | |
Majority | 923 | 51.4 | +0.0 | ||
Turnout | 1,796 | 39.0 | −1.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Smith Benson | 670 | 49.2 | +28.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Dorothy Lord | 507 | 37.2 | −6.5 | |
Labour | Anthony Hargreaves | 185 | 13.6 | −1.9 | |
Majority | 163 | 12.0 | |||
Turnout | 1,362 | 34.3 | −3.3 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BNP | Adam Grant | 412 | 39.1 | +0.8 | |
Conservative | Gary Rowland | 339 | 32.2 | +16.0 | |
Labour | Dorothy Ormrod | 221 | 21.0 | −10.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Mark Upward | 82 | 7.8 | −6.7 | |
Majority | 73 | 6.9 | −0.5 | ||
Turnout | 1,054 | 41.1 | −1.6 | ||
BNP gain from Conservative | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Michael Blomeley | 1,250 | 71.1 | +7.5 | |
Labour | Robert Allen | 285 | 16.2 | −3.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Mubashir Ali | 224 | 12.7 | −3.9 | |
Majority | 965 | 54.9 | +11.1 | ||
Turnout | 1,759 | 42.8 | −4.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Sheila Wicks | 547 | 36.6 | +13.3 | |
Conservative | Paul McKenna | 487 | 32.6 | +14.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | Judith Robinson | 462 | 30.9 | −9.7 | |
Majority | 60 | 4.0 | |||
Turnout | 1,496 | 37.1 | −1.6 | ||
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Glennda Clegg | 490 | 35.6 | −10.3 | |
Conservative | Geoffrey Riley | 393 | 28.5 | +8.9 | |
BNP | Veronica Cullen | 305 | 22.1 | +2.6 | |
Labour | Ian Tweedie | 189 | 13.7 | −1.4 | |
Majority | 97 | 7.0 | −19.3 | ||
Turnout | 1,377 | 33.8 | −1.0 | ||
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Mohammed Khalid | 610 | 44.0 | −6.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Asghar Ali | 400 | 28.9 | −8.3 | |
Conservative | Barbara King | 376 | 27.1 | +15.3 | |
Majority | 210 | 15.2 | +1.5 | ||
Turnout | 1,386 | 51.6 | +0.9 | ||
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Anthony Greaves | 492 | 39.9 | −2.2 | |
BNP | Helen Mulligan | 337 | 27.3 | +7.4 | |
Conservative | James Ilott | 211 | 17.1 | +5.1 | |
Labour | Anthony Martin | 151 | 12.2 | −4.8 | |
Independent | Ian Robinson | 43 | 3.5 | −1.0 | |
Majority | 155 | 12.6 | −9.6 | ||
Turnout | 1,234 | 33.1 | −5.1 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Nadeem Ahmed | 1,110 | 65.0 | +21.3 | |
Labour | Mohammad Tariq | 512 | 30.0 | −21.7 | |
Conservative | Victoria Landriau | 85 | 5.0 | +0.4 | |
Majority | 598 | 35.0 | |||
Turnout | 1,707 | 64.9 | −6.8 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing |
References
[edit]- ^ "Pendle". BBC News Online. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
- ^ "National: Full election results". The Guardian. 3 May 2008. p. 45.
- ^ a b c d e "May local elections - candidates announced". Burnley Express. 7 April 2008.
- ^ Moseley, Tom (25 April 2008). "Pendle council elections preview". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ "Police probe into Pendle vote fraud allegations". Burnley and Pendle Citizen. 9 April 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ Turner, Kate (23 April 2008). "Nelson house 'with 27 voters' brought up in Parliament". Burnley and Pendle Citizen. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ a b Magill, Peter (11 April 2008). "27 voters at would-be MP's home". Burnley and Pendle Citizen. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ Magill, Peter (28 April 2008). "Pendle Lib Dem MP candidate police probe dropped". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ MAgill, Peter (16 April 2008). "Lib Dem leader visiting Burnley and Pendle". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ Jenkins, Russell (2 May 2008). "Lib Dems refuse to admit defeat in Liverpool after Clegg's first ballot test". The Times. p. 27.
- ^ a b c d "Pendle 'hung council' - local election results". Burnley Express. 2 May 2008.
- ^ Hussain, Samrana (2 May 2008). "Pendle election results: Lib Dems lose overall control". Burnley and Pendle Citizen. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ a b "Liberal Democrats to continue running Pendle Council". Burnley Express. 16 May 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Election Results". Pendle Borough Council. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
- ^ "Labour and Conservatives in talks over Pendle power-sharing". Lancashire Telegraph. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ Hussain, Samrana (17 May 2008). "Lib Dems hang on to Pendle thanks to majority of one". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ "Results". The Times. 3 May 2008. p. 14.