2003 South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2003 South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council in Tyne and Wear, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party kept overall control of the council.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was

Campaign

59 candidates stood in the election for the 20 seats that were being contested.[3] Labour stood in all 20 seats, while the Conservatives had 14 candidates, Liberal Democrats 12, independents 7, Progressives 5 and the British National Party 1.[3] As well as the postal voting that had been used in the 2002 election, South Tyneside was one of 4 councils which also trialed e-voting, enabling votes to be sent by phone, text message, e-mail and be placed in special electronic voting kiosks.[4]

Labour were guaranteed to keep a majority on the council whatever the results, but both the Liberal Democrats and the Progressives hoped to make gains in the election, while the Conservatives aimed to gain a presence on the council.[5] Hebburn Quay was seen as being a key ward as the sitting Liberal Democrat councillor Catherine Tolson stood down at the election, and Labour had only been 20 votes from winning in 1999.[6] Labour defended their record in power including regeneration and improving care for the elderly, however they were attacked for increasing council tax bills and for the closure of leisure facilities.[5]

Election result

At the count the results were delayed for over an hour after there was a problem with the electronic counting system.[7] When the count was done, recounts were needed in both Cleadon and East Boldon and Whiteleas wards.[8]

The results saw Labour keep a strong majority on the council despite losing 2 seats to independents in Hebburn South and Whiteleas wards.[8] The Liberal Democrats managed to hold on to Hebburn Quay ward,[8] but lost Cleadon and East Boldon to the Conservatives.[9] The Conservative candidate in Cleadon and East Boldon, Donald Wood, won by 3 votes and thus became the first member of the party on the council since 1992.[9] Overall turnout in the election was 46.11%.[2]

South Tyneside Local Election Result 2003[2]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 15 0 2 -2 75.0 49.0 25,685 -3.5%
  Independent 2 2 0 +2 10.0 9.0 4,747 +4.0%
  Liberal Democrats 1 0 1 -1 5.0 16.8 8,811 -5.4%
  Conservative 1 1 0 +1 5.0 15.9 8,351 +3.5%
  South Tyneside Progressives 1 0 0 0 5.0 8.5 4,445 +0.7%
  BNP 0 0 0 0 0 0.8 420 +0.8%

Ward results
All Saints[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Caine 1,096 50.8 -14.1
South Tyneside Progressives Robert Burdon 1,063 49.2 +21.5
Majority 33 1.6 -35.6
Turnout 2,159 39.9
Labour hold Swing
Beacon and Bents[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Wood 1,349 51.3 -3.8
South Tyneside Progressives Gordon Finch 602 22.9 -22.0
BNP David Delaney 420 16.0 +16.0
Independent William Mitcheson 261 9.9 +9.9
Majority 747 28.4 +18.2
Turnout 2,632 47.4
Labour hold Swing
Bede[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas Defty 1,381 67.7 -10.3
Liberal Democrats Muriel Coe 464 22.7 +0.7
Conservative Christopher Taylor 195 9.6 +9.6
Majority 917 45.0 -11.0
Turnout 2,040 40.7
Labour hold Swing
Biddick Hall[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Linda Waggott 1,473 69.8 +6.3
Conservative James Cain 636 30.2 +20.4
Majority 837 39.6 +2.8
Turnout 2,109 41.4
Labour hold Swing
Boldon Colliery[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Lynch 1,864 59.2 -8.3
Liberal Democrats Frederick Taylor 675 21.4 +0.5
Conservative Gerald Brebner 350 11.1 -0.4
Independent Colin Campbell 262 8.3 +8.3
Majority 1,189 37.8 -8.8
Turnout 3,151 46.4
Labour hold Swing
Cleadon and East Boldon[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Donald Wood 1,570 41.0 +9.6
Liberal Democrats Peter Carlin-Page 1,567 40.9 -6.6
Labour David Wood 696 18.2 -2.9
Majority 3 0.1
Turnout 3,833 52.9
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Cleadon Park[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Foreman 1,205 48.6 +2.9
Conservative Martin Anderson 719 29.0 +29.0
Liberal Democrats Alison Taylor 553 22.3 +2.7
Majority 486 19.6 +8.6
Turnout 2,477 44.8
Labour hold Swing
Fellgate and Hedworth[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Waggott 1,634 58.1 -9.1
Independent George Waddle 835 29.7 +29.7
Conservative Philip Parkinson 342 12.2 +0.6
Majority 799 28.4 -17.6
Turnout 2,811 44.0
Labour hold Swing
Harton[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Dix 1,156 43.5 -8.0
South Tyneside Progressives Lawrence Nolan 632 23.8 +23.8
Liberal Democrats Dorothy Grainger 445 16.8 -9.0
Conservative Karl Arthur 423 15.9 -6.8
Majority 524 19.7 -6.0
Turnout 2,656 49.5
Labour hold Swing
Hebburn Quay[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Constance Ridgway 1,348 49.7 -8.5
Labour John Hodgson 1,209 44.5 +2.7
Conservative Stewart Jackson 157 5.8 +5.8
Majority 137 5.2 -11.2
Turnout 2,714 46.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Hebburn South[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent John McCabe 1,175 49.6 +18.8
Labour Thomas Bamford 988 41.7 -4.9
Conservative John Coe 204 8.6 +2,4
Majority 187 7.9
Turnout 2,367 50.7
Independent gain from Labour Swing
Horsley Hill[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Arthur Meeks 1,418 46.2 -4.5
Conservative Patricia Pigott 966 31.4 -5.4
Liberal Democrats John Mortson 688 22.4 +9.9
Majority 452 14.8 +0.9
Turnout 3,072 51.6
Labour hold Swing
Monkton[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Sewell 1,478 56.6 -0.4
Liberal Democrats Sheila Bennett 785 30.0 -2.0
Conservative John Cameron 350 13.4 +2.4
Majority 693 26.6 +1.6
Turnout 2,613 42.2
Labour hold Swing
Primrose[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Perry 1,658 64.6 +4.6
Conservative Walter Armstrong 594 23.1 +10.7
Independent John Bissett 316 12.3 +12.3
Majority 1,064 41.5 +9.1
Turnout 2,568 41.0
Labour hold Swing
Refendyke[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Scott Duffy 1,140 50.3 -6.1
Independent Dorothy Golightly 500 22.1 +22.1
Liberal Democrats Susan Troupe 395 17.4 -5.3
South Tyneside Progressives Marjorie Robinson 230 10.2 -10.7
Majority 640 28.2 -5.5
Turnout 2,265 42.2
Labour hold Swing
Tyne Dock and Simonside[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Edward Malcolm 1,202 64.6 +4.9
Liberal Democrats Gary Ahmed 658 35.4 +8.7
Majority 544 29.2 -3.8
Turnout 1,860 43.4
Labour hold Swing
West Park[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
South Tyneside Progressives James Capstick 1,918 70.8 +9.7
Labour Mervyn Owen 791 29.2 -9.7
Majority 1,127 41.6 +19.4
Turnout 2,709 48.1
Westoe[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Allen Branley 1,243 40.7 -1.4
Conservative George Wilkinson 1,118 36.6 +1.4
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Burke 691 22.6 -0.1
Majority 125 4.1 -2.8
Turnout 3,052 48.6
Labour hold Swing
Whitburn and Marsden[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Shirley Stratford 1,312 50.8 +0.2
Conservative Miles Atkinson 727 28.2 +1.2
Liberal Democrats David Selby 542 21.0 -1.4
Majority 585 22.6 -1.0
Turnout 2,581 48.8
Labour hold Swing
Whiteleas[2][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent John Haram 1,398 50.1 +14.2
Labour Ernest Gibson 1,392 49.9 -0.9
Majority 6 0.2
Turnout 2,790 50.3
Independent gain from Labour Swing

References
  1. "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  2. "Local Government Elections 1st May 2003". South Tyneside Council. Archived from the original on 26 June 2003. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  3. Redvers, Louise (2 April 2003). "BNP bid to seize Town Hall seats". Evening Chronicle. p. 10.
  4. "Hi-tech voting for borough". Evening Chronicle. 10 April 2003. p. 2.
  5. Dargie, Alison (24 April 2003). "Opposition looking for rare gains". The Journal. p. 18.
  6. "Liberal Democrats' foothold targeted". The Journal. 24 April 2003. p. 18.
  7. "Labour majority slashed in city". The Journal. 2 May 2003. p. 44.
  8. "South Tyneside". The Journal. 2 May 2003. p. 4.
  9. "Election 2003 results". The Journal. 3 May 2003. p. 30.
  10. "Changes". South Tyneside Council. Archived from the original on 26 June 2003. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
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