# 2009 Dorset County Council election

Elections to Dorset County Council took place on 4 June 2009. The vote was delayed from 7 May, in order to coincide with elections to the European Parliament. A key issue in the election was an Audit Commission report on social care which reported a decline in standards since 2006, however the Conservative party responded that their administration was the best performing county council in England. There were fears however that voter turnout would be a record low.

## Election result summary

Dorset County Council election, 2009 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes |
| Conservative | 28 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 62.22 | 48.76 | 76,357 |
| Liberal Democrats | 16 | 3 | 3 | | 35.56 | 35.59 | 55,733 |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 0 | | 2.22 | 0.94 | 1,479 |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 7.35 | 11,505 |
| Labour | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 6.00 | 9,399 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0.95 | 1,488 |
| Citizen's Action Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0.49 | 781 |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0.1 | 150 |

## Election result by division

Beaminster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Rebecca Knox | 1,713 | 51.53 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Ivan Jones | 1,264 | 38.03 |
| | Green | Neil Antony Judd | 280 | 8.42 |
| | Labour | Thomas Anderson | 67 | 2.02 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 49.37 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Blackmore Vale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Charles Thomas Fox | 1,719 | 45.79 |
| | Conservative | Deborah Anne Croney | 1,473 | 39.24 |
| | UKIP | Alan Stewart Kewley | 483 | 12.87 |
| | Labour | Dennis Wardleworth | 79 | 2.10 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 47.46 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
Blandford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barrie George Cooper | 1,633 | 57.06 |
| | Conservative | Steve Adamson | 1,085 | 37.91 |
| | Labour | Haydn Roger White | 144 | 5.03 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 38.61 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
Bride Valley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Ronald William Coatsworth | 1,730 | 54.40 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ros Kayes | 984 | 30.94 |
| | Independent | Leon Sea | 310 | 9.75 |
| | Labour | Anna May Alice Birley | 156 | 4.91 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 47.17 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Bridport :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Karl Gareth Wallace | 1,205 | 42.79 |
| | Conservative | Sandra Ann Brown | 1,096 | 38.92 |
| | Green | Julian Stephen Langton Jones | 336 | 11.93 |
| | Labour | Richard Howard Nicholls | 176 | 6.36 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 37.36 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative |
Broadwey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Andy Cooke | 1,381 | 43.37 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine James | 672 | 21.11 |
| | Labour | Mike Byatt | 633 | 19.88 |
| | Green | Brian Anthony Heatley | 498 | 15.64 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 38.04 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour |
Burton Grange :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David Charles Jones | 1,102 | 43.54 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Betty-Ann Fox-Hodges | 676 | 26.71 |
| | UKIP | Simon Peter Boyd | 453 | 17.90 |
| | BNP | Barry John Sinclair Bennett | 150 | 5.93 |
| | Labour | Vera Elizabeth Hill | 150 | 5.93 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 36.66 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats |
Chickerell and Chesil Bank :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Ian Charles Gardner | 1,178 | 46.99 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brendan Webster | 1,074 | 42.84 |
| | Labour | Steve Bick | 255 | 10.17 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 39.12 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Christchurch Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Roger Alexander Hall | 1,438 | 40.84 |
| | Conservative | Ray Nottage | 1,345 | 38.20 |
| | UKIP | Rollo Reid | 604 | 17.15 |
| | Labour | Michael Edward Woods | 134 | 3.81 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 44.59 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
Colehill and Stapehill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Janet Dover | 1,486 | 41.81 |
| | Conservative | David Packer | 1,429 | 40.21 |
| | UKIP | John Richard Myers | 539 | 15.17 |
| | Labour | Kay Susanne Wilcox | 100 | 2.81 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 46.81 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
Commons :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David John Fox | 1,514 | 45.40 |
| | UKIP | Ric Johnson | 981 | 29.42 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Blunden | 644 | 19.31 |
| | Labour | Robert William Ian Deeks | 196 | 5.88 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 40.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Corfe Mullen :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Jefferies | 1,453 | 42.66 |
| | Conservative | Brian Lane | 1,399 | 41.07 |
| | UKIP | Josephine Marie Evans | 554 | 16.27 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 42.32 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
Cranborne Chase :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Timothy John Palmer | 2,178 | 71.62 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Lawrence Tooke | 863 | 28.38 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 44.32 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Dorchester (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Martin Biggs | 3,085 | 26.66 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Trevor Jones | 3,068 | 26.52 |
| | Conservative | Mary Penfold | 2,192 | 18.95 |
| | Conservative | Jonathan Halewood | 2,053 | 17.74 |
| | Labour Co-op | Vicki Black | 623 | 5.38 |
| | Labour Co-op | Andy Hutchings | 549 | 4.75 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 43.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
Edgdon Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alex Brenton | 1,373 | 46.96 |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Leonard Shakesby | 1,369 | 46.82 |
| | Labour | David Llewellyn Kelsey Stokes | 182 | 6.22 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 43.72 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative |
Ferndown (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Leslie Wilson | 3,575 | 28.24 |
| | Conservative | Derek Bidkar Frank Burt | 3,460 | 27.33 |
| | UKIP | David Leigh Baxter | 1,780 | 14.06 |
| | UKIP | John Lees Baxter | 1,691 | 13.36 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Martin | 913 | 7.21 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Phillip Graeme Cuckstone | 873 | 6.90 |
| | Labour | Christopher Hampton | 368 | 2.91 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 42.76 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Gillingham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Milsted | 1,606 | 49.04 |
| | Conservative | Nick Mason | 1,528 | 46.66 |
| | Labour | Terry Joyes | 141 | 4.31 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 42.88 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
Hambledon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Angus Campbell | 2,437 | 65.97 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Graeme Henry Hole | 1,098 | 29.72 |
| | Labour | Keith Yarwood | 159 | 4.30 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 45.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Highcliffe and Walkford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Colin Peter Jamieson | 1,833 | 51.66 |
| | UKIP | Philip Glover | 887 | 25 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Christopher Stephen Foster | 615 | 17.33 |
| | Labour | Rob Maskell | 213 | 6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 46.27 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Linden Lea :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David Crowhurst | 1,945 | 58.13 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tim Harries | 1,135 | 33.92 |
| | Labour | Daniel Peter Alec Hassell | 266 | 7.95 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 43.33 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Lodmoor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian Ellis | 1,792 | 49.10 |
| | Conservative | Ian Bruce | 1,616 | 44.27 |
| | Labour | Maureen Audrey Drake | 242 | 6.63 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 49.86 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
Lytchett :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Frederick Henry Drane | 1,873 | 51.15 |
| | Conservative | Bill Pipe | 1,643 | 44.87 |
| | Labour | James Sebastian Selby Bennett | 146 | 3.99 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 41.45 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
Marshwood Vale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey John Brierley | 1,749 | 56.75 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher John Savory | 1,152 | 37.38 |
| | Labour | Carole Ann Murless | 181 | 5.87 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 41.62 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Minster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Robin David Cook | 1,594 | 50.43 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marilyn Blanche Osner | 1,567 | 49.57 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 41.65 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats |
Mudeford and Highcliffe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Alan John Charles Griffiths | 2,356 | 60.15 |
| | UKIP | Brian Hogger | 642 | 16.39 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Campbell | 487 | 12.43 |
| | Labour | Carol Ann Wilcox | 254 | 6.48 |
| | Independent | Lindsay Margaret Turner | 178 | 4.54 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 51.57 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Portland Harbour :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Tim Munro | 795 | 32.74 |
| | Labour | Anne Kenwood | 584 | 24.05 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Trefor Morgan | 555 | 22.86 |
| | Citizen's Action Party | Richard Denton-White | 494 | 20.35 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 34.32 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour |
Portland Tophill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Les Ames | 991 | 44.56 |
| | Conservative | Ian Munro-Price | 637 | 28.64 |
| | Labour | Sandy West | 309 | 13.89 |
| | Citizen's Action Party | Don Roach | 287 | 12.90 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 33.94 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Purbeck Hills :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Michael William John Lovell | 1,605 | 59.75 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Beryl Rita Ezzard | 898 | 33.43 |
| | Labour | Leigh Van de Zande | 183 | 6.81 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 47.92 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Rodwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Nigel Reed | 1,126 | 41.53 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Birtwistle | 1,019 | 37.59 |
| | Labour | Kate Wheller | 566 | 20.88 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 39.14 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour |
Shaftesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mervyn Jeffrey | 1,319 | 53.60 |
| | Conservative | Jane Katherine Gould | 1,061 | 43.11 |
| | Labour | Christine Pamela Moss | 81 | 3.29 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 45.79 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
Sherborne :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Robert Andrew Gould | 1,639 | 52.65 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jan Palmer | 942 | 30.26 |
| | Green | Susan Greene | 374 | 12.01 |
| | Labour | Graham John Parish | 158 | 5.08 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 44.32 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Sherborne Rural :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Michael James Bevan | 2,080 | 51.19 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robin Andrew Shane Legg | 1,871 | 46.05 |
| | Labour | Kate Parish | 112 | 2.76 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 52.2 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats |
St Leonards and St Ives :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Peter William Richardson | 1,879 | 63.69 |
| | UKIP | Allan Stephen Tallett | 627 | 21.25 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nick Smith | 444 | 15.05 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 49.65 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Stour Vale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Andrew Ronald Cattaway | 1,905 | 59.05 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Stewart | 1,222 | 37.88 |
| | Labour | David John Harvey | 99 | 3.07 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 45.95 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Swanage :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | William Stanley Trite | 1,507 | 40.95 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter B Clark | 1,155 | 31.39 |
| | UKIP | Mike Hobson | 652 | 17.72 |
| | Labour | Max Stanford | 366 | 9.95 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 45.29 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Three Valleys :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Jill Haynes | 2,154 | 57.92 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew James Canning | 1,302 | 35.01 |
| | Labour | Harry Burden | 263 | 7.07 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 45.91 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Verwood and Three Legged Cross (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Toni Bartley Coombs | 2,939 | 32.39 |
| | Conservative | Spencer Grant Flower | 2,814 | 31.01 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Stuart Dorey | 1,555 | 17.13 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Heidi Maria James | 1,506 | 16.60 |
| | Labour | Mike Ellis | 261 | 2.88 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 41.78 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Wareham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Anthony Budd | 1,535 | 48.35 |
| | Conservative | Jane Thomas | 1,172 | 36.91 |
| | UKIP | Keith Allen Simpson | 377 | 11.87 |
| | Labour | Rosemary Smith | 91 | 2.87 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 47.23 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
West Moors and Holt :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Peter James Michael Finney | 1,623 | 45.68 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Holden | 1,268 | 35.69 |
| | UKIP | Dave Butt | 662 | 18.63 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 47.46 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Westham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Harris | 1,336 | 52.87 |
| | Conservative | Ian James | 757 | 29.96 |
| | Labour | Mike Owen | 434 | 17.17 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 36.06 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour |
Weymouth Town :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Howard Legg | 1,244 | 51.55 |
| | Conservative | Peter Michael Farrell | 869 | 36.01 |
| | Labour | Colin Huckle | 300 | 12.43 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 31.14 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
Winterborne :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Hilary Ann Cox | 1,822 | 53.84 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Graham Douglas Burton | 814 | 24.05 |
| | UKIP | Bob Pilkington | 573 | 16.93 |
| | Labour | Kim Fendley | 175 | 5.17 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 44.33 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |