2008 Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council election

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

Map of the results of the 2008 Sandwell council election. Labour in red, Conservatives in blue and Liberal Democrats in yellow.

After the election, the composition of the council was

Background

Before the election Labour ran the council with 52 of the 72 seats, compared to 11 for the Conservatives, 5 Liberal Democrats, 2 British National Party and 2 independents.[3] This meant the Conservatives could not gain control of the council whatever the results, despite Labour defending 17 of the 24 seats being contested.[3] Other candidates in the election included 12 from the British National Party, 7 from the Green party and 1 Socialist Labour party candidate in Oldbury ward.[3]

Election result

The results saw Labour remain in control of the council with 49 seats, but the Conservatives made a net gain of 3 to move to 14 seats.[4][5] The Conservatives gained 4 of the 17 seats Labour had been defending, in the wards of Bristnall, Cradley Heath and Old Hill, Princes End and Wednesbury South.[6] However Labour did take 1 seat back from the Conservatives in St Pauls ward.[6] Labour put the results down to them keeping council tax levels low and improving services, however the Conservatives said they were moving forward in "a traditional Labour stronghold".[6]

The Liberal Democrats held the 2 seats they had been defending in Great Barr with Yew Tree and Newton wards to stay on 5 seats,[6][5] while neither the Greens or the British National Party won any seats.[6] The British National Party share of the vote in the 12 seats they contested,[6] dropped to 17% from the 33% they had won in the 2006 election.[7]

Sandwell Local Election Result 2008[8][9]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 14 1 4 -3 58.3 43.8 30,195 -1.3%
  Conservative 8 4 1 +3 33.3 36.1 24,881 +8.8%
  Liberal Democrats 2 0 0 0 8.3 9.8 6,780 -1.4%
  BNP 0 0 0 0 0 8.4 5,755 -6.8%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 1.5 1,006 +0.8%
  Socialist Labour 0 0 0 0 0 0.3 216 +0.3%
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 84 -0.4%

Ward results
Abbey[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ann Gieszcykiewicz-Jaron 1,571 51.7 -2.8
Conservative Ewart Johnson 916 30.2 +8.7
Liberal Democrats David Nikel 342 11.3 -12.7
Green Patricia Thompson 209 6.9 +6.9
Majority 655 21.6 -8.8
Turnout 3,038
Labour hold Swing
Blackheath[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mary Docker 1,497 54.0 +21.2
Labour Robert Hamblett 1,016 36.7 -6.1
Liberal Democrats Robert Johns 258 9.3 +9.3
Majority 481 17.4
Turnout 2,771
Conservative hold Swing
Bristnall[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Terence Grainger 1,306 46.7 +5.4
Labour Malcolm Bridges 1,235 44.1 -1.1
Liberal Democrats Emma Underhill 258 9.2 -4.3
Majority 71 2.5
Turnout 2,799
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Charlemont with Grove Vale[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Raymond Nock 1,635 48.3 +10.8
Labour Ralph Perkins 664 19.6 -5.3
BNP Arthur Copson 571 16.9 -3.4
Liberal Democrats Michaela Allcock 362 10.7 -6.6
Green John Macefield 155 4.6 +4.6
Majority 971 28.7 +16.1
Turnout 3,387
Conservative hold Swing
Cradley Heath and Old Hill[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Elizabeth Bowler 1,430 53.9 +23.8
Labour Margaret James 1,224 46.1 +1.0
Majority 206 7.8
Turnout 2,654
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Friar Park[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Geoffrey Lewis 1,027 44.9 +3.2
Conservative Thomas Nelson 691 30.2 +8.1
BNP Gordon Howells 427 18.7 -12.3
Liberal Democrats Dorothy Brayshaw 140 6.1 +0.9
Majority 336 14.7 +4.0
Turnout 2,285
Labour hold Swing
Great Barr with Yew Tree[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Sadie Smith 1,218 36.0 +3.5
Labour Roy Melia 905 26.7 +1.0
Conservative Robert White 715 21.1 +1.0
BNP Terence Lewin 547 16.2 -5.5
Majority 313 9.2 +2.4
Turnout 3,385
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Great Bridge[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Derek Rowley 1,220 45.0 -0.3
BNP Jennifer Howells 711 26.2 -3.9
Conservative Heather Gibson 629 23.2 +6.3
Liberal Democrats Nigel Richards 154 5.7 +2.4
Majority 509 18.8 +3.6
Turnout 2,714
Labour hold Swing
Greets Green and Lyng[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Edwards 1,259 51.3 +3.8
Conservative Elaine Fitzpatrick 592 24.1 +3.8
BNP David Howells 422 17.2 -7.8
Liberal Democrats Dorothy Jones 180 7.3 +0.2
Majority 667 27.2 +4.8
Turnout 2,453
Labour hold Swing
Hateley Heath[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Sandars 1,245 45.9 -2.8
Conservative Stephanie Page 706 26.0 +12.4
BNP James Vaughan 512 18.9 -10.6
Liberal Democrats Martin Roebuck 250 9.2 +0.9
Majority 539 19.9 +0.7
Turnout 2,713
Labour hold Swing
Langley[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Pauline Hinton 1,271 47.6 +0.3
Conservative Ronald Griffiths 897 33.6 +9.9
BNP Victoria Montgomery 364 13.6 -8.1
Liberal Democrats Ronald Hackett 137 5.1 -2.3
Majority 374 14.0 -9.6
Turnout 2,669
Labour hold Swing
Newton[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Joyce Underhill 1,310 45.4 +3.1
Conservative Valerie Ward 763 26.4 +3.0
Labour Shirley Hosell 719 24.9 -9.4
Green David Hawkins 94 3.3 +3.3
Majority 547 19.0 +11.0
Turnout 2,886
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Old Warley[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Leslie Pawlowski 1,494 45.6 +4.8
Labour Susan Crumpton 1,269 38.8 -7.0
Liberal Democrats Baden Smith 359 11.0 -2.4
Green Aldo Mussi 151 4.6 +4.6
Majority 225 6.9
Turnout 3,273
Conservative hold Swing
Oldbury[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Susan Downing 1,720 51.0 -13.4
Conservative Abdul Qayyum 1,173 34.8 -0.8
Liberal Democrats Richard Mitchener 265 7.9 +7.9
Socialist Labour Maureen Matthews 216 6.4 +6.4
Majority 547 16.2 -12.6
Turnout 3,374
Labour hold Swing
Princes End[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Beatrice Owen 974 46.0 +26.2
Labour Delia Edwards 718 33.9 -1.8
BNP Karen Parkes 427 20.2 -14.7
Majority 256 12.1
Turnout 2,119
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Rowley[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Iris Boucher 1,169 45.5 -6.6
Conservative Wayne Nicholas 896 34.9 +8.7
BNP John Salvage 384 15.0 -1.9
Green Vicky Dunn 118 4.6 -0.3
Majority 273 10.6 -15.3
Turnout 2,567
Labour hold Swing
St Paul's[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paramjit Randhawa 2,031 52.6 -8.2
Conservative Mohammed Sakhi 1,497 38.8 -0.4
Liberal Democrats Thomas Underhill 249 6.4 +6.4
Independent Roshan Randhawa 84 2.2 +2.2
Majority 534 13.8 -7.8
Turnout 3,861
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Smethwick[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Linda Horton 1,620 59.0 +5.4
Conservative William Shipman 758 27.6 +0.7
Liberal Democrats Roger Prior 369 13.4 -6.1
Majority 862 31.4 +4.8
Turnout 2,747
Labour hold Swing
Soho and Victoria[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Darren Cooper 1,972 70.9 +15.3
Liberal Democrats Kezia Malton 441 15.9 -16.3
Conservative Robert Lawrence 367 13.2 +3.2
Majority 1,531 55.1 +31.7
Turnout 2,780
Labour hold Swing
Tipton Green[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Jones 1,373 47.7 +0.6
Conservative Sandra Vickers 684 23.8 +7.4
BNP Keith Woodhouse 532 18.5 -10.4
Liberal Democrats Joanne Arnold 289 10.0 +2.5
Majority 689 23.9 +5.7
Turnout 2,878
Labour hold Swing
Tividale[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Maria Crompton 1,485 56.3 +14.7
Conservative Jack Sabharwal 1,155 43.8 +25.8
Majority 330 12.5 +0.7
Turnout 2,640
Labour hold Swing
Wednesbury North[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Archer 2,115 79.3 +23.4
Labour Babubhai Patel 553 20.7 -5.3
Majority 1,562 58.5 +28.6
Turnout 2,668
Conservative hold Swing
Wednesbury South[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Middleton 1,215 40.8 +11.1
Labour Robert Evans 1,144 38.4 -2.3
BNP Lee Bissell 467 15.7 -8.1
Green Colin Bye 151 5.1 +5.1
Majority 71 2.4
Turnout 2,977
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
West Bromwich Central[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kim Wilkinson 1,785 54.4 -0.9
Conservative Margaret Macklin 776 23.7 -7.3
BNP John Howells 391 11.9 +11.9
Liberal Democrats Russell George 199 6.1 -7.6
Green Brian Thompson 128 3.9 +3.9
Majority 1,009 30.8 +6.5
Turnout 3,279
Labour hold Swing

References
  1. "Sandwell". BBC News Online. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  2. "National: Full election results". The Guardian. 3 May 2008. p. 45.
  3. "Conservatives too far behind to seize reins". Birmingham Mail. 16 April 2008. p. 13.
  4. Johnson, Steve; Deeley, Tony; Williams, Dale (2 May 2008). "Tories delighted by a night of poll gains". Birmingham Mail. p. 5.
  5. "Sandwell Council local election results - veteran councillor ousted". Halesowen News. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  6. "Local elections: Black Country council sees rare relief for Labour Party". Birmingham Post. 3 May 2008. p. 4.
  7. Taylor, Matthew (3 May 2008). "National: Local elections: The also-rans: Modest night for BNP and Greens". The Guardian. p. 5.
  8. "Sandwell". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  9. "Results". The Times. 3 May 2008. p. 14.
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