2003 Guildford Borough Council election

The 2003 elections for Guildford Borough Council were the first, and as of 2011 the only, full election for Guildford Borough Council conducted by an all postal ballot.[1] The result saw the Conservatives win a majority of seats on Guildford Borough Council for the first time since losing their majority in the 1991 election.

Boundary changes

In September 1998, the Local Government Commission for England published their "Final Recommendations on the Future Electoral Arrangements for Guildford in Surrey".[2] The recommendations in this report formed the basis for the redrawing of ward boundaries in Guildford increasing the number of wards from 21 to 22; and increasing the number of councillors from 45 to 48. The 2003 council election was the first contested under these new ward boundaries.[3]

The new ward boundaries differed from the old ones as follows:

  • 13 of the 21 wards in Guildford saw their boundaries alter to some degree or other;
  • 8 wards were left unaltered namely - Clandon & Horsley, Effingham, Lovelace, Normandy, Pirbright, Send, Tillingbourne and Worplesdon;
  • Merrow & Burpham ward, which previously had elected 3 councillors, was split in two. In its place was created a new Merrow ward with 3 councillors and a new Burpham ward with 2 councillors.[4]
  • the three wards representing Ash and Tongham, prior to the 2003 boundary changes, had been named Ash, Ash Vale and Tongham. Between them they had been represented by 6 councillors. They were replaced by three substantially redrawn wards with the names Ash South & Tongham, Ash Vale and Ash Wharf, which between them had 7 councillors. The new Ash Vale ward covered a significantly smaller geographical area than the previous ward known as Ash Vale;
  • the boundary line between the Pilgrims ward and the Shalford ward was altered so that the Shalford ward would now include the areas of Artington and Compton which had previously been part of Pilgrims. This change saw the number of councillors representing Shalford increase from 1 to 2 and the number of councillors representing Pilgrims decline from 2 to 1;
  • the dividing line between the Stoughton ward and the Westborough ward was redrawn;
  • the various dividing lines between the following wards in Guildford town were redrawn: Christchurch, Friary & St Nicolas, Holy Trinity, Onslow, and Stoke; and
  • the number of councillors representing Holy Trinity increased from 2 to 3 and the number of councillors representing Stoke decreased from 3 to 2.

Voter Turnout

Average voter turnout increased throughout Guildford Borough Council from 36.2%, in 1999, to 53.4%, in 2003.[5]

Summary of election results
2003 election Guildford Borough Council

Going into the 2003 election the net position was as follows. (The net position includes the defection of one of the Liberal Democrat councillors for Worplesdon first to the independents, in 1999, and then, in 2002, to the Conservatives).[6]

Prior to 2003 council election
Party Seats
Conservative 18
Labour 6
Liberal Democrats 19
Independent 2

After the election the position was as follows.

After 2003 council election[7]
Party Seats
Conservative 26
Labour 2
Liberal Democrats 19
Independent 1
  • The Conservatives made a net gain of eight seats, gaining nine and losing one;
  • The Liberal Democrats retained the same number of seats; gaining four and losing four;
  • The Labour Party lost four seats;
  • The number of independents on Guildford Borough Council reduced from two to one.

Conservative seat changes

In the May 2003 elections, the Conservatives gained 6 seats in Guildford town itself (4 in the Merrow and Burpham area, 1 in Holy Trinity Ward and 1 in Onslow ward); 2 seats in the Ash and Tongham area, towards the west of the borough of Guildford; and 1 seat in Tillingbourne, the rural district towards the south east of Guildford borough.

The Liberal Democrats retook from the Conservatives the 1 Worplesdon seat which the Liberal Democrats had lost as a result of a defection during the 1999-2003 session.

Liberal Democrat seat changes

In May 2003, the Liberal Democrats gained 3 seats from the Labour Party in Westborough ward, towards the west of Guildford town. The Liberal Democrats retook from the Conservatives the Worplesdon seat which the Liberal Democrats had lost as a result of a defection during the 1999-2003 session.

The Liberal Democrats lost 4 seats to the Conservatives three in Guildford town itself (2 losses in the Merrow & Burpham areas and 1 in Onslow ward) and one in the rural Tillingbourne ward.

Labour seat changes

The Labour Party lost 3 seats to the Liberal Democrats in Westborough. Additionally the Labour Party lost 1 seat in Stoke ward, towards the north of Guildford town as a result of boundary changes and a reduction in the number of councillors representing that ward from 3 to 2.

By election changes

Subsequent to the May 2003 elections, the Liberal Democrats gained a seat from the Conservatives in Merrow ward, in a by election in July 2003, increasing the number of Liberal Democrat seats on the council from 19 to 20 and reducing the number of Conservative seats from 26 to 25.

May 2003 Results
Ash South & Tongham (top 3 candidates elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Grenville Ades 1691 56.2
Conservative Stuart James Carter 1395 46.4
Conservative Nicholas John Sutcliffe 1356 45.1
Liberal Democrats Alan Richard Hilliar 1035 34.4
Liberal Democrats Susan Gail Elizabeth Spencer 985 32.8
Liberal Democrats Carolyn Elisabeth Ruth Hilliar 967 32.2
Labour Rosa Katherine Pawsey 276 9.2
Labour Donald Bennett Hirsch 262 8.7
Labour Alan Duthie Roy 243 8.1
Majority 321 10.7
Turnout 3007[8] 49.7
Ash Vale (top 2 candidates elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nigel Manning 1085 56.3
Conservative Marsha Jayne Moseley 1037 53.8
Liberal Democrats Denise Jacqueline Smith 581 30.2
Liberal Democrats Craig Victor Pickets 562 29.2
Labour Lynne Janice MacDonald 176 9.1
Labour Amanda Elizabeth Emily Reed 159 8.3
Majority 456 23.7
Turnout 1926 45.5
Ash Wharf (top 2 candidates elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jayne Hewlett 1048 47.9
Conservative Steven Thomas Evans 1028 47.0
Liberal Democrats Christine Valerie Frampton 762 34.8
Liberal Democrats Peter Richard Frampton 743 34.0
Labour Kevin Eric Jenkinson 269 12.3
Labour Kazimierz Mieczyslaw Jasinski 239 10.9
Majority 266 12.2
Turnout 2187 48.8
Burpham (top 2 candidates elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Edward Patrick Mayne 1015 45.5
Conservative Nicholas Dominic Leonard Brougham 966 43.3
Liberal Democrats Rupert John Kinnaird Sheard 927 41.6
Conservative Julie Jean Perry 916 41.1
Labour Adrian Charles Newton 240 10.8
Labour Malcolm Piers Hill 196 8.8
Majority 39 1.7
Turnout 2230 55.5
Christchurch (top 2 candidates elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew John Edward Hodges 1312 50.5
Liberal Democrats Vivienne Natalie Johnson 1154 44.5
Conservative David Hunter 1151 44.3
Liberal Democrats Tom Sharp 968 37.3
Green John Michael Pletts 180 6.9
Labour Celia Anne Lindsay 148 5.7
Labour Tim David Wolfenden 118 4.5
Majority 3 0.1
Turnout 2596 67.6
Clandon & Horsley (top 3 candidates elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jennifer Eleri Powell 2761 72.4
Conservative Jenny Mary Wicks 2563 67.3
Conservative Andrew John French 2521 66.2
Liberal Democrats Ronald James Harman 720 18.9
Liberal Democrats Philip John Palmer 597 15.7
Liberal Democrats Teresa Thorne 524 13.7
Labour Meriel Anne Beynon 389 10.2
Labour Julie Roxburgh 377 9.9
Labour John Virgo Brown 364 9.6
Majority 1801 47.3
Turnout 3811 58.6
Effingham (only 1 candidate elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Irene Hogger 700 52.3
Conservative James Louie Nicholls 572 42.7
Labour Fanny Lines 32 2.4
Majority 128 9.6
Turnout 1339 68.8
Friary & St. Nicolas (top 3 candidates elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Richard George Marks 1694 57.9
Liberal Democrats Robert Evelyn Blundell 1684 57.6
Liberal Democrats David John Goodwin 1642 56.2
Conservative Michael John Gorman 628 21.5
Conservative Elizabeth Ann Hooper 621 21.2
Conservative Philip Matthew Simon Hooper 571 19.5
Labour Helen Mary Ayscough 325 11.1
Labour James Heaphy 292 10.0
Labour Alexander Dominic Robin Ayscough 261 8.9
Trinity Michel Wayne Harper 225 7.7
Trinity Raschid Michael Abdullah 205 7.0
Majority 1014 34.7
Turnout 2924 46.6
Holy Trinity (top 3 candidates elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Tamsy Katharine Baker 1509 47.7
Liberal Democrats Gordon Alfred Bridger 1390 44.0
Conservative Sarah Kathleen Creedy 1337 42.3
Liberal Democrats Peter Slade 1237 39.1
Conservative David Anthony Ellis Williams 1187 37.5
Conservative Vivien Mary Sale 1179 37.3
Green Barbara Kathleen Edwards 392 12.4
Labour Barry Hall 214 6.8
Labour Frank Gunning 192 6.1
Labour Alexander Hamilton MacDonald 170 5.4
UKIP Robert Alexander McWhirter 106 3.4
Majority 100 3.2
Turnout 3162 55.8
Lovelace (only 1 candidate elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Richard Garrett 629 59.2
Labour Carol Hayton 204 19.2
Liberal Democrats Charles Arthur Julian Thorne 179 16.9
Majority 425 40.0
Turnout 1062 57.5
Merrow (top 3 candidates elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Anthony William Bays 1580 46.5
Conservative Jennifer Jordan 1572 46.2
Conservative Sheridan Nicholas Westlake 1569 46.1
Liberal Democrats Anne Lee 1434 42.2
Liberal Democrats Margaret Rachael Stanley 1419 41.7
Liberal Democrats Merilyn Gail Spier 1399 41.1
Labour Michael Peter Hornsby-Smith 337 9.9
Labour Geoffrey Robert Balls 314 9.2
Labour Graham Redvers Gosling 289 8.5
Majority 135 4.0
Turnout 3401 58.2
Normandy (only 1 candidate elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Diana Lockyer-Nibbs 923 61.7
Liberal Democrats Richard Henry Vincent Charman 365 24.4
Labour Kathleen Brady 172 11.5
Majority 558 37.3
Turnout 1497 62.1
Onslow (top 3 candidates elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Lynda Strudwick 1115 42.2
Liberal Democrats Tony Phillips 1094 41.4
Conservative Sheila Ann Kirkland 984 37.3
Conservative Adrian Stuart Chandler 960 36.3
Liberal Democrats Steven Christopher Freeman 920 34.8
Conservative Michael Andrew Chambers 893 33.8
Labour Joseph Ian Bullock 541 20.5
Labour Florence Flynn 382 14.5
Labour Raymond Thomas Rogers 310 11.7
Green Richard William Stephens 310 11.7
Majority 24 0.9
Turnout 2641 41.6
Pilgrims (only 1 candidate elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Anthony Rooth 750 67.7
Liberal Democrats Philip Scott Mellor 231 20.8
Labour Kathleen Parfitt 85 7.7
Majority 519 46.8
Turnout 1108 58.4
Pirbright (only 1 candidate elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael George William Nevins 606 63.9
Liberal Democrats Rebecca Charlotte Marie Healy 206 21.7
Labour Peter Paul Newmark 98 10.3
Majority 400 42.2
Turnout 948 50.9
Send (top 2 candidates elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Keith Charles Taylor 1262 67.6
Conservative Terence Dickson Patrick 1049 56.2
Labour Sheila Bean 386 20.7
Liberal Democrats Madeline Amelia Clements 309 16.5
Liberal Democrats Rupert Emerson 285 15.3
Labour Sally Carrol Tiffin 186 10.0
Majority 663 35.5
Turnout 1868 58.3
Shalford (top 2 candidates elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Vasilis Alexandros Kapsalis 1348 55.4
Conservative Neil Ward 1152 47.4
Liberal Democrats David Vyvyan Orchard 863 35.5
Liberal Democrats David Thomson 768 31.6
Labour Michael Stanley Jeram 266 10.9
Labour Susan Pauline Gomm 180 7.4
Majority 289 11.9
Turnout 2432 59.4
Stoke (top 2 candidates elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Brian Keith Chesterton 994 43.8
Labour Angela Gunning 989 43.6
Liberal Democrats Thibault-Charles Jamme 651 28.7
Liberal Democrats Stephen John Wright 584 25.7
Conservative Michael David Catton 436 19.2
Conservative Kenneth Henry Johns 336 14.8
BNP Francis Samuel McAllister 187 8.2
Majority 338 14.9
Turnout 2268 49.9
Stoughton (top 3 candidates elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Pauline Ann Searle 1367 47.4
Liberal Democrats Jayne Diana Marks 1352 46.9
Liberal Democrats Fiona Jean White 1087 37.7
Independent Anthony James Ferris 670 23.2
Conservative David James Quelch 657 22.8
Conservative Andrew Nicholas Whitby-Collins 548 19.0
Conservative Charlotte Helen Louise Keys 428 14.8
Labour Carole Jean Barber 333 11.6
Labour Ian Stuart Mather 328 11.4
Labour William McCulloch Scott 319 11.1
Trinity Nigel Herbert Foreman 307 10.6
Trinity Michael George Pooley 165 5.7
Majority 417 14.4
Turnout 2883 47.3
Tillingbourne (top 2 candidates elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Keith Childs 1559 60.6
Conservative David Alan Wright 1435 55.8
Liberal Democrats Clive Montgomery Wicks 811 31.5
Labour Carolyn Fiddes 238 9.3
Majority 624 24.3
Turnout 2572 62.3
Westborough (top 3 candidates elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Valerie Jean Hazelwood 1292 41.3
Liberal Democrats Olaf Eugen Kolassa 1233 39.4
Liberal Democrats Marilyn Merryweather 1192 38.1
Labour Michael Joseph Hassell 1075 34.3
Labour Martin Phillips 1056 33.7
Labour David Vaughan Hide 969 30.9
Conservative Mary Johns 576 18.4
Conservative Pamela Anne Parke 566 18.1
Conservative John Marshall 544 17.4
Pacifist Party John Hugh Morris 133 4.2
Majority 117 3.7
Turnout 3132 46.9
Worplesdon (top 3 candidates elected)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jill Margaret Chan 1586 45.7
Liberal Democrats Terence Nigel King 1565 45.1
Liberal Democrats Victor John Searle 1519 43.8
Conservative Alexander Nigel Sutcliffe 1496 43.1
Conservative Sheila Gladys Knight 1418 40.9
Conservative Christine Margaret Stacy 1402 40.4
Labour Kerry Jane James 302 8.7
Labour Norma Patricia Hedger 296 8.5
Labour Edward John Boys Pawsey 258 7.4
Majority 23 0.7
Turnout 3469 54.4

[9]

References
  1. See http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/85232_postal_power_puts_voting_back_in_poll_position An all postal ballot was used in one subsequent Guildford ward by-election - the Friary and St Nicolas ward by-election for Guildford Borough Council held on 25 March 2004. For further details see para 5 at http://www.guildford.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/40CE1851-7BB3-438B-A633-DAF9E954C275/4276/Item7AllPostalBallotReview2272004.pdf%5B%5D
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. The Borough of Guildford (Electoral Changes) Order 1999, SI 1999 No. 2475
  4. There had been a significant degree of new housing and consequent population increase in parts of Burpham and in the Merrow Park area since the previous ward boundaries had been drawn up in time for the 1976 Guildford local elections.
  5. See para 2.3 at http://www.guildford.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/40CE1851-7BB3-438B-A633-DAF9E954C275/4276/Item7AllPostalBallotReview2272004.pdf%5B%5D
  6. For 1999 election results see Surrey Advertiser 14 May 1999. For councillor Nigel Sutcliffe resigning from the Liberal Democrats in July 1999 see: http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/82138_former_leader_quits_lib_dem_group_after_row . For Nigel Sutcliffe standing as a Conservative in 2003 see Guildford BC election results 2003: "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2006. Retrieved 18 November 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. Guildford BC election results 2003: "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2006. Retrieved 18 November 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. The turnout figures given herein are the published figures for the number of ballot papers. All percentages whether related to the percentage vote per candidate; the percentage majority; or the percentage turnover are calculated using this figure for the number of ballot papers.
  9. Guildford BC election results 2003
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