Richmondshire District Council election, 2003

Map of the results of the 2003 Richmondshire District Council election. Conservatives in blue, independents in light grey, Liberal Democrats in yellow, Richmondshire Independents in white and Social Democratic Party in purple.

The 2003 Richmondshire District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Richmondshire District Council in North Yorkshire, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 1999.[1] The council stayed under no overall control.[2]

Background

Before the election the council was run by the independents with support from the Conservatives, while the Liberal Democrats formed the opposition.[3] The independents were divided into two groups after the Richmondshire Independent Group split from the Richmondshire Association of Independent Councillors in 2001.[4]

Almost a third of the councillors stood down at the 2003 election, including a former chairperson of the council, Jane Metcalfe, and the Liberal Democrat group leader, Richard Good.[5] Other councillors who stood down included Alison Appleton, Colin Bailey, Grace Buckle, Sylvia Golding, Mike Graham, Terry Jones, Andrea Robson and Nigel Watson.[5]

A total of 56 candidates stood in 2003, with several being elected without opposition, however there were no candidates from the Labour party.[5] The two groups of independents stood against each in several wards including Colburn, Hornby Castle and Melsonby.[5] Meanwhile, the leader of the council, John Blackie, contested the election as a Conservative after having previously led the Richmondshire Association of Independent Councillors.[5]

Election result

The Conservatives became the largest group on the council with 11 councillors, after gaining four seats, but without a majority.[6] Nine independents were elected, a gain of four, while the Liberal Democrats dropped two to have eight councillors.[6]

The council leader John Blackie held his seat in Hawes as a Conservative, while councillors who were defeated included Liberal Democrat Patrick Brennan in Catterick, Richmondshire Independent Helen Grant and Katherine Kerr in Richmond Central.[3][7] Overall turnout at the election was 37.69%, down from 40.22% in 1999.[8]

Following the election Yvonne Peacock became leader of the Conservative group, Richard Dunn leader of the Richmondshire Association of Independent Councillors, John Harris leader of the Liberal Democrat group and Paul Cullen leader of the Richmondshire Independent Group.[4] Conservative John Blackie continued as leader of the council, defeating a challenge from the Liberal Democrat group leader John Harris.[9]

Richmondshire local election result 2003[2][10]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 11 +4 32.4 29.1 3,857 +0.6%
  Independent 9 +4 26.5 21.5 2,853 +1.6%
  Liberal Democrat 8 -2 23.5 27.1 3,602 -16.5%
  Richmondshire Independent Group 5 -7 14.7 18.6 2,464 +18.6%
  Social Democratic 1 +1 2.9 3.7 492 -4.3%

Ward results

Addlebrough[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Yvonne Peacock unopposed
Barton[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Campbell Dawson 285 57.5
Liberal Democrat Amanda Adams 211 42.5
Majority 74 14.9
Turnout 496 48.8
Bolton Castle[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Wendy Morton 384 72.7
Liberal Democrat John Weedon 144 27.3
Majority 240 45.5
Turnout 528 51.7
Brompton on Swale and Scorton (2 seats)[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Michael Heseltine 559
Independent James Fryer 417
Liberal Democrat Leslie Rowe 298
Turnout 1,274 37.7
Catterick (2 seats)[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Social Democratic Anthony Pelton 492
Conservative Robert Johnson 326
Liberal Democrat Patrick Brennan 310
Turnout 1,128 37.0
Colburn (3 seats)[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Peter Wood 384
Independent William Glover 375
Richmondshire Independent Group Lynn Miller 323
Richmondshire Independent Group Helen Grant 311
Independent Janet Kirk 187
Turnout 1,580 30.5
Croft[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrat Jane Parlour 280 51.4
Independent Kenneth Smith 265 48.6
Majority 15 2.8
Turnout 545 53.7
Gilling West[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Richmondshire Independent Group John Cronin 268 67.0
Conservative John Hartley 132 33.0
Majority 136 34.0
Turnout 400 41.9
Hawes and High Abbotside[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Blackie 487 87.7
Richmondshire Independent Group Clive Rudd 68 12.3
Majority 419 75.5
Turnout 555 53.0
Hipswell (2 seats)[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Richmondshire Independent Group Paul Cullen 149
Liberal Democrat Ann Bagley 130
Conservative Melva Steckles 108
Independent Betty Robertson 70
Turnout 457 16.7
Hornby Castle[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Richard Dunn 290 87.3
Richmondshire Independent Group Andrew Munro 42 12.7
Majority 248 74.7
Turnout 332 35.3
Leyburn (2 seats)[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative David Morton 423
Liberal Democrat Frances Ramsbottom 238
Liberal Democrat Kathleen Weedon 193
Turnout 854 31.3
Lower Wensleydale[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Keith Loadman unopposed
Melsonby[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent John Gill 226 56.5
Richmondshire Independent Group Timothy Place 174 43.5
Majority 52 13.0
Turnout 400 37.4
Middleham[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Howard Thomas unopposed
Middleton Tyas[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Jill McMullon 380 75.1
Richmondshire Independent Group Harold Joicey 126 24.9
Majority 254 50.2
Turnout 506 49.6
Newsham with Eppleby[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Richmondshire Independent Group David Maude unopposed
Penhill[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative George Dent unopposed
Reeth and Arkengarthdale[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Oswin Kendall unopposed
Richmond Central (2 seats)[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrat Clive World 480
Liberal Democrat Sheila Clarke 381
Richmondshire Independent Group Katherine Carr 368
Conservative David Johnson 323
Turnout 1,552 40.1
Richmond East (2 seats)[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrat John Harris 486
Richmondshire Independent Group Thomas Burrows 409
Conservative Iain McDougall 408
Liberal Democrat John Robinson 342
Turnout 1,645 45.6
Richmond West (2 seats)[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrat Linda Curran unopposed
Liberal Democrat Stuart Parsons unopposed
Scotton (2 seats)[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Patricia Middlemiss 204
Independent David Leadbeatter 150
Liberal Democrat Karin Ecker 109
Richmondshire Independent Group Michael Kerr 105
Turnout 568 17.8
Swaledale[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Raymond Alderson 327 73.0
Richmondshire Independent Group Stephen Smethurst 121 27.0
Majority 206 46.0
Turnout 448 46.6

By-elections between 2003 and 2007

A by-election was held in Gilling West on 2 November 2006 after the resignation of independent councillor John Cronin.[11] The seat was won by independent William Heslop with a majority of 116 votes over Conservative candidate Margaret Turnbull.[11]

Gilling West by-election 2 November 2006[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent William Heslop 258 64.5 -2.5
Conservative Margaret Turnbull 142 35.5 +2.5
Majority 116 29.0 -5.0
Turnout 400 40.4 -1.5
Independent hold Swing

References

  1. ↑ "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Election results". Financial Times. NewsBank. 2 May 2003. p. 4.
  3. 1 2 Parsley, Steve (2 May 2003). "Conservatives pip Lib Dems to council chamber seats". The Northern Echo. NewsBank. p. 8. ISSN 2043-0442.
  4. 1 2 "New-look to chamber takes shape". Durham County Publications. NewsBank. 15 May 2003.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Parsley, Steve (5 April 2003). "Council facing major changes". The Northern Echo. NewsBank. p. 6. ISSN 2043-0442.
  6. 1 2 "Conservatives 'delighted' by poll results". Durham County Publications. NewsBank. 3 May 2003.
  7. ↑ Burton, Nigel (2 May 2003). "BNP fails to grab foothold in region". The Northern Echo. NewsBank. p. 1. ISSN 2043-0442.
  8. ↑ "District Council Elections". Richmondshire District Council. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  9. ↑ "Familiar look to new chiefs". Durham County Publications. NewsBank. 22 May 2003.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 "District Council election" (PDF). Richmondshire District Council. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 "District Council by-elections results 1973 to 2015" (PDF). Richmondshire District Council. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
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