| Election Name: | 2008 South Lakeland District Council election |
| Type: | Parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Party Colour: | yes |
| Previous Election: | 2007 South Lakeland District Council election |
| Previous Year: | 2007 |
| Next Election: | 2010 South Lakeland District Council election |
| Next Year: | 2010 |
| Seats For Election: | All 51 seats to South Lakeland District Council |
| Majority Seats: | 26 |
| Election Date: | 1 May 2008 |
| Party1: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Seats1: | 36 |
| Popular Vote1: | 24,355 |
| Percentage1: | 57.9% |
| Party2: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Seats2: | 14 |
| Popular Vote2: | 16,100 |
| Percentage2: | 38.3% |
| Party3: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Seats3: | 1 |
| Popular Vote3: | 1,387 |
| Percentage3: | 3.3% |
| Map Size: | 300px |
| Council control | |
| Posttitle: | Council control after election |
| Before Election: | Liberal Democrats |
| After Election: | Liberal Democrats |
The 2008 South Lakeland District Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of South Lakeland District Council in Cumbria, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2007 reducing the number of seats by 1.[1] The Liberal Democrats stayed in overall control of the council.[2]
Since the last election in 2007 boundary changes had taken place reducing the number of seats from 52 to 51.[3] Among the changes made was the combining of the Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale wards.[3]
Before the election the Liberal Democrats ran the council with 31 seats, compared to 16 for the Conservatives, 2 for Labour, 1 Green Party and 1 independent.[4] Among the sitting councillors to stand down at the election was the only independent David Foot.[3]
The results saw the Liberal Democrats increase their majority on the council finishing the election up on 36 councillors.[3] This came at the expense of the Conservatives who dropped to 14 seats and Labour who lost 1 of their 2 councillors.[3] Meanwhile, the Green Party also lost their only seat in Kendal Far Cross.[5]
| valign=top colspan="2" style="width: 230px" | Party | valign=top style="width: 30px" | Previous council | valign=top style="width: 30px" | New council | valign=top style="width: 30px" | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | align=center | 33 | align=center | 36 | align=center | 3 | |
| Conservatives | align=center | 17 | align=center | 14 | align=center | 3 | |
| Labour | align=center | 2 | align=center | 1 | align=center | ||
| Green | align=center | 1 | align=center | 0 | align=center | ||
| Independent | align=center | 1 | align=center | 0 | align=center | ||
| Total | 51 | 51 | |||||
| Working majority | |||||||