2003 Eastbourne Borough Council election

The 2003 Eastbourne Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Eastbourne Borough Council in East Sussex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

Map of the results of the 2003 Eastbourne Borough Council election. Conservatives in blue and Liberal Democrats in yellow.

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Background

Before the election the Liberal Democrats had a 3-seat majority on the council, with 15 councillors compared to 12 for the Conservative Party.[3] A total of 33 candidates stood for the 9 seats being contested, with candidates from the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Labour Party, Green Party and 1 from the UK Independence Party.[3]

The Conservatives campaigned hard on the 38% rise in council tax, fourth highest in the country, that the Liberal Democrat controlled council had made.[4] However the Liberal Democrats defended the rise, saying there had been a poor central government grant and that most of the rise had been due to needing to replace the company doing refuse collection.[5] The Liberal Democrats also pointed to the reopening of the Old Town Library and the Beachy Head Countryside Centre, with anger at these closures having helped the Liberal Democrats gain control at the 2002 election.[3]

During the campaign the Conservative shadow deputy prime minister David Davis visited Eastbourne to support the Conservatives at the election.[6]

Election result

The Liberal Democrats lost a seat to the Conservatives, reducing their majority on the council to just 1 seat.[7] The Conservative gain came in Old Town ward, where Ian Lucas took the seat for the party, with the increase in council tax being reported as a major reason for the Conservative gain.[8] Overall turnout at the election was 33.6%, compared to 33.9% in 2002.[9]

Eastbourne local election result 2003[2][9]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 5 1 0 +1 55.5 49.5 11,222 +8.1%
  Liberal Democrats 4 0 1 -1 44.4 39.2 8,880 -10.1%
  Labour 0 0 0 0 0 6.7 1,508 +1.7%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 4.1 923 +0.8%
  UKIP 0 0 0 0 0 0.6 138 +0.1%

Ward results
Devonshire[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Neil Stanley 1,222 58.1
Conservative Kenneth Graham 723 34.3
Green Nancy Dalton 160 7.6
Majority 499 23.8
Turnout 2,105 27.1 -0.8
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Hampden Park[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Olive Woodall 955 49.9
Labour David Brinson 439 22.9
Conservative Edward Abella 414 21.6
Green Leslie Dalton 107 5.6
Majority 516 27.0
Turnout 1,915 26.1 -3.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Langney[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Robert Slater 828 46.9
Conservative Thomas Walters 722 40.9
Labour Jonathan Pettigrew 153 8.7
Green Christine Quarrington 62 3.5
Majority 106 6.0
Turnout 1,765 23.9 -1.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Meads[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Elkin 2,202 71.3
Liberal Democrats Steven Wallis 518 16.8
Labour David Buck 216 7.0
Green Clive Gross 154 5.0
Majority 1,684 54.5
Turnout 3,090 39.4 +0.5
Conservative hold Swing
Old Town[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Lucas 1,813 50.2
Liberal Democrats John Creaven 1,471 40.8
Green Liam Stephens 173 4.8
Labour Robert Rossetter 152 4.2
Majority 342 9.4
Turnout 3,609 46.9 +1.9
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Ratton[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sandie Howlett 1,803 64.8
Liberal Democrats Peter Durrant 652 23.4
Labour Martin Falkner 205 7.4
Green Kevin Moore 123 4.4
Majority 1,151 41.4
Turnout 2,783 36.1 +0.7
Conservative hold Swing
St Anthony's[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Norman Marsh 1,349 54.2
Conservative Sheila Charlton 810 32.6
Labour Nora Ring 190 7.6
UKIP Kenneth Alderton 138 5.5
Majority 539 21.6
Turnout 2,487 30.6 -5.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Sovereign[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Patrick Warner 1,255 54.7
Liberal Democrats Alan Carroll 1,040 45.3
Majority 215 9.4
Turnout 2,295 37.8 +6.0
Conservative hold Swing
Upperton[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ann Murray 1,480 56.4
Liberal Democrats Stafford Gowland 845 32.2
Labour Peter Tucker 153 5.8
Green John Morrison 144 5.5
Majority 635 24.2
Turnout 2,622 35.0 +1.0
Conservative hold Swing

References
  1. "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  2. "Local council election results". The Daily Telegraph. London. 3 May 2003. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  3. "Eastbourne Council". The Argus. 17 April 2003. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  4. "Lib Dems hold on to Eastbourne". The Argus. 2 May 2003. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  5. "Voters make up their minds". The Argus. 1 May 2003. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  6. "Tory deputy shows ale is well with party". The Argus. 4 April 2003. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  7. "Tories close gap at ballot box". BBC News Online. 2 May 2003. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  8. "Eastbourne Borough Council: Lib Dem hold". The Argus. 2 May 2003. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  9. "Results of elections held Thursday 1 May 2003". Eastbourne Borough Council. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
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