Barrow-in-Furness Council election, 2008

Elections to Barrow-in-Furness Council was held on 1 May, 2008. The whole of the council was be up for election, with the number of councillors falling from 38 to 36, as a result of ward boundary changes enacted in February 2008. [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20080427_en_1 BARROW BOROUGH COUNCIL ELECTIONS - 1 MAY 2008] Barrow Borough Council; Accessed 11-04-08 ] Councillors were elected for terms ranging between two and four years; where more than one councillor was elected in a ward, the councillor with the highest number of votes was granted the longer term.

The election results were both tight and dramatic, with well known local councillors failing to be re-elected and recounts in certain wards delaying the announcement of votes. [ [http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=831589 Late Results to Decide Council Power] North West Evening Mail; 02-05-08; Accessed 02-05-08 ] No party gained control of the council, and local news sources claimed that the biggest winners from the election were the local People's Party, who quadrupled their number of councillors, [ [http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=831583 Peoples Party takes Ormsgill] North West Evening Mail; 02-05-08; Accessed 02-05-08 ] and independent candidates campaigning against plans to open an Academy school in the town. [http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=831592 INDEPENDENTS’ DAY] North West Evening Mail; 02-05-8; Accessed 02-05-08 ] Mirroring the results in other local elections across England and Wales held on the same day, the Conservative Party ended as the largest group on the council with the Labour Party party's representation dropping heavily.

Pre-Election Council

Following the 2007 election and the defection of two Conservative Party councillors to the Liberal Democrats in October 2007, [http://www.libdemvoice.org/two-tory-councillors-switch-to-liberal-democrats-1440.html Two Tory councillors switch to Liberal Democrats] Liberal Democrat Voice; Accessed 11-04-08 ] the composition of the council entering the election was:

Election Result

Election Summary Party
party = Conservative Party (UK)
seats = 17
gain = 3
loss = 3
net = 0
seats % = 47.2
votes % = 42.6
votes = 15 756
plus/minus = -3.5Election Summary Party
party = Labour Party (UK)
seats = 8
gain = 0
loss = 8
net = -8
seats % = 22.0
votes % = 34.4
votes = 12 724
plus/minus = -3.7Election Summary Party
party = Independent (politician)
seats = 6
gain = 5
loss = 1
net = 4
seats % = 16.7
votes % = 14.1
votes = 5 211
plus/minus = +5.0Election Summary
party = People's Party
seats = 4
gain = 3
loss = 0
net = 3
seats % = 11.0
votes % = 4.9
votes = 1 828
plus/minus = -0.3Election Summary Party
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
seats = 1
gain = 1
loss = 2
net = -1
seats % = 2.8
votes % = 3.2
votes = 1 173
plus/minus = +3.2Election Summary Party
party = British National Party
seats = 0
gain = 0
loss = 0
net = 0
seats % = 0.0
votes % = 0.9
votes = 321
plus/minus = +0.2

The break-down of councillor terms as a result of the election is shown below. The seats of the ten councillors with two year terms should be contested in the 2010 council election.

Ward results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Eric Wood
votes = 381
percentage = 80.9
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Trevor Biggins
votes = 90
percentage = 19.1
change = Election box majority
votes = 291
percentage = 61.8
change = Election box turnout
votes = 471
percentage = 25.2
change =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Mary Irwin
votes = 232
percentage =
change = Election box candidate
party = People's Party
candidate = Rosmerie Hamezeian
votes = 224
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Norman Hill
votes = 176
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Margaret Thomson
votes = 174
percentage =
change = Election box candidate
party = People's Party
candidate = Sarah Martinez
votes = 158
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes = 964
percentage = 20.3
change =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Jill Heath
votes = 870
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Kath Unwin
votes = 812
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Bill Bleasdale
votes = 730
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Dennis Bell
votes = 502
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Jayne Phizacklea
votes = 432
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Dermot O'Connor
votes = 386
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Lynn Murray
votes = 376
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes = 4,108
percentage = 32.0
change =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Timothy Bell
votes = 689
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Dorothy James
votes = 623
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = John Millar
votes = 577
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = David Gill
votes = 576
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Frank Murray
votes = 377
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Wendy Maddox
votes = 369
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Barry Doughty
votes = 347
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Graham Chester
votes = 329
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes = 3,887
percentage = 31.1
change =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Michael Stephenson
votes = 922
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Dave Roberts
votes = 779
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Jack Richardson
votes = 720
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Chloe Lancaster
votes = 719
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Bill Joughin
votes = 705
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Rebbecca Melling
votes = 290
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes = 4,135
percentage = 42.2
change =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = David Pidduck
votes = 445
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Michelle Roberts
votes = 441
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Phil Murray
votes = 359
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Kenneth Beeres
votes = 335
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes = 1,580
percentage = 20.4
change =

Election box candidate
party = People's Party
candidate = Jim Hamezeian
votes = 632
percentage =
change = Election box candidate
party = People's Party
candidate = Sheila Begley
votes = 407
percentage =
change = Election box candidate
party = People's Party
candidate = William McEwan
votes = 407
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Stephen Forbes
votes = 360
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Alison Giles
votes = 341
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Stephen Groundwater
votes = 295
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Ernest Wilson
votes = 280
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Margie Arts
votes = 235
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = James Tongue
votes = 226
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = British National Party
candidate = Mike Ashburner
votes = 185
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = British National Party
candidate = Eion McPoland
votes = 136
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes = 3,504
percentage = 31.4
change =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Dorothy Dawes
votes = 609
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Colin Liversedge
votes = 516
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Philip Solloway
votes = 511
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Bob Maltman
votes = 486
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Charles Elliot
votes = 299
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Lorraine Biggins
votes = 243
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Allison Johnston
votes = 216
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes = 2,880
percentage = 29.9
change =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Jim Jefferson
votes = 495
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Lisa Hammond
votes = 476
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Dominic McCavish
votes = 420
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = David McCormack
votes = 403
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Marie Derbyshire
votes = 390
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Tricia Kegg
votes = 375
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Linda Last
votes = 371
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Tina Macur
votes = 300
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Shirley Richardson
votes = 299
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes = 3,529
percentage = 32.0
change =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Des English
votes = 461
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Jean Waiting
votes = 427
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Jeffery Garnett
votes = 395
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Debra Seward
votes = 387
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes = 1,670
percentage = 21.6
change =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Ray Guselli
votes = 805
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Ken Williams
votes = 761
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Roy McClure
votes = 743
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Wayne Butler
votes = 493
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Kenneth Thomson
votes = 290
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Lovinia Williams
votes = 241
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes = 3,333
percentage = 36.4
change =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Des Barlow
votes = 746
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Anita Husband
votes = 680
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Anthony Callister
votes = 614
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Steve Smart
votes = 518
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Shahnaz Asghar
votes = 436
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Mike Macur
votes = 424
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes = 3,418
percentage = 30.1
change =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = David Marcus
votes = 637
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Ollie Flitcroft
votes = 594
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Alan Pemberton
votes = 592
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Colin Thomson
votes = 528
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = John Murphy
votes = 525
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Robert Pointer
votes = 506
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes = 3,382
percentage = 29.8
change =

References

External links

* [http://www.barrowbc.gov.uk/PDF/Full%20Results%20Borough%202008.pdf Initial Results List] , Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council
* [http://www.barrowbc.gov.uk/ Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council Homepage]

sequence
prev=Barrow-in-Furness Council election, 2007
list=Barrow-in-Furness local elections
next=Barrow-in-Furness Council election, 2010