2003 West Berkshire Council election
The 2003 West Berkshire Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of West Berkshire 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 2.[1] The Liberal Democrats lost overall control of the council to no overall control.[2]
Background
At the last election in 2000 the Liberal Democrats held control of the council with 28 councillors, compared to 25 for the Conservatives and there was 1 independent councillor.[3] However boundary changes took place for the 2003 election, which reduced the number of seats from 54 to 52 and affected all but 3 of the wards.[4]
Election result
Both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats won 26 seats, meaning that the Liberal Democrats lost the majority on the council that they had held for the previous 12 years.[4] The Liberal Democrat leader on the council, Lena Rust was defeated in Basildon ward by the Conservatives, while in Westwood ward the Conservatives gained the seat by 4 votes after 4 recounts.[4] However the Liberal Democrats did pick up a seat in the new Theale ward.[4]
Following the election the Liberal Democrats were able to continue running the election due to the chairman's casting vote.[4]
Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | 26 | +1 | 50.0 | 50.3 | 33,815 | ||||
Liberal Democrats | 26 | -2 | 50.0 | 45.6 | 30,628 | ||||
Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.1 | 2,104 | ||||
Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 307 | ||||
Independent | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0.4 | 294 | ||||
Socialist Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 59 |
Ward results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Irene Neill | 677 | 70.4 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Douglas Gibbons | 284 | 29.6 | ||
Majority | 393 | 40.9 | |||
Turnout | 961 | 48 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Christopher Webber | 684 | 55.9 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Lena Rust | 539 | 44.1 | ||
Majority | 145 | 11.9 | |||
Turnout | 1,223 | 55 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Michael Mooney | 806 | |||
Conservative | Anthony Linden | 733 | |||
Conservative | Andrew Kilgour | 716 | |||
Labour | Clive Taylor | 443 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Stephen Bown | 412 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Vera Barnett | 356 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Nagalingamudaly Sidamparaooillai | 316 | |||
Turnout | 3,782 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Graham Pask | 1,345 | |||
Conservative | Quentin Webb | 1,188 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Alastair Reed | 523 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Astrid Roberts | 425 | |||
Turnout | 3,481 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Royce Longton | 975 | |||
Liberal Democrats | John Farrin | 933 | |||
Conservative | Anthony Orme | 688 | |||
Conservative | Deborah Bartley-Brown | 656 | |||
Turnout | 3,252 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Brian Bedwell | 972 | |||
Conservative | Peter Argyle | 876 | |||
Conservative | Manohar Gopal | 835 | |||
Labour | Michael Thompson | 428 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Craig Drury | 285 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Chris Gee | 282 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Paul Walter | 255 | |||
Turnout | 3,933 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nora French | 468 | 68.3 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Sarah Hendel-Blackford | 217 | 31.7 | ||
Majority | 251 | 36.6 | |||
Turnout | 685 | 38 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Philip Barnett | 793 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Trevor Banning | 732 | |||
Conservative | Jeoffrey Beck | 669 | |||
Conservative | Alma Beck | 666 | |||
Labour | Barry Lambert | 103 | |||
Turnout | 2,963 | 35 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Geoffrey Findlay | 598 | 55.2 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Christopher Marriage | 486 | 44.8 | ||
Majority | 112 | 10.3 | |||
Turnout | 1,084 | 50 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Barbara Alexander | 622 | 60.4 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Patricia Harris | 408 | 39.6 | ||
Majority | 214 | 20.8 | |||
Turnout | 1,030 | 46 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Chandler | 609 | 60.0 | ||
Independent | John Morgan | 294 | 29.0 | ||
Labour | Paul Johnston | 112 | 11.0 | ||
Majority | 315 | 31.0 | |||
Turnout | 1,015 | 46 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Caroline Suggett | 1,137 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Valerie Bull | 1,068 | |||
Conservative | Adrian Edwards | 1,026 | |||
Conservative | Richard Kingsley | 982 | |||
Labour | Carol Sambrook | 158 | |||
Turnout | 4,371 | 46 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | William Drummond | 728 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Julian Swift-Hook | 675 | |||
Conservative | Brian Jolly | 585 | |||
Conservative | Antony Forward | 555 | |||
Turnout | 2,543 | 38 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Denise Gaines | 1,065 | |||
Liberal Democrats | James Mole | 1,046 | |||
Conservative | David Liddiard | 885 | |||
Conservative | Victoria Clarke | 881 | |||
Turnout | 3,877 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Anthony Stansfeld | 1,000 | |||
Conservative | Andrew Rowles | 997 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Linda Alton | 439 | |||
Liberal Democrats | James Russell | 403 | |||
Turnout | 2,839 | 37 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Arthur Jones | 705 | |||
Conservative | Amos Lundie | 502 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Susan Cocker | 447 | |||
Liberal Democrats | John Davies | 389 | |||
Turnout | 2,043 | 24 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Keith Lock | 1,104 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Sandra Harding | 1,047 | |||
Conservative | Antony Barker | 440 | |||
Conservative | Francis Shorrock | 400 | |||
Turnout | 2,991 | 39 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Susan Farrant | 460 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Anthony Vickers | 407 | |||
Conservative | Charlotte Farrow | 330 | |||
Conservative | Barrington Tristram | 302 | |||
Labour | Stephen Billcliffe | 152 | |||
Turnout | 1,651 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Susan Kemp | 591 | 74.2 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Christopher Cutler | 127 | 15.9 | ||
Labour | Cara Brenda | 79 | 9.9 | ||
Majority | 464 | 58.2 | |||
Turnout | 797 | 36 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Timothy Metcalfe | 577 | |||
Conservative | John Chapman | 550 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Brian Dowding | 414 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Robert Bird | 376 | |||
Green | Miriam Kennet | 194 | |||
Green | Marlyn Lee | 113 | |||
Labour | Senan Hartney | 108 | |||
Turnout | 2,332 | 24 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Paul Bryant | 1,006 | |||
Conservative | Marcus Franks | 910 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Clive Hillman | 756 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Michaela Tod | 692 | |||
Labour | Michael Lamden | 90 | |||
Turnout | 3,454 | 39 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Sally Hannon | 838 | |||
Conservative | Emma Webster | 818 | |||
Conservative | Michael Johnston | 815 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Roger Hunneman | 803 | |||
Labour | Derek Brear | 124 | |||
Turnout | 3,398 | 40 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Keith Chopping | 460 | 51.2 | ||
Liberal Democrats | David Shepherd | 439 | 48.8 | ||
Majority | 21 | 2.3 | |||
Turnout | 899 | 44 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Alexander Payton | 717 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Paul Pritchard | 690 | |||
Conservative | Ellen Crumly | 529 | |||
Conservative | Richard Crumly | 528 | |||
Turnout | 2,464 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Robert Judge | 703 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Mollie Lock | 626 | |||
Conservative | Paul Broome | 431 | |||
Conservative | Luke Smith | 386 | |||
Turnout | 2,146 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Owen Jeffery | 757 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Terence Port | 657 | |||
Conservative | Samantha Bennett | 437 | |||
Conservative | Piero Pagliaroli | 380 | |||
Turnout | 2,231 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Jeffrey Brooks | 760 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Keith Woodhams | 758 | |||
Conservative | Rosemary Goodchild | 443 | |||
Conservative | Matthew Wilson | 411 | |||
Turnout | 2,372 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Alan Macro | 283 | 41.4 | ||
Conservative | Lionel Turner | 231 | 33.8 | ||
Labour | Terence Jackson | 169 | 24.7 | ||
Majority | 52 | 7.6 | |||
Turnout | 683 | 32 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | John Craw | 662 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Michael Rodger | 645 | |||
Conservative | Brian Goodall | 315 | |||
Conservative | Rebecca Smith | 306 | |||
Socialist Labour | Katrina Howse | 59 | |||
Turnout | 1,987 | 30 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Laszlo Zverko | 293 | 40.7 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Graham Reeves | 289 | 40.1 | ||
Labour | Robert Tutton | 138 | 19.2 | ||
Majority | 4 | 0.6 | |||
Turnout | 720 | 32 |
By-elections between 2003 and 2007
Victoria
The Liberal Democrats remained in control of the council with the chairman's casting vote after retaining Victoria ward in a by-election on 4 December 2003.[6]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Roger Hunneman | 727 | 58.6 | −5.3 | |
Conservative | Jeffrey Beck | 461 | 37.2 | +6.8 | |
Labour | Barry Lambert | 52 | 4.2 | +4.2 | |
Majority | 266 | 21.5 | |||
Turnout | 1,240 | 39.9 | +10 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing |
Thatcham North
A by-election was held in Thatcham North on 5 May 2005 after Liberal Democrat councillor Bob Judge resigned from the council.[8] The seat was gained for the Conservatives by Sheila Ellison with a majority of 175 votes over the Liberal Democrats, which gave the Conservatives a majority on the council.[9]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Sheila Ellison | 1,431 | 53.3 | +15.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Graham Reeves | 1,256 | 46.7 | −15.0 | |
Majority | 175 | 6.5 | |||
Turnout | 2,687 | 68.6 | |||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing |
Pangbourne
A by-election was held in Pangbourne ward on 20 April 2006 after the resignation of Conservative councillor Susie Kemp.[10][11] The seat was held for the Conservatives by Pamela Bale with a majority of 574 votes over the Liberal Democrats.[10][11]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Pamela Bale | 725 | 74.6 | +0.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Stephen Brown | 151 | 15.5 | −0.4 | |
Labour | Senan Hartney | 96 | 9.9 | +0.0 | |
Majority | 574 | 59.1 | +0.9 | ||
Turnout | 972 | 45.1 | +9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
References
- ^ "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
- ^ a b "English councils - Unitary authorities". The Times. NewsBank. 3 May 2003. p. 47.
{{cite news}}
:|access-date=
requires|url=
(help) - ^ "West Berkshire". BBC News Online. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ a b c d e "West Berks Council hung - Lib Dems' 12-year grip over". Reading Post. NewsBank. 2 May 2003.
{{cite news}}
:|access-date=
requires|url=
(help) - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae "West Berkshire". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
- ^ "Voting and Elections". West Berkshire Council. Archived from the original on 10 July 2010. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
- ^ a b "District Council By-Election: Thatcham North - 5th May 2005" (PDF). West Berkshire Council. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ a b "English elect councils and mayors". BBC News Online. 7 May 2005. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ a b c "District Council By-Election: Pangbourne Ward 20th April 2006" (PDF). West Berkshire Council. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ a b c "Local Authority Byelection Results - April 2006". Local Authority Byelection Results. Retrieved 26 December 2014.