2003 Wyre Forest District Council election
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Wyre_Forest_UK_local_election_2003_map.png/300px-Wyre_Forest_UK_local_election_2003_map.png)
The 2003 Wyre Forest District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Wyre Forest District Council in Worcestershire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1]
After the election, the composition of the council was:
- Health Concern 19
- Conservative 9
- Liberal 7
- Labour 4
- Liberal Democrats 2
- Independent 1[2]
Background
[edit]Before the election the council was composed of 21 Health Concern, 7 Conservative, 5 Labour, 5 Liberal, 2 Liberal Democrats and 2 independent councillors.[3] 15 seats were up for election with Health Concern needing to gain one seat to win a majority but the other parties predicted they could make gains instead.[3][4] The seats being defended in the election were 6 Health Concern, 3 Conservative, 3 Labour, 1 Liberal, 1 Liberal Democrat and 1 independent, which included 2 seats in Oldington and Foley Park ward where a Conservative councillor had stood down.[5]
Election result
[edit]Health Concern suffered a net loss of 2 councillors after losing 3 seats and only gaining 1 in Oldington and Foley Park.[6][7] Despite the losses Health Concern said that it would continue as a minority administration on the council.[8] The Conservatives strengthened their position as the main opposition on the council after increasing their number of seats to 9 including a shock gain from Labour in Wolverley.[7] They put their gains down to a focus on "community issues" including crime, tax and health and disillusionment with Health Concern.[9]
Meanwhile, Labour dropped to only holding 4 seats, their lowest number of seats on the council since the late 1970s and their joint lowest ever.[10] Other changes included 2 gains for the Liberals in Broadwaters and Habberley and Blakebrook, while the Liberal Democrats lost 1 seat but gained another in Aggborough and Spennells.[8]
Voter turnout in the election was down to below 31%, the lowest since 1998, with only 2 wards seeing a turnout of over 35%.[11] This was attributed to the lack of strong issues during the campaign compared to previous elections where controversy over Kidderminster hospital and a planned incinerator increased interest.[11]
Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | 5 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 33.3 | 27.1 | 5,447 | +2.0% | |
Health Concern | 4 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 26.7 | 27.0 | 5,416 | -2.6% | |
Liberal | 3 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 20.0 | 12.7 | 2,542 | -0.3% | |
Labour | 2 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 13.3 | 24.1 | 4,849 | -0.7% | |
Liberal Democrats | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6.7 | 8.8 | 1,768 | +2.5% | |
Independent | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 0.4 | 72 | -0.7% |
Ward results
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Peter Dyke | 902 | 42.1 | +10.9 | |
Health Concern | Jacqueline Cotterill | 613 | 28.6 | −5.6 | |
Conservative | Douglas Godwin | 453 | 21.2 | −3.4 | |
Labour | Lesley Brown | 173 | 8.1 | +1.3 | |
Majority | 289 | 13.5 | |||
Turnout | 2,141 | 30.3 | |||
Liberal Democrats gain from Health Concern | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Maureen Mason | 587 | 37.1 | −1.5 | |
Health Concern | Nigel Thomas | 478 | 30.2 | +30.2 | |
Labour | James Cooper | 467 | 29.5 | −17.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Paul Simpson | 52 | 3.3 | +3.3 | |
Majority | 109 | 6.9 | |||
Turnout | 1,584 | 34.4 | |||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Pauline Hayward | 427 | 82.6 | ||
Labour | Trevor Bennett | 90 | 17.4 | ||
Majority | 337 | 65.2 | |||
Turnout | 517 | 34.0 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Robert Wheway | 583 | 45.2 | +30.3 | |
Health Concern | Michael Shellie | 328 | 25.4 | −21.2 | |
Labour | David Montague-Smith | 199 | 15.4 | −8.7 | |
Conservative | James Musk | 108 | 8.4 | −1.1 | |
Independent | David Gourley | 72 | 5.6 | +5.6 | |
Majority | 255 | 19.8 | |||
Turnout | 1,290 | 26.7 | |||
Liberal gain from Independent | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Christopher Nicholls | 396 | 61.2 | ||
Conservative | David Pittaway | 251 | 38.8 | ||
Majority | 145 | 22.4 | |||
Turnout | 647 | 35.2 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Health Concern | Leonard Barton | 681 | 41.1 | −7.0 | |
Labour | Nigel Knowles | 552 | 33.3 | +1.1 | |
Conservative | Jeffrey Baker | 423 | 25.5 | +8.0 | |
Majority | 129 | 7.8 | −8.1 | ||
Turnout | 1,656 | 29.2 | |||
Health Concern hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Graham Ballinger | 873 | 55.9 | −1.3 | |
Health Concern | Jane Paterson | 336 | 21.5 | −0.2 | |
Labour | Geoffrey Morgan | 205 | 13.1 | −0.2 | |
Conservative | Geoffrey Bulmer | 147 | 9.4 | +1.6 | |
Majority | 537 | 34.4 | −1.1 | ||
Turnout | 1,561 | 29.9 | |||
Liberal gain from Health Concern | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Lynn Hyde | 796 | 44.4 | +10.8 | |
Health Concern | John Clarke | 694 | 38.7 | −14.4 | |
Conservative | Neil Anderson | 233 | 13.0 | +1.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Nigel Bryan | 70 | 3.9 | +1.9 | |
Majority | 102 | 5.7 | |||
Turnout | 1,793 | 35.5 | |||
Labour gain from Health Concern | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Health Concern | Brian Glass | 854 | 52.9 | −0.3 | |
Conservative | David Little | 460 | 28.5 | +1.7 | |
Labour | Donovan Giles | 300 | 18.6 | −1.4 | |
Majority | 394 | 24.4 | −2.0 | ||
Turnout | 1,614 | 29.1 | |||
Health Concern hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Health Concern | Patricia Rimell | 585 | 44.6 | +0.1 | |
Conservative | Michael Freeman | 399 | 30.4 | −1.3 | |
Labour | Gary Watson | 233 | 17.7 | −6.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Nigel Tackley-Goodman | 96 | 7.3 | +7.3 | |
Majority | 186 | 14.2 | +1.4 | ||
Turnout | 1,313 | 25.8 | |||
Health Concern hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Frances Oborski | 1,086 | 68.5 | −5.7 | |
Labour | Keith Budden | 285 | 18.0 | +4.8 | |
Conservative | Margaret Gregory | 215 | 13.6 | +1.0 | |
Majority | 801 | 50.5 | −10.5 | ||
Turnout | 1,586 | 34.4 | |||
Liberal hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Health Concern | Anne Mace | 361 | |||
Conservative | Susan Meekings | 340 | |||
Labour | James Brown | 324 | |||
Labour | John Gretton | 322 | |||
Conservative | William Jones | 302 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Pamela Dixon | 238 | |||
Liberal Democrats | Michael Price | 180 | |||
Turnout | 2,067 | 25.7 | |||
Health Concern gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Dudley | 751 | 51.0 | ||
Health Concern | Peter Young | 295 | 20.0 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Stanley Ratcliff | 230 | 15.6 | ||
Labour | William Bradley | 197 | 13.4 | ||
Majority | 456 | 31.0 | |||
Turnout | 1,473 | 30.9 | |||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nigel Addison | 351 | 41.2 | ||
Labour | John Wardle | 310 | 36.4 | ||
Health Concern | Frank Baillie | 191 | 22.4 | ||
Majority | 41 | 4.8 | |||
Turnout | 852 | 49.6 | |||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
References
[edit]- ^ "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
- ^ "Election Results". The Times. 2 May 2003. p. 17.
- ^ a b Walker, Jonathan (26 April 2003). "A far cry from three-party polls". Birmingham Post. p. 4.
- ^ Blakemore, Sophie (2 May 2003). "Election 2003: Health Concern faces tough challenge ; Wyre Forest". Birmingham Post. p. 3.
- ^ "Battle is on for district control". Malvern Gazette. 4 April 2003. Retrieved 31 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Lister, Sam (2 May 2003). "Independents strike at heart of local politics". The Times. p. 14.
- ^ a b "Election round-up". Malvern Gazette. 2 May 2003. Archived from the original on 28 June 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
- ^ a b "Health party to go it alone". Malvern Gazette. 8 May 2003. Retrieved 31 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Tories aiming to build, on success". Malvern Gazette. 8 May 2003. Retrieved 31 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Vow to climb out of trough". Malvern Gazette. 8 May 2003. Retrieved 31 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b "Lowest turnout for five years". Malvern Gazette. 8 May 2003. Retrieved 31 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "District of Wyre Forest: District Council Election" (PDF). Political Science Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
- ^ "Election results". Financial Times. 2 May 2003. p. 4.