Cheltenham Council election, 2008
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Cheltenham Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Cheltenham
Borough
Council in Gloucestershire
, England
. Half of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control
.
After the election, the composition of the council was
and Liberal Democrats had 17 seats each, People Against Bureaucracy 5 and Labour
1 seat, with the Conservatives forming the administration. 20 seats were being contested with both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats contesting all of the seats, while Labour contested 9, Greens
4 and People Against Bureaucracy 3 seats. The only Labour councillor
Diana Hale stood down at the election, along with 2 Conservative and 1 People Against Bureaucracy councillors, while Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Coleman contested Leckhampton
instead of his existing seat in St Paul's ward
.
During the campaign the national Conservative leader David Cameron
briefly visited Cheltenham to campaign, raising the issues of post office
s being closed, garden grabbing, preserving local shops and house building on flood plains.
ward.
The Conservatives stayed on 17 seats, while the People Against Bureaucracy group lost 2 seats to have 3 councillors. Labour was wiped out after losing their last seat in Oakley
, with the party only coming in third place in the ward. Overall turnout
in the election was 35.1%.
As a result of the election the Liberal Democrats took over control of the administration of the council from the Conservatives. The change in control came in a vote with the Liberal Democrat leader Steve Jordan receiving 18 votes, compared to 19 abstention
s and the remaining 3 councillors being absent.
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
Borough
Borough status in the United Kingdom
Borough status in the United Kingdom is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district...
Council in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Half of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control
No overall control
Within the context of local councils of the United Kingdom, the term No Overall Control refers to a situation in which no single party achieves a majority of seats and is analogous to a hung parliament...
.
After the election, the composition of the council was
- Liberal Democrat 20
- ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
17 - People Against Bureaucracy 3
Campaign
Before the election the ConservativesConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
and Liberal Democrats had 17 seats each, People Against Bureaucracy 5 and Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
1 seat, with the Conservatives forming the administration. 20 seats were being contested with both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats contesting all of the seats, while Labour contested 9, Greens
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
4 and People Against Bureaucracy 3 seats. The only Labour councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
Diana Hale stood down at the election, along with 2 Conservative and 1 People Against Bureaucracy councillors, while Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Coleman contested Leckhampton
Leckhampton
Leckhampton is a district in south Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. The area constitutes a civil parish and is part of the district of Cheltenham.-History:...
instead of his existing seat in St Paul's ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
.
During the campaign the national Conservative leader David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
briefly visited Cheltenham to campaign, raising the issues of post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
s being closed, garden grabbing, preserving local shops and house building on flood plains.
Election result
The results saw the Liberal Democrats become the largest party on the council with 20 of the 40 seats after making 3 gains. The Liberal Democrats held vulnerable seats in All Saints and St Peters wards, while making gains from each of the other 3 groups which had been defending seats. They also almost defeated the Conservative leader of the council Duncan Smith who held on by 33 votes in Charlton KingsCharlton Kings
Charlton Kings is a suburb of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, England. The area constitutes a civil parish. Prior to the Local Government Act 1972 coming into force on April 1, 1974, it had been an urban district...
ward.
The Conservatives stayed on 17 seats, while the People Against Bureaucracy group lost 2 seats to have 3 councillors. Labour was wiped out after losing their last seat in Oakley
Oakley, Gloucestershire
Oakley is a district of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, England. It is home to the smaller of Cheltenham's two GCHQ sites, and residential housing including private, council-owned and social housing. It backs onto Cleeve Hill and Harp Hill, greenbelt land and part of the Cotswold hills, including a...
, with the party only coming in third place in the ward. Overall turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
in the election was 35.1%.
As a result of the election the Liberal Democrats took over control of the administration of the council from the Conservatives. The change in control came in a vote with the Liberal Democrat leader Steve Jordan receiving 18 votes, compared to 19 abstention
Abstention
Abstention is a term in election procedure for when a participant in a vote either does not go to vote or, in parliamentary procedure, is present during the vote, but does not cast a ballot. Abstention must be contrasted with "blank vote", in which a voter casts a ballot willfully made invalid by...
s and the remaining 3 councillors being absent.