# 2008 Cheltenham Borough Council election

The 2008 Cheltenham Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Cheltenham Borough Council in Gloucestershire, England. Half of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.
After the election, the composition of the council was
* Liberal Democrat 20
* Conservative 17
* People Against Bureaucracy 3

## Campaign

Before the election the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats had 17 seats each, People Against Bureaucracy 5 and Labour 1 seat, with the Conservatives forming the administration. 20 seats were being contested with both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats contesting all of the seats, while Labour contested 9, Greens 4 and People Against Bureaucracy 3 seats. The only Labour councillor Diana Hale stood down at the election, along with 2 Conservative and 1 People Against Bureaucracy councillors, while Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Coleman contested Leckhampton instead of his existing seat in St Paul's ward.
During the campaign the national Conservative leader David Cameron briefly visited Cheltenham to campaign, raising the issues of post offices being closed, garden grabbing, preserving local shops and house building on flood plains.

## Election result

The results saw the Liberal Democrats become the largest party on the council with 20 of the 40 seats after making 3 gains. The Liberal Democrats held vulnerable seats in All Saints and St Peters wards, while making gains from each of the other 3 groups which had been defending seats. They also almost defeated the Conservative leader of the council Duncan Smith who held on by 33 votes in Charlton Kings ward.
The Conservatives stayed on 17 seats, while the People Against Bureaucracy group lost 2 seats to have 3 councillors. Labour was wiped out after losing their last seat in Oakley, with the party only coming in third place in the ward. Overall turnout in the election was 35.1%.
As a result of the election the Liberal Democrats took over control of the administration of the council from the Conservatives. The change in control came in a vote with the Liberal Democrat leader Steve Jordan receiving 18 votes, compared to 19 abstentions and the remaining 3 councillors being absent.
Cheltenham Local Election Result 2008 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Liberal Democrats | 10 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 50.0 | 44.9 | 14,059 | +4.1% |
| Conservative | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 45.0 | 45.8 | 14,342 | -0.1% |
| PAB | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 5.0 | 5.7 | 1,783 | -2.6% |
| Labour | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 2.9 | 923 | -1.5% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 209 | +0.7% |

## Ward results

All Saints :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Jordan* | 811 | 59.1 | +8.0 |
| | Conservative | Peter Christensen | 461 | 33.6 | −3.9 |
| | Green | Adrian Becker | 61 | 4.4 | N/A |
| | Labour | Kevin Boyle | 40 | 2.9 | −2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 350 | 25.5 | +11.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,373 | 31.9 | +1.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Battledown :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Wall* | 1,013 | 66.7 | −1.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul McCloskey | 442 | 29.1 | +3.5 |
| | Labour | Catherine Mozley | 64 | 4.2 | −1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 571 | 37.6 | −5.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,519 | 41.4 | −1.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Benhall and The Reddings :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jacqueline Fletcher* | 945 | 50.7 | +6.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christoper Pallet | 918 | 49.3 | −3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 27 | 1.4 | −7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,863 | 46.1 | +0.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Charlton Kings :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Duncan Smith* | 973 | 49.0 | −9.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Helena McCloskey | 940 | 47.4 | +11.4 |
| | Labour | Neville Mozley | 71 | 3.6 | −1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 33 | 1.7 | −21.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,984 | 46.0 | +0.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Charlton Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Klara Sudbury | 1,285 | 67.9 | +3.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Woodward | 607 | 32.1 | −3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 678 | 35.8 | +7.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,892 | 47.0 | −1.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
College :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lloyd Surgenor* | 997 | 59.0 | +3.2 |
| | Conservative | Timothy Mahon | 692 | 41.0 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 305 | 18.1 | +6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,689 | 39.5 | +2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Hesters Way :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Wendy Flynn* | 779 | 65.1 | −1.3 |
| | Conservative | Philip Woolley | 351 | 29.3 | +3.3 |
| | Labour | Clive Harriss | 67 | 5.6 | −2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 428 | 35.8 | −4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,197 | 24.3 | −4.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Lansdown :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Diggory Seacome* | 759 | 59.3 | −8.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Leone Meyer | 428 | 33.5 | +1.7 |
| | Labour | Janet Thomas | 92 | 7.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 331 | 25.9 | −10.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,279 | 28.2 | −1.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Leckhampton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robin MacDonald* | 1,210 | 56.0 | −4.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Coleman** | 950 | 44.0 | +4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 260 | 12.0 | −8.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,160 | 52.9 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Christopher Coleman was a sitting councillor in St Paul's.
Oakley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Dunn | 661 | 51.3 | +5.8 |
| | Conservative | Susie Godwin | 403 | 31.3 | +13.2 |
| | Labour | Brian Hughes | 224 | 17.4 | −19.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 258 | 20.0 | +10.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,288 | 30.1 | −2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Heather McLain | 1,273 | 67.7 | +1.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Phillippa Stewart | 607 | 32.3 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 666 | 35.4 | +3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,880 | 36.8 | −3.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Pittville :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tim Cooper | 625 | 38.7 | +13.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rowena Hay | 541 | 33.5 | +8.0 |
| | PAB | Mary Nelson | 318 | 19.7 | −26.1 |
| | Green | Cathy Green | 65 | 4.0 | N/A |
| | Labour | Sandra Easton-Lawrence | 64 | 4.0 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 84 | 5.2 | −15.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,613 | 37.7 | −1.2 |
| | Conservative gain from PAB | Conservative gain from PAB | Swing | | |
Prestbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | PAB | Malcolm Stennett* | 1,098 | 55.1 | +0.3 |
| | Conservative | Haydn Pearl | 539 | 27.0 | −6.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jennifer Jones | 253 | 12.7 | +1.0 |
| | Labour | Jonquil Naish | 104 | 5.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 559 | 28.0 | +6.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,994 | 41.7 | −0.5 |
| | PAB hold | PAB hold | Swing | | |
Springbank :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon Wheeler* | 752 | 67.3 | +5.4 |
| | Conservative | Simon Probert | 366 | 32.7 | −5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 386 | 34.5 | +10.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,118 | 23.1 | −1.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
St Marks :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Webster* | 622 | 50.3 | −3.9 |
| | Conservative | Patsy Shilling | 423 | 34.2 | −1.4 |
| | Labour | Rod Gay | 108 | 8.7 | −1.6 |
| | Green | John Heyward | 83 | 6.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 199 | 16.1 | −2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,236 | 26.4 | −1.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
St Pauls :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Wheeldon | 493 | 65.7 | +14.5 |
| | Conservative | Paul Ryder | 257 | 34.3 | +15.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 236 | 31.5 | −1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 750 | 16.0 | −3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
St Peters :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Rawson* | 738 | 57.9 | +11.7 |
| | Conservative | John Hopwood | 447 | 35.1 | −10.0 |
| | Labour | Robert Irons | 89 | 7.0 | −1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 291 | 22.8 | +21.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,274 | 26.0 | +0.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Swindon Village :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bernard Fisher | 875 | 57.4 | +9.7 |
| | PAB | Peter Allen* | 367 | 24.1 | −11.0 |
| | Conservative | Leon Mekitarian | 282 | 18.5 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 508 | 33.3 | +20.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,524 | 33.4 | +1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from PAB | Liberal Democrats gain from PAB | Swing | | |
Up Hatherley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roger Whyborn | 1,115 | 58.4 | +19.7 |
| | Conservative | Alan Nicholson* | 793 | 41.6 | −3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 322 | 16.9 | +10.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,908 | 45.0 | −1.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Warden Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Anne Regan* | 1,245 | 70.1 | +6.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Frances McVeigh | 530 | 29.9 | −6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 715 | 40.3 | +12.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,775 | 39.7 | −3.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |