Three Rivers Council election, 2008

Elections to Three Rivers District Council were held on 1 May, 2008. One-third of the council was up for election. The Liberal Democrats won the most seats, despite the Conservatives winning more votes. The Conservatives also gained a seat, strengthening their position against the Liberal Democrats, who remained stayed in overall control of Three Rivers.

The election was marked by the collapse of Labour support in South Oxhey: the part of the district that Labour are at their strongest. Most notably, they lost one seat, Ashridge, to the far-right British National Party (BNP).cite news |first=Hayley |last=Korn |title=Labour loses to BNP in South Oxhey |url=http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/search/display.var.2243841.0.labour_loses_to_bnp_in_south_oxhey.php |publisher=Watford Observer |date=2 May 2008 |accessdate=2008-05-25 ] Another seat, Northwick, was lost to the Conservatives. Labour's group leader, Kerron Cross, only narrowly retained his seat, with the BNP candidate coming second by 14 votes in a tight three-horse race.

After the election, the composition of the council was
* Liberal Democrat 31 (0)
* Conservative 12 (+1)
* Labour 4 (-2)
* British National Party 1 (+1)

Election result

Election Summary Party
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
seats = 9
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
seats % = 52.9
votes % = 43.6
votes = 9,292
plus/minus = -11.3%Election Summary Party
party = Conservative Party (UK)
seats = 5
gain = 1
loss = 0
net = +1
seats % = 29.4
votes % = 47.1
votes = 10,035
plus/minus = +11.4%Election Summary Party
party = Labour Party (UK)
seats = 1
gain = 0
loss = 2
net = -2
seats % = 5.9
votes % = 5.9
votes = 1,266
plus/minus = -1.8%Election Summary Party
party = British National Party
seats = 1
gain = 1
loss = 0
net = +1
seats % = 5.9
votes % = 2.4
votes = 502
plus/minus = +2.4%Election Summary Party
party = English Democrats Party
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
seats % = 0
votes % = 0.7
votes = 152
plus/minus = +0.7%Election Summary Party
party = United Kingdom Independence Party
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
seats % = 0
votes % = 0.3
votes = 74
plus/minus = -0.4%

Ward results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = David Major
votes = 904
percentage = 65.0
change = +4.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Andy Woodard
votes = 387
percentage = 27.8
change = +1.1Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Jeannie Mehta
votes = 99
percentage = 7.1
change = -5.9Election box majority
votes = 517
percentage = 2.7
change = +3.7Election box turnout
votes = 1,390
percentage = 37.6
change = -3.8Election box hold with party link
winner = Liberal Democrats (UK)
swing = +1.9

Election box candidate with party link
party = British National Party
candidate = Padraic Dunning
votes = 282
percentage = 33.8
change = +33.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Yessica Gould
votes = 264
percentage = 31.7
change = -1.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Nena Spellen
votes = 244
percentage = 29.3
change = -10.3Election box candidate with party link
party = United Kingdom Independence Party
candidate = Andrew Shanks
votes = 44
percentage = 5.3
change = +5.3Election box majority
votes = 18
percentage = 2.2
change = N/AElection box turnout
votes = 834
percentage = 32.0
change = +3.2Election box gain with party link
winner = British National Party
loser = Labour Party (UK)
swing = +22.0

Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Geoff Dunne
votes = 985
percentage = 56.4
change = -2.9Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Craig Lewell
votes = 663
percentage = 38.0
change = +4.5Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Brendan O'Brien
votes = 99
percentage = 5.7
change = -1.6Election box majority
votes = 322
percentage = 18.4
change = -7.4Election box turnout
votes = 1747
percentage = 44.0
change = -7.3Election box hold with party link
winner = Liberal Democrats (UK)
swing = -3.7

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Richard Booth
votes = 1,015
percentage = 81.7
change = +7.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Barbara Green
votes = 288
percentage = 18.3
change = -7.4Election box majority
votes = 787
percentage = 63.3
change = +14.7Election box turnout
votes = 1,243
percentage = 37.9
change = -8.2Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
swing = +7.4

Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Harry Davies
votes = 1,238
percentage = 52.5
change = +3.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Bob Arthy
votes = 1,059
percentage = 44.9
change = +0.2Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Karen McIntosh
votes = 62
percentage = 2.6
change = -3.2Election box majority
votes = 179
percentage = 7.6
change = +2.8Election box turnout
votes = 2,359
percentage = 55.7
change = -5.6Election box hold with party link
winner = Liberal Democrats (UK)
swing = +1.4

Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Brian Norman
votes = 833
percentage = 51.0
change = -3.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Mark Englefield
votes = 647
percentage = 39.6
change = +5.4Election box candidate with party link
party = English Democrats Party
candidate = Roger Holmes
votes = 152
percentage = 9.3
change = +9.3Election box majority
votes = 186
percentage = 11.4
change = -8.9Election box turnout
votes = 1,632
percentage = 38.4
change = -6.6Election box hold with party link
winner = Liberal Democrats (UK)
swing = -4.4

Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Kerron Cross
votes = 234
percentage = 32.3
change = -25.2Election box candidate with party link
party = British National Party
candidate = Deidre Gates
votes = 220
percentage = 30.3
change = +30.3Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Jacqueline Worrall
votes = 186
percentage = 25.7
change = +2.7Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = David Lowes
votes = 55
percentage = 7.6
change = -11.9Election box candidate with party link
party = United Kingdom Independence Party
candidate = Richard Evans
votes = 30
percentage = 4.1
change = +4.1Election box majority
votes = 14
percentage = 1.9
change = -27.9Election box turnout
votes = 725
percentage = 28.6
change = -2.0Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing = -13.9

Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Chris Whateley-Smith
votes = 802
percentage = 68.1
change = +5.6Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Margaret Lambert
votes = 256
percentage = 21.8
change = -0.6Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Stephen Cox
votes = 119
percentage = 10.1
change = -5.0Election box majority
votes = 545
percentage = 46.3
change = +6.1Election box turnout
votes = 1,178
percentage = 32.8
change = -5.7Election box hold with party link
winner = Liberal Democrats (UK)
swing = +3.1

Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Sue Bartrick
votes = 807
percentage = 72.0
change = +12.7Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Christopher Hawes
votes = 242
percentage = 21.6
change = -8.5Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Colin Gray
votes = 72
percentage = 6.4
change = -4.3Election box majority
votes = 565
percentage = 50.4
change = +21.2Election box turnout
votes = 1,121
percentage = 27.9
change = -6.1Election box hold with party link
winner = Liberal Democrats (UK)
swing = +10.6

Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Peter Wakeling
votes = 774
percentage = 62.4
change = -2.3Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = James McGowan
votes = 466
percentage = 37.6
change = +2.3Election box majority
votes = 308
percentage = 24.8
change = -4.6Election box turnout
votes = 1,240
percentage = 30.9
change = -6.4Election box hold with party link
winner = Liberal Democrats (UK)
swing = -2.3

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Amrit Mediratta
votes = 1,206
percentage = 76.6
change = +2.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Gabriel Aitman
votes = 368
percentage = 23.4
change = -2.0Election box majority
votes = 838
percentage = 53.2
change = +4.0Election box turnout
votes = 1,574
percentage = 35.7
change = -7.7Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
swing = +2.0

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Alistair Macdonald
votes = 284
percentage = 33.7
change = +3.7Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Ron Spellen
votes = 282
percentage = 33.5
change = -9.9Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Alan Feldman
votes = 276
percentage = 32.8
change = +6.3Election box majority
votes = 2
percentage = 0.2
change = N/AElection box turnout
votes = 842
percentage = 23.6
change = -3.9Election box gain with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
loser = Labour Party (UK)
swing = +6.8

Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Alison Scarth
votes = 593
percentage = 60.8
change = +14.5Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = David Williams
votes = 328
percentage = 33.6
change = -9.5Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Leslie Beckett
votes = 55
percentage = 5.6
change = -5.0Election box majority
votes = 265
percentage = 27.2
change = +23.9Election box turnout
votes = 976
percentage = 38.1
change = -3.5Election box hold with party link
winner = Liberal Democrats
swing = +12.0

Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Sarah Nelmes
votes = 441
percentage = 58.7
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Maximin Green
votes = 310
percentage = 41.3
change = Election box majority
votes = 131
percentage = 17.4
change = Election box turnout
votes = 751
percentage = 29.9
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Liberal Democrats
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Paula Hiscocks
votes = 957
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = David Sansom
votes = 879
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Anthony Humphreys
votes = 310
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Jill Swainson
votes = 292
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes = 2,438
percentage = 36.3
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
swing = Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Russell Smith
votes = 885
percentage = 69.6
change = +9.7Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Patricia Howell
votes = 386
percentage = 30.4
change = -5.2Election box majority
votes = 499
percentage = 39.3
change = +14.9Election box turnout
votes = 1,271
percentage = 45.8
change = -5.6Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
swing = +7.5

Footnotes

References

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/elections/local_council/08/html/26uj.stm BBC News results for Three Rivers]
* [http://www.threerivers.gov.uk/GetResource.aspx?file=2008%20Election%20Results%20(District).pdf Results on Three Rivers District Council official website]

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