Sandwell Council election, 2008
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Sandwell Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Sandwell
Metropolitan
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.
After the election, the composition of the council was
, 5 Liberal Democrats, 2 British National Party
and 2 independents
. This meant the Conservatives could not gain control of the council whatever the results, despite Labour defending 17 of the 24 seats being contested. 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
.
and Old Hill
, Princes End
and Wednesbury
South. However Labour did take 1 seat back from the Conservatives in St Pauls ward. 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".
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, while neither the Greens or the British National Party won any seats. The British National Party share of the vote in the 12 seats they contested, dropped to 17% from the 33% they had won in the 2006 election
.
Sandwell
Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands with a population of around 289,100, and an area of . The borough is named after Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of both the Black Country, and the West Midlands conurbation, encompassing the urban towns of Blackheath,...
Metropolitan
Metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
Council in the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, 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...
. One third of the council was up for election and the 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...
party stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
- LabourLabour 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...
49 - 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...
14 - Liberal Democrat 5
- British National PartyBritish National PartyThe British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
2 - IndependentIndependent (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...
2
Background
Before the election Labour ran the council with 52 of the 72 seats, compared to 11 for 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...
, 5 Liberal Democrats, 2 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 2 independents
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...
. This meant the Conservatives could not gain control of the council whatever the results, despite Labour defending 17 of the 24 seats being contested. Other candidates in the election included 12 from the British National Party, 7 from the 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...
and 1 Socialist Labour party
Socialist Labour Party (UK)
The Socialist Labour Party is a far left socialist political party in the United Kingdom. The party is led by former trade union leader Arthur Scargill, who established it in 1996 as a breakaway from the Labour Party...
candidate in Oldbury
Oldbury, West Midlands
Oldbury is a town in the West Midlands in England. It is a part of the Black Country and the administrative centre of the borough of Sandwell.-Local government:...
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:...
.
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. The Conservatives gained 4 of the 17 seats Labour had been defending, in the wards of Bristnall, Cradley HeathCradley Heath
Cradley Heath is a town in the Black Country, located in Sandwell metropolitan borough, England. The name is usually pronounced "Craid-ley", not "Crad-ley", but in the Black Country accent, it may even sound like "Craig-ley Aith"...
and Old Hill
Old Hill
Old Hill is a locality in the metropolitan borough of Sandwell in West Midlands, England. It is a district of Cradley Heath.-General description:...
, Princes End
Princes End
Princes End is an area of Tipton, West Midlands, England, near the border with Coseley , which was heavily developed during the 19th century with the construction of factories. Several hundred terraced houses were built around the same time to accommodate the factory workers...
and Wednesbury
Wednesbury
Wednesbury is a market town in England's Black Country, part of the Sandwell metropolitan borough in West Midlands, near the source of the River Tame. Similarly to the word Wednesday, it is pronounced .-Pre-Medieval and Medieval times:...
South. However Labour did take 1 seat back from the Conservatives in St Pauls ward. Labour put the results down to them keeping 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...
levels low and improving services, however the Conservatives said they were moving forward in "a traditional Labour stronghold".
The Liberal Democrats held the 2 seats they had been defending in Great Barr
Great Barr
Great Barr is a large and loosely-defined area which straddles the boundaries of Birmingham, West Bromwich and Walsall , West Midlands, England...
with Yew Tree and Newton wards to stay on 5 seats, while neither the Greens or the British National Party won any seats. The British National Party share of the vote in the 12 seats they contested, dropped to 17% from the 33% they had won in the 2006 election
Sandwell Council election, 2006
The 2006 Sandwell Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Sandwell Metropolitan 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....
.