2008 Halton Borough Council election

The 2008 Halton Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Halton Unitary Council in Cheshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was

Campaign

20 seats were contested in the election with Labour defending 12, the Liberal Democrats 6 and the Conservatives 2.[3] Among these seats were those of the Labour leader of the council, Tony McDermott, and the Liberal Democrat group leader, Linda Redhead.[3] There were 63 candidates including 20 from Labour, 19 each from the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, 4 from the Green party and 1 Citizens Party of Halton candidate.[4] Labour were expected to remain in control of the council, but both Liberal Democrats and Conservatives were hoping to make gains, with the Liberal Democrats targeting Runcorn and the wards of Castlefields and Halton Brook.[3]

A big issue in the election was a plan for an Ineos Chlor heat and power plant in the area with both the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives raising concerns from residents.[3] Other issues included the Mersey Gateway project and the government Building Schools for the Future programme for building new schools.[3] Labour were happy to defend their record in control of the council, but the Conservatives attacked council tax rises over the previous decade and the Liberal Democrats said that Runcorn had been neglected in favour of Widnes.[3]

Results

The results saw Labour remain in control of the council as they had been since it became a unitary authority in 1998.[5] Labour held all 12 seats they had been defending, including the leader of the council, Tony McDermott, who was comfortably re-elected in Broadheath ward.[5] He described the results as being a "real vote of confidence in the party".[5]

However, in Halton Brook ward the Labour councillor Stef Nelson only held his seat after a tie which required the drawing of lots.[6] Both Nelson and the Liberal Democrat candidate, Louise Whitley, won 551 votes after 7 recounts, requiring the Returning Officer to draw a lot to decide the result, with Nelson successful and thus being declared to have won the election by 1 vote.[6]

The only seat to change hands was Daresbury, where the Conservative Marjorie Bradshaw gained from the Liberal Democrats, in a ward which her husband had won in the 2007 election.[7] Elsewhere the Green party significantly reduced the Labour majority in Halton View ward.[7] Overall turnout in the election was slightly down at 26.84%.[8]

Halton Local Election Result 2008[8]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 12 0 0 0 60.0 38.1 9,108 -3.1%
  Liberal Democrats 5 0 1 -1 25.0 30.6 7,327 -0.2%
  Conservative 3 1 0 +1 15.0 27.4 6,557 +4.8%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 3.5 847 +0.2%
  Citizens Party of Halton 0 0 0 0 0 0.4 97 +0.0%

Ward results
Appleton[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eddie Jones 733 70.3 +9.0
Conservative Thomas Campbell 310 29.7 +10.8
Majority 423 40.6 -1.8
Turnout 1,043 22.2 -1.5
Labour hold Swing
Beechwood[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Linda Redhead 633 55.9 -15.0
Conservative David Walker 361 31.9 +19.7
Labour Peter Harding 139 12.3 -4.6
Majority 272 24.0 -30.0
Turnout 1,133 36.2 +2.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Birchfield[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Browne 812 57.9 -3.9
Labour Jo Gleave 398 28.4 -9.8
Liberal Democrats Jayne Worrall 193 13.8 +13.8
Majority 414 29.5 +5.9
Turnout 1,403 29.2 -0.6
Conservative hold Swing
Broadheath[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tony McDermott 557 58.8 -5.8
Conservative Phillip Harper 229 24.2 +5.1
Liberal Democrats Geoff Brown 161 17.0 +0.6
Majority 328 34.6 -10.9
Turnout 947 19.7 -5.0
Labour hold Swing
Castlefields[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Howard 555 48.8 +3.0
Liberal Democrats Simon Charlesworth 461 40.5 -5.6
Conservative Terence McDermott 122 10.7 +2.6
Majority 94 8.3
Turnout 1,138 25.3 -1.1
Labour hold Swing
Daresbury[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Marjorie Bradshaw 624 48.4 +0.1
Liberal Democrats Chris Inch 528 40.9 +5.6
Labour Amanda Stockton 138 10.7 -5.7
Majority 96 7.4 -5.6
Turnout 1,290 40.5 +3.0
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Ditton[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Marie Wright 650 43.6 -5.8
Conservative Stephan Pfaffenzeller 495 33.2 +2.6
Liberal Democrats Ann Curzon 346 23.2 +3.2
Majority 155 10.4 -8.4
Turnout 1,491 28.4 -1.3
Labour hold Swing
Farnworth[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Phillip Balmer 992 58.8 +5.7
Labour Robert Beck 391 23.2 -3.1
Liberal Democrats Ian Hare 185 11.0 -3.1
Green Maureen Miller 120 7.1 +0.6
Majority 601 35.6 +8.8
Turnout 1,688 31.4 -0.8
Conservative hold Swing
Grange[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Swain 528 47.7 +3.2
Conservative William Dowdle 319 28.8 +11.1
Liberal Democrats Sharam Mesdaghi 259 23.4 -14.5
Majority 209 18.9 +12.3
Turnout 1,106 22.3 -1.3
Labour hold Swing
Halton Brook[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stefan Nelson 552 43.9 +5.1
Liberal Democrats Louise Whitley 551 43.9 -11.1
Conservative Patricia Parkinson 153 12.2 +6.0
Majority 1 0.1
Turnout 1,256 26.3 -0.5
Labour hold Swing
Halton Lea[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Thompson 543 50.1 -2.6
Conservative Ian Adams 250 23.1 +6.9
Liberal Democrats Janet Clein 194 17.9 -4.1
Citizens Party of Halton Michael Gelling 97 8.9 -0.2
Majority 293 27.0 -3.7
Turnout 1,084 23.6 +1.4
Labour hold Swing
Halton View[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Polhill 658 37.9 -4.4
Green Derek Mellor 528 30.4 +6.8
Liberal Democrats Anna Curzon 336 19.4 -2.5
Conservative Denis Thomas 213 12.3 +0.1
Majority 130 7.5 -11.2
Turnout 1,735 33.7 +1.7
Labour hold Swing
Heath[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Michael Hodgkinson 1,194 70.3 +15.5
Conservative Barbara Price 323 19.0 +2.5
Labour Tedie Cole 181 10.7 -2.0
Majority 871 51.3 +13.0
Turnout 1,698 37.1 -1.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Hough Green[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Nolan 630 48.9 -4.5
Conservative Ruth Rowan 403 31.3 +6.7
Liberal Democrats Stephen Hare 148 11.5 -0.5
Green Miriam Hodgson 107 8.3 -1.7
Majority 227 17.6 -11.2
Turnout 1,288 24.1 +0.7
Labour hold Swing
Kingsway[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Margaret Horabin 570 59.0 -5.1
Conservative Frank Lloyd 217 22.5 +3.1
Green Linda Mellor 92 9.5 -7.0
Liberal Democrats Damian Curzon 87 9.0 +9.0
Majority 353 36.5 -8.2
Turnout 966 20.2 -1.1
Labour hold Swing
Mersey[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Sue Blackmore 634 51.8 -2.3
Labour Norman Plumpton 382 31.2 -2.3
Conservative Duncan Harper 207 16.9 +4.5
Majority 252 20.6 +0.0
Turnout 1,223 25.9 -0.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Norton North[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Dave Austin 863 60.0 +2.0
Labour Peter Lloyd Jones 327 22.7 -7.3
Conservative Mark Walsh 249 17.3 +5.2
Majority 536 37.2 +9.2
Turnout 1,439 29.3 +0.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Norton South[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ronald Hignett 587 61.5 -1.8
Liberal Democrats Andrew Whitley 215 22.5 -4.3
Conservative David Masheder 152 15.9 +6.0
Majority 372 39.0 +2.5
Turnout 954 20.1 -0.3
Labour hold Swing
Riverside[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Leadbetter 441 64.6 +0.4
Conservative Margaret Hill 126 18.4 +7.3
Liberal Democrats Paul Meara 116 17.0 -7.7
Majority 315 46.1 +6.6
Turnout 683 19.3 -1.5
Labour hold Swing
Windmill Hill[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Mike Shepperd 223 60.1 +15.1
Labour Arthur Cole 148 39.9 -4.9
Majority 75 20.2 +20.0
Turnout 371 22.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

References
  1. "Halton". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  2. "Recounts and drawing lots – the final picture around the region after election night". Liverpool Daily Post. 3 May 2008. p. 5.
  3. "Ineos plant and bridge key". Liverpool Daily Post. 26 April 2008. p. 11.
  4. "Revealed today – Halton's election line-up". Runcorn and Widnes World. 4 April 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  5. "And the winner is.. tie sees draw from envelope". Liverpool Echo. 2 May 2008. p. 2.
  6. "Election result decided by straw poll". Runcorn and Widnes World. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  7. Sharpe, Laura (2 May 2008). "Labour holds Halton stronghold". Liverpool Daily Post. p. 5.
  8. "Halton local election results 2008". Halton Borough Council. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
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