2003 West Lancashire District Council election
The 2003 West Lancashire District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of West Lancashire District Council in Lancashire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.[1]
After the election, the composition of the council was:
Party | Seats | ± | |
---|---|---|---|
Conservative | 28 | -2 | |
Labour | 26 | +2 |
Campaign
Before the election the Conservatives held 30 seats compared to 24 for the Labour Party,[3] after the Conservatives gained a majority in the 2002 election for the first time since 1991.[4] 18 seats were contested in the election with the Conservatives defending 11 and Labour 7.[5] In total 46 candidates stood in the election, made up of 18 Conservative, 17 Labour, 4 Green and 7 independent candidates.[4] No Liberal Democrats stood in the election, with their local party reported to have fewer than 100 members.[6] Among the councillors defending their seats in the election was the Conservative council leader, Geoffrey Roberts,[3] while a former Labour councillor John Fillis stood as in independent in Scott ward, after having been cleared earlier in the year of defrauding Labour party accounts during the 1997 general election.[7]
The election was seen as being a close contest being the Conservative and Labour parties, but the Liverpool Echo felt apathy among Labour voters could imperil some Labour held seats in Skelmersdale.[8] The Conservatives defended their record in control of the council for the past year, pointing to a recycling scheme they had introduced, improvements they claimed to have made in street cleaning and they pledged to continue investing in services.[9] However Labour attacked the Conservatives for scrapping a community warden scheme, pledged that they would end a pest control charge and would provide a new cemetery for the area.[9] Labour also accused the Conservatives of planning to privatise services to a Liverpool company, however this was denied by the Conservatives.[5]
Election result
The results saw the Conservatives remain in control of the council despite losing 2 seats to Labour.[10] Labour narrowly gained seats in Scott and Wrightington wards from the Conservative after a recount.[10] This meant the Conservatives only had a majority of 2, with 28 seats compared to 26 for Labour.[11] No other candidates were elected with all 7 independents being defeated.[11] Overall turnout in the election was 27.5%.[10]
Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | 9 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 50.0 | 46.1 | 8.497 | -1.4% | |
Labour | 9 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 50.0 | 39.9 | 7,363 | -0.1% | |
Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.1 | 2,043 | -0.4% | |
Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.9 | 541 | +2.1% |
Ward results
Ashurst
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Ann Rice | 483 | 53.1 | ||
Independent | Patrick McElhinney | 268 | 29.5 | ||
Conservative | Paul Boulton | 158 | 17.4 | ||
Majority | 215 | 23.6 | |||
Turnout | 909 | 18.7 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Aughton and Downholland
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Westley | 954 | 60.7 | ||
Labour | Andrew Johnson | 618 | 39.3 | ||
Majority | 336 | 21.4 | |||
Turnout | 1,572 | 34.0 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Aughton Park
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Geoffrey Roberts | 682 | 78.0 | ||
Labour | Stephen Hanlon | 192 | 22.0 | ||
Majority | 490 | 56.0 | |||
Turnout | 874 | 28.3 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Bickerstaffe
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Patricia Taylor | 402 | 53.7 | −8.5 | |
Labour | Paul Cotterill | 347 | 46.3 | +8.5 | |
Majority | 55 | 7.4 | −17.0 | ||
Turnout | 749 | 45.1 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Birch Green
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Jane Roberts | 323 | 84.6 | ||
Conservative | Timothy Edwards | 59 | 15.4 | ||
Majority | 264 | 69.2 | |||
Turnout | 382 | 12.9 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Derby
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Swiffen | 618 | 47.5 | ||
Labour | Noel Delaney | 541 | 41.6 | ||
Green | Anne Doyle | 141 | 10.8 | ||
Majority | 77 | 5.9 | |||
Turnout | 1,300 | 28.2 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Digmoor
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Ann-Marie Maguire | 394 | 75.5 | ||
Independent | Alan Spears | 74 | 14.2 | ||
Conservative | Richard Shepherd | 54 | 10.3 | ||
Majority | 220 | 61.3 | |||
Turnout | 522 | 16.4 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Knowlsey
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Bailey | 730 | 56.6 | ||
Labour | Margaret Pinnington | 415 | 32.2 | ||
Green | John Watt | 145 | 11.2 | ||
Majority | 315 | 24.4 | |||
Turnout | 1,290 | 28.4 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
North Meols
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Jill Baldock | 386 | 48.9 | ||
Independent | Joan Draper | 286 | 36.2 | ||
Labour | Jane McDermott | 117 | 14.8 | ||
Majority | 100 | 12.7 | |||
Turnout | 789 | 24.7 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Parbold
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | May Blake | 749 | 58.8 | ||
Independent | Rosalind Wess | 341 | 26.8 | ||
Labour | Clare Gillard | 183 | 14.4 | ||
Majority | 408 | 32.0 | |||
Turnout | 1,273 | 40.3 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Scarisbrick
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Margaret Edwards | 560 | 72.0 | ||
Labour | David Evans | 218 | 28.0 | ||
Majority | 342 | 44.0 | |||
Turnout | 778 | 26.6 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Scott
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Allison Sinton | 582 | 38.3 | ||
Conservative | Cyril Ainscough | 574 | 37.7 | ||
Independent | John Fillis | 221 | 14.5 | ||
Green | Maurice George | 144 | 9.5 | ||
Majority | 8 | 0.6 | |||
Turnout | 1,521 | 32.5 | |||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |
Skelmersdale North
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Richard Nolan | 450 | 61.1 | ||
Independent | Joan Morrison | 195 | 26.5 | ||
Conservative | Graham Jones | 92 | 12.5 | ||
Majority | 255 | 34.6 | |||
Turnout | 737 | 23.5 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Skelmersdale South
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Doreen Saxon | 682 | 73.8 | ||
Conservative | Susan Cropper | 131 | 14.2 | ||
Green | Martin Lowe | 111 | 12.0 | ||
Majority | 551 | 59.6 | |||
Turnout | 924 | 18.6 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Tanhouse
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Roberts | 368 | 76.3 | ||
Conservative | Irene O'Donnell | 114 | 23.7 | ||
Majority | 254 | 52.6 | |||
Turnout | 482 | 16.3 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Tarleton
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Rosemary Evans | 957 | 59.3 | ||
Independent | John Hodson | 658 | 40.7 | ||
Majority | 299 | 18.6 | |||
Turnout | 1,615 | 37.0 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Up Holland
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Anthony Rice | 812 | 55.2 | ||
Conservative | Ruth Pollock | 659 | 44.8 | ||
Majority | 253 | 10.4 | |||
Turnout | 1,471 | 30.3 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Wrightington
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Derek Thompson | 638 | 50.8 | ||
Conservative | Carolyn Evans | 618 | 49.2 | ||
Majority | 20 | 1.6 | |||
Turnout | 1,256 | 37.2 | |||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |
References
- ^ "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
- ^ a b "Election Results". The Times. 2 May 2003. p. 17.
- ^ a b "Under voter orders ; Council elections:1 May 2003". Liverpool Echo. 4 April 2003. p. 14.
- ^ a b "Tories battle for control". Wigan Observer. 28 April 2003.
- ^ a b Kelly, Andy (28 April 2003). "Local elections 2003: It's stick or twist for town hall voters ; Special report: Countdown to polling day". Liverpool Daily Post. p. 8.
- ^ Kelly, Andy (29 April 2003). "Local elections 2003: Bottom line from those at the top". Liverpool Daily Post. p. 8.
- ^ James, Deborah (18 April 2003). "Poll comeback bid; It's been a tough three years". Liverpool Daily Post. p. 16.
- ^ "Voters looking for new answers to old problems". Liverpool Echo. 23 April 2003. p. 12.
- ^ a b James, Deborah (23 April 2003). "Bridges to the great divide; In the second part of our election special, Deborah James looks at the issues affecting Sefton and West Lancashire". Liverpool Echo. p. 12.
- ^ a b c "Local Elections 2003: W Lancs. ..Tory hold". Liverpool Echo. 2 May 2003. p. 7.
- ^ a b "Local elections 2003: West Lancs". Liverpool Daily Post. 2 May 2003. p. 3.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "West Lancashire District Council election results - 01 May 2003". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2010.