# 2008 Ipswich Borough Council election

Elections for Ipswich Borough Council were held on Thursday 1 May 2008. One third of the seats were up for election. The Labour Party won enough seats to become the largest party gaining 3 seats (2 from Con 1 from Lib Dem). The Conservatives had been the largest party since the 2006 Ipswich Council election. The results came as a stark contrast which saw the Conservatives make significant gains from Labour across the country. Particular disappointments for the Conservatives came when they lost Rushmere and Bridge to Labour and narrowly failed to gain St Margaret's from the Liberal Democrats, while narrowly holding onto St John's by a mere 3 votes. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats lost Whitehouse.
After the election, the composition of the council was:
* Labour 21
* Conservative 19
* Liberal Democrat 8
* Independent 0
Despite the losses, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition continued to run the Council with a reduced majority of 6 seats.

## Election result

Ipswich Local Election Result 2008 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 9 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 50.00 | 34.1 | 12,327 | +0.4 |
| Conservative | 7 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 38.9 | 41.1 | 14,214 | +1.8 |
| Liberal Democrats | 2 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 11.1 | 18.6 | 5,762 | -4.0 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.5 | 1,388 | +1.4 |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 | 353 | +0.8 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 | 174 | -0.5 |

## Ward results
### Alexandra

Alexandra :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Louise Gooch | 681 | 37.7 | −3.1 |
| | Labour | Martin Goonan | 508 | 28.1 | −0.6 |
| | Conservative | Janice Rawlings | 408 | 22.6 | +2.2 |
| | Green | Brenda Cavanagh | 211 | 11.7 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 173 | 9.6 | −2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1808 | 30.6 | −1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +1.3 | |

### Bixley

Bixley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Carnall & Russell Harsant | 2,839 | 64.8 | −0.2 |
| | Labour | Lindsey Rawlingson & Emma Stock | 691 | 15.8 | −1.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alison Williams & Clive Witter | 614 | 14.0 | −3.3 |
| | Green | Adrian Hedges | 235 | 5.4 | +5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,148 | 49.0 | +2.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,379 | 38.6 | −1.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.9 | |

### Bridge

Bridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bryony Rudkin | 762 | 43.1 | −2.4 |
| | Conservative | James Spencer | 658 | 37.7 | +2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Newbury | 179 | 10.3 | −1.2 |
| | Green | Rick Deeks | 157 | 9.0 | +1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 94 | 5.4 | −5.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,746 | 29.3 | +0.6 |
| | Labour gain from | Labour gain from | Swing | -2.6 | |

### Castle Hill

Castle Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robin Vickery | 1,249 | 63.2 | +14.4 |
| | Labour | John Harris | 308 | 15.6 | −3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nigel Cheeseman | 298 | 15.1 | −7.6 |
| | Green | Jenny Overett | 120 | 6.1 | +1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 941 | 47.6 | +21.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,975 | 34.9 | +8.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +9.0 | |

### Gainsborough

Gainsborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Mowles & Martin Cook | 1,608 | 50.0 | −4.0 |
| | Conservative | Kathleen Kenna & Janet Sibley | 1174 | 36.5 | +6.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sally Scott & Jamie Scott | 264 | 13.5 | −1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 434 | 13.5 | −10 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3218 | 28.9 | +1.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -5.0 | |

### Gipping

Gipping :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Ellesmere | 746 | 49.1 | −3.2 |
| | Conservative | Maureen Springle | 549 | 36.1 | +5.8 |
| | Green | Tony Slade | 225 | 14.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 197 | 13.0 | −9.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,520 | 26.1 | −1.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.5 | |

### Holywells

Holywells :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Hale | 851 | 49.7 | −1.1 |
| | Labour | Kenneth Douglas | 457 | 28.4 | −2.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Chambers | 347 | 21.9 | +3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 337 | 21.3 | +1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,586 | 30.8 | −2.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.7 | |

### Priory Heath

Priory Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Quinton | 881 | 46.9 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative | Eddy Phillips | 789 | 36.8 | −5.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nick Jacob | 169 | 9.0 | −3.5 |
| | Independent | Sally Wainman | 137 | 7.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 189 | 10.1 | +6.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,879 | 30.5 | −1.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.4 | |

### Rushmere

Rushmere :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Alasdair Ross | 1,026 | 44.0 | +5.2 |
| | Conservative | Paul Carter | 1,013 | 43.4 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Leslie Nicholls | 294 | 12.6 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13 | 0.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,333 | 39.0 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.6 | |

### Sprites

Sprites :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Richard Kirby | 924 | 48.7 | −1.9 |
| | Conservative | Medlin Spencer | 769 | 40.5 | −0.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Heidi Williams | 205 | 10.8 | +2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 155 | 8.2 | −1.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,898 | 35.6 | +1.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.7 | |

### St John's

St John's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tanya De Hoedt | 848 | 37.3 | −2.8 |
| | Labour | Hamil Clarke | 845 | 37.2 | −6.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jill Atkins | 269 | 11.8 | −4.1 |
| | Green | Steven Pritchard | 156 | 6.9 | |
| | UKIP | Bill Vinyard | 154 | 6.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3 | 0.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,272 | 36.6 | −1.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.0 | |

### St Margaret's

St Margaret's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Atkins | 1,134 | 41.7 | +3.5 |
| | Conservative | Mary Young | 1,089 | 40.0 | +3.5 |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Cooper | 304 | 11.2 | +0.3 |
| | Green | Amy Drayson | 183 | 7.2 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 45 | 1.7 | 0.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,722 | 46.1 | +1.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 0.0 | |

### Stoke Park

Stoke Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Paul West | 907 | |
| | Labour | Barry Studd | 472 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tim Lockington | 202 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 28.95 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Westgate

Westgate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Carole Jones | 748 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robin Whitmore | 581 | |
| | Conservative | Ian Fisher | 338 | |
| | Green | Colin Rodgers | 89 | |
| | Independent | Russell Metcalfe | 37 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 29.21 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Whitehouse

Whitehouse :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Albert Grant | 584 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tony James | 503 | |
| | Conservative | Ben Matthews | 339 | |
| | UKIP | John West | 199 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 26.47 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | |

### Whitton

Whitton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Don Ward | 918 | |
| | Labour | Sue Crocker | 635 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Lockington | 244 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 30.60 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |