The 2003 Colchester Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Colchester Borough Council in Essex, England. This was the same day as the other 2003 United Kingdom local elections. One third of the seats were up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1]
Background
Before the election the Conservatives were the largest party with 24 seats, the Liberal Democrats had 23 seats, Labour had 4 seats, there were 8 independents and 1 seat was vacant after the sitting Labour councillor moved to Scotland.[2] The council was run by a cabinet comprising 3 Conservatives, 3 Liberal Democrats and 1 Labour members.[3]
21 seats were being contested, with 2 seats available in Wivenhoe Cross due to the vacancy.[2] The remaining 20 seats all had the sitting councillors defending their seats and included the Labour group leader Tim Young in St Andrew's and the Conservative mayor Nigel Chapman in Fordham and Stour.[2] Meanwhile in High Woods, Ian Ringer, defended the seat as an independent after leaving the Liberal Democrats earlier in 2003.[2]
Election result
No party gained a majority on the council, but the Liberal Democrats picked up 2 seats to have 25 councillors, compared to 24 for the Conservatives.[1] Labour stayed on 5 seats, after Richard Bourne gained a seat in Shrub End for the party,[4] but they also lost a seat in Wivenhoe Cross,[5] while the remaining seats were held by independents.[1] Overall turnout at the election was 27.8%.[6]
Following the election Bob Newman left the Labour group to sit as an independent, reducing Labour to 4 councillors.[7][3] Labour then went into opposition after refusing to work with the Conservatives and a new cabinet was formed with 4 Conservative and 4 Liberal Democrat members.[3]
Colchester Borough Council Election, 2003[8][9] |
Party |
Seats |
Gains |
Losses |
Net gain/loss |
Seats % |
Votes % |
Votes |
+/− |
|
Conservative |
10 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
47.6 |
40.6 |
11,108 |
+1.1% |
|
Liberal Democrat |
8 |
2 |
0 |
+2 |
38.1 |
32.0 |
8,740 |
-4.4% |
|
Labour |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
9.5 |
20.0 |
5,467 |
+0.9% |
|
Independent |
1 |
0 |
2 |
-2 |
4.8 |
5.7 |
1,563 |
+2.0% |
|
Green |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1.4 |
370 |
+0.2% |
|
Socialist Alliance |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.4 |
96 |
+0.3% |
Council composition
The composition of the council before the election and a summary of which parties' seats were up for election can be found in the following table:[8]
Party |
Previous council |
Staying councillors |
Seats up for election |
Election result |
New council |
|
Liberal Democrats |
23 |
17 |
6 |
8 |
25 |
|
Conservatives |
24 |
14 |
10 |
10 |
24 |
|
Labour |
5 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
|
Independents |
8 |
5 |
3 |
1 |
6 |
|
Greens |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Socialist Alliance |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Total |
60 |
39 |
21 |
21 |
60 |
Ward results
Shown below are ward results according to the council's election results archive.[9][5][6]
Three of the single-seat wards (Dedham & Langham, East Donyland, Marks Tey) were not up for election this year. Neither were three of the two-seat wards (Harbour, Lexden, St John's).
Berechurch Ward |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Liberal Democrat |
Susan Elizabeth Brooks |
746 |
52.09% |
|
|
Labour |
Julia Thomas |
404 |
28.21% |
|
|
Conservative |
Sarah Elizabeth Deborah McLean |
274 |
19.13% |
|
Majority |
342 |
23.88% |
|
Turnout |
1432 |
24.5 |
-6.5% |
|
Liberal Democrat hold |
Swing |
|
|
Birch & Winstree Ward |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Conservative |
Peter Crowe |
966 |
71.82% |
|
|
Liberal Democrat |
Barry Ronald Woodward |
190 |
14.13% |
|
|
Labour |
Audrey Mary Spencer |
183 |
13.61% |
|
Majority |
776 |
57.70% |
|
Turnout |
1345 |
31.0 |
-8.0% |
|
Conservative hold |
Swing |
|
|
Castle Ward |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Liberal Democrat |
Kenneth Jones |
903 |
54.40% |
|
|
Conservative |
Pauline Ruth Lucas |
404 |
24.34% |
|
|
Labour |
Malcolm Peter Cannon |
210 |
12.65% |
|
|
Green |
Walter Schwarz |
132 |
7.95% |
|
Majority |
499 |
30.06% |
|
Turnout |
1660 |
28.6% |
-3.4% |
|
Liberal Democrat hold |
Swing |
|
|
Christ Church Ward |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Liberal Democrat |
Martin Clifford Hunt |
662 |
48.01% |
|
|
Conservative |
Roger Buston |
587 |
42.57% |
|
|
Labour |
David John Canning |
124 |
8.99% |
|
Majority |
75 |
5.44% |
|
Turnout |
1379 |
43.4% |
+3.4% |
|
Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative |
Swing |
|
|
Copford & West Stanway Ward |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Conservative |
Elizabeth Jewell Blundell |
353 |
70.46% |
-4.69% |
|
Independent |
Patrick James Mead |
70 |
13.97% |
+13.97% |
|
Labour |
Anna Geraldine Trudgian |
40 |
7.98% |
+7.98% |
|
Liberal Democrat |
Anthony Scott-Boutell |
37 |
7.39% |
-17.07% |
Majority |
283 |
56.49% |
+5.81% |
Turnout |
501 |
34.0% |
-1.0% |
|
Conservative hold |
Swing |
|
|
Fordham & Stour Ward |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Conservative |
Nigel Albert Chapman |
797 |
71.93% |
|
|
Liberal Democrat |
Wilma Margaret Sutton |
161 |
14.53% |
|
|
Labour |
Gary Griffiths |
144 |
13.00% |
|
Majority |
636 |
57.40% |
|
Turnout |
1108 |
27.6% |
-5.4% |
|
Conservative hold |
Swing |
|
|
Great Tey Ward |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Conservative |
Peter John Chillingworth |
645 |
68.62% |
+2.88% |
|
Liberal Democrat |
Carolyn Catney |
196 |
20.85% |
-13.41% |
|
Labour |
Alan Frederick Trudigan |
108 |
11.49% |
+11.49% |
Majority |
449 |
47.77% |
+16.29% |
Turnout |
940 |
42.7% |
+2.7% |
|
Conservative hold |
Swing |
|
|
Highwoods Ward |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Conservative |
Maris Elizabeth Fuller |
417 |
32.33% |
|
|
Liberal Democrat |
Alan Geoffrey Hayman |
408 |
31.63% |
|
|
Independent |
Ian Vernon Ringer[lower-alpha 1] |
339 |
26.28% |
|
|
Labour |
Edmund John Chinnery |
121 |
9.38% |
|
Majority |
9 |
0.70% |
|
Turnout |
1290 |
22.0% |
+2.0% |
|
Conservative gain from Independent |
Swing |
|
|
Mile End Ward |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Liberal Democrat |
Anne Turrell |
589 |
44.25% |
|
|
Conservative |
Shahid Naim Husain |
400 |
30.05% |
|
|
Labour |
Janet Rosehart Smith |
171 |
12.85% |
|
|
Independent |
Jane Chinnery |
124 |
9.32% |
|
|
Green |
Mary Hilda Bryan |
40 |
3.01% |
|
Majority |
189 |
14.20% |
|
Turnout |
1331 |
26.3% |
+0.3% |
|
Liberal Democrat hold |
Swing |
|
|
New Town Ward |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Liberal Democrat |
Margaret Donaldson Fisher |
767 |
54.98% |
|
|
Conservative |
Glenn Bath |
325 |
23.30% |
|
|
Labour |
Jane Maureen Green |
281 |
20.14% |
|
Majority |
442 |
31.68% |
|
Turnout |
1395 |
22.9% |
-3.1% |
|
Liberal Democrat hold |
Swing |
|
|
Prettygate Ward |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Liberal Democrat |
Sandra Clark Gray |
1,044 |
48.3 |
|
|
Conservative |
Ronald Alfred Levy |
935 |
43.3 |
|
|
Labour |
Luke Michael Powell Dopson |
182 |
8.4 |
|
Majority |
109 |
5.0 |
|
Turnout |
2,161 |
36.2% |
-0.8% |
|
Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative |
Swing |
|
|
St Andrew's Ward |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Labour |
Timothy Jon Young |
813 |
61.92% |
|
|
Liberal Democrat |
Jennifer Elizabeth Berriman |
270 |
20.56% |
|
|
Conservative |
Anne Allan |
184 |
14.01% |
|
|
Socialist Alliance |
Jeremy (Jim) Stuart Jepps |
41 |
3.12% |
|
Majority |
543 |
41.36% |
|
Turnout |
1313 |
19.7% |
-0.3% |
|
Labour hold |
Swing |
|
|
St Annes's Ward |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Liberal Democrat |
Barrie Richard Cook |
853 |
58.38% |
|
|
Labour |
Peter Raymond Brine |
295 |
20.19% |
|
|
Conservative |
Angus James Carstairs Allan |
283 |
19.37% |
|
|
Socialist Alliance |
David Alexander Isaacson |
31 |
2.12% |
|
Majority |
558 |
38.19% |
|
Turnout |
1461 |
22.7% |
-2.3% |
|
Liberal Democrat hold |
Swing |
|
|
Stanway Ward |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Liberal Democrat |
Lesley Scott-Boutell |
918 |
52.31% |
|
|
Conservative |
John Paul Reeves |
610 |
34.76% |
|
|
Labour |
John Spademan |
222 |
12.65% |
|
Majority |
308 |
17.55% |
|
Turnout |
1755 |
28.8% |
-5.2% |
|
Liberal Democrat hold |
Swing |
|
|
Tiptree Ward |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Conservative |
Margaret Fairley Crowe |
546 |
34.98% |
|
|
Independent |
Anne Burgess |
542 |
34.72% |
|
|
Labour |
Alan Charles Leslie Mogridge |
415 |
26.59% |
|
|
Green |
Stella May Barnes |
56 |
3.59% |
|
Majority |
4 |
0.26% |
|
Turnout |
1561 |
26.4% |
-2.6% |
|
Conservative gain from Independent |
Swing |
|
|
West Bergholt & Ash Green Ward |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Conservative |
Jill Mary Tod |
774 |
66.38% |
|
|
Liberal Democrat |
Una Jacqueline Myra Jones |
238 |
20.41% |
|
|
Labour |
Ian John Yates |
149 |
12.78% |
|
Majority |
536 |
45.97% |
|
Turnout |
1166 |
30.3% |
-2.7% |
|
Conservative hold |
Swing |
|
|
West Mersea Ward |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Conservative |
Margaret Anne Kimberley |
1107 |
63.01% |
|
|
Labour |
Bry Whittle Mogridge |
359 |
20.43% |
|
|
Liberal Democrat |
Ronald Charles Laurance Baker |
249 |
14.17% |
|
Majority |
748 |
42.57% |
|
Turnout |
1757 |
30.1% |
-0.9% |
|
Conservative hold |
Swing |
|
|
Wivenhoe Quay Ward |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Independent |
Richard Davies |
488 |
35.59% |
|
|
Conservative |
Kenneth Rogers |
394 |
28.74% |
|
|
Labour |
Stephen Charles Ford |
336 |
24.51% |
|
|
Green |
Christopher James Fox |
142 |
10.36% |
|
Majority |
94 |
6.9 |
|
Turnout |
1371 |
35.6% |
-2.4% |
|
Independent hold |
Swing |
|
|
- ↑ The Independent candidate in Highwoods ward was elected as a Liberal Democrat in 2002.
By-elections between 2003 and 2004
A by-election took place on 22 April 2004 after the death of the independent councillor Richard Davies.[10]
Wivenhoe Quay By-Election 22 April 2004[11] |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Labour |
Stephen Ford |
626 |
34.4 |
+9.7 |
|
Conservative |
Anne Quarrie |
614 |
33.7 |
+4.7 |
|
Liberal Democrat |
Jeremy Jacobs |
581 |
31.9 |
+31.9 |
Majority |
12 |
0.7 |
|
Turnout |
1,821 |
44.0 |
|
|
Labour gain from Independent |
Swing |
|
|
References