2003 Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council election

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The 2003 Gateshead Borough Council election was held on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Gateshead Council in Tyne and Wear, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour Party kept overall control of the council. [1]

Contents

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Campaign

The Labour Party feared that the Iraq War would cause them to lose ground in the election, after even their own councillors in Gateshead had passed a motion in February opposing the war. Labour hoped to separate the election from national issues by focusing on the council's record including the fact that council was rated as excellent in national league tables. The Liberal Democrats focused their attacks on the level of Council Tax including the 9.8% rise for Gateshead in 2003. [2]

The main battleground was seen as being in Winlaton ward which the Liberal Democrats had won in the 2000 election but Labour had retained in 2002. [2] As well as the two main parties on the council, the Conservatives contested all wards, while the British National Party put up 8 candidates and the Green Party 3 candidates. [2]

As in the previous election in 2002 the election was held under all postal voting. [2] As a result, overall turnout was 54.67% in Gateshead, [3] which was the third highest turnout in the 2003 United Kingdom local elections with only the elections in Hertfordshire and Copeland seeing a higher turnout. [4]

Election result

The results saw no seats change hands between the parties with the Labour party pleased at managing to hold all of the seats they were defending. [3] The result was seen as a blow to the Liberal Democrats chances of taking the Blaydon parliamentary seat at the next general election. [3]

Gateshead Local Election Result 2003 [5]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 1600072.754.243,686-2.7
  Liberal Democrats 600027.329.723,964+1.0
  Conservative 000008.46,824-0.3
  BNP 000003.72,955+2.7
  Liberal 000003.02,437-0.1
  Green 000000.7598-0.2
  Socialist Alliance 000000.2135+0.1

Ward results

Bede [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Patricia Murray1,53967.6−8.7
BNP Kevin Bell30713.5+13.5
Liberal Democrats Colin Ball28712.6−3.6
Conservative Ruth Fearby1446.3−1.1
Majority1,23254.1−6.0
Turnout 2,277
Labour hold Swing
Bensham [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Kevin Dodds1,61369.4−1.4
Liberal Democrats Susan Armstrong24410.5+0.7
BNP Terence Armstrong2099.0+2.1
Conservative Ada Callanan1908.2−1.3
Socialist Alliance David Morton672.9−0.1
Majority1,36958.9−2.1
Turnout 2,323
Labour hold Swing
Birtley [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Paul Foy1,75352.0−1.2
Liberal Mark Davidson1,41542.0+1.2
Conservative Barbara Nye2046.0+0.0
Majority33810.0−2.4
Turnout 3,372
Labour hold Swing
Blaydon [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Elsdon Watson2,00363.9−0.6
Liberal Democrats Maxine Thompson87928.0+0.3
Conservative Mark Watson2548.1+0.3
Majority1,12435.9−0.9
Turnout 3,136
Labour hold Swing
Chopwell and Rowlands Gill [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Michael McNestry2,62462.1+4.4
Liberal Democrats Eileen Blythe99123.4−4.6
Conservative Leonard Davidson3127.4+0.1
Green Pamela Woolner3007.1+0.2
Majority1,63338.7+9.0
Turnout 4,227
Labour hold Swing
Chowdene [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Keith Wood2,60968.5−0.6
Conservative Raymond Swadling64617.0+0.6
Liberal Democrats Glenys Goodwill55214.5+0.0
Majority1,96351.5−1.2
Turnout 3,807
Labour hold Swing
Crawcrook and Greenside [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Sally Danys1,99546.7−5.5
Labour Jack Graham1,74640.9−1.7
Conservative David Moor3317.8+2.6
Green Duncan Couchman1984.6+4.6
Majority2495.8−3.8
Turnout 4,270
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Deckham [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Martin Gannon1,61557.6−10.5
Liberal Democrats Ceila Wraith45016.1−0.5
BNP Ronald Fairlamb44115.7+15.7
Conservative Karl Gatiss29610.6−4.7
Majority1,16541.5−10.0
Turnout 2,802
Labour hold Swing
Dunston [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Albert Brooks2,75368.0−0.7
Liberal Democrats Anne Murray55213.6+2.9
Conservative John Callanan3929.7−0.5
BNP Daniel Dafter3528.7+8.7
Majority2,20154.4−3.6
Turnout 4,049
Labour hold Swing
Felling [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Raymond Napier1,96767.7−10.0
BNP John Battersby40513.9+13.9
Liberal Democrats David Lucas33411.5+0.6
Conservative Trevor Murray1986.8−4.6
Majority1,56253.8−12.5
Turnout 2,904
Labour hold Swing
High Fell [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Malcolm Graham2,22672.5+3.2
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Bird42713.9+5.5
BNP Kevin Scott2377.7+7.7
Conservative June Murray1815.9+0.1
Majority1,79958.6+5.8
Turnout 3,071
Labour hold Swing
Lamesley [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Craig Harrison1,95459.2+0.3
Liberal Susan Davidson1,02231.0−2.3
Conservative Karen Sludden3229.8+1.9
Majority93228.2+2.6
Turnout 3,298
Labour hold Swing
Leam [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Paul Tinnion2,47569.3−4.6
Liberal Democrats Norman Spours69419.4+2.3
Conservative John McNeil40211.3+2.3
Majority1,78149.9−6.9
Turnout 3,571
Labour hold Swing
Low Fell [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Frank Hindle2,87561.6+3.8
Labour Peter Wilson1,28027.4−2.4
Conservative Paul Sterling51511.0−1.4
Majority1,59534.2+6.2
Turnout 4,670
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Pelaw and Heworth [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Ian Patterson2,21555.7+6.9
Labour Robert Goldsworthy1,53138.5−8.5
Conservative Maureen Moor1293.2−1.0
Green Nicholas Boldrini1002.5+2.5
Majority68417.2+15.4
Turnout 3,975
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Ryton [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Ione Rippeth2,96066.0+4.4
Labour Dane Roberts1,27928.5−4.7
Conservative Antoinette Sterling2485.5+0.3
Majority1,68137.5+9.1
Turnout 4,487
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Saltwell [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Ian Mearns 1,79363.0−2.3
Liberal Democrats Paul Cowie42014.8+2.2
BNP George Bainbridge35512.5+1.5
Conservative Elaine McMaster2799.8−1.4
Majority1,37348.2−4.5
Turnout 2,847
Labour hold Swing
Teams [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Margaret Duddin2,36262.7−4.6
BNP Michael Dafter64917.2+8.8
Liberal Democrats James Blythe46312.3−1.3
Conservative Margaret Bell2927.8−2.7
Majority1,89945.5−8.2
Turnout 3,766
Labour hold Swing
Whickham North [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Mary Wallace2,47054.0+5.2
Labour Frank Earl1,71937.6−5.8
Conservative Elaine Robertson3838.4+0.6
Majority75116.4+11.0
Turnout 4,572
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Whickham South [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Wallace2,90155.0−3.5
Labour Gary Haley1,80434.2+3.4
Conservative Peter Ross56710.8+0.1
Majority1,09720.8−6.9
Turnout 5,272
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Winlaton [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour George Wilson2,00053.4−0.4
Liberal Democrats Peter Stokel1,54541.3−0.7
Conservative Charles Sludden1995.3+1.1
Majority45512.1+0.3
Turnout 3,744
Labour hold Swing
Wrekendyke [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Linda Green3,04173.1−2.7
Liberal Democrats John Diston71017.1+1.8
Conservative Eleanor Steeley3408.2−0.6
Socialist Alliance Angela Makki681.6+1.6
Majority2,33156.0−4.5
Turnout 4,159
Labour hold Swing

References

  1. 1 2 "Local elections". BBC Online . Retrieved 9 May 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Labour bracing itself for backlash". The Journal. 16 April 2003. p. 14.
  3. 1 2 3 "Labour majority slashed in city". The Journal. 2 May 2003. p. 44.
  4. ↑ "Election boost". Evening Chronicle . 11 June 2003. p. 18.
  5. ↑ "Election results; English Councils; Local elections 2003". The Times. 2 May 2003. p. 16.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 "Election results". The Journal. 2 May 2003. p. 32.
Preceded by
2002 Gateshead Council election 		Gateshead local elections Succeeded by
2004 Gateshead Council election
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