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2003 Colchester Borough Council election

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The 2003 Colchester Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Colchester Borough Council in Essex, England. This was the same day as the other 2003 United Kingdom local elections. One third of the seats were up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1]

2003 Colchester Borough Council election
← 2002 1 May 2003 (2003-05-01) 2004 →
21 out of 60 seats to Colchester Borough Council
31 seats needed for a majority
Turnout27.5% (Decrease3.4%)
  First party Second party
  Blank Blank
Party Liberal Democrats Conservative
Last election 26 seats, 36.4% 24 seats, 39.5%
Seats before 23 24
Seats won 8 10
Seats after 25 24
Seat change Increase 2 Steady
Popular vote 8,740 11,108
Percentage 32.0% 40.6%
Swing Decrease 4.4% Increase 1.1%
  Third party Fourth party
  Blank Blank
Party Independent Labour
Last election 4 seats, 3.7% 6 seats, 19.1%
Seats before 8 4
Seats won 1 2
Seats after 6 5
Seat change Decrease 2 Increase 1
Popular vote 1,563 5,467
Percentage 5.7% 20.0%
Swing Increase 2.0% Increase 0.9%
Council control before election

No overall control

 Council control after election

No overall control

Map of the results of the 2003 Colchester council election. Conservatives in blue, Liberal Democrats in yellow, Labour in red and independents in light grey. Wards in dark grey were not contested in 2003.

Background edit

Prior to the election, two sitting Labour councillors resigned from the party, leaving the Labour group with 4 seats. Don Quinn (St Andrew's) left the Labour group to sit as an Independent, whilst Phillip Hawkins (Wivenhoe Cross) resigned his seat after moving to Scotland.[2]

Before the election the Conservatives were the largest party with 24 seats, the Liberal Democrats had 23 seats, Labour had 4 seats, there were 8 independents and 1 seat was vacant.[3] The council was run by a cabinet comprising 3 Conservatives, 3 Liberal Democrats and 1 Labour members.[4]

21 seats were being contested, with 2 seats available in Wivenhoe Cross due to the vacancy.[3] The remaining 20 seats all had the sitting councillors defending their seats and included the Labour group leader Tim Young in St Andrew's and the Conservative mayor Nigel Chapman in Fordham and Stour.[3] Meanwhile, in Highwoods, Ian Ringer, defended the seat as an independent after leaving the Liberal Democrats earlier in 2003.[3]

Election result edit

Prior to the election, 3 Liberal Democrat councillors from Highwoods ward defected and sat as Independents, reducing the Liberal Democrat group to 23 councillors.

2003 Colchester Borough Council election[5][6]
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Liberal Democrats 8   2 38.1 17 25 41.7 8,740 32.0 –4.4
  Conservative 10   47.6 14 24 40.0 11,108 40.6 +1.1
  Independent 1   2 4.8 5 6 10.0 1,563 5.7 +2.0
  Labour 2   1 9.5 3 5 8.3 5,467 20.0 +0.9
  Green 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 370 1.4 +0.2
  Socialist Alliance 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 96 0.4 +0.3

Before the election one seat was vacant in Wivenhoe Cross ward.

Ward results edit

Shown below are ward results according to the council's election results archive.[6][7][8]

Three of the single-seat wards (Dedham & Langham, East Donyland, Marks Tey) were not up for election this year. Neither were three of the two-seat wards (Harbour, Lexden, St John's).

Berechurch edit

Berechurch Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Susan Brooks* 746 52.1 +2.3
Labour Julia Thomas 404 28.2 -7.9
Conservative Sarah McLean 274 19.2 +5.5
Majority 342 23.9 N/A
Turnout 1,432 24.5 -6.5
Registered electors 5,844
Liberal Democrats hold Swing  5.1

Birch & Winstree edit

Birch & Winstree
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Crowe* 966 71.8 +9.8
Liberal Democrats Barry Woodward 190 14.1 -6.1
Labour Audrey Spencer 183 13.6 -3.7
Majority 776 57.7 N/A
Turnout 1,345 31.0 -8.0
Registered electors 4,338
Conservative hold Swing  8.0

Castle edit

Castle Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Kenneth Jones* 903 54.4 -1.6
Conservative Pauline Lucas 404 24.3 +5.0
Labour Malcolm Cannon 210 12.7 -1.4
Green Walter Schwarz 132 8.0 -2.0
Majority 499 30.1 N/A
Turnout 1,660 28.6 -3.4
Registered electors 5,809
Liberal Democrats hold Swing  3.3

Christ Church edit

Christ Church
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Martin Hunt 662 48.0 +6.3
Conservative Roger Buston* 587 42.6 +2.0
Labour David Canning 124 9.0 -8.3
Majority 75 5.4 N/A
Turnout 1,379 43.4 +3.4
Registered electors 3,174
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing  2.2

Copford & West Stanway edit

Copford & West Stanway Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Elizabeth Blundell* 353 70.5 -4.7
Independent Patrick Mead 70 14.0 N/A
Labour Anna Trudgian 40 8.0 N/A
Liberal Democrats Anthony Scott-Boutell 37 7.4 -17.1
Majority 283 56.5 +5.8
Turnout 501 34.0 -1.0
Registered electors 1,475
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Fordham & Stour edit

Fordham & Stour Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nigel Chapman* 797 71.9 +9.9
Liberal Democrats Wilma Sutton 161 14.5 -7.5
Labour Gary Griffiths 144 13.0 -3.0
Majority 636 57.4 N/A
Turnout 1,108 27.6 -5.4
Registered electors 4,021
Conservative hold Swing  8.7

Great Tey edit

Great Tey Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Chillingworth 645 68.6 +2.9
Liberal Democrats Carolyn Catney 196 20.9 -13.4
Labour Alan Trudigan 108 11.5 N/A
Majority 449 47.8 +16.3
Turnout 940 42.7 +2.7
Registered electors 2,199
Conservative hold Swing  8.2

Highwoods edit

Highwoods
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Maris Fuller 417 32.5 +7.7
Liberal Democrats Alan Hayman 408 31.8 -24.2
Independent Ian Ringer* 339 26.4 N/A
Labour Edmund Chinnery 121 9.4 -9.8
Majority 9 0.7 N/A
Turnout 1,290 22.0 +2.0
Registered electors 5,854
Conservative gain from Independent Swing  15.7

Mile End edit

Mile End Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Anne Turrell* 589 44.5 +13.8
Conservative Shahid Husain 400 30.2 -3.5
Labour Janet Smith 171 12.9 -12.2
Independent Jane Chinnery 124 9.4 N/A
Green Mary Bryan 40 3.0 N/A
Majority 189 14.2 N/A
Turnout 1,331 26.3 +0.3
Registered electors 5,058
Liberal Democrats hold Swing  8.6

New Town edit

New Town Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Margaret Fisher* 767 55.9 -1.1
Conservative Glenn Bath 325 23.7 +8.0
Labour Jane Green 281 20.5 -6.8
Majority 442 31.7 N/A
Turnout 1,395 22.9 -3.1
Registered electors 6,088
Liberal Democrats hold Swing  4.6

Prettygate edit

Prettygate Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Sandra Gray 1,044 48.3 +4.9
Conservative Ron Levy* 935 43.3 +0.7
Labour Luke Dopson 182 8.4 -5.5
Majority 109 5.0 N/A
Turnout 2,161 36.2 -0.8
Registered electors 6,002
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing  2.1

St. Andrew's edit

St Andrew's Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tim Young* 813 62.2 +6.1
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Berriman 270 20.6 -0.7
Conservative Anne Allan 184 14.1 -1.6
Socialist Alliance Jeremy Jepps 41 3.1 -3.9
Majority 543 41.4 N/A
Turnout 1,313 19.7 -0.3
Registered electors 6,676
Labour hold Swing  3.4

St. Anne's edit

St Annes's Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Barrie Cook* 853 58.3 +3.0
Labour Peter Brine 295 20.2 -6.1
Conservative Angus Allan 283 19.4 +0.9
Socialist Alliance David Isaacson 31 2.1 N/A
Majority 558 38.2 N/A
Turnout 1,461 22.7 -2.3
Registered electors 6,433
Liberal Democrats hold Swing  4.6

Shrub End edit

Shrub End
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Richard Bourne 596 38.3 +4.5
Conservative Alan Scattergood* 530 34.0 -2.2
Liberal Democrats Barbara Williamson 408 26.2 -3.8
Socialist Alliance John Coombes 24 1.5 N/A
Majority 66 4.2 N/A
Turnout 1,568 24.5 -0.5
Registered electors 6,410
Labour gain from Conservative Swing  3.4

Stanway edit

Stanway Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Lesley Scott-Boutell* 918 52.3 -0.9
Conservative John Reeves 610 34.8 +0.6
Labour John Spademan 222 12.7 +0.4
Majority 308 17.6 N/A
Turnout 1,755 28.8 -5.2
Registered electors 6,090
Liberal Democrats hold Swing  0.8

Tiptree edit

Tiptree Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Margaret Crowe 546 35.0 +17.2
Independent Anne Burgess 542 34.7 -1.0
Labour Alan Mogridge 415 26.6 +1.2
Green Stella Barnes 56 3.6 -4.6
Majority 4 0.3 N/A
Turnout 1,561 26.4 -2.6
Registered electors 5,908
Conservative gain from Independent Swing  9.1

West Bergholt & Eight Ash Green edit

West Bergholt & Ash Green Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jill Todd* 774 66.7 +19.5
Liberal Democrats Una Jones 238 20.5 +0.4
Labour Ian Yates 149 12.8 -5.1
Majority 536 46.0 N/A
Turnout 1,166 30.3 -2.7
Registered electors 3,846
Conservative hold Swing  19.6

No Green candidate as previous (14.8%).

West Mersea edit

West Mersea Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Margaret Kimberley* 1,107 63.0 +2.3
Labour Bry Mogridge 359 20.4 +1.1
Liberal Democrats Ronald Baker 249 14.2 -3.5
Majority 748 42.6 N/A
Turnout 1757 30.1 -0.9
Registered electors 5,844
Conservative hold Swing  0.6

Wivenhoe Cross edit

Wivenhoe Cross Ward (2 seats due to by-election)
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative David Adams* 313 57.5
Conservative Eugene Kraft 264 48.5
Labour Aulay MacKenzie 172 31.6
Labour Paul Bishop 142 26.1
Liberal Democrats Barry James 101 18.6
Turnout 544 16.8
Registered electors 3,246
Conservative hold
Conservative gain from Labour

Wivenhoe Quay edit

Wivenhoe Quay Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Richard Davies* 488 35.9 +4.4
Conservative Kenneth Rogers 394 29.0 +6.1
Labour Stephen Ford 336 24.7 -8.2
Green Christopher Fox 142 10.4 -2.4
Majority 94 6.9 N/A
Turnout 1,371 35.6 -2.4
Registered electors 3,846
Independent hold Swing  0.9

By-elections edit

Wivenhoe Quay edit

A by-election took place on 22 April 2004 after the death of the independent councillor Richard Davies.[9]

Wivenhoe Quay By-Election 22 April 2004[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Ford 626 34.4 +9.7
Conservative Anne Quarrie 614 33.7 +4.7
Liberal Democrats Jeremy Jacobs 581 31.9 N/A
Majority 12 0.7 N/A
Turnout 1,821 44.0 +8.4
Labour gain from Independent Swing  2.5

No Independent (35.9%) or Green (10.4%) candidates as previous.

References edit

  1. ^ "Colchester : Hung council on election night". Essex County Publications. NewsBank. 2 May 2003.
  2. ^ "Two councillors quit Labour Party". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "Essex: Politicians set to slug it out". Essex County Publications. NewsBank. 2 April 2003.
  4. ^ "Colchester : No Labour place on council cabinet". Essex County Publications. NewsBank. 7 May 2003.
  5. ^ "BBC News Vote 2003 Local Elections". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  6. ^ a b "Colchester Borough Council Elections 1 May 2003 - Results". Colchester Borough Council. Archived from the original on 9 September 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  7. ^ "Colchester election results 2003". East Anglian Daily Times. 6 May 2003. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  8. ^ "Summary of the number of votes cast and turnout". Colchester Borough Council. Archived from the original on 9 September 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  9. ^ "Wivenhoe: Man defends election call that cost £1, 400". Essex County Publications. NewsBank. 17 March 2004.
  10. ^ "Local Authority Byelection Results". Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
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