Council election in England
2008 North Hertfordshire District Council election |
15 of 49 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council 25 seats needed for a majority |
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| First party | Second party | Third party | | Con | LD | Lab | Leader | F. John Smith | Steve Jarvis | David Kearns | Party | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | Labour | Seats before | 30 | 9 | 10 | Seats after | 32 | 9 | 8 | Seat change | 2 | | 2 | Popular vote | 13,576 | 5,308 | 5,634 | Percentage | 49.6% | 19.4% | 20.6% | |
Leader before election F. John Smith Conservative | Leader after election F. John Smith Conservative | |
The 2008 North Hertfordshire Council election was held on 1 May 2008, at the same time as other local elections across England and Wales. Of the 49 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council, 15 were up for election.[1]
Only two seats changed party at the election, both of which were won by the Conservatives from Labour. The Conservatives therefore increased their majority on the council and their leader, F. John Smith, remained leader of the council. Whilst Labour's share of the vote increased, they were overtaken in seat numbers by the Liberal Democrats, who became the second largest party on the council. Prior to the election Labour was led by David Kearns, who was replaced after the election by Martin Stears.[2]
Overall results
The overall results were as follows:[3]
2008 North Hertfordshire District Council election |
Party | This election | Full council | This election |
Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| Conservative | 10 | 2 | 66.7 | 22 | 32 | 65.3 | 13,576 | 49.6 | +2.6 |
| Labour | 2 | 2 | 13.3 | 6 | 8 | 16.3 | 5,634 | 20.6 | +2.1 |
| Liberal Democrats | 3 | | 20.0 | 6 | 9 | 18.4 | 5,308 | 19.4 | -6.3 |
| Green | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2,065 | 7.5 | +0.1 |
| BNP | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 408 | 1.5 | n/a |
| UKIP | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 351 | 1.3 | +0.4 |
| Independent | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 21 | 0.1 | -0.4 |
Ward results
The results for each ward were as follows. Where the previous incumbent was standing for re-election they are marked with an asterisk(*).[4][5]
Baldock East ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Marilyn Roberta Kirkland* | 535 | 51.8% | −1.8 |
| Conservative | June Smith | 459 | 44.5% | −1.6 |
| Green | Karen Julie Harmel | 37 | 3.6% | n/a |
Turnout | 1,032 | 47.1% | |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | -0.1 | |
Baldock Town ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Michael Edwin Weeks* | 1,148 | 61.4% | −0.8 |
| Liberal Democrats | Robert Alan Young | 317 | 16.9% | −5.1 |
| Labour | Debbie Tara Hicks | 302 | 16.1% | −3.9 |
| Green | Sarah Elaine Pond | 96 | 5.1% | n/a |
Turnout | 1,871 | 34.2% | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +1.9 | |
Chesfield ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Lee Downie* | 746 | 43.6% | −16.0 |
| Conservative | Emma Denise Pelling | 700 | 40.9% | +1.7 |
| Labour | Bhavna Joshi | 212 | 12.4% | n/a |
| Green | Ann Karen De Bock | 50 | 2.9% | n/a |
Turnout | 1,711 | 37.6% | |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | -8.9 | |
Hitchin Bearton ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Deepak Singh Sangha* | 748 | 36.5% | −7.3 |
| Conservative | Charles Spencer Bunker | 700 | 34.2% | +7.6 |
| Liberal Democrats | Linda Helen Maynard | 302 | 14.7% | +1.2 |
| Green | Mark Ashley Walker | 284 | 13.9% | −5.0 |
Turnout | 2,048 | 34.2% | |
| Labour hold | Swing | -7.5 | |
Hitchin Highbury ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Clare Louise Body* | 1,186 | 47.3% | −8.3 |
| Conservative | Mark Hanson | 1,056 | 42.1% | +2.0 |
| Labour | Mark Francis Crawley | 141 | 5.6% | −1.4 |
| Green | Robert John Mardon | 118 | 4.7% | −5.6 |
Turnout | 2,508 | 43.3% | |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | -5.2 | |
Hitchin Oughton ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Joan Irene Kirby* | 640 | 50.8% | −2.7 |
| Conservative | Stephen Parker | 410 | 32.6% | +5.5 |
| Liberal Democrats | Ron Clark | 108 | 8.6% | −1.7 |
| Green | George Howe | 99 | 7.9% | −2.0 |
Turnout | 1,259 | 33.6% | |
| Labour hold | Swing | -4.1 | |
Hitchin Priory ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Richard Arthur Charles Thake* | 954 | 63.4% | +0.9 |
| Liberal Democrats | Lisa Victoria Courts | 262 | 17.4% | −2.8 |
| Green | Christopher James Honey | 148 | 9.8% | −3.5 |
| Labour | Araminta Jane Birdsey | 138 | 9.2% | −0.5 |
Turnout | 1,504 | 42.6% | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +1.9 | |
Hitchin Walsworth ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Raymond Lawrence Shakespeare-Smith* | 995 | 42.7% | −0.6 |
| Labour | Ryan Ottis Johnson | 660 | 28.4% | −5.4 |
| Green | Giles Colin Woodruff | 418 | 18.0% | −11.2 |
| Liberal Democrats | Andrew Darley | 249 | 10.7% | −5.8 |
Turnout | 2,328 | 39.1% | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +3.0 | |
Hitchwood, Offa and Hoo ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Claire Patricia Annette Strong* | 1,705 | 72.9% | +6.5 |
| Liberal Democrats | Peter Donald Johnson | 243 | 10.4% | −10.4 |
| Labour | Clare Helen Billing | 226 | 9.7% | −6.5 |
| Green | Harold Bland | 160 | 6.8% | −13.3 |
Turnout | 2,340 | 41.9% | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +8.5 | |
Knebworth ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Alan Bardett* | 1,071 | 70.1% | +4.0 |
| Labour | John Brian Burnell | 241 | 15.8% | +0.3 |
| Liberal Democrats | John Winder | 113 | 7.4% | −12.4 |
| Green | William Nicholas Huggonson Berrington | 94 | 6.2% | −6.0 |
Turnout | 1,528 | 37.9% | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +1.8 | |
Letchworth East ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Michael Paterson | 519 | 37.3% | +0.8 |
| Labour | Arthur Jarman* | 508 | 36.5% | −7.4 |
| Liberal Democrats | Rebecca Carole Greener | 129 | 9.3% | −6.9 |
| Green | Eric Morris Blakeley | 92 | 6.6% | n/a |
| BNP | Thomas Godfrey | 89 | 6.4% | n/a |
| UKIP | Julie Dawn Savage | 44 | 3.2% | n/a |
Turnout | 1,391 | 35.9% | |
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +4.1 | |
Letchworth Grange ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Paul Anthony James Marment | 808 | 36.9% | −6.3 |
| Labour | Jean Andrews | 727 | 33.2% | −10.3 |
| Liberal Democrats | Martin Geoffrey Penny | 237 | 10.8% | −5.2 |
| BNP | Barry Gillespie | 184 | 8.4% | n/a |
| UKIP | Susan Anne Mary Keeler | 135 | 6.2% | n/a |
| Green | Luke Jack Alfred Gouldstone | 95 | 4.3% | n/a |
Turnout | 2,192 | 38.4% | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +2.0 | |
Letchworth South East ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | David Charles Levett* | 1,084 | 53.6% | +6.8 |
| Labour | Nicholas Frederick Henry Kissen | 376 | 18.6% | −4.1 |
| Liberal Democrats | Julia Winter | 295 | 14.6% | −7.1 |
| UKIP | John Finbarr Barry | 172 | 8.5% | −9.1 |
| Green | Heidi Shona Mollart-Griffin | 83 | 4.1% | n/a |
Turnout | 2,022 | 35.4% | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +5.5 | |
Letchworth South West ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Terence William Hone* | 1,465 | 61.2% | +0.5 |
| Liberal Democrats | John Paul Winder | 464 | 19.4% | −4.1 |
| Labour | Headley Valentine Parkins | 240 | 10.0% | −1.1 |
| Green | Jonathan Guy Hart | 215 | 9.0% | −1.4 |
Turnout | 2,393 | 40.5% | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +2.3 | |
Letchworth Wilbury ward Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Elliot Needham | 502 | 37.6% | −4.5 |
| Labour | Ian Mantle* | 475 | 35.6% | −10.2 |
| BNP | Reginald Frank Norgan | 135 | 10.1% | n/a |
| Liberal Democrats | John Stephen White | 122 | 9.1% | −14.6 |
| Green | Susan Elizabeth Dye | 78 | 5.8% | n/a |
| Independent | Jiten Bardwaj | 21 | 1.6% | n/a |
Turnout | 1,334 | 33.2% | |
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +2.9 | |
References
- ^ "The District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2006", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2006/3112, retrieved 4 March 2023
- ^ "Council minutes, 15 May 2008" (PDF). North Hertfordshire District Council. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ Andrew, Teale. "Local Election Results 2008: North Hertfordshire". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "North Hertfordshire District Council Election Results 1973–2012" (PDF). The Elections Centre. Plymouth University. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ "Election Results 2008". North Hertfordshire District Council. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 5 March 2023.