2003 St Albans City and District Council election

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Map of the results of the 2003 St Albans City and District Council election. Liberal Democrats in yellow, Conservatives in blue and Labour in red. St Albans UK local election 2003 map.svg
Map of the results of the 2003 St Albans City and District Council election. Liberal Democrats in yellow, Conservatives in blue and Labour in red.

The 2003 St Albans City and District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of St Albans District Council in Hertfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control. [1]

Contents

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Background

Following the last election in 2002 the Conservatives were the largest party with 21 seats, compared to 20 for the Liberal Democrats, 15 for Labour, 1 independent and 1 seat was vacant. [3] However the Liberal Democrats gained a seat from the Conservatives at a by-election in Verulam, [4] which meant that going into the 2003 election both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats needed to gain 8 seats to win a majority. [5]

Voting trial

The election saw a trial of various voting methods. Voters could choose between e-voting, either by computer or on a touchscreen at a polling booth, voting by phone or by post, or on a traditional ballot paper. [6] The period for voting was also increased to allow voting from the 28 April to the 1 May 2003. [6]

However problems occurred at 15 polling stations where the system did not recognise voters pin numbers, [7] which meant that traditional paper ballots had to be used in those polling stations. [8] The issues meant the election nearly had to be voided, with the count only able to start over 3 hours after polls had closed. [9]

However turnout was up by 5% on the previous election in 2002 at 43%. [10]

Election result

The Liberal Democrats gained 2 seats from Labour to become the largest party on the council with 23 councillors. [9] The Conservatives remained on 21 seats and there was still 1 independent, while the losses for Labour in Ashley and St Peter's wards reduced them to 13 seats. [9]

Following the election the Liberal Democrat group on the council chose Robert Donald as their new leader taking over from Brian Peyton. [11]

St Albans local election result 2003 [12] [13]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Liberal Democrats 1220+257.143.818,710+5.0%
  Conservative 500023.835.415,126-0.4%
  Labour 402-219.020.68,784-4.5%
 No Candidate Deserves My Vote!000000.163-0.2%

Ward results

Ashley [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Alan Marshall 942 43.4 +6.9
Labour Alistair Cooper75935.0-6.3
Conservative Alec Campbell46821.6+1.1
Majority1838.4
Turnout 2,16944.4
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing
Batchwood [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Martin Leach 873 47.1
Conservative Lee Foster49226.6
Liberal Democrats Debbie Williams48826.3
Majority38120.5
Turnout 1,85337.6
Labour hold Swing
Clarence [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Sheila Burton 1,315 65.3 +6.1
Labour Clive Newport35617.7-5.2
Conservative Louisa-Jane Rosalki34317.0-0.9
Majority95947.6+11.3
Turnout 2,01445.8
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Colney Heath [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Christopher Brazier 972 58.1 +21.7
Conservative David Johns52231.2-12.8
Labour David Mclean17910.7-8.9
Majority45026.9
Turnout 1,67343.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Cunningham [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Robert Donald 1,281 61.3 +18.0
Labour Rebecca Gumbrell-Mccormick41619.9-16.1
Conservative James Vessey39418.8-1.9
Majority86541.4+34.1
Turnout 2,09146.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Harpenden East [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Michael Waddilove 1,149 50.2 +3.5
Conservative Elizabeth Stevenson85437.3-1.0
Labour David Crew28612.5-2.5
Majority29512.9+4.5
Turnout 2,28945.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Harpenden North [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Albert Pawle 1,046 51.1 +3.2
Liberal Democrats Rachel Andrew78538.4-3.2
Labour Rosemary Ross21410.5+0.0
Majority26112.7+6.4
Turnout 2,04541.6
Conservative hold Swing
Harpenden South [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Paul Foster 1,340 61.7 -1.7
Liberal Democrats Christopher Canfield61628.4+5.1
Labour David Lawlor2169.9-3.4
Majority72433.3-6.8
Turnout 2,17243.2
Conservative hold Swing
Harpenden West [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Julian Daly 1,319 56.3 -3.8
Liberal Democrats Mary Skinner75332.1+7.0
Labour Benjamin Dearman27111.6-3.2
Majority56624.2-10.8
Turnout 2,34343.6
Conservative hold Swing
London Colney [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Malcolm Macmillan 1,062 57.7 -4.2
Conservative Gilbert Massara47225.6+2.1
Liberal Democrats Carol Prowse30816.7+2.1
Majority59032.1-6.3
Turnout 1,84233.2
Labour hold Swing
Marshalswick North [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Churchard 1,003 48.5 +1.0
Conservative John Foster78237.8+1.3
Labour John Baughan28213.6-2.5
Majority22110.7-0.3
Turnout 2,06743.6
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Marshalswick South [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Kathleen Morris 1,364 53.3 -4.5
Conservative Richard Bretherton85833.5+5.0
Labour Jane Cloke33813.2-0.5
Majority50619.8-9.5
Turnout 2,56052.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Park Street [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Stephanie White 1,130 57.7 -7.8
Conservative Timothy Randall55428.3+6.8
Labour Janet Blackwell27614.1+1.1
Majority57629.4-14.6
Turnout 1,96038.8
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Redbourn [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Christopher O'Donovan 1,019 50.5 -1.8
Conservative Maria Maynard83641.4+1.9
Labour Linda Spiri1648.1-0.2
Majority1839.1-3.7
Turnout 2,01945.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Sandridge [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Christopher Whiteside 769 54.7 +13.4
Liberal Democrats Peter Klyhn46533.1-6.9
Labour John Baker17112.2-4.8
Majority30421.6+20.3
Turnout 1,40539.5
Conservative hold Swing
Sopwell (2 seats) [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Eileen Harris 781 49.6 -8.7
Labour Janet Smith 777 49.4 -8.9
Liberal Democrats Brian Sinfield39725.2+8.0
Liberal Democrats David Terrar37523.8+6.6
Conservative Eileen Brown35622.6+1.3
Conservative Margaret Brownlie34421.9+0.6
Turnout 1,57432.4+9.1
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
St Peters [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Richard Biddle 927 46.1 +8.0
Labour Lynette Warren71535.6-8.1
Conservative Virginia Walker36718.3+0.1
Majority21210.5
Turnout 2,00942.1
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing
St Stephen [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Gordon Myland 1,247 58.1 +2.8
Liberal Democrats Louise Searle63429.5-0.2
Labour Patricia Allen26612.4-2.6
Majority61328.6+3.0
Turnout 2,14743.7
Conservative hold Swing
Verulam [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Martin Frearson 1,457 52.6 +15.5
Conservative Robin Streames1,03337.3-11.4
Labour Richard Bruckdorfer2177.8-4.9
No Candidate Deserves My Vote!Peter Goodall632.3+0.8
Majority42415.3
Turnout 2,77056.3+17.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Wheathampstead [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Christopher Oxley 1,330 59.8 +16.8
Conservative Linda Brent73032.8-15.6
Labour Mary Cheale1657.4-1.3
Majority60027.0
Turnout 2,22548.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

By-elections between 2003 and 2004

A by-election was held in Verulam ward on 5 April 2004 after the resignation of Conservative councillor Pauline Buffham, who was moving abroad. [14] The seat was gained for the Liberal Democrats by Susan Campbell with a majority of 265 votes over the Conservatives. [15]

Verulam by-election 5 April 2004 [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Susan Campbell 1,173 49.4 -3.2
Conservative Katherine Cramer90838.2+0.9
St Albans PartyJanet Girsman1677.0+7.0
Labour Larry Heyman903.8-4.0
Green Marc Scheimann371.6+1.6
Majority26511.2-4.1
Turnout 2,37548.1-8.2
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

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