Fareham Council election, 2008
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Fareham Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Fareham
Borough
Council in Hampshire
, England
. Half of the council was up for election and the Conservative party
stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
, Green party
, United Kingdom Independence Party
, British National Party
and the English Democrats Party
, but the election was seen as being mainly between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
Both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats pledged to improve parking in Fareham
, oppose a proposed gravel extraction site and build less new houses. The Conservatives defended their record in control of the council pointing to low council tax
rates, extra hours of free bus travel for pensioners and recycling at 46% of waste. However the Liberal Democrats promised to revert to weekly rubbish collection
instead of the fortnightly service that was introduced in 2005, improve street cleaning and scrap a fee for calling out pest control
lers.
. The largest majority was in Sarisbury
where the Conservatives won over 82% of the vote, while the closest results came in Stubbington
and Fareham East, with the Liberal Democrats holding Fareham East by 80 votes after a recount. The only ward to see a new councillor
was Titchfield
where Conservative Tiffany Harper replaced Francis Devonshire, who stepped down at the election. Overall turnout
in the election was 40.25%.
Fareham (borough)
Fareham is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Fareham. Other places within the Borough include Portchester, Stubbington, Hill Head, Titchfield, Warsash, Locks Heath, Sarisbury and half of Whiteley...
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 Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, 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 Conservative party
Conservative 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...
stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
- 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...
22 - Liberal Democrat 9
Campaign
Before the election the Conservatives held 22 seats compared to 9 for the Liberal Democrats, with the Conservatives having run the council for the previous 9 years. Other candidates stood from the Labour partyLabour 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...
, Green party
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...
, United Kingdom Independence Party
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
, British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
and the English Democrats Party
English Democrats Party
The English Democrats are an English federalist political party, committed to the formation of a devolved English Parliament with at least the same powers as those granted to the Scottish Parliament. Whilst not supporting English Independence, the English Democrats consider themselves the English...
, but the election was seen as being mainly between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
Both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats pledged to improve parking in Fareham
Fareham
The market town of Fareham lies in the south east of Hampshire, England, between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, roughly in the centre of the South Hampshire conurbation.It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area...
, oppose a proposed gravel extraction site and build less new houses. The Conservatives defended their record in control of the council pointing to low council tax
Council tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
rates, extra hours of free bus travel for pensioners and recycling at 46% of waste. However the Liberal Democrats promised to revert to weekly rubbish collection
Waste collection
Waste collection is the component of waste management which results in the passage of a waste material from the source of production to either the point of treatment or final disposal...
instead of the fortnightly service that was introduced in 2005, improve street cleaning and scrap a fee for calling out pest control
Pest control
Pest control refers to the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest, usually because it is perceived to be detrimental to a person's health, the ecology or the economy.-History:...
lers.
Election result
The results saw no seats change hands with the Conservatives keeping control with a majority of 13. The Conservatives held 12 seats, many with increased majorities, the Liberal Democrats held 3, while Labour failed to win any seats and came last in many wardsWards 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:...
. The largest majority was in Sarisbury
Sarisbury
Sarisbury is a village to the west of Park Gate within the borough of Fareham. Its focal point, The Green, originated as a tongue of land at the extremity of Titchfield Common which was left when the rest was enclosed. Its focal point is still the parish church of St Paul, built in 1836 to a...
where the Conservatives won over 82% of the vote, while the closest results came in Stubbington
Stubbington
Stubbington is a large Hampshire village which is located between Southampton and Portsmouth on the south coast of England. It is within the borough of Fareham but is part of the parliamentary constituency of Gosport.-History:...
and Fareham East, with the Liberal Democrats holding Fareham East by 80 votes after a recount. The only ward to see a new 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:...
was Titchfield
Titchfield
Titchfield is a village in southern Hampshire, by the River Meon. The village has a history stretching back to the 6th century. During the medieval period, the village operated a small port and market...
where Conservative Tiffany Harper replaced Francis Devonshire, who stepped down at the election. 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 40.25%.