| Election Name: | 2008 Basildon District Council election[1] [2] [3] |
| Country: | England |
| Type: | Parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Party Colour: | yes |
| Previous Election: | 2007 Basildon District Council election |
| Previous Year: | 2007 |
| Next Election: | 2010 Basildon District Council election |
| Next Year: | 2010 |
| Seats For Election: | 14 of the 42 seats to Basildon District Council |
| Majority Seats: | 22 |
| Election Date: | 1 May 2008 |
| Party1: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Seats Before1: | 28 |
| Seats1: | 10 |
| Seat Change1: | 1 |
| Seats After1: | 29 |
| Popular Vote1: | 15,936 |
| Percentage1: | 47.5% |
| Party2: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Seats Before2: | 11 |
| Seats2: | 3 |
| Seat Change2: | 1 |
| Seats After2: | 10 |
| Popular Vote2: | 6,982 |
| Percentage2: | 20.8% |
| Party3: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Seats Before3: | 3 |
| Seats3: | 1 |
| Seats After3: | 3 |
| Popular Vote3: | 3,851 |
| Percentage3: | 11.5% |
| Map Size: | 300px |
| Council control | |
| Posttitle: | Council control after election |
| Before Election: | Conservative Party |
| After Election: | Conservative Party |
The 2008 Basildon District Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Basildon District Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.[4]
After the election, the composition of the council was
The Conservative, Labour and British National parties stood in all 14 seats contested, which was an increase from 11 at the 2007 election for the British National party.[6] The Liberal Democrats stood in 13 wards, just not contesting Pitsea North West, while there were 4 United Kingdom Independence Party, 3 Green and 3 independent candidates.[6] The independent candidates included councillor Jane Dyer in Vange, after she left the Labour party just before the election,[7] and former councillor David Harrison in Wickford North.[6]
The results saw the Conservatives increase their majority by 1 after taking Vange ward to hold 29 seats.[5] Conservative Luke Mackenzie became the youngest councillor in Basildon at the age of 22, after taking Vange from independent, formerly Labour, councillor Jane Dyer, who only received 72 votes in the election.[5] Labour remained on 10 seats, with the party 82 votes behind the Conservatives in the contest in Vange.[5] Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats remained on 3 seats, but finished behind the British National Party in the share of the vote.[5] Overall turnout in the election was 29%.[8]
Following the election Lynda Gordon became the first female group leader on Basildon council, after taking over from Nigel Smith as leader of the Labour group.[9] Smith had declared that he would step down as leader of the Labour group before the election.[9]
All comparisons in vote share are to the corresponding 2004 election.