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]

Campaign[edit]

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[edit]

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]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Liberal Democrats 34 +13 59.6 49.0 46,098
  Conservative 15 -14 26.3 37.8 35,585
  Independent 5 +5 8.8 4.8 4,540
  Old Windsor Residents' & Ratepayers Association 2 0 3.5 1.8 1,732
  Labour 1 0 1.8 6.0 5,617
  Green 0 0 0 0.5 464
  Residents 0 -5 0 0 0

Ward results[edit]

Ascot and Cheapside (2)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Hilton 775
Conservative Peter Spooner 708
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Pope 229
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Taylor 214
Green Stephen Young 120
Turnout 2,046 30.3
Belmont (3)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Michael Bruton 1,524
Liberal Democrats Clive Baskerville 1,406
Liberal Democrats David Mackay 1,364
Conservative Philip Love 752
Conservative Iain Buchanan 712
Conservative Asghar Majeed 638
Labour Patricia Shenstone 147
Turnout 6,543 39.1
Bisham and Cookham (3)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Mohinder Brar 1,196
Liberal Democrats David Ricardo 1,090
Liberal Democrats Margaret Cubley 1,000
Conservative Alan Jay 968
Conservative Michael Lawrence 964
Conservative Chester Denniford 936
Labour Judith Percival 144
Labour Paul Percival 105
Turnout 6,403 40.9
Boyn Hill (3)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Michael Holness 1,297
Liberal Democrats Margaret Hyde 1,235
Liberal Democrats David Howes 1,215
Conservative Yames Bragg 643
Conservative Howard McBrien 641
Conservative Arshad Hussain 606
Green Ann Hay 113
Labour Robert Barclay 81
Labour Jennifer Cooper 81
Turnout 5,912 36.7
Bray (3)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Leo Walters 1,028
Conservative Barry Thompson 986
Conservative David Burbage 982
Liberal Democrats Peter Janikoun 509
Liberal Democrats Heather Elliot 460
Liberal Democrats Nigel Shurben 396
Labour Alan Wellstead 147
Turnout 4,508 28.4
Castle Without (3)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats David Eglise 962
Liberal Democrats Bryan Hedley 962
Liberal Democrats Martin Pritchett 959
Conservative George Bathurst 444
Conservative Catherine Lavender 429
Conservative David Coppinger 399
Labour Margaret Atwell 136
Labour Janet Milward 132
Turnout 4,423 31.4
Clewer East (2)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Mary Gliksten 655
Liberal Democrats Lee Hibbard 640
Conservative Keith Evans 553
Conservative Eileen Quick 541
Labour Andrew Gittins 120
Turnout 2,509 38.1
Clewer North (3)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Cynthia Endacott 967
Independent Eileen Penfold 914
Independent Geoffrey Fido 883
Conservative Peter Smith 457
Conservative James Richards 452
Conservative Wesley Richards 430
Liberal Democrats John Foster 274
Labour Ann Matthews 265
Labour Andrew Foakes 250
Liberal Democrats Nicola Shurben 249
Labour Antony Matthews 245
Liberal Democrats Gary Wilson 227
Turnout 5,613 31.6
Clewer South (2)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Richard Fagence 742
Liberal Democrats Antony Wood 706
Conservative Jennifer Heaven 232
Conservative Victor Chukwuemeka 207
Labour Linda Ayres 89
Labour Kenneth Coles 87
Turnout 2,063 27.6
Cox Green (3)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Victoria Howes 1,332
Liberal Democrats Bruce Adams 1,320
Liberal Democrats Emrys Richards 1,295
Conservative Paul Digby 529
Conservative Maureen Mallet 493
Conservative Charles Horder 490
Labour Ian Harvey 132
Labour Robert Horner 121
Labour Mohammed Shafiq 90
Turnout 5,802 34.3
Datchet (2)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jesse Grey 613
Conservative Elizabeth Hawkes 610
Liberal Democrats Timothy O'Flynn 438
Independent Ewan Larcombe 264
Labour Peter Ward 129
Turnout 2,054 29.7
Eton and Castle[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Richard Pratt 309 58.3
Conservative Gwyn Collier 180 34.0
Labour Jennifer Ward 41 7.7
Majority 129 24.3
Turnout 530 29.7
Eton Wick[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mark Olney 484 62.9
Conservative Stephen Smith 286 37.1
Majority 198 25.8
Turnout 770 42.0
Furze Platt (3)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Mary Stock 1,459
Liberal Democrats Cynthia Pitteway 1,411
Liberal Democrats Humaira Javed 1,377
Conservative Clifford Baker 613
Conservative Penelope Baker 590
Conservative Anthony Willis 566
Labour Katherine Holder 117
Turnout 6,133 37.7
Horton and Wraysbury (2)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Donald Gregory 790
Independent Richard Bertram 722
Conservative Duncan Parker 516
Conservative David Martin 474
Labour Paul Rae 69
Turnout 2,571 34.7
Hurley and Walthams (3)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John Iles 1,166
Liberal Democrats Jeremy Hyde 1,154
Liberal Democrats Anthony Langdown 1,118
Conservative David Penfold 639
Conservative Philip Watss 580
Conservative Justin List 563
Labour Patrick McDonald 295
Labour Kelly Dale 272
Labour Kevin Webb 261
Turnout 6,048 44.0
Maidenhead Riverside (3)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Pamela Proctor 1,374
Liberal Democrats Peter Herlinger 1,341
Liberal Democrats Alison Napier 1,294
Conservative Andrew Jenner 877
Conservative Catherine Hollingsworth 784
Conservative Jennifer Spear 723
Labour Pamela Kennedy 117
Green Craig McDermott 86
Turnout 6,596 41.8
Old Windsor (2)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Old Windsor Residents' and Ratepayers' Association Malcolm Beer 906
Old Windsor Residents' and Ratepayers' Association Eric Wiles 826
Conservative Christopher Hawkes 173
Conservative James Belsey 161
Labour Roy Reeves 125
Labour Ahamed Mashoor 103
Turnout 2,294 30.5
Oldfield (3)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Derek Wilson 729
Conservative Dorothy Kemp 725
Conservative Gillian Moore 713
Liberal Democrats Barbara Dorrington 640
Liberal Democrats Michael Bartley 622
Liberal Democrats Robert Hill 608
Labour Kathleen Cutting 293
Labour Anthony Randall 217
Labour Nigel Smith 193
Turnout 4,740 28.3
Park (2)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Michael Scott 854
Liberal Democrats Beverley Green 835
Conservative Anthony Cross 640
Conservative John Henson 634
Labour Brent Curless 77
Labour Annemarie Price 67
Turnout 3,107 37.3
Pinkneys Green (3)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Kathryn Newbound 1,480
Liberal Democrats Simon Werner 1,360
Liberal Democrats Wilson Hendry 1,341
Conservative Charles Hollingsworth 603
Conservative Brian Webster 598
Conservative Jacqueline Porter 581
Labour Margaret Horner 127
Turnout 6,090 38.9
Sunningdale (2)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Christine Bateson 858
Conservative John Webb 847
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Herbert-Brown 212
Liberal Democrats Peter Cross 185
Labour Kevin Cochrane 122
Turnout 2,224 31.8
Sunninghill and South Ascot (3)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Brian Birkhead 914
Conservative Alison Knight 904
Conservative Lynda Yong 896
Liberal Democrats Enid Cross 698
Liberal Democrats Charmian Hopkins 686
Liberal Democrats Christopher Bushill 678
Green Stephen Shaw 145
Labour Elizabeth Yates 136
Turnout 5,057 34.4

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
  2. ^ a b "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. ^ a b c "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. ^ a b c Milne, Richard (1 May 2003). "Tension rises in Maidenhead amid claims of dirty tricks". Financial Times. p. 5.
  7. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b Waugh, Paul (3 May 2003). "How Britain voted: Kennedy claims parity with 30% share of vote; Liberal Democrats". The Independent. p. 18.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "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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