[3] 19 seats were being contested in the election, which was expected to be fought mainly between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
[3] The results saw the Liberal Democrats make 5 gains to reduce the Conservatives majority on the council.
[5] Meanwhile, the one independent councillor who was up for election, Kim James, successfully held his seat in Bidford and Salford ward, defeating the Liberal Democrat candidate by 185 votes.
[4] The losses for the Conservatives were one of the worst performances by the party in the 2008 local elections, in contrast to the national picture where they made strong gains.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg described the Stratford election as "an excellent result".