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All 32 seats to East Ayrshire Council 17 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Registered | 92,144 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Turnout | 51.8% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Elections to East Ayrshire Council were held on 1 May 2003, the same day as the 31 other local government elections in Scotland and elections to the Scottish Parliament. This was the third election since the council's creation in 1995 and the last election to use first-past-the-post voting.
Labour maintained control of the council after increasing their vote share to 49.2%. The party won a majority of the seats and increased their representation on the council. The Scottish National Party (SNP) remained as the largest opposition party on the council despite a net loss of six seats and the Conservatives held their only seat on the council.
Following the introduction of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, local elections in Scotland would use the single transferable vote electoral system which meant this was the last election in which the 32 single-member wards created by the Third Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements would be contested.
Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | 23 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 71.9 | 49.2 | 23,480 | 3.5 | |
SNP | 8 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 25.0 | 35.3 | 16,827 | 5.5 | |
Conservative | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.1 | 12.5 | 5,958 | 3.2 | ||
Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 814 | 0.8 | ||
Scottish Socialist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 561 | New | ||
BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 73 | New | ||
Total | 32 | 47,713 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Maureen McKay | 579 | 37.1 | New | |
Conservative | Kenneth Thomson | 506 | 32.4 | 0.9 | |
SNP | Andrew Kent | 476 | 30.5 | 14.2 | |
Majority | 73 | 4.7 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 1,561 | 52.7 | 15.9 | ||
Registered electors | 2,962 | ||||
Labour gain from SNP | Swing | 25.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | James O'Neill | 565 | 37.9 | 9.9 | |
Independent | Ann Hay | 426 | 28.6 | New | |
SNP | Ian Primrose | 342 | 22.9 | 29.3 | |
Conservative | Tamzin Hobday | 158 | 10.6 | New | |
Majority | 139 | 9.3 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 1,491 | 49.2 | 16.3 | ||
Registered electors | 3,029 | ||||
Labour gain from SNP | Swing | 9.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | John McGhee | 770 | 48.3 | 22.4 | |
SNP | John MacKay | 516 | 32.3 | 10.4 | |
Conservative | Thomas Mackie | 308 | 19.3 | 5.5 | |
Majority | 254 | 15.9 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 1,594 | 53.2 | 13.7 | ||
Registered electors | 2,998 | ||||
Labour gain from SNP | Swing | 16.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Stephanie Young | 832 | 40.7 | 3.4 | |
SNP | George Leslie | 672 | 32.9 | 0.3 | |
Labour | Robert Allan | 541 | 26.5 | 3.0 | |
Majority | 160 | 7.8 | 3.7 | ||
Turnout | 2,045 | 49.7 | 14.9 | ||
Registered electors | 4,111 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | 1.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Brian Reeves | 660 | 52.2 | 1.2 | |
SNP | David Carrigan | 506 | 40.0 | 1.8 | |
Conservative | Ahsan Mustafa | 99 | 7.8 | 0.6 | |
Majority | 154 | 12.2 | 2.9 | ||
Turnout | 1,265 | 48.9 | 13.7 | ||
Registered electors | 2,588 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | 1.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SNP | Daniel Coffey | 733 | 54.6 | 4.5 | |
Labour | Andrew McCann | 419 | 31.2 | 0.5 | |
Conservative | Simon Young | 116 | 8.6 | 1.6 | |
Scottish Socialist | Mark Scott | 74 | 5.5 | New | |
Majority | 314 | 23.4 | 5.0 | ||
Turnout | 1,342 | 44.3 | 11.3 | ||
Registered electors | 3,029 | ||||
SNP hold | Swing | 2.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SNP | Willie Coffey | 714 | 56.3 | 2.1 | |
Labour | Robert Milby | 506 | 39.9 | 0.6 | |
Scottish Socialist | Hugh Ferguson | 36 | 2.8 | New | |
Conservative | Thomas Donald | 13 | 1.0 | New | |
Majority | 208 | 16.4 | 2.7 | ||
Turnout | 1,269 | 51.5 | 9.8 | ||
Registered electors | 2,462 | ||||
SNP hold | Swing | 1.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SNP | Douglas Reid | 737 | 51.5 | 2.0 | |
Labour | Robert Keohone | 569 | 39.8 | 2.2 | |
Conservative | Fredrick McMeekin | 125 | 8.7 | 0.2 | |
Majority | 168 | 11.7 | 4.2 | ||
Turnout | 1,431 | 51.5 | 12.0 | ||
Registered electors | 2,727 | ||||
SNP hold | Swing | 2.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Cree | 719 | 46.3 | 8.0 | |
SNP | Lilian MacLean | 646 | 41.6 | 2.7 | |
Conservative | Leonard Freeman | 189 | 12.2 | 0.2 | |
Majority | 73 | 4.7 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 1,554 | 55.0 | 10.9 | ||
Registered electors | 2,826 | ||||
Labour gain from SNP | Swing | 2.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SNP | John Weir | 637 | 44.3 | 3.7 | |
Labour | John Blaney | 466 | 32.4 | 1.2 | |
Independent | Matthew Donnelley | 220 | 15.3 | 4.7 | |
Conservative | Thomas Johnson | 116 | 8.1 | 0.1 | |
Majority | 171 | 11.9 | 2.5 | ||
Turnout | 1,439 | 50.7 | 13.0 | ||
Registered electors | 2,838 | ||||
SNP hold | Swing | 1.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour Co-op | Andrew MacIntyre | 953 | 62.5 | 4.0 | |
SNP | Matthew Connelly | 487 | 32.0 | 9.5 | |
Conservative | Alexander Park | 84 | 5.5 | New | |
Majority | 466 | 30.6 | 13.7 | ||
Turnout | 1,524 | 57.2 | 12.3 | ||
Registered electors | 2,664 | ||||
Labour Co-op hold | Swing | 6.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour Co-op | Isabella MacRae | 801 | 55.2 | 3.5 | |
SNP | Francis Dawson | 528 | 36.4 | 1.8 | |
Conservative | Moira McLean | 122 | 8.4 | 1.7 | |
Majority | 273 | 18.8 | 2.6 | ||
Turnout | 1,451 | 51.8 | 10.8 | ||
Registered electors | 2,802 | ||||
Labour Co-op hold | Swing | 2.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SNP | Henry Wilson | 805 | 58.0 | 5.5 | |
Labour Co-op | Janice Spiers | 409 | 29.5 | 18.0 | |
Conservative | George Park | 174 | 12.5 | New | |
Majority | 396 | 28.5 | 23.6 | ||
Turnout | 1,388 | 52.7 | 13.0 | ||
Registered electors | 2,633 | ||||
SNP hold | Swing | 11.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SNP | Iain Linton | 765 | 42.0 | 4.4 | |
Conservative | Thomas Cook | 604 | 33.2 | 0.2 | |
Labour Co-op | John Goodwin | 452 | 24.8 | 3.2 | |
Majority | 161 | 8.8 | 4.2 | ||
Turnout | 1,821 | 59.8 | 10.7 | ||
Registered electors | 3,044 | ||||
SNP hold | Swing | 2.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SNP | John Campbell | 706 | 43.3 | 5.2 | |
Labour Co-op | Alexander Walsh | 654 | 40.1 | 0.3 | |
Conservative | Henry McCall | 269 | 16.5 | 2.3 | |
Majority | 52 | 3.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 1,629 | 52.0 | 9.8 | ||
Registered electors | 3,132 | ||||
SNP gain from Labour Co-op | Swing | 2.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour Co-op | Ray Murray | 711 | 51.2 | 11.4 | |
SNP | John Keast | 497 | 35.8 | 9.4 | |
Conservative | Rose-Ann Fergusson-Cuninghame | 181 | 13.0 | 5.3 | |
Majority | 214 | 15.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 1,389 | 48.3 | 14.0 | ||
Registered electors | 2,877 | ||||
Labour Co-op gain from SNP | Swing | 10.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour Co-op | Jane Danbrough | 680 | 51.6 | 2.5 | |
SNP | William McCulloch | 511 | 38.8 | 1.1 | |
Scottish Socialist | Colin Rutherford | 72 | 5.5 | New | |
Conservative | Peter Houison-Craufurd | 55 | 4.2 | 1.8 | |
Majority | 169 | 12.8 | 1.4 | ||
Turnout | 1,318 | 44.7 | 13.5 | ||
Registered electors | 2,951 | ||||
Labour Co-op hold | Swing | 0.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour Co-op | John Knapp | 999 | 62.9 | 15.2 | |
SNP | Stephen McCluskey | 406 | 25.6 | 16.2 | |
Scottish Socialist | Colin Berry | 118 | 7.4 | New | |
Conservative | Robert Yuill | 64 | 4.0 | 0.5 | |
Majority | 596 | 37.4 | 21.5 | ||
Turnout | 1,227 | 56.5 | 14.1 | ||
Registered electors | 2,811 | ||||
Labour Co-op hold | Swing | 15.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour Co-op | James Raymond | 998 | 70.6 | 9.0 | |
SNP | Arthur Sharp | 328 | 23.2 | 15.2 | |
Conservative | Alice McCall | 88 | 6.2 | New | |
Majority | 670 | 47.3 | 24.2 | ||
Turnout | 1,414 | 47.0 | 12.1 | ||
Registered electors | 3,006 | ||||
Labour Co-op hold | Swing | 17.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour Co-op | Stuart Finlayson | 744 | 51.2 | 16.4 | |
SNP | Finlay MacLean | 553 | 38.0 | 6.8 | |
Conservative | Sara Donald | 157 | 10.8 | 7.0 | |
Majority | 191 | 13.1 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 1,454 | 54.8 | 6.0 | ||
Registered electors | 2,651 | ||||
Labour Co-op gain from SNP | Swing | 11.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SNP | Robert McDill | 1,110 | 69.7 | 6.0 | |
Labour Co-op | Graham Mitchell | 364 | 22.8 | 4.8 | |
Conservative | Elizabeth Murray | 119 | 7.5 | 1.2 | |
Majority | 746 | 46.8 | 10.6 | ||
Turnout | 1,593 | 54.7 | 13.5 | ||
Registered electors | 2,914 | ||||
SNP hold | Swing | 5.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Eric Jackson | 867 | 53.3 | 2.1 | |
SNP | David Shankland | 455 | 28.3 | 2.9 | |
Conservative | Martin Nicholas | 297 | 18.5 | 0.9 | |
Majority | 402 | 25.0 | 5.0 | ||
Turnout | 1,609 | 56.0 | 4.6 | ||
Registered electors | 2,875 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | 2.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour Co-op | George Smith | 779 | 51.4 | 3.3 | |
SNP | Jacqueline Todd | 500 | 33.0 | 6.5 | |
Conservative | Kenneth Stirling | 238 | 15.7 | 3.4 | |
Majority | 279 | 18.4 | 9.8 | ||
Turnout | 1,517 | 52.3 | 9.5 | ||
Registered electors | 2,898 | ||||
Labour Co-op hold | Swing | 4.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | James Kelly | 975 | 69.2 | 0.5 | |
SNP | Helen Kelso | 269 | 19.1 | 11.2 | |
Scottish Socialist | Mark Gilroy | 91 | 6.5 | New | |
Conservative | Peter Smith | 73 | 5.2 | New | |
Majority | 706 | 50.1 | 10.7 | ||
Turnout | 1,408 | 55.3 | 10.2 | ||
Registered electors | 2,544 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | 5.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour Co-op | Thomas Farrell | 982 | 65.1 | 8.5 | |
SNP | John MacAulay | 251 | 16.6 | 9.8 | |
Conservative | James Hume | 180 | 11.9 | New | |
Independent | Robert Shennan | 96 | 6.4 | New | |
Majority | 731 | 48.4 | 1.1 | ||
Turnout | 1,509 | 49.0 | 11.9 | ||
Registered electors | 3,079 | ||||
Labour Co-op hold | Swing | 0.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour Co-op | William Menzies | 772 | 49.2 | 9.0 | |
SNP | Julie Faulds | 657 | 41.8 | 5.8 | |
Conservative | Ian Waller | 141 | 9.0 | 3.2 | |
Majority | 115 | 7.3 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 1,570 | 54.0 | 8.3 | ||
Registered electors | 2,908 | ||||
Labour Co-op gain from SNP | Swing | 7.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Neil McGhee | 924 | 62.9 | 8.5 | |
SNP | Iain Robb | 343 | 23.4 | 22.2 | |
Scottish Socialist | Gareth Jenkins | 89 | 6.1 | New | |
BNP | Stephen Burns | 73 | 5.0 | New | |
Conservative | Primpton Sword | 39 | 2.7 | New | |
Majority | 581 | 39.6 | 30.8 | ||
Turnout | 1,468 | 52.6 | 9.7 | ||
Registered electors | 2,790 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | 15.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Crawford | 839 | 59.4 | 4.8 | |
SNP | Katherine Smith | 303 | 21.4 | 14.4 | |
Conservative | Gary Smith | 141 | 10.0 | New | |
Scottish Socialist | James Monaghan | 130 | 9.2 | New | |
Majority | 536 | 37.9 | 9.6 | ||
Turnout | 1,413 | 48.7 | 11.9 | ||
Registered electors | 2,903 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | 4.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Eric Ross | 961 | 78.4 | 8.2 | |
SNP | James Kelso | 215 | 17.5 | 12.3 | |
Conservative | Craig Allison | 50 | 4.1 | New | |
Majority | 746 | 60.8 | 20.4 | ||
Turnout | 1,226 | 46.3 | 10.6 | ||
Registered electors | 2,650 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | 13.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Elaine Dinwoodie | 1,039 | 71.5 | 4.3 | |
Conservative | Sophie Brodie | 215 | 14.8 | New | |
SNP | Alexander MacKenzie | 200 | 13.8 | 19.0 | |
Majority | 824 | 56.7 | 22.3 | ||
Turnout | 1,454 | 47.7 | 7.0 | ||
Registered electors | 3,051 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | 11.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Elaine Stewart | 789 | 52.7 | 1.1 | |
SNP | Andrew Filson | 645 | 43.1 | 25.2 | |
Conservative | James Boswell | 40 | 2.7 | New | |
Scottish Socialist | Anne Baker | 23 | 1.5 | New | |
Majority | 144 | 9.6 | 11.5 | ||
Turnout | 1,497 | 58.6 | 2.5 | ||
Registered electors | 2,555 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | 12.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | James Carmichael | 1,004 | 67.7 | 6.2 | |
SNP | Michael Lopez | 314 | 21.2 | 4.3 | |
Conservative | Walter Young | 165 | 11.1 | New | |
Majority | 690 | 46.5 | 25.4 | ||
Turnout | 1,483 | 52.3 | 8.8 | ||
Registered electors | 2,836 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | 0.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SNP | Helen Coffey | 715 | 59.0 | 4.4 | |
Labour | Matthew McLaughlin | 296 | 24.4 | 6.8 | |
Conservative | James Adams | 178 | 14.7 | 6.1 | |
Scottish Socialist | Colin Rutherford | 23 | 1.9 | 3.6 | |
Majority | 419 | 34.6 | 11.2 | ||
Turnout | 1,212 | 42.2 | 2.1 | ||
Registered electors | 2,869 | ||||
SNP hold | Swing | 5.6 |
Source: [4]
Colin Rallings is a British academic, Professor of Politics in the School of Sociology, Politics & Law at the University of Plymouth. Rallings’ first degree was in Politics and Modern History from the University of Manchester. Subsequently, he was awarded a master's degree in Politics by the University of Strathclyde and, in 1979, a Ph.D. by the University of Essex for a thesis on electoral behaviour. He joined the then Plymouth Polytechnic in 1976, being appointed Professor of Politics in 1997. He has held visiting appointments at the University of Leiden, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Queensland, and the Australian National University, Canberra. He is a member of the Economic and Social Research Council's (ESRC) panel of assessors for Politics and International Relations, and of the Council's Research Resources Board.
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