Elections to Preston City Council took place on 1 May 2008.

Preston council is elected "in thirds" which means one councillor from each three-member ward, and councillors from selected two-member wards, are elected each year, with one year free from all elections to ensure all councillors serve a full term.

Due to the "in thirds" system, these election results are compared to the Preston Council election, 2004.

Summary

In this summary, "seats" represent the number of wards each party are defending. In two cases this year, the winning candidate in 2004 has since defected to another party, but for comparison the defending party is that from 2004.

In this summary box, The Left List are a party split from RESPECT - The Unity Coalition. The device "No Label" represents those candidates with no party description according to the official candidates list on the website of Preston City Council.

Ashton

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by 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...

, majority 51

Brookfield

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by Labour Party

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...

, majority 265

Cadley

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by Liberal Democrats, majority 329

Deepdale

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by independent

Independent (politician)

In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...

, majority 221

Fishwick

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by Conservative Party, majority 41. The winning candidate subsequently defected to the Liberal Democrats (and switched back to the Conservatives after losing the 2008 election). The result in 2008 will be based on the Conservative "defence", as is normal practice when comparing election results.

Garrison

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by Conservative Party, majority 650

Greyfrairs

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by Conservative Party, majority 1,142

Ingol

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by Liberal Democrats, majority 380. The winning candidate subsequently defected to the Conservative Party. The result in 2008 will be based on the Liberal Democrat "defence", as is normal practice when comparing election results.

Larches

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by Liberal Democrats, majority 137

Lea

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by Liberal Democrats, majority 409

Rural East

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by Conservative Party, majority 828

Rural North

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by Conservative Party, majority 1,711

Ribbleton

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by Labour Party, majority 631

Riversway

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by Labour Party, majority 185

Sharoe Green

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by Conservative Party, majority 639

St George's

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by Labour Party, majority 185

St Matthew's

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by Labour Party, majority 199

Town Centre

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by Labour Party, majority 142

Tulketh

Won in corresponding 2004 elections by Labour Party, majority 49

Held by Labour in 2008 by-election

By-election

A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....

, majority over Liberal Democrats of 23.