# 2008 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council election

The 2008 Southend-on-Sea Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Southend-on-Sea Unitary Council in Essex, 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
* Conservative 27
* Liberal Democrat 11
* Independent 7
* Labour 6

## Campaign

Before the election the Conservatives ran the council with 29 seats, compared to 10 for the Liberal Democrats, 7 Labour and 5 independents. The election was seen as being the closest for years with the other parties needing to gain 4 seats from the Conservatives to deprive them of a majority.
There was a record number of candidates in the election, with St Luke's ward having 7 candidates and the British National Party putting up candidates in every ward for the first time.

## Election result

Overall turnout in the election was 34%.
Southend-on-Sea Local Election Result 2008 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 9 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 52.9 | 40.8 | 16,880 | -0.1% |
| Independent | 4 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 23.5 | 15.3 | 6,313 | +4.4% |
| Liberal Democrats | 3 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 17.6 | 19.2 | 7,940 | -2.9% |
| Labour | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 5.9 | 12.3 | 5,104 | -3.4% |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.7 | 4,444 | +4.7% |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 | 523 | -0.4% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 190 | -1.9% |

## Ward results

Belfairs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Stephen Aylen | 1,219 | 43.9 | −3.6 |
| | Independent | Maria Jeffery | 753 | 27.1 | −4.4 |
| | BNP | Garry Curtis-Wiggins | 326 | 11.7 | +11.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Woolcott | 301 | 10.8 | −3.0 |
| | Labour | Teresa Merrison | 176 | 6.3 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 466 | 16.8 | +0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,775 | 38.1 | +2.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Blenheim Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Graham Longley | 966 | 40.2 | −0.2 |
| | Conservative | Ray Davy | 950 | 39.5 | +8.8 |
| | BNP | Barry Harvey | 269 | 11.2 | −0.5 |
| | Labour | Simon Morley | 220 | 9.1 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16 | 0.7 | −9.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,405 | 32.1 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Chalkwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ian Robertson | 1,257 | 56.8 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Mallam | 363 | 16.4 | −0.1 |
| | Labour | Lars Davidsson | 306 | 13.8 | +2.1 |
| | UKIP | Toni Thornes | 154 | 7.0 | −3.0 |
| | BNP | James Haggar | 132 | 6.0 | +6.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 894 | 40.4 | +2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,212 | 32.1 | +2.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Eastwood Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Christopher Walker | 1,458 | 57.5 | −5.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Collins | 582 | 22.9 | −0.3 |
| | BNP | Helen Darcy | 332 | 13.1 | +13.1 |
| | Labour | Raoul Meade | 165 | 6.5 | −7.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 876 | 34.5 | −5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,537 | 33.7 | +3.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Kursaal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Blaine Robin | 747 | 38.4 | +8.4 |
| | Labour | Denis Garne | 741 | 38.1 | −1.8 |
| | BNP | Roger Gander | 246 | 12.7 | −2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Howard Gibeon | 210 | 10.8 | −4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6 | 0.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,944 | 27.8 | +2.9 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Leigh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Crystall | 1,239 | 53.2 | −10.5 |
| | Conservative | Victoria Salter | 770 | 33.1 | +3.9 |
| | BNP | Geoffrey Stringer | 160 | 6.9 | +6.9 |
| | Labour | Helen Symons | 160 | 6.9 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 469 | 20.1 | −14.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,329 | 33.0 | +2.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Milton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nigel Folkard | 928 | 47.9 | +3.6 |
| | Labour | Tony Borton | 502 | 25.9 | −2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Justine Farenden | 321 | 16.6 | +6.7 |
| | BNP | Derek King | 185 | 9.6 | +9.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 426 | 22.0 | +5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,936 | 28.1 | +1.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Prittlewell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mary Betson | 1,032 | 38.4 | −3.2 |
| | Conservative | Melvyn Day | 960 | 35.7 | −2.1 |
| | UKIP | John Croft | 293 | 10.9 | −0.5 |
| | Labour | Llynus Pigrem | 214 | 8.0 | −1.2 |
| | BNP | David Armstrong | 191 | 7.1 | +7.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 72 | 2.7 | −1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,690 | 36.6 | +2.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
St Laurence :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Flewitt | 1,072 | 42.5 | +4.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jill Stone | 960 | 38.1 | −5.8 |
| | BNP | Keith Barrett | 284 | 11.3 | +11.3 |
| | Labour | Jane Norman | 204 | 8.1 | −4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 112 | 4.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,520 | 33.8 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
St Lukes :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Ashley | 861 | 31.3 | −1.9 |
| | Independent | Paul Van Looy | 675 | 24.6 | +24.6 |
| | Labour | Anne Chalk | 535 | 19.5 | −12.9 |
| | BNP | Fenton Bowley | 415 | 15.1 | −3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Howes | 145 | 5.3 | −4.1 |
| | UKIP | Lawrence Davies | 76 | 2.8 | +2.8 |
| | Green | Cristian Ramis | 40 | 1.5 | −4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 186 | 6.8 | +6.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,747 | 34.7 | +5.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Shoeburyness :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Mike Assenheim | 1,009 | 45.8 | +17.8 |
| | Conservative | Graham Hill | 659 | 29.9 | −3.6 |
| | Labour | Chris Gasper | 250 | 11.3 | −9.2 |
| | BNP | John Moss | 211 | 9.6 | −3.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jane Dresner | 75 | 3.4 | −1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 350 | 15.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,204 | 29.3 | −1.0 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |
Southchurch :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Tony Delaney | 1,058 | 40.4 | +40.4 |
| | Conservative | David Garston | 971 | 37.1 | −17.2 |
| | BNP | Raymond Weaver | 273 | 10.4 | −5.2 |
| | Labour | Joyce Mapp | 195 | 7.4 | −5.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Linda Smith | 121 | 4.6 | −6.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 87 | 3.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,618 | 37.4 | +4.3 |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Thorpe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Mike Stafford | 1,918 | 57.8 | +4.0 |
| | Conservative | Sally Carr | 1,036 | 31.2 | +1.0 |
| | BNP | David Webster | 150 | 4.5 | +4.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Colin Davis | 110 | 3.3 | −7.6 |
| | Labour | Bernard Chalk | 105 | 3.2 | −1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 882 | 26.6 | +2.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,319 | 46.1 | −0.2 |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Victoria :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian Gilbert | 719 | 37.8 | −5.6 |
| | Conservative | David Manclark | 478 | 25.1 | −0.7 |
| | BNP | Alisdair Lewis | 351 | 18.4 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ronella Streeter | 206 | 10.8 | −3.9 |
| | Green | Stephen Jordan | 150 | 7.9 | +7.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 241 | 12.7 | −4.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,904 | 26.9 | +2.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
West Leigh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Lamb | 1,673 | 58.1 | −1.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margery Jones | 821 | 28.5 | +0.8 |
| | BNP | Antony Winchester | 232 | 8.1 | +8.1 |
| | Labour | Louise Norman | 153 | 5.3 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 852 | 29.6 | −2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,879 | 41.9 | +3.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
West Shoebury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Liz Day | 1,340 | 56.4 | +2.0 |
| | BNP | Terence Jellis | 447 | 18.8 | +2.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Allen | 319 | 13.4 | +2.5 |
| | Labour | Joan Richards | 270 | 11.4 | −2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 893 | 37.6 | −0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,376 | 32.8 | +1.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Westborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Vel Velmurugan | 812 | 40.6 | −4.5 |
| | Conservative | Susan Luty | 501 | 25.1 | +3.3 |
| | BNP | James Burns | 240 | 12.0 | +12.0 |
| | Labour | Chas Willis | 189 | 9.5 | −8.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael O'Connor | 169 | 8.5 | −6.4 |
| | Independent | Deri Laycock | 88 | 4.4 | +4.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 311 | 15.6 | −7.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,999 | 28.9 | +5.6 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |