2003 West Lancashire District Council election

Last updated

Results of the 2003 West Lancashire District Council election West Lancashire UK ward map 2003.svg
Results of the 2003 West Lancashire District Council election

The 2003 West Lancashire District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of West Lancashire District Council in Lancashire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council. [1]

Contents

After the election, the composition of the council was:

PartySeats  ±  
Conservative 28-2
Labour 26+2

[2]

Campaign

Before the election the Conservatives held 30 seats compared to 24 for the Labour Party, [3] after the Conservatives gained a majority in the 2002 election for the first time since 1991. [4] 18 seats were contested in the election with the Conservatives defending 11 and Labour 7. [5] In total 46 candidates stood in the election, made up of 18 Conservative, 17 Labour, 4 Green and 7 independent candidates. [4] No Liberal Democrats stood in the election, with their local party reported to have fewer than 100 members. [6] Among the councillors defending their seats in the election was the Conservative council leader, Geoffrey Roberts, [3] while a former Labour councillor John Fillis stood as in independent in Scott ward, after having been cleared earlier in the year of defrauding Labour Party accounts during the 1997 general election. [7]

The election was seen as being a close contest being the Conservative and Labour parties, but the Liverpool Echo felt apathy among Labour voters could imperil some Labour held seats in Skelmersdale. [8] The Conservatives defended their record in control of the council for the past year, pointing to a recycling scheme they had introduced, improvements they claimed to have made in street cleaning and they pledged to continue investing in services. [9] However Labour attacked the Conservatives for scrapping a community warden scheme, pledged that they would end a pest control charge and would provide a new cemetery for the area. [9] Labour also accused the Conservatives of planning to privatise services to a Liverpool company, however this was denied by the Conservatives. [5]

Election results

The results saw the Conservatives remain in control of the council despite losing 2 seats to Labour. [10] Labour narrowly gained seats in Scott and Wrightington wards from the Conservative after a recount. [10] This meant the Conservatives only had a majority of 2, with 28 seats compared to 26 for Labour. [11] No other candidates were elected with all 7 independents being defeated. [11] Overall turnout in the election was 27.5%. [10]

West Lancashire Local Election Result 2003 [2] [12]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Conservative 902-250.046.18.497-1.4
  Labour 920+250.039.97,363-0.1
  Independent 00000.011.12,043-0.4
  Green 00000.02.9541+2.1

Ward results

Ashurst

Ashurst [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Ann Rice48353.1
Independent Patrick McElhinney26829.5
Conservative Paul Boulton15817.4
Majority 21523.6
Turnout 90918.7
Labour hold Swing

Aughton and Downholland

Aughton and Downholland [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Westley95460.7
Labour Andrew Johnson61839.3
Majority 33621.4
Turnout 1,57234.0
Conservative hold Swing

Aughton Park

Aughton Park [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Geoffrey Roberts68278.0
Labour Stephen Hanlon19222.0
Majority 49056.0
Turnout 87428.3
Conservative hold Swing

Bickerstaffe

Bickerstaffe [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Patricia Taylor40253.7−8.5
Labour Paul Cotterill34746.3+8.5
Majority 557.4−17.0
Turnout 74945.1
Conservative hold Swing

Birch Green

Birch Green [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jane Roberts32384.6
Conservative Timothy Edwards5915.4
Majority 26469.2
Turnout 38212.9
Labour hold Swing

Derby

Derby [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Swiffen61847.5
Labour Noel Delaney54141.6
Green Anne Doyle14110.8
Majority 775.9
Turnout 1,30028.2
Conservative hold Swing

Digmoor

Digmoor [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Ann-Marie Maguire39475.5
Independent Alan Spears7414.2
Conservative Richard Shepherd5410.3
Majority 22061.3
Turnout 52216.4
Labour hold Swing

Knowsley

Knowsley [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Robert Bailey73056.6
Labour Margaret Pinnington41532.2
Green John Watt14511.2
Majority 31524.4
Turnout 1,29028.4
Conservative hold Swing

North Meols

North Meols [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Jill Baldock38648.9
Independent Joan Draper28636.2
Labour Jane McDermott11714.8
Majority 10012.7
Turnout 78924.7
Conservative hold Swing

Parbold

Parbold [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative May Blake74958.8
Independent Rosalind Wess34126.8
Labour Clare Gillard18314.4
Majority 40832.0
Turnout 1,27340.3
Conservative hold Swing

Scarisbrick

Scarisbrick [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Margaret Edwards56072.0
Labour David Evans21828.0
Majority 34244.0
Turnout 77826.6
Conservative hold Swing

Scott

Scott [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Allison Sinton58238.3
Conservative Cyril Ainscough57437.7
Independent John Fillis22114.5
Green Maurice George1449.5
Majority 80.6
Turnout 1,52132.5
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Skelmersdale North

Skelmersdale North [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Richard Nolan45061.1
Independent Joan Morrison19526.5
Conservative Graham Jones9212.5
Majority 25534.6
Turnout 73723.5
Labour hold Swing

Skelmersdale South

Skelmersdale South [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Doreen Saxon68273.8
Conservative Susan Cropper13114.2
Green Martin Lowe11112.0
Majority 55159.6
Turnout 92418.6
Labour hold Swing

Tanhouse

Tanhouse [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour William Roberts36876.3
Conservative Irene O'Donnell11423.7
Majority 25452.6
Turnout 48216.3
Labour hold Swing

Tarleton

Tarleton [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Rosemary Evans95759.3
Independent John Hodson65840.7
Majority 29918.6
Turnout 1,61537.0
Conservative hold Swing

Up Holland

Up Holland [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Anthony Rice81255.2
Conservative Ruth Pollock65944.8
Majority 25310.4
Turnout 1,47130.3
Labour hold Swing

Wrightington

Wrightington [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Derek Thompson63850.8
Conservative Carolyn Evans61849.2
Majority 201.6
Turnout 1,25637.2
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

References

  1. ↑ "Local elections". BBC News Online . Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  2. 1 2 "Election Results". The Times . 2 May 2003. p. 17.
  3. 1 2 "Under voter orders ; Council elections:1 May 2003". Liverpool Echo . 4 April 2003. p. 14.
  4. 1 2 "Tories battle for control". Wigan Observer. 28 April 2003.
  5. 1 2 Kelly, Andy (28 April 2003). "Local elections 2003: It's stick or twist for town hall voters ; Special report: Countdown to polling day". Liverpool Daily Post . p. 8.
  6. ↑ Kelly, Andy (29 April 2003). "Local elections 2003: Bottom line from those at the top". Liverpool Daily Post . p. 8.
  7. ↑ James, Deborah (18 April 2003). "Poll comeback bid; It's been a tough three years". Liverpool Daily Post . p. 16.
  8. ↑ "Voters looking for new answers to old problems". Liverpool Echo . 23 April 2003. p. 12.
  9. 1 2 James, Deborah (23 April 2003). "Bridges to the great divide; In the second part of our election special, Deborah James looks at the issues affecting Sefton and West Lancashire". Liverpool Echo . p. 12.
  10. 1 2 3 "Local Elections 2003: W Lancs. ..Tory hold". Liverpool Echo . 2 May 2003. p. 7.
  11. 1 2 "Local elections 2003: West Lancs". Liverpool Daily Post . 2 May 2003. p. 3.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "West Lancashire District Council election results - 01 May 2003". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.