# 2009 Isle of Wight Council election

The 2009 Isle of Wight Council elections were held on Thursday 4 June 2009.
After a review by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, the number of seats on the council was reduced from 48 single-member wards, to a 40-member council, consisting of 38 single member wards, and one double-member ward.

## Overview

The result of the election was 'no change', with the Conservatives retaining an overall majority by winning twenty-four of the forty seats available. Of the sixteen remaining seats, ten went to independents, five to the Liberal Democrats and just one to the Labour Party. Although the Conservatives managed to retain control, the Isle of Wight was still the only council in England in which they lost seats. Among the factors which could have led to this relatively poor performance are the recent education reforms on the Isle of Wight, which led to protests over the closure of island primary schools. The "Standards not Tiers" independent candidate Chris Welsford beat the sitting Conservative councillor Jonny Fitzgerald-Bond by 141 votes in the Ventnor East ward. In the Cowes West and Gurnard ward, which was at the heart of education reforms, sitting Tory councillor Alan Wells was beaten by independent candidate Paul Fuller. The large numbers of independent candidates standing at this election and the increased level of support for them could also be attributed to the ongoing United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal, pushing voters away from the mainstream political parties represented in the House of Commons.

## Results

The party standings following the election:
| Party | Party | 2005 Cllrs | 2005 Cllrs, restated | Gain/Loss | 2009 Cllrs |
| | Conservative Party | 35 | 29 | −5 | 24 |
| | Independents | 5 | 4 | +3 | 7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 5 | 4 | +1 | 5 |
| | Labour Party | 2 | 2 | −1 | 1 |
| | Others | 1 | 1 | +2 | 3 |
| Total | Total | 48 | 40 | – | 40 |

## Ward results

The following are results from each electoral ward.
Arreton and Newchurch :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Colin Richards | 691 | 51.68 |
| | Conservative | Erica Oulton | 646 | 48.31 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1337 | 44.62 |
Binstead and Fishbourne :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Ivan Bulwe | 519 | 42.47 |
| | Independent | Ivor Warlow | 515 | 42.14 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tony Zeid | 188 | 15.38 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1222 | 45.17 |
Brading, St Helens and Bembridge (two seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Patrick Joyce | 1444 | |
| | Independent | Jonathan Bacon | 1289 | |
| | Conservative | Sally Pigot | 1117 | |
| | Conservative | Joe Robertson | 1097 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anouska Blake | 406 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Cleaver | 338 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4391 | 48.49 |
Carisbrooke :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Hobart | 583 | |
| | Independent | Barbara Foster | 475 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1058 | 41.27 |
Central Wight :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Peter Bingham | 894 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jill Wareham | 732 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1626 | 57.98 |
Chale, Niton and Whitwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | William Wyatt-Millington | 641 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Malcolm Groves | 404 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1045 | 45.27 |
Cowes Medina :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Lora Peacy-Wilcox | 617 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Hugh Reid | 148 | |
| | Labour | Steve Cooper | 121 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 886 | 30.74 |
Cowes North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | George Brown | 542 | |
| | Independent | Wendy Wardrop | 276 | |
| | Labour | Peter Laugharne | 98 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 916 | 35.27 |
Cowes South and Northwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Roger Mazillius | 987 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Charlotte Witheridge | 230 | |
| | Labour | Nicholas Wray | 85 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1302 | 45.53 |
Cowes West and Gurnard :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Paul Fuller | 819 | |
| | Conservative | Alan Wells | 649 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1468 | 47.99 |
East Cowes :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Margaret Webster | 642 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Lloyd | 543 | |
| | Labour | Jane McKean | 68 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1253 | 42.07 |
Freshwater North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Andy Sutton | 541 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Wareham | 226 | |
| | Labour | Clive Burland | 134 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 901 | 39.20 |
Freshwater South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | George Cameron | 435 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Medland | 389 | |
| | Independent | David Baggott | 245 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1069 | 44.53 |
Godshill and Wroxall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Rodney Downer | 570 | |
| | Conservative | Alison Child | 509 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dave Hardy | 112 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1191 | 45.14 |
Havenstreet, Ashey and Haylands :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Vanessa Churchman | 420 | |
| | Conservative | Conrad Gauntlett | 395 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Fraser-Tait | 210 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1025 | 37.27 |
Lake North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Jerry White | 401 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Harris | 356 | |
| | Labour | Deborah Gardiner | 333 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1090 | 39.11 |
Lake South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Tim Hunter-Henderson | 591 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Fleming | 301 | |
| | Labour | Alan Hollands | 128 | |
| | BNP | Dot Clynch | 89 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1109 | 42.46 |
Nettlestone and Seaview :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Reg Barry | 855 | |
| | Conservative | Diana Tuson | 607 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1462 | 54.57 |
Newport Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Julie Jones-Evans | 291 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Garratt | 186 | |
| | Independent | Jackie Hawkins | 157 | |
| | Independent | Julian Whittaker | 103 | |
| | Labour | Andy Woodhouse | 70 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 807 | 28.46 |
Newport East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Geoff Lumley | 449 | |
| | Conservative | Peter Humber | 191 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Cathy Wright | 73 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 713 | 30.31 |
Newport North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Dawn Cousins | 508 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Whiteman | 342 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 850 | 34.07 |
Newport South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Roger Dixcey | 395 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Shirley Smart | 315 | |
| | Labour | David Stott | 135 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 845 | 32.29 |
Newport West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David Whittaker | 501 | |
| | Independent | Brian Rushton | 182 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mike Carr | 165 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 848 | 37.32 |
Parkhurst :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Richard Hollis | 312 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Garry Price | 185 | |
| | Independent | Clive Page | 145 | |
| | Labour | Steve Falla | 63 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 705 | 29.75 |
Ryde East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dave Knowles | 626 | |
| | Conservative | Peter Tuson | 479 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1105 | 38.67 |
Ryde North East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Wayne Whittle | 364 | |
| | Conservative | Adrian Axford | 318 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Henry Adams | 285 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 967 | 33.56 |
Ryde North West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Arthur Taylor | 531 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tim Wakeley | 441 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 972 | 33.53 |
Ryde South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Adrian Whittaker | 275 | |
| | Independent | Charles Chapman | 263 | |
| | Conservative | Gary Axford | 217 | |
| | Labour | Ernest 'Jim' White | 67 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 822 | 28.61 |
Ryde West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Ian Stephens | 652 | |
| | Conservative | Sarah Doran | 249 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Timmons | 209 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1110 | 39.20 |
Sandown North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Heather Humby | 747 | |
| | Conservative | Rajesh Patel | 179 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 926 | 39.46 |
Sandown South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Ian Ward | 547 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bob Blezzard | 283 | |
| | Independent | Richard Davis | 177 | |
| | Labour | Eric Goacher | 43 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1050 | 35.19 |
Shanklin Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David Williams | 634 | |
| | Independent | Lincoln Wyatt | 231 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sara Sheath | 191 | |
| | Labour | Doreen Armstrong | 61 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1117 | 35.95 |
Shanklin South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David Pugh | 804 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lynda Fleming | 161 | |
| | Independent | Anne Bishop | 156 | |
| | Labour | Peter Coleman | 58 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1179 | 40.46 |
Totland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Howe | 442 | |
| | Conservative | David Eccles | 396 | |
| | Independent | Carol Bryan | 304 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1142 | 46.17 |
Ventnor East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Chris Welsford | 503 | |
| | Conservative | Jonathan Fitzgerald-Bond | 362 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Harry Rees | 150 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1015 | 40.15 |
Ventnor West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Susan Scoccia | 562 | |
| | Independent | Stephen Stubbings | 555 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Wendy Ford | 86 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1203 | 47.18 |
West Wight :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Stuart Dyer | 719 | |
| | Conservative | Bill Burt | 624 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1343 | 46.04 |
Whippingham and Osborne :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Edward Giles | 414 | |
| | Independent | Charles Hancock | 398 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Lloyd | 235 | |
| | Labour | Laraine Pascoe | 60 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1107 | 37.63 |
Wootton Bridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Barry Abraham | 866 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ernest Smith | 290 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1156 | 41.22 |