2003 Rother District Council election

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Map of the results of the 2003 Rother District Council election. Conservatives in blue, Liberal Democrats in yellow, Labour in red and independents in light grey. Rother UK local election 2003 map.svg
Map of the results of the 2003 Rother District Council election. Conservatives in blue, Liberal Democrats in yellow, Labour in red and independents in light grey.

The 2003 Rother District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Rother District Council in East Sussex, England. The whole council was up for election after boundary changes reduced the number of seats by 7. [1] The Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council. [2]

Contents

Background

Originally a total of 81 candidates stood for the 37 seats that were to be elected after the boundary changes, comprising 37 Conservatives, 32 Liberal Democrats, 12 Labour and 3 independents. [3] However the death of a Liberal Democrat candidate for Rother Levels meant the election in that ward was delayed until 12 June and so 75 candidates stood for the 35 seats that were contested on 1 May. [3]

Both the Conservative leader of East Sussex County Council, Peter Jones, and the leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Rother District Council, Stephen Hardy, stood down from the council at the election. [3]

Election result

The Conservatives continued to hold a strong majority on the council winning 13 of the 18 seats in Bexhill, compared to 2 each for the Liberal Democrat and Labour parties, and 1 independent. [4] In the remaining rural areas of the council that were elected on 1 May, 9 Conservatives, 6 Liberal Democrats, 1 Labour and 1 independent councillors were elected. [4]

The delayed election in Rother Levels on 12 June had the Conservatives win both seats. [5]

Rother local election result 2003 [5] [6] [7]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Conservative 25-465.857.525,184
  Liberal Democrats 8021.130.213,205
  Labour 3-17.98.03,497
  Independent 2-25.34.31,883

The above totals include the delayed election in Rother Levels on 12 June 2003.

Ward results

Battle Town (2 seats) [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Suzanne Williams668
Liberal Democrats Robert White664
Conservative Margaret Leicester599
Conservative Anthony Mitchell560
Labour John Gately182
Turnout 2,67337.3
Bexhill Central (2 seats) [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Eveline Armstrong634
Conservative Joyce Hughes608
Liberal Democrats Neil Francis484
Liberal Democrats Michael Doncaster451
Turnout 2,17732.0
Bexhill Collington (2 seats) [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Ronald Dyason1,071
Conservative Christopher Starnes974
Liberal Democrats Heather Morrey575
Turnout 2,62043.2
Bexhill Kewhurst (2 seats) [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Brian Kentfield1,199
Conservative Martin Horscroft1,180
Liberal Democrats John Zipperlen162
Turnout 2,54141.7
Bexhill Old Town (2 seats) [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats James Wood499
Liberal Democrats Eric Armstrong469
Conservative Paul Lendon373
Labour Nicholas Hollington195
Turnout 1,53632.3
Bexhill Sackville (2 seats) [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Jean Hopkinson876
Conservative Deidre Williams775
Liberal Democrats Christopher Storer411
Turnout 2,06233.6
Bexhill Sidley (2 seats) [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Helen Bridger446
Labour Keith Bridger418
Conservative Robert Wheeler399
Conservative Irena Massarella395
Liberal Democrats Matthew Kemp205
Turnout 1,86328.7
Bexhill St. Marks (2 seats) [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Stuart Earl1,236
Conservative Joanne Gadd1,106
Liberal Democrats Stephen Callandine-Evans359
Turnout 2,70141.6
Bexhill St. Michaels (2 seats) [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Charles Clark631
Conservative Peter Fairhurst393
Conservative Martin Kenward373
Liberal Democrats Martyn Forster346
Turnout 1,74330.6
Bexhill St. Stephens (2 seats) [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Graham Gubby648
Conservative William Clements631
Liberal Democrats Hilary McCorry432
Liberal Democrats Trevor Smith339
Labour Dominic Coughlan235
Turnout 2,28538.8
Brede Valley (2 seats) [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Richard Carroll775
Conservative Carl Maynard750
Liberal Democrats Rowan Fookes647
Turnout 2,17238.0
Crowhurst [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats John Kemp48655.5
Conservative Ian Tomisson31536.0
Labour Timothy MacPherson748.5
Majority17119.5
Turnout 87543.4
Darwell (2 seats) [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Vereker858
Independent Wendy Miers756
Liberal Democrats Trevor Seeman476
Turnout 2,09039.7
Eastern Rother (2 seats) [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Keith Glazier733
Conservative Charles Ramus707
Liberal Democrats Sonia Holmes427
Liberal Democrats Nicholas Cleveland-Stevens349
Labour Paul Carey311
Labour Keith Pike223
Turnout 2,75040.1
Ewhurst and Sedlescombe [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Matthew Wilson60267.5
Liberal Democrats Jeremy Field29032.5
Majority31235.0
Turnout 89246.6
Marsham (2 seats) [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Robin Patten935
Conservative Roger Bird894
Independent Hugh Gallagher496
Liberal Democrats Joloyn Holden285
Labour Paola Dorigato138
Labour Shirley Wheeldon132
Turnout 2,88048.4
Rye (2 seats) [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Samuel Souster542
Liberal Democrats Granville Bantick537
Conservative David Russell474
Conservative Anthony Arfwedson448
Labour Geoffrey Lyus443
Turnout 2,44444.3
Salehurst (2 seats) [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Susan Prochak894
Liberal Democrats George Hearn828
Conservative Mary Barnes495
Conservative Geoffrey Goodsell485
Turnout 2,70242.7
Ticehurst and Etchingham (2 seats) [7] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Ian Jenkins663
Conservative John Potter633
Liberal Democrats Albert Barrass542
Liberal Democrats Mary Varrall542
Turnout 2,38038.6

Rother Levels delayed election

The election in Rother Levels was delayed until 12 June 2003 after the death of a Liberal Democrat candidate Julian Emery. [3] [5]

Rother Levels (2 seats) [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Martin Mooney702
Conservative Ronald Parren685
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Als466
Liberal Democrats Alan Coote372
Labour Linda Whymark93
Labour Jean Parks65
Turnout 2,38334.5

By-elections between 2003 and 2007

Bexhill Sackville September 2004

A by-election took place in Bexhill Sackville on 9 September 2004 after the resignation of Conservative councillor Jean Hopkinson when she moved to New Zealand. [8] The seat was held for the Conservatives by Graham Oliver with a majority of 184 votes over the Liberal Democrats. [9]

Bexhill Sackville by-election 9 September 2004 [9] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Graham Oliver46851.7-16.4
Liberal Democrats Neil Francis28431.3-0.6
UKIP Dorothy Thomson15417.0+17.0
Majority18420.3
Turnout 90625.1-8.5
Conservative hold Swing

Bexhill St Stephens

A by-election was held in Bexhill St Stephens on 29 September 2005 after the death of Conservative councillor William Clements. [11] The seat was held for the Conservatives by Paul Lendon by a majority of 111 votes over the Liberal Democrats. [11]

Bexhill St Stephens by-election 29 September 2005 [10] [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Paul Lendon47046.6-2.7
Liberal Democrats Molly Webb35935.6+2.7
Labour Dominic Coughlan18017.8-0.1
Majority11111.0
Turnout 1,00930.2-8.6
Conservative hold Swing

Ticehurst and Etchingham

A by-election was held in Ticehurst and Etchingham on 17 November 2005 after Conservative councillor John Potter moved away. [12] The seat was held for the Conservatives by Robert Elliston with a majority of 367 votes over the Liberal Democrats. [12]

Ticehurst and Etchingham by-election 17 November 2005 [10] [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Robert Elliston69667.9+12.9
Liberal Democrats Mary Varrall32932.1-12.9
Majority36735.8
Turnout 1,02530.8-7.8
Conservative hold Swing

Bexhill Kewhurst

A by-election was held in Bexhill Kewhurst on 4 May 2006 after Conservative councillor Martin Horscroft resigned from the council. [13] The seat was held for the Conservatives by Martin Kenward with a majority of 616 votes over the Liberal Democrats. [13]

Bexhill Kewhurst by-election 4 May 2006 [10] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Martin Kenward1,14164.6-23.5
Liberal Democrats John Zipperlen52529.7+17.8
Labour Abdulla Khan995.6+5.6
Majority61634.9
Turnout 1,76544+2
Conservative hold Swing

Bexhill Sackville May 2006

A by-election was held in Bexhill Sackville on 4 May 2006 after Conservative councillor Graham Oliver resigned from the council. [13] The seat was held for the Conservatives by Keith Standring with a majority of 89 votes over the Liberal Democrats. [13]

Bexhill Sackville by-election 4 May 2006 [10] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Keith Standring65548.3-3.4
Liberal Democrats Martyn Forster56641.8+10.5
Labour Philipa Coughlan1349.9+9.9
Majority896.6-13.7
Turnout 1,35538+13
Conservative hold Swing

Bexhill St Marks

A by-election was held in Bexhill St Marks on 4 May 2006 after Conservative councillor Stuart Earl resigned from the council. [13] The seat was held for the Conservatives by Patrick Douart with a majority of 325 votes over the Liberal Democrats. [13]

Bexhill St Marks by-election 4 May 2006 [10] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Patrick Douart86351.4-26.1
Liberal Democrats Rachel Hills53832.1+6.8
UKIP Tony Smith18511.0+11.0
Labour Stephanie Webb925.5+5.5
Majority32519.3
Turnout 1,67845+3
Conservative hold Swing

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