2003 Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council election

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The 2003 Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Windsor and Maidenhead Unitary Council in Berkshire, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2000 reducing the number of seats by 1. [1] The Liberal Democrats gained overall control of the council from no overall control. [2]

Contents

Campaign

Windsor and Maidenhead council was a top target for the Liberal Democrats in the 2003 local elections. [3] The party had come close to taking the Maidenhead parliamentary constituency at the last general election in 2001 and were optimistic of taking control of the council. [4] [5] The Liberal Democrats were expected to benefit from the support of the estimated 3,000 Muslims who lived in the council area due to the party's opposition to the Iraq War. [4] The issue of a proposed extension to a local mosque was also used for the Liberal Democrats, [4] but the Conservatives accused them of pandering to the Muslim community. [6]

The council had been controlled by the Conservatives since the 2000 election in an alliance with 2 of the independent councillors. [7] However the Liberal Democrats attacked the council for having raised council tax by 9.3% in the last year and by 20% over the 3 years since the last election. [7] They also criticised the council for its plans to demolish the town hall and pointed to a weak rating for the council by the Audit Commission. [7] However the Conservatives said Windsor and Maidenhead's council tax was still one of the lowest in the southeast and that if the Liberal Democrats implemented the policies in their manifesto it would mean a 27% increase in council tax. [7]

Boundary changes which reduced the number of seats by 1, meant both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats needed 1 less seat to take control of the council. [6] With the election important to both parties, the Conservative Party Chairman and local MP Theresa May and the Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy both campaigned in the area. [6]

The council again used a mobile polling station to go to railway stations and supermarkets in an attempt to increase turnout. [8]

Election result

The results saw the Liberal Democrats take control of the council, [9] after gaining 13 seats. [10] The election results were seen as giving the Liberal Democrats hope for the next general election in the Maidenhead constituency after the party won 61% of the vote in wards within the constituency against 33.6% for the Conservatives. [10]

Windsor and Maidenhead Local Election Result 2003 [2] [11]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Liberal Democrats 34+1359.649.046,098
  Conservative 15-1426.337.835,585
  Independent 5+58.84.84,540
 Old Windsor Residents' & Ratepayers Association203.51.81,732
  Labour 101.86.05,617
  Green 0000.5464
 Residents0-5000

Ward results

Ascot and Cheapside (2) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Hilton775
Conservative Peter Spooner708
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Pope229
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Taylor214
Green Stephen Young120
Turnout 2,04630.3
Belmont (3) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Michael Bruton1,524
Liberal Democrats Clive Baskerville1,406
Liberal Democrats David Mackay1,364
Conservative Philip Love752
Conservative Iain Buchanan712
Conservative Asghar Majeed638
Labour Patricia Shenstone147
Turnout 6,54339.1
Bisham and Cookham (3) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Mohinder Brar1,196
Liberal Democrats David Ricardo1,090
Liberal Democrats Margaret Cubley1,000
Conservative Alan Jay968
Conservative Michael Lawrence964
Conservative Chester Denniford936
Labour Judith Percival144
Labour Paul Percival105
Turnout 6,40340.9
Boyn Hill (3) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Michael Holness1,297
Liberal Democrats Margaret Hyde1,235
Liberal Democrats David Howes1,215
Conservative Yames Bragg643
Conservative Howard McBrien641
Conservative Arshad Hussain606
Green Ann Hay113
Labour Robert Barclay81
Labour Jennifer Cooper81
Turnout 5,91236.7
Bray (3) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Leo Walters1,028
Conservative Barry Thompson986
Conservative David Burbage982
Liberal Democrats Peter Janikoun509
Liberal Democrats Heather Elliot460
Liberal Democrats Nigel Shurben396
Labour Alan Wellstead147
Turnout 4,50828.4
Castle Without (3) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats David Eglise962
Liberal Democrats Bryan Hedley962
Liberal Democrats Martin Pritchett959
Conservative George Bathurst444
Conservative Catherine Lavender429
Conservative David Coppinger399
Labour Margaret Atwell136
Labour Janet Milward132
Turnout 4,42331.4
Clewer East (2) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Mary Gliksten655
Liberal Democrats Lee Hibbard640
Conservative Keith Evans553
Conservative Eileen Quick541
Labour Andrew Gittins120
Turnout 2,50938.1
Clewer North (3) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Cynthia Endacott967
Independent Eileen Penfold914
Independent Geoffrey Fido883
Conservative Peter Smith457
Conservative James Richards452
Conservative Wesley Richards430
Liberal Democrats John Foster274
Labour Ann Matthews265
Labour Andrew Foakes250
Liberal Democrats Nicola Shurben249
Labour Antony Matthews245
Liberal Democrats Gary Wilson227
Turnout 5,61331.6
Clewer South (2) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Richard Fagence742
Liberal Democrats Antony Wood706
Conservative Jennifer Heaven232
Conservative Victor Chukwuemeka207
Labour Linda Ayres89
Labour Kenneth Coles87
Turnout 2,06327.6
Cox Green (3) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Victoria Howes1,332
Liberal Democrats Bruce Adams1,320
Liberal Democrats Emrys Richards1,295
Conservative Paul Digby529
Conservative Maureen Mallet493
Conservative Charles Horder490
Labour Ian Harvey132
Labour Robert Horner121
Labour Mohammed Shafiq90
Turnout 5,80234.3
Datchet (2) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Jesse Grey613
Conservative Elizabeth Hawkes610
Liberal Democrats Timothy O'Flynn438
Independent Ewan Larcombe264
Labour Peter Ward129
Turnout 2,05429.7
Eton and Castle [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Richard Pratt30958.3
Conservative Gwyn Collier18034.0
Labour Jennifer Ward417.7
Majority12924.3
Turnout 53029.7
Eton Wick [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Mark Olney48462.9
Conservative Stephen Smith28637.1
Majority19825.8
Turnout 77042.0
Furze Platt (3) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Mary Stock1,459
Liberal Democrats Cynthia Pitteway1,411
Liberal Democrats Humaira Javed1,377
Conservative Clifford Baker613
Conservative Penelope Baker590
Conservative Anthony Willis566
Labour Katherine Holder117
Turnout 6,13337.7
Horton and Wraysbury (2) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Donald Gregory790
Independent Richard Bertram722
Conservative Duncan Parker516
Conservative David Martin474
Labour Paul Rae69
Turnout 2,57134.7
Hurley and Walthams (3) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats John Iles1,166
Liberal Democrats Jeremy Hyde1,154
Liberal Democrats Anthony Langdown1,118
Conservative David Penfold639
Conservative Philip Watss580
Conservative Justin List563
Labour Patrick McDonald295
Labour Kelly Dale272
Labour Kevin Webb261
Turnout 6,04844.0
Maidenhead Riverside (3) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Pamela Proctor1,374
Liberal Democrats Peter Herlinger1,341
Liberal Democrats Alison Napier1,294
Conservative Andrew Jenner 877
Conservative Catherine Hollingsworth784
Conservative Jennifer Spear723
Labour Pamela Kennedy117
Green Craig McDermott86
Turnout 6,59641.8
Old Windsor (2) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Old Windsor Residents' and Ratepayers' AssociationMalcolm Beer906
Old Windsor Residents' and Ratepayers' AssociationEric Wiles826
Conservative Christopher Hawkes173
Conservative James Belsey161
Labour Roy Reeves125
Labour Ahamed Mashoor103
Turnout 2,29430.5
Oldfield (3) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Derek Wilson729
Conservative Dorothy Kemp725
Conservative Gillian Moore713
Liberal Democrats Barbara Dorrington640
Liberal Democrats Michael Bartley622
Liberal Democrats Robert Hill608
Labour Kathleen Cutting293
Labour Anthony Randall217
Labour Nigel Smith193
Turnout 4,74028.3
Park (2) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Michael Scott854
Liberal Democrats Beverley Green835
Conservative Anthony Cross640
Conservative John Henson634
Labour Brent Curless77
Labour Annemarie Price67
Turnout 3,10737.3
Pinkneys Green (3) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Kathryn Newbound1,480
Liberal Democrats Simon Werner1,360
Liberal Democrats Wilson Hendry1,341
Conservative Charles Hollingsworth603
Conservative Brian Webster598
Conservative Jacqueline Porter581
Labour Margaret Horner127
Turnout 6,09038.9
Sunningdale (2) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Christine Bateson858
Conservative John Webb847
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Herbert-Brown212
Liberal Democrats Peter Cross185
Labour Kevin Cochrane122
Turnout 2,22431.8
Sunninghill and South Ascot (3) [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Brian Birkhead914
Conservative Alison Knight904
Conservative Lynda Yong896
Liberal Democrats Enid Cross698
Liberal Democrats Charmian Hopkins686
Liberal Democrats Christopher Bushill678
Green Stephen Shaw145
Labour Elizabeth Yates136
Turnout 5,05734.4

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References

  1. ↑ "Local elections". BBC News Online . Retrieved 27 November 2010.
  2. 1 2 "English councils". The Times . 3 May 2003. p. 47.
  3. ↑ "Parties try to shift focus to Birmingham from Baghdad". Financial Times . 15 April 2003. p. 10.
  4. 1 2 3 "Local Elections: Where a mosque is the big issue; Lib Dem target Maidenhead". The Independent . 22 April 2003. p. 6.
  5. ↑ Hartley-Brewer, Julia (20 April 2003). "Tories face a poll wipe-out". The Express on Sunday.
  6. 1 2 3 Milne, Richard (1 May 2003). "Tension rises in Maidenhead amid claims of dirty tricks". Financial Times . p. 5.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Sherman, Jill (24 April 2003). "Lib Dems plotting to overthrow Tories in Windsor". The Times . p. 10.
  8. ↑ "New voting methods 'increase turnout'". BBC News Online . 30 April 2003. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
  9. ↑ Lydall, Ross (2 May 2003). "But in the south Tories fail to make big breakthrough". Evening Standard . p. 7.
  10. 1 2 Waugh, Paul (3 May 2003). "How Britain voted: Kennedy claims parity with 30% share of vote; Liberal Democrats". The Independent . p. 18.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 "Borough Election Results 2003 - By Ward". The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. Archived from the original on 12 January 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
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