| Election Name: | 2008 Worthing Borough Council election |
| Country: | West Sussex |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 2007 Worthing Borough Council election |
| Previous Year: | 2007 |
| Next Election: | 2010 Worthing Borough Council election |
| Next Year: | 2010 |
| Seats For Election: | 13 out of 37 seats to Worthing Borough Council |
| Majority Seats: | 19 |
| Party1: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Last Election1: | 24 seats, 52.4% |
| Seats1: | 9 |
| Seats After1: | 25 |
| Seat Change1: | 1 |
| Popular Vote1: | 13,137 |
| Percentage1: | 50.5% |
| Swing1: | 1.9% |
| Party2: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Last Election2: | 12 seats, 38.7% |
| Seats2: | 4 |
| Seats After2: | 12 |
| Popular Vote2: | 9,632 |
| Percentage2: | 37.0% |
| Swing2: | 4.4% |
| Party3: | United Kingdom Independence Party |
| Last Election3: | 0 seats, 5.5% |
| Seats3: | 0 |
| Seats After3: | 0 |
| Popular Vote3: | 2,008 |
| Percentage3: | 7.7% |
| Swing3: | 2.2% |
| Map Size: | 300px |
| Council control | |
| Posttitle: | Council control after election |
| Before Party: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| After Party: | Conservative Party (UK) |
The 2008 Worthing Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Worthing Borough Council in West Sussex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.[1] Overall turnout was 35%.[2]
Candidates from five political parties took part in the election from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, British National Party, Labour and United Kingdom Independence Party and one candidate standing on a "Stop! Durrington's Overdevelopment – Save Titnore's Trees" platform.[3] The results of the election were declared at a joint count with Adur council, the first time such a joint count had taken place in West Sussex.[4] The count saw an incident where one candidate, Dawn Smith, was arrested after some of her supporters were prevented from entering the count.[5]
The results saw the Conservatives gain three seats to increase their majority on the council.[6] They gained Broadwater ward from the Liberal Democrats, and also Goring where the previous councillor had defected from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats.[7] [8] The third Conservative gain was in Offington where the previous councillor, Mark McCarthy, had been elected as a Conservative, but had resigned to sit as an independent Conservative.[7] [9] The Liberal Democrats did make one gain when they took Selden ward, where the previous Conservative councillor had stood down.[7]
After the election, the composition of the council was: