# 2008 Swindon Borough Council election

The 2008 Swindon Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2008 to elect members of Swindon Unitary Council in Wiltshire, 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 43
* Labour 12
* Liberal Democrat 3
* Independent 1

## Campaign

Several unusual events attracted attention during the campaign. A yorkshire terrier was reported as having received a polling card for the election, with his owner being faced with being charged with supplying false electoral information and as a result had to write a letter of apology. Meanwhile, Swindon council got a look-alike of Captain Jack Sparrow to hand out balloons and leaflets on the election in an attempt to increase interest in the election.

## Election result

The results saw each party end with the same number of seats as before the election with the Conservatives remaining in control with 43 seats. The Conservatives gained one seat from Labour in Park ward but Labour also took a seat back from the Conservatives in Central ward. In total 15 councillors were re-elected with Labour staying on 12 seats, the Liberal Democrats 3 and 1 independent.
Swindon Local Election Result 2008 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 77.3 | 54.8 | 25,109 | +8.0% |
| Labour | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18.2 | 25.3 | 11,567 | -3.6% |
| Liberal Democrats | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.5 | 14.5 | 6,644 | +1.3% |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 2,301 | +1.3% |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 181 | +0.1% |

## Ward results

Abbey Meads :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Vera Tomlinson | 1,836 | 75.9 | +6.6 |
| | Labour | Gerald Lawson | 266 | 11.0 | −4.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Law | 226 | 9.3 | +0.7 |
| | UKIP | Robin Tingey | 90 | 3.7 | +3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,570 | 64.9 | +11.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,418 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Junab Ali | 902 | 44.1 | −3.0 |
| | Conservative | Kevin Leakey | 664 | 32.5 | +3.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Hannah Pajak | 224 | 11.0 | −2.0 |
| | UKIP | Eric Bagwell | 130 | 6.4 | +6.4 |
| | Independent | David Cox | 125 | 6.1 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 238 | 11.6 | −6.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,045 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Covingham and Nythe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Dale Heenan | 1,362 | 57.6 | +3.4 |
| | Labour | Joanne Dilley | 586 | 24.8 | −2.1 |
| | UKIP | Cynthia Desmond | 264 | 11.2 | −0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Pajak | 152 | 6.4 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 776 | 32.8 | +5.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,364 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Dorcan (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Kevin Parry | 1,326 |
| | Conservative | Roderick Bluh | 1,292 |
| | Labour | Cindy Matthews | 447 |
| | Labour | Samuel James | 430 |
| | UKIP | Robert Sheppard | 294 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ellen Aylett | 286 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,075 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
Eastcott :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stanley Pajak | 1,237 | 58.6 | +19.0 |
| | Conservative | Paul Gregory | 496 | 23.5 | −1.4 |
| | Labour | Sarah Bush | 378 | 17.9 | −5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 741 | 35.1 | +20.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,111 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Freshbrook and Grange Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Greenhalgh | 1,184 | 60.4 | +11.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Judith Peppitt | 535 | 27.3 | −1.2 |
| | Labour | Jamal Miah | 240 | 12.3 | −4.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 649 | 33.1 | +12.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,959 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Gorse Hill and Pinehurst :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ericqua Ballman | 736 | 44.6 | −0.2 |
| | Conservative | Louise Gallavin | 687 | 41.6 | +16.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Leslie Wood | 229 | 13.9 | +5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 49 | 3.0 | −16.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,652 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Haydon Wick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Rex Barnett | 1,363 | 61.0 |
| | Labour | John Keepin | 440 | 19.7 |
| | UKIP | Michael Stuckey | 246 | 11.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tel Hudson | 186 | 8.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 923 | 41.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,235 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Highworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Anthony Peake | 1,345 | 62.3 | +5.5 |
| | Labour | Phillip Beaumont | 492 | 22.8 | −3.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jennifer Shorten | 321 | 14.9 | +7.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 853 | 39.5 | +9.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,158 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Moredon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Colin Lovell | 1,110 | 54.4 | +6.7 |
| | Labour | James d'Avila | 590 | 28.9 | −6.7 |
| | UKIP | Kathleen Webb | 229 | 11.2 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Heidi Teague | 111 | 5.4 | −2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 520 | 25.5 | +13.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,040 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Old Town and Lawn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Bawden | 2,015 | 64.2 | +5.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Wheaver | 538 | 17.1 | +1.5 |
| | Labour | Walid Meah | 409 | 13.0 | −0.4 |
| | UKIP | Noel Gardner | 177 | 5.6 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,477 | 47.1 | +4.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,139 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Parks (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Stephen Allsopp | 815 |
| | Conservative | Graham Cherry | 746 |
| | Labour | Mark Dempsey | 703 |
| | Conservative | Claire Ellis | 628 |
| | UKIP | Terence Hayward | 248 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Grant | 153 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Kurton | 125 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,418 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Ridgeway :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Bennett | 652 | 61.6 | +6.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Thomas Pajak | 351 | 33.1 | −2.8 |
| | Labour | Mary Gladman | 56 | 5.3 | −4.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 301 | 28.4 | +9.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,059 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Shaw and Nine Elms :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Martin | 1,291 | 70.5 | +14.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Farr | 333 | 18.2 | +0.5 |
| | Labour | Mohammad Talukdar | 208 | 11.4 | −5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 958 | 52.3 | +13.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,832 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
St Margaret :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Raymond Fisher | 1,337 | 59.2 | +7.4 |
| | Labour | Michael Spry | 517 | 22.9 | −5.6 |
| | UKIP | Robert Feal-Martinez | 217 | 9.6 | +0.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ann Morgan | 187 | 8.3 | −2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 820 | 36.3 | +12.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,258 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
St Philip :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Maire Darker | 1,300 | 52.7 | +10.8 |
| | Labour | Joseph Tray | 771 | 31.3 | −9.4 |
| | UKIP | Peter Thompson-Watt | 232 | 9.4 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ann Richards | 163 | 6.6 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 529 | 21.5 | +20.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,466 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Toothill & Westlea :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Dwynwen Martin | 961 | 60.7 | +8.4 |
| | Labour | Abdul Amin | 412 | 26.0 | +4.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Shepherd | 209 | 13.2 | −2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 549 | 34.7 | +4.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,582 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Walcot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mavis Childs | 783 | 46.2 | +7.2 |
| | Labour | Carol Heavens | 648 | 38.3 | +1.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kathleen McCarthy | 263 | 15.5 | +2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 135 | 8.0 | +5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,694 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Western :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James Grant | 1,161 | 45.6 | −3.8 |
| | Conservative | Peter Heaton-Jones | 990 | 38.9 | +13.4 |
| | UKIP | Gregory Heathcliffe | 174 | 6.8 | −0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Clive Hooper | 166 | 6.5 | −3.0 |
| | Independent | Michael Morton | 56 | 2.2 | −0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 171 | 6.7 | −17.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,547 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Wroughton and Chiseldon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Brian Ford | 1,741 | 63.3 | +8.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Victor Godman | 649 | 23.6 | +1.2 |
| | Labour | Sandra Parsons | 360 | 13.1 | −1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,092 | 39.7 | +6.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,750 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |