Woking Council election, 2008
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Woking Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Woking
Borough
Council in Surrey
, England
. One third 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
and United Kingdom Independence Party
(UKIP). Labour only put forward 6 candidates, while UKIP had candidates in every ward
for the first time. Since the 2007 election
the Conservatives had held a majority on the council after a long period with no party holding a majority.
s were elected after five sitting councillors stood down and 2 Liberal Democrats lost in the election. The Conservatives gained seats from the Liberal Democrats in Brookwood
and Horsell
West, while the Liberal Democrats won seats back in Knaphill and Maybury and Sheerwater
. Overall turnout
in the election at 43.46%, was almost the same as the 43.6% seen in 2007.
Woking (borough)
Woking is a local government district with borough status in the west of Surrey, England.It was formed in 1895 as an urban district under the Local Government Act 1894. The present-day borough was established in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, and is one of two districts in Surrey to...
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 Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, 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 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...
19 - Liberal Democrat 17
Background
13 seats were contested in the election with 42 candidates from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, 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...
and 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...
(UKIP). Labour only put forward 6 candidates, while UKIP had candidates in every 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:...
for the first time. Since the 2007 election
Woking Council election, 2007
The 2007 Woking Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Woking Borough Council in Surrey, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party gained overall control of the council from no overall control....
the Conservatives had held a majority on the council after a long period with no party holding a majority.
Election result
The results saw the Conservatives maintain their majority on the council with 19 seats compared to 17 for the Liberal Democrats. Seven new councillorCouncillor
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:...
s were elected after five sitting councillors stood down and 2 Liberal Democrats lost in the election. The Conservatives gained seats from the Liberal Democrats in Brookwood
Brookwood, Surrey
Brookwood is a village in Surrey, located about 5 km west of Woking, in a semi-rural location. It lies on the western border of the Woking Borough ....
and Horsell
Horsell
Horsell in Surrey is an ancient village nearby to the more modern 19th century Woking, probably best known because of its association with the story The War of the Worlds, written by H. G. Wells. It is the home of the book's narrator , and the landing site of the first Martian transport vessel...
West, while the Liberal Democrats won seats back in Knaphill and Maybury and Sheerwater
Sheerwater
Sheerwater is a large housing estate in Woking, Surrey, England. It is located between West Byfleet and Woking .Sheerwater was designed as a new neighbourhood by the London County Council, with nearly 1,300 homes built in the early 1950s and over 5,000 people settling in the Borough....
. 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 at 43.46%, was almost the same as the 43.6% seen in 2007.