2003 Colchester Borough Council election

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]

2003 Colchester Borough Council election
1 May 2003 (2003-05-01)
20 seats (out of 60 seats)
31 seats seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Party Liberal Democrats Conservative
Last election 26 seats, 36.4% 24 seats, 39.5%
Seats before 23 24
Seats after 25 24
Seat change 2
Popular vote 8,740 11,108
Percentage 32.0 40.0
Swing 4.4 1.1
  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Independent Labour
Last election 4 seats, 3.7% 6 seats, 19.1%
Seats before 8 5
Seats after 6 5
Seat change 2
Popular vote 1,563 5,467
Percentage 5.7 20.0
Swing 2.0 0.9
Map of the results of the 2003 Colchester council election. Conservatives in blue, Liberal Democrats in yellow, Labour in red and independents in light grey. Wards in dark grey were not contested in 2003.

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

Prior to the election, 3 Liberal Democrat councillors from Highwoods ward defected and sat as Independents, reducing the Liberal Democrat group to 23 councillors.

Following the election Bob Newman left the Labour group to sit as an independent, reducing Labour to 4 councillors.[3][4] 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]

2003 Colchester Borough Council election[5][6]
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Conservative 10 47.6 14 24 40.0 11,108 40.6 +1.1
  Liberal Democrats 8 2 38.1 17 25 41.7 8,740 32.0 –4.4
  Independent 1 2 4.8 5 6 10.0 1,563 5.7 +2.0
  Labour 2 9.5 3 5 8.3 5,467 20.0 +0.9
  Green 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 370 1.4 +0.2
  Socialist Alliance 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 96 0.4 +0.3

Ward results

Shown below are ward results according to the council's election results archive.[6][7][8]

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
Berechurch Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrats Susan Brooks 746 52.1 +2.0
Labour Julia Thomas 404 28.2 -7.1
Conservative Sarah McLean 274 19.2 +5.1
Majority 342 23.88
Turnout 1,432 24.5 -6.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Birch & Winstree
Birch & Winstree
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Peter Crowe 966 71.8 +9.5
Liberal Democrats Barry Woodward 190 14.1 -6.2
Labour Audrey Spencer 183 13.6 -3.8
Majority 776 57.7
Turnout 1,345 31.0 -8.0
Conservative hold Swing

Castle
Castle Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrats Kenneth Jones 903 54.4 -2.0
Conservative Pauline Lucas 404 24.3 +4.8
Labour Malcolm Cannon 210 12.7 -1.4
Green Walter Schwarz 132 8.0 -2.0
Majority 499 30.1
Turnout 1,660 28.6 -3.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Christ Church
Christ Church
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrats Martin Hunt 662 48.0 +6.1
Conservative Roger Buston 587 42.6 +1.8
Labour David Canning 124 9.0 -8.3
Majority 75 5.4 —
Turnout 1,379 43.4 +3.4
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

Copford & West Stanway
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 Democrats 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
Fordham & Stour Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Nigel Chapman 797 71.9 +9.9
Liberal Democrats Wilma Sutton 161 14.5 -7.5
Labour Gary Griffiths 144 13.0 -3.0
Majority 636 57.4
Turnout 1,108 27.6 -5.4
Conservative hold Swing

Great Tey
Great Tey Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Peter Chillingworth 645 68.6 +2.9
Liberal Democrats Carolyn Catney 196 20.9 -13.4
Labour Alan Trudigan 108 11.49 New
Majority 449 47.8 +16.3
Turnout 940 42.7 +2.7
Conservative hold Swing

Highwoods
Highwoods
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Maris Fuller 417 32.3 6.4
Liberal Democrats Alan Hayman 408 31.6 25.0
Independent Ian Ringer[lower-alpha 1] 339 26.3 New
Labour Edmund Chinnery 121 9.4 10.7
Majority 9 0.7
Turnout 1,290 22.0 2.0
Conservative gain from Independent Swing 15.7

Mile End
Mile End Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrats Anne Turrell 589 44.3 +13.6
Conservative Shahid Husain 400 30.1 -3.6
Labour Janet Smith 171 12.9 -11.8
Independent Jane Chinnery 124 9.3 New
Green Mary Bryan 40 3.0 New
Majority 189 14.2
Turnout 1,331 26.3 +0.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

New Town
New Town Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrats Margaret Fisher 767 55.9 -1.1
Conservative Glenn Bath 325 23.7 +8.0
Labour Jane Green 281 20.5 -6.8
Majority 442 31.7
Turnout 1,395 22.9 -3.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Prettygate
Prettygate Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrats Sandra Gray 1,044 48.3 +4.9
Conservative Ronald Levy 935 43.3 +0.7
Labour Luke Dopson 182 8.4 -5.5
Majority 109 5.0
Turnout 2,161 36.2 -0.8
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

St. Andrew's
St Andrew's Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Tim Young 813 62.2 +6.1
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Berriman 270 20.6 -0.7
Conservative Anne Allan 184 14.1 -1.6
Socialist Alliance Jeremy Jepps 41 3.1 -3.9
Majority 543 41.4 —
Turnout 1,313 19.7 -0.3
Labour hold Swing

St. Anne's
St Annes's Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrats Barrie Cook 853 58.4 +3.1
Labour Peter Brine 295 20.2 -6.1
Conservative Angus Allan 283 19.4 +0.9
Socialist Alliance David Isaacson 31 2.1 New
Majority 558 38.2 —
Turnout 1,461 22.7 -2.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Shrub End
Shrub End
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Richard Bourne 596 38.0 +4.6
Conservative Alan Scattergood 530 33.8 -3.1
Liberal Democrats Barbara Williamson 408 26.0 -3.7
Socialist Alliance John Coombes 24 1.5 N/A
Majority 66 4.2 +4.0
Turnout 1,568 24.5 -0.5
Labour gain from Conservative Swing 3.9

Stanway
Stanway Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrats Lesley Scott-Boutell 918 52.3 +1.1
Conservative John Reeves 610 34.8 +0.4
Labour John Spademan 222 12.7 +0.4
Majority 308 17.6 —
Turnout 1755 28.8 -5.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Tiptree
Tiptree Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Margaret Crowe 546 35.0 +17.2
Independent Anne Burgess 542 34.7 -0.9
Labour Alan Mogridge 415 26.6 +1.2
Green Stella Barnes 56 3.6 -4.6
Majority
Turnout 1,561 26.4 -2.6
Conservative gain from Independent Swing

West Bergholt & Eight Ash Green
West Bergholt & Ash Green Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Jill Tod 774 66.4 +19.2
Liberal Democrats Una Jones 238 20.4 +0.3
Labour Ian Yates 149 12.8 -5.1
Majority 536 46.0
Turnout 1,166 30.3 -2.7
Conservative hold Swing

West Mersea
West Mersea Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Margaret Anne Kimberley 1107 63.0
Labour Bry Whittle Mogridge 359 20.43
Liberal Democrats Ronald Charles Laurance Baker 249 14.17
Majority 748 42.57
Turnout 1757 30.1 -0.9
Conservative hold Swing

Wivenhoe Cross
Wivenhoe Cross Ward (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative David Adams 313 53.4 +17.3
Conservative Eugene Kraft 264
Labour Aulay MacKenzie 172 29.4 -14.6
Labour Paul Bishop 142
Liberal Democrats Barry James 101 17.2 -2.7
Turnout 544 16.8 -0.2
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Wivenhoe Quay
Wivenhoe Quay Ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Richard Davies 488 35.6 +4.1
Conservative Kenneth Rogers 394 28.7 +5.8
Labour Stephen Ford 336 24.5 -8.4
Green Christopher Fox 142 10.4 -2.4
Majority 94 6.9 —
Turnout 1,371 35.6 -2.4
Independent hold Swing
  1. 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.[9]

Wivenhoe Quay By-Election 22 April 2004[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Stephen Ford 626 34.4 +9.7
Conservative Anne Quarrie 614 33.7 +4.7
Liberal Democrats Jeremy Jacobs 581 31.9 +31.9
Majority 12 0.7
Turnout 1,821 44.0
Labour gain from Independent Swing
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References
  1. "Colchester : Hung council on election night". Essex County Publications. NewsBank. 2 May 2003.
  2. "Essex: Politicians set to slug it out". Essex County Publications. NewsBank. 2 April 2003.
  3. "Colchester : No Labour place on council cabinet". Essex County Publications. NewsBank. 7 May 2003.
  4. "Wivenhoe: Councillor Newman leaves Labour". Essex County Publications. NewsBank. 7 May 2003.
  5. "BBC News Vote 2003 Local Elections". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  6. "Colchester Borough Council Elections 1 May 2003 - Results". Colchester Borough Council. Archived from the original on 9 September 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  7. "Colchester election results 2003". East Anglian Daily Times. 6 May 2003. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  8. "Summary of the number of votes cast and turnout". Colchester Borough Council. Archived from the original on 9 September 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  9. "Wivenhoe: Man defends election call that cost £1, 400". Essex County Publications. NewsBank. 17 March 2004.
  10. "Local Authority Byelection Results". Retrieved 27 May 2014.
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