2008 Slough Borough Council election

Elections to the Borough Council in Slough, England, were held on 1 May 2008. This was the 123rd Slough general local authority election (including both whole council elections and elections by thirds) since Slough became a local government unit in 1863.

The regular 2008 election was to fill fourteen seats, one from each ward, for the 2008-2012 term. These fourteen seats were last contested in the whole Council election of 2004, following the redrawing of the ward boundaries in the Borough.

The election also filled a casual vacancy, for the remaining three years of a 2007-2011 term. The vacancy was caused when Eshaq Khan (Conservative-Central ward) was removed from office, on 18 March 2008, following the hearing of an election petition (for more details see the external link to the judgment of the Election Commissioner below).

The remaining twenty-six Slough Councillors will continue in office, for seats which will be next contested in 2010 or 2011.

In an election where, in most parts of England, the Labour Party did badly; in Slough they regained control of the Council for the first time since 2004. Labour gained two seats from the Conservatives (and arguably a third by taking the vacant seat, last held by Eshaq Khan), one seat from the Liberal Democrats and one seat from the UK Independence Party. The Tories offset their losses by gaining one seat from Labour and another from The Slough Party. As a result of these changes the Council then had 23 Labour members and 18 opposition councillors.

Dissension within the Labour Party, within a few weeks of the election, led to three councillors defecting to the Conservative Party; producing a 21 non-Labour and 20 Labour split on the Council. Two of them returned to Labour later the same day, again reversing control of the Council.

Recent political history of Slough

Slough has an unusual balance of political forces. The council, between 2004 and 2008, had no party in overall control. A coalition of the Britwellian, Independent, Liberal and Liberal Democrats Group (BILLD) and the Conservative Group formed a coalition administration. In the 2007-2008 municipal year the Labour Group and the one councillor of The Slough Party were in opposition.

The BILLD Group is itself a local coalition, before the 2008 election containing members from five parties or groups of independents. The organisations represented in the group, as at April 2008, were the Slough Liberal Democrats, the Slough Liberals, the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), the Independent Britwellian Residents and Independents from Wexham Lea ward. The existing members of the Group had an electoral pact for the 2008 election, continuing electoral arrangements which started with the 2001 Slough Council election.

The Slough Party and a number of Independents, not affiliated to the BILLD group or the coalition administration, also contested the 2008 election.

In the previous election, in 2007, the Labour Party gained one seat from the Conservatives and one from the Liberal Democrats. However the Conservative Party defeated the then longest serving Labour Councillor and former Mayor, Lydia Simmons. This return was subsequently found, by an Election Commissioner, to have been obtained by corrupt and illegal means. Labour finished the 2007 count with a net gain of one, which left Slough Council still in a state of no overall control. The existing coalition administration (supported by all Councillors not in the Labour group, except for one) continued in office for the 2007-2008 municipal year.

During 2007-2008 the Conservative Party lost one seat following the hearing of an election petition. The casual vacancy, caused by the removal from office of former Councillor Eshaq Khan (Conservative-Central ward), was filled at the May election.

At the time of the 2008 election there were twenty councillors each supporting the administration and the opposition, with one vacancy. A single net gain by the opposition parties would have probably resulted in a change of administration. Two net gains for the Labour Party would ensure the first single party majority administration since the party lost control in 2004.

After the election count Labour secured four net gains, to give the party a 23:18 margin and a majority of five for the start of the 2008-2009 municipal year.

PartySeats April 2008Seats UpCandidates May 2008
Labour 19 4 15
Conservative 6 3 9
* Liberal Democrats 4 2 7
* Independent (BILLD 3 1 1
Independent (Non BILLD) - - 4
* Independent Britwellian Residents 3 1 1
* Liberal 3 1 1
The Slough Party 1 1 4
* UK Independence 1 1 1
vacant 1 1 -
Total 41 15 43
  • * Member of the Britwellian, Independent, Liberal and Liberal Democrats Group (BILLD)

Election result 2008

The change in Conservative representation is calculated on the basis of the outcome of the 2007 count, without regard to the subsequent election petition.

The plus/minus figure is the change in votes percentage from the 2007 Slough Council election.

Slough Local Election Result 2008
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 3 2 3 -1 20.00 25.83 7,276 -3.07%
  Labour 8 5 1 +4 53.34 45.60 13,640 +2.15%
  Liberal Democrats 1 - 1 -1 6.67 11.99 3,585 -0.80%
  Independent 1 - - - 6.67 3.80 1,137 -1.13%
  Independent 0 - - - - 1.91 572 +0.67%
  Britwellian 1 - - - 6.67 2.36 706 +0.55%
  Liberal 1 - - - 6.67 2.92 873 -0.01%
  The Slough Party 0 - 1 -1 - 3.98 1,190 +0.03%
  UKIP 0 - 1 -1 - 1.61 481 n/a

Total valid votes: 29,910 Total spoilt votes: 182 Slough BC turnout: 32.93%

New Council by group: Labour 23, BILLD 12 (Independent 3, Independent Britwellian Residents 3, Liberal 3, Liberal Democrats 3), Conservative 6. Total 41.

Labour majority: 5.

Changes after the election

The Labour Party officially decided to nominate Raja Mohammaed Zarait (Chalvey) for Mayor, Joginder Singh Bal (Farnham) for Deputy Mayor, Robert Anderson (Farnham) for Leader of the Council and James Swindlehurst (Cippenham Green) for Deputy Leader of the Council. These nominations were due to be confirmed at the Annual Meeting of the Council on 15 May 2008.

Pervez Choudhry, elected as a Labour Councillor for Central on 1 May 2008, claimed that 15 of the then 23 Labour Councillors had wanted him as leader. Councillor Diana Coad (Conservative-Langley St Mary's) announced, on 12 May 2008, that Choudhry and an unspecified number of other ex-Labour councillors would enable the Conservative-BILLD coalition to remain in control. Slough and Langley Observer on-line, recovered 12 May 2008 Windsor Express on-line, recovered 12 May 2008

On 13 May 2008 the Conservatives announced that two more Labour Councillors had defected to them, reducing the Labour group to 20 members and giving the 21 non-Labour Councillors the chance to control the Council. The new defecting Councillors were Sukhjit Dhaliwal (Farnham) and Mohammed Rasib (Chalvey). Slough Observer on-line, recovered 13 May 2008

Later, on 13 May 2008, the Labour Party announced that the two Councillors were no longer leaving, so the balance on the Council would be 22-19 in favour of Labour. The Labour Party Chairman was quoted as saying "There was an internal misunderstanding and certain people tried to exploit that. Once it is all over they party needs to look at what happened and how it can be rectified for the future." Slough Observer on-line, recovered 13 May 2008

On 15 May 2008 the Labour nominees for Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Leader of the Council (and Labour group) and Deputy Leader were installed in office. The Leader of the Opposition (and BILLD group leader) is Robert Plimmer (Liberal Democrat-Foxborough) and the leader of the Conservative group is Derek Cryer (Conservative-Langley St Mary's).

Summary of Election results by party from 2004
Election Results 2004-2007
Party 2004 2006 2007 2008
Conservative 9 1 (5) 3 (7) 3 (6)
Labour 15 8 (18) 7 (19) 8 (23)
Liberal Democrats 6 1 (5) 1 (4) 1 (3)
Other parties 11 3 (13) 3 (11) 3 (9)
Total Seats 41 13 (41) 14 (41) 15 (41)

Note: The 2004 election was for the whole Council. Other elections are for a third of the Council. For them the overall totals, after the election, are given in brackets.

List of Councillors whose terms expired in 2008
WardPartyElectedIncumbentCand.?Re-elected?
Baylis & Stoke Liberal Democrats 2004 Rashad Javaid Butt * No N/A
Britwell Ind. Britwellian Res. 2002 Sean Patrick Wright * Yes Yes
Central Conservative 2004 Mohammed Aziz Yes No
Chalvey Labour 2002 Pervez Choudhry Yes (Central) Yes (Central)
Cippenham Green UK Independence 1995 William Geoffrey Howard * Yes No
Cippenham Meadows Labour 2003 May Dodds Yes Yes
Colnbrook with Poyle Conservative 2000 Dexter Jerome Smith Yes No
Farnham Labour 1997 Robert Anderson Yes Yes
Foxborough Liberal Democrats 2000 John William Edwards * No N/A
Haymill Liberal 1987 Richard Stanley Stokes * Yes Yes
Kedermister Labour 2002 Jagjit Singh Grewal Yes Yes
Langley St Mary's The Slough Party 2004 Neil James Arnold Yes No
Upton Conservative 1999 Julia Thomson Long Yes Yes
Wexham Lea Independent 2000 Michael Anthony Haines * Yes Yes
  • * Member of the Britwellian, Independent, Liberal and Liberal Democrats Group (BILLD)

Ward results

A candidate who was an incumbent Councillor for the ward being contested has an * following their name. An incumbent Councillor for another ward, has a + following the name.

Figures for the eligible electorate are given as at 3 March 2008. The Returning Officer has confirmed that the number of electors for each Ward has to be based on the current Register, plus any alterations made up to 3 March. The number given is derived from the full register, not the edited register available to the general public. The spoilt votes and turnout figures are taken from the Slough Council website.

The maximum election expenses for a candidate are calculated on the basis of £600 plus 5 pence for every entry in the register (as first published).

The change columns record alterations from the 2007 results. In Central Ward, where there were two seats up this year and only one last year, no attempt is made to calculate changes in party vote share. The problems with vote fraud in 2007 would, in any event, make any figures for changes in that ward largely meaningless.

Swing figures are only calculated when the same two parties shared the first two places in both the 2007 and 2008 elections. The swing given is two party or Butler swing, ignoring votes for other candidates. Swing is not calculated for Central Ward, for the same reasons why changes are not calculated. Contrary to the usual convention a positive swing figure is towards Labour and a negative swing towards Conservative (or other party as specified in the result).

Total eligible electorate for the Borough: 82,724

Baylis and Stoke (Labour gain from Liberal Democrats)
Baylis and Stoke 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Natasa Pantelic 1,413 53.62 +1.47
Liberal Democrats Sarfraz Khan 1,222 46.38 +9.35
Majority 191 7.25 -7.87
Turnout 2,662 (27 spoilt) 37.86 +0.29
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing -4.85 (LD to Lab)
Registered electors 6,737

Britwell (Independent Britwellian Residents hold)

Paul Janik is a former Independent Britwellian Residents Councillor for this ward, serving from 2003 to 2006.

Britwell 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Britwellian Sean Patrick Wright * 706 46.94 +11.96
Labour Olly Isernia 423 28.13 -0.25
The Slough Party Paul Janik 375 24.93 +2.28
Majority 283 18.82 +12.22
Turnout 1,513 (9 spoilt) 26.63 -0.50
Britwellian hold Swing -7.33 (IBR to Lab)
Registered electors 5,609

Central (2008-2012 term: Labour gain from Conservative; 2008-2011 term: Labour gain from vacant)

As two seats were filled at the election, the bloc vote electoral system was used. Each elector was entitled to cast up to two votes. The candidate with most votes was elected to the four-year term and the one in second place was returned for three years.

A local newspaper (the Slough Observer) reported, in its edition of 18 April 2008, that Councillor Aziz (the current Deputy Mayor of Slough) had appeared at Slough Magistrates Court facing charges related to the election fraud scandal at last year's Central ward election. The councillor was suspended from the Conservative Party on Thursday 17 April 2008. As it was too late for a nominated candidate to withdraw from this year's election, Councillor Aziz will remain on the ballot as an official Conservative candidate. Former Councillor Eshaq Khan, one of the other defendants in the criminal case, had been expelled from the Conservative Party following the recent election court hearing.

Councillor Pervez Choudhry was an incumbent councillor for the Chalvey ward, at the time of the election. A.S. Dhaliwal had represented the ward from 2000 until the 2004 Slough Council election.

Central 2008 (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Pervez Choudhry + 1,214 25.01 N/A
Labour Arvind Singh Dhaliwal 1,173 24.17 N/A
Conservative Mohammed Aziz * 1,037 21.36 N/A
Conservative Muhammad Umar Majeed 947 19.51 N/A
Liberal Democrats Gary James Griffin 272 5.71 N/A
Liberal Democrats Tejinder Dhaliwal 206 4.24 N/A
Turnout 4,865 (16 spoilt) 36.77 -5.45
Registered electors 6,941

Chalvey (Conservative gain from Labour)
Chalvey 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mohammad Basharat 1,008 50.99 +13.55
Labour Karen Ann Lisa Muhammad 969 49.01 -1.27
Majority 39 1.97 N/A
Turnout 2,002 (25 spoilt) 33.31 -3.53
Conservative gain from Labour Swing -8.30
Registered electors 5,801

Cippenham Green (Labour gain from UK Independence Party)

Geoff Howard is a former Slough Councillor for the Labour Party and then the Conservative Party. He ultimately joined UKIP in 2004, shortly before the parliamentary election of 2005 at which he contested the Slough seat for his new party. He was seeking re-election to the council seat which he last won as a Conservative candidate in 2004.

Cippenham Green 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roger Francis Davis 1,010 56.87 +5.26
UKIP Geoff Howard * 481 27.08 N/A
The Slough Party Derek Henry Canziani 159 8.95 N/A
Independent Kenneth Wright 126 7.09 N/A
Majority 529 29.79 +17.13
Turnout 1,795 (19 spoilt) 30.20 -3.59
Labour gain from UKIP Swing N/A
Registered electors 5,916

Cippenham Meadows (Labour hold)

Kevin Pond is a former councillor, representing Upton ward between 2004 and 2006. He was nominated shortly before the close of nominations when the previous Conservative candidate proved to be ineligible.

Cippenham Meadows 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour May Dodds * 974 55.34 -0.58
Conservative Kevin Charles Pond 617 35.06 +1.01
Liberal Democrats Nadeem Anwar Rana 169 9.60 -0.43
Majority 357 20.28 -1.59
Turnout 1,764 (4 spoilt) 26.17 -4.22
Labour hold Swing -0.93
Registered electors 6,641

Colnbrook with Poyle (Labour gain from Conservative)

Councillor Smith was, at the time of the election, the leader of the Conservative group on Slough Council.

Colnbrook with Poyle 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Lawrence Walsh 699 50.00 -0.62
Conservative Dexter Smith * 640 45.78 +17.66
Independent Kevin Christopher McCabe 59 4.22 N/A
Majority 59 4.22 -18.29
Turnout 1,402 (4 spoilt) 34.97 +1.84
Labour gain from Conservative Swing -12.09
Registered electors 3,842

Farnham (Labour hold)

Councillor Anderson was the leader of the Labour group on Slough Council. Sumander Khan represented Central ward from 2004 to 2006.

Farnham 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Anderson * 1,279 64.92 +13.40
Conservative Sumander Khan 456 23.15 -8.74
Liberal Democrats Josephine Mary Hanney 235 11.93 -4.66
Majority 823 41.78 +22.15
Turnout 1,980 (10 spoilt) 32.08 -0.47
Labour hold Swing 11.95
Registered electors 6,072

Foxborough (Liberal Democrats hold)

Duncan Buchanan served as a Councillor from Baylis & Stoke ward from 2004 to 2006.

Foxborough 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Duncan Peter Buchanan 1,204 70.45 +17.17
Labour Rani Bains 505 29.55 -13.34
Majority 699 40.90 +30.51
Turnout 1,728 (19 spoilt) 32.17 -6.30
Liberal Democrats hold Swing -15.05 (LD to Lab)
Registered electors 5,332

Haymill (Liberal hold)

Councillor Stokes was the Leader of the Council (2004–2008) and of the BILLD group.

Haymill 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Richard Stanley Stokes * 873 51.78 +6.63
Labour Martin Frank Carter 597 35.41 +4.62
Independent Liam Thomas Roche 216 12.81 +8.84
Majority 276 16.37 +2.02
Turnout 1,704 (18 spoilt) 26.10 -3.24
Liberal hold Swing 0.07 (Lib to Lab)
Registered electors 6,431

Kedermister (Labour hold)
Kedermister 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jagjit Singh Grewal * 1,028 44.93 +1.06
Conservative Wal Chahal 988 43.18 +3.07
Liberal Democrats Helen Edwards 272 11.89 -2.59
Majority 40 1.75 -2.01
Turnout 2,293 (5 spoilt) 37.70 +0.85
Labour hold Swing -1.25
Registered electors 5,962

Langley St Mary's (Conservative gain from The Slough Party)

Neil Arnold was elected in 2004 as an Independent Langley Residents candidate. He supported the coalition administration until he joined The Slough Party around the time of the 2007 council election.

Peter Dale-Gough is the husband of Diana Coad, another Councillor from this ward.

Langley St Mary's 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Dale-Gough 899 43.16 -7.09
Labour Rajinder Singh Sandhu 656 31.49 +7.66
The Slough Party Neil James Arnold * 528 25.35 -0.57
Majority 243 11.67 -12.66
Turnout 2,085 (2 spoilt) 37.42 +3.79
Conservative gain from The Slough Party Swing N/A
Registered electors 5,459

Upton (Conservative hold)

Julia Long is a former Mayor of Slough from 2004–2005

Upton 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Julia Thomson Long * 1,134 57.13 +8.82
Labour Gurminder Singh Sall 723 36.42 +1.67
The Slough Party Mervyn Alphonso Williams 128 6.45 N/A
Majority 411 20.71 +7.15
Turnout 1,994 (9 spoilt) 34.50 -5.03
Conservative hold Swing -2.90
Registered electors 5,694

Wexham Lea (Independent hold)

Councillor Haines is a member of the BILLD group and a supporter of the former (2004–2008) coalition administration.

Wexham Lea
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Tony Haines * 1,137 49.76 -7.80
Labour Mohammed Shabir Khan 977 42.76 +0.32
Independent Alan James Griffith 171 7.45 N/A
Majority 160 7.00 -8.11
Turnout 2,300 (15 spoilt) 35.20 -3.76
Independent hold Swing 3.77(Ind to Lab)
Registered electors 6,287

Members of Slough Borough Council May 2008
WardPartyElectedTermCouncillor
Baylis & Stoke Labour 2008 2012 Natasa Pantelic
Baylis & Stoke Labour 2007 2011 Faza Ahmed Matloob
Baylis & Stoke Labour 2006 2010 Azhar Qureshi
Britwell Ind. Britwellian Res. 2002 2012 Sean Patrick Wright *
Britwell Ind. Britwellian Res. 2002 2011 Patrick Shine *
Britwell Ind. Britwellian Res. 2006 2010 John Joseph Finn *
Central Conservative 2002 2012 Pervez Choudhry (k)
Central Labour 2008 2011 Arvind Singh Dhaliwal (a)
Central Labour 2006 2010 Shafiq Ahmed Chaudhry
Chalvey Conservative 2008 2012 Mohammad Basharat
Chalvey Labour 2001 2011 Raja Mohammad Zarait
Chalvey Labour 2006 2010 Mohammed Rasib (l)
Cippenham Green Labour 2008 2012 Roger Francis Davis
Cippenham Green Labour 2007 2011 Patricia Josephine O'Connor
Cippenham Green Labour 2002 2010 James Charles Robert Swindlehurst
Cippenham Meadows Labour 2003 2012 May Dodds
Cippenham Meadows Labour 2001 2011 Sat Pal Singh Parmar (b)
Cippenham Meadows Labour 2004 2010 Nimrit Chohan
Colnbrook with Poyle Labour 2008 2012 James Lawrence Walsh
Colnbrook with Poyle Labour 2007 2011 Rakesh Pabbi
Farnham Labour 1997 2012 Robert Anderson
Farnham Labour 2001 2011 Joginder Singh Bal
Farnham Labour 2002 2010 Sukhjit Kaur Dhaliwal (l)
Foxborough Liberal Democrats 2008 2012 Duncan Peter Buchanan * (c)
Foxborough Liberal Democrats 2004 2011 Sonja Anne Jenkins *
Foxborough Liberal Democrats 2004 2010 Robert Clive Plimmer *
Haymill Liberal 1987 2012 Richard Stanley Stokes * (d)
Haymill Liberal 1990 2011 David John Munkley *
Haymill Liberal 2004 2010 Brian Graham Hewitt *
Kedermister Labour 2002 2012 Jagjit Singh Grewal
Kedermister Labour 1988 2011 Mewa Singh Mann
Kedermister Labour 2002 2010 Christine Rita Small
Langley St Mary's Conservative 2008 2012 Peter Dale-Gough
Langley St Mary's Conservative 2006 2011 Diana Victoria Coad
Langley St Mary's Conservative 2000 2010 Derek Ernest Cryer (e)
Upton Conservative 1999 2012 Julia Thomson Long (f)
Upton Conservative 2004 2011 Balwinder Singh Dhillon (g)
Upton Labour 2006 2010 Balvinder Singh Bains (h)
Wexham Lea Independent 2000 2012 Michael Anthony Haines * (i)
Wexham Lea Independent 2002 2011 David Ian MacIsaac *
Wexham Lea Independent 2004 2010 Mohammed Latif Khan * (j)

Notes:-

  • * Member of the Britwellian, Independent, Liberal and Liberal Democrats Group (BILLD)
  • (a) A.S. Dhaliwal: Formerly served 2000-2004
  • (b) Parmar: Formerly served 1995-2000
  • (c) Buchanan: Formerly served 2004-2006
  • (d) Stokes: Formerly a Labour Councillor 1983-1986
  • (e) Cryer: Formerly served 1967-1974
  • (f) Long: Formerly served 1983-1990
  • (g) Dhillon: Formerly Conservative 2004 and Independent Conservative 2004-2007.
  • (h) Bains: Formerly served 2003-2004
  • (i) Haines: Formerly a Labour Councillor 1987-1991 and 1992–1998
  • (j) Khan: Formerly a Labour Councillor 1999-2002
  • (k) Choudry: Defected from Labour to Conservative on 12 May 2008, after the election.
  • (l) S.K. Dhaliwal, Rasib: Defected from Labour to Conservative on 13 May 2008, and re-defected back to Labour later the same day.

See also

References
  • The History of Slough, by Miss Maxwell Fraser (Slough Corporation 1973)
  • A Short History of Slough, by Kathleen M. Jones (bound typescript volume in Slough Central Library)
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