2008 Pendle Borough Council election
# 2008 Pendle Borough Council election

The 2008 Pendle Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Pendle Borough Council in Lancashire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats lost overall control of the council to no overall control.

After the election, the composition of the council was

* Liberal Democrat 20
* Conservative 16
* Labour 10
* British National Party 2
* Independent 1

## Background

Before the election the Liberal Democrats held control of the council with 28 seats, but a loss of 4 seats would mean they lost their majority. 17 seats were contested in the election, with the Liberal Democrats defending 12, the Conservatives 4 and Labour 1 seat.

5 councillors stood down at the election, 2 Liberal Democrats from Bradley and Walverden wards, 2 Conservatives from Earby and Reedley and Labour's David Whalley from Vivary Bridge ward. Councillors who were defending seats included the leader of the council, Liberal Democrat Alan Davies, in Boulsworth, deputy mayor Marjorie Adams in Coates ward and the chairman of the Nelson committee David Foster in Clover Hill. The only candidates standing in the election not from the 3 main parties, were 4 from the British National Party and 2 independents.

## Campaign

The election saw complaints of voting fraud involving postal voting, leading to a police investigation and the matter being raised in Parliament by the local Member of Parliament Gordon Prentice. These allegations involved both the Liberal Democrat parliament candidate for Pendle constituency Afzal Anwar and Labour councillor Mohammed Tariq, after multiple postal votes were registered at their addresses. Both men denied doing anything and were supported by their parties, saying everyone registered at the addresses were entitled to vote. The police dropped the enquiry after concluding that there had been no wrongdoing.

During the campaign the national Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg visited Pendle to support his party.

## Election result

The results saw the Liberal Democrats lost their majority on the council after suffering a net loss of 8 seats. Defeated councillors for the Liberal Democrats included the leader of the council Alan Davies in Boulsworth, Nelson Committee chairman David Foster in Clover Hill, Shelley Franklin in Craven, Frank Wren in Brierfield and Judith Robinson in Southfield. The Liberal Democrats blamed their defeats on a targeted campaign by the Conservatives, while the Conservatives said the "tide is now turning towards us".

The Labour and Conservative parties both made significant gains from the Liberal Democrats. However Labour did lose one seat back to the Liberal Democrats in Vivary Bridge and the Conservatives lost a seat in Marsden to the British National Party. There was also a success for an independent candidate, with Glenn Whittaker taking Craven from the Liberal Democrats. These results meant the Liberal Democrats held 20 seats, the Conservatives 16, Labour 10, British National Party 2 as well as 1 independent. Overall turnout in the election was 41.58%.

Following the election the parties held talks on control of the council with reports that an agreement between the Conservative and Labour parties to take over from the Liberal Democrats was possible. However these were not successful and the new leader of the Liberal Democrats group, John David, became leader of the council at the head of a minority administration, after an 18-17 vote at the council meeting.

Pendle local election result 2008 :

| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Conservative | 6 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 35.3 | 40.5 | 10,911 | +5.9% |
| Labour | 5 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 29.4 | 23.0 | 6,183 | +5.3% |
| Liberal Democrats | 4 | 1 | 9 | -8 | 23.5 | 29.5 | 7,954 | -5.3% |
| BNP | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 5.9 | 4.8 | 1,289 | -2.2% |
| Independent | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 5.9 | 2.2 | 602 | -2.1% |

## Ward results

Barrowford :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Anthony Beckett | 1,136 | 67.3 | +0.4 |
| | Labour | Susan Nike | 411 | 24.4 | -0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Bradshaw | 140 | 8.3 | +0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 725 | 43.0 | +1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,687 | 42.4 | +0.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

Boulsworth :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Michael Calvert | 1,189 | |
| | Conservative | George Askew | 1,006 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Davies | 663 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Robertson | 618 | |
| | Labour | Gerard McCabe | 133 | |
| | Labour | John Pope | 69 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,678 | 48.4 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | |

Bradley :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Mohammad Sakib | 946 | 54.1 | +10.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jamil Mohammed | 474 | 27.1 | -7.2 |
| | Conservative | Zahid Chaudry | 329 | 18.8 | +4.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 472 | 27.0 | +17.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,749 | 39.3 | -11.8 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

Brierfield :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Naeem Ashraf | 863 | 47.2 | +25.3 |
| | Conservative | Ann Jackson | 632 | 34.6 | +6.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Francis Wren | 332 | 18.2 | -31.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 231 | 12.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,827 | 49.7 | -0.9 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

Clover Hill :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Eileen Ansar | 624 | 37.7 | +13.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Foster | 533 | 32.2 | -0.6 |
| | Conservative | Timothy Eyre | 496 | 30.0 | +18.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 91 | 5.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,653 | 43.4 | -2.1 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

Coates :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marjorie Adams | 665 | 45.5 | -4.2 |
| | Conservative | Keith Bailey | 637 | 43.6 | +29.9 |
| | Labour | William Skinner | 158 | 10.8 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 28 | 1.9 | -20.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,460 | 35.7 | -1.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

Craven :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Independent | Glenn Whittaker | 559 | 32.6 | +5.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Shelley Franklin | 437 | 25.5 | -21.4 |
| | Conservative | Sandra Bunn | 427 | 24.9 | -0.9 |
| | BNP | Geoffrey Whitehead | 235 | 13.7 | +13.7 |
| | Labour | Robert Oliver | 56 | 3.3 | +3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 122 | 7.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,714 | 48.9 | +10.9 |
| | Independent gain from Liberal Democrats | Independent gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

Earby :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Valerie Langtree | 1,248 | 69.5 | +0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jacqueline Taylforth | 325 | 18.1 | +0.4 |
| | Labour | David Foat | 223 | 12.4 | -0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 923 | 51.4 | +0.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,796 | 39.0 | -1.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

Horsfield :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Smith Benson | 670 | 49.2 | +28.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dorothy Lord | 507 | 37.2 | -6.5 |
| | Labour | Anthony Hargreaves | 185 | 13.6 | -1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 163 | 12.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,362 | 34.3 | -3.3 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

Marsden :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | BNP | Adam Grant | 412 | 39.1 | +0.8 |
| | Conservative | Gary Rowland | 339 | 32.2 | +16.0 |
| | Labour | Dorothy Ormrod | 221 | 21.0 | -10.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Upward | 82 | 7.8 | -6.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 73 | 6.9 | -0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,054 | 41.1 | -1.6 |
| | BNP gain from Conservative | BNP gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

Reedley :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Michael Blomeley | 1,250 | 71.1 | +7.5 |
| | Labour | Robert Allen | 285 | 16.2 | -3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mubashir Ali | 224 | 12.7 | -3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 965 | 54.9 | +11.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,759 | 42.8 | -4.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

Southfield :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Sheila Wicks | 547 | 36.6 | +13.3 |
| | Conservative | Paul McKenna | 487 | 32.6 | +14.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Judith Robinson | 462 | 30.9 | -9.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 60 | 4.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,496 | 37.1 | -1.6 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

Vivary Bridge :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Democrats | Glennda Clegg | 490 | 35.6 | -10.3 |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Riley | 393 | 28.5 | +8.9 |
| | BNP | Veronica Cullen | 305 | 22.1 | +2.6 |
| | Labour | Ian Tweedie | 189 | 13.7 | -1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 97 | 7.0 | -19.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,377 | 33.8 | -1.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | | |

Walverden :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Mohammed Khalid | 610 | 44.0 | -6.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Asghar Ali | 400 | 28.9 | -8.3 |
| | Conservative | Barbara King | 376 | 27.1 | +15.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 210 | 15.2 | +1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,386 | 51.6 | +0.9 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

Waterside :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Greaves | 492 | 39.9 | -2.2 |
| | BNP | Helen Mulligan | 337 | 27.3 | +7.4 |
| | Conservative | James Ilott | 211 | 17.1 | +5.1 |
| | Labour | Anthony Martin | 151 | 12.2 | -4.8 |
| | Independent | Ian Robinson | 43 | 3.5 | -1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 155 | 12.6 | -9.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,234 | 33.1 | -5.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

Whitefield :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nadeem Ahmed | 1,110 | 65.0 | +21.3 |
| | Labour | Mohammad Tariq | 512 | 30.0 | -21.7 |
| | Conservative | Victoria Landriau | 85 | 5.0 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 598 | 35.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,707 | 64.9 | -6.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
