2003 Southampton City Council election

The 2003 Southampton Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Southampton Unitary Council in Hampshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.[1]

Map of the results of the 2003 Southampton council election. Liberal Democrats in yellow, Conservatives in blue and Labour in red.

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Election result

The results saw the Liberal Democrats become the largest party on the council with 18 seats, but without a majority, after making 3 gains.[3] They gained the seats of Coxford and Millbrook from Liberal party councillors who had previously left the Liberal Democrats, and the seat of Woolston from Labour.[3] This was the first time the Liberal Democrats, or their predecessors the Liberal Party, had been the largest party in Southampton for over 90 years.[3]

Labour were reduced to 16 seats after losing another seat in Sholing to the Conservatives who went up to 12 seats.[3] The Liberal party defeats reduced them to only 1 seat, while 1 independent who was not up for re-election remained.[3] Overall turnout was up by only 0.8% from 2002 at 29%, despite all voters having the option to vote by post.[3]

Following the election, discussions were held in order to decide who would be to take control of the council, with Labour trying to remain in control and the Liberal Democrats to take over.[4] The Conservatives refused to support either of the other groups, meaning that the Liberal and independent councillors held the balance, as Labour's Parvin Damani had a potential casting vote as mayor.[5] However the full council meeting on 21 May saw Liberal Democrat Adrian Vinson become council leader by 1 vote, after gaining the support of independent and formerly Labour councillor Paul Russell, after Vinson had earlier offered Russell a cabinet post.[6]

Southampton Local Election Result 2003[7][8]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Liberal Democrats 6 3 0 Increase3 37.5 30.7 14,710 Decrease0.8
  Conservative 6 1 0 Increase1 37.5 30.0 14,403 Increase1.6
  Labour 4 0 2 Decrease2 25.0 30.1 14,442 Decrease5.4
  BNP 0 0 0 Steady 0 2.5 1,179 Increase2.5
  Liberal 0 0 2 Decrease2 0 2.1 1,023 Increase2.1
  UKIP 0 0 0 Steady 0 1.9 893 Increase1.6
  Green 0 0 0 Steady 0 1.4 652 Increase0.1
  Socialist Alliance 0 0 0 Steady 0 1.0 477 Increase0.5
  Independent 0 0 0 Steady 0 0.4 201 Decrease1.8

Ward results

Bargate
Bargate[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Parvin Damanii 779 46.1
Conservative Tina Lanning 494 29.2
Liberal Democrats Maureen Kirkwood 416 24.6
Majority 285 16.9
Turnout 1,689 15.5 -1.0
Labour hold Swing

Bassett
Bassett[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alec Samuels 1,673 46.2
Liberal Democrats Judith Webb 1,221 33.7
Labour Michael Lewkowicz 480 13.2
Liberal Violet Riddle 139 3.8
UKIP Michael Cottrell 111 3.1
Majority 452 12.5
Turnout 3,624 34.0 +2.3
Conservative hold Swing

Bevois
Bevois[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jacqui Rayment 1,021 47.0
Liberal Democrats Christine Hordley 464 21.3
Conservative Pamela Rees 399 18.4
Green David Cromwell[9] 191 8.8
Socialist Alliance Ella Noyes 99 4.6
Majority 557 25.7
Turnout 2,174 21.5 -4.0
Labour hold Swing

Bitterne
Bitterne[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Matthew Stevens 1,268 44.2
Conservative Ivan White 740 25.8
Liberal Democrats Robert Naish 487 17.0
BNP Jason Brown 288 10.0
UKIP Conrad Brown 84 2.9
Majority 528 18.4
Turnout 2,867 28.7 -1.2
Labour hold Swing

Bitterne Park
Bitterne Park[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Baillie 1,457 42.0
Liberal Democrats Frederick Tucker 1,287 37.1
Labour Joseph Hannigan 603 17.4
Liberal Kenneth Bellwood 118 3.4
Majority 170 4.9
Turnout 3,465 34.2 +1.6
Conservative hold Swing

Coxford
Coxford[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Kenneth Darke 1,187 39.3
Labour Sarah Bogle 933 30.9
Conservative Lesley Matthews 361 12.0
Liberal Michael Gausden 245 8.1
BNP Edwin Gamon 197 6.5
UKIP Leslie Obee 95 3.1
Majority 254 8.4
Turnout 3,018 28.8 +2.3
Liberal Democrats gain from Liberal Swing

Freemantle
Freemantle[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Brian Parnell 1,308 43.9
Labour Norman Rides 861 28.9
Liberal Democrats Barbara Cummins 487 16.3
Green Darren Pickering 256 8.6
Socialist Alliance Mark Abel 70 2.3
Majority 447 15.0
Turnout 2,982 28.9 +1.0
Conservative hold Swing

Harefield
Harefield[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Adrian Johnson 1,792 50.6
Labour Kenneth Tew 1,143 32.3
Liberal Democrats Simon Hordley 606 17.1
Majority 649 18.3
Turnout 3,541 33.7 +0.7
Conservative hold Swing

Millbrook
Millbrook[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Christopher Proctor 1,338 41.2
Labour Nigel Clark 763 23.5
Conservative Michael Ball 502 15.5
Liberal George Melrose 367 11.3
BNP Terrie Rintoul 230 7.1
Socialist Alliance Derek Twine 49 1.5
Majority 575 17.7
Turnout 3,249 30.3 +1.6
Liberal Democrats gain from Liberal Swing

Peartree
Peartree[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John Slade 1,519 49.1
Labour Roger Iles 814 26.3
Conservative Michael Denness 616 19.9
UKIP Martin Daish 146 4.7
Majority 705 22.8
Turnout 3,095 30.4 +2.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Portswood
Portswood[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Calvin Horner 1,528 47.5
Conservative Edward Daunt 700 21.8
Labour Ann Wardle 562 17.5
Green Joseph Cox 205 6.4
Socialist Alliance Jeanne Butterfield 136 4.2
Liberal Susan Pike 86 2.7
Majority 828 25.7
Turnout 3,217 30.3 -2.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Redbridge
Redbridge[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Marsh-Jenks 1,235 43.3
Conservative Enid Greenham 699 24.5
Liberal Democrats Edward Blake 598 21.0
BNP Jason Robinson 275 9.6
Socialist Alliance Paul Nicholson 46 1.6
Majority 536 18.8
Turnout 2,853 27.0 +2.0
Labour hold Swing

Shirley
Shirley[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Forbes 1,579 44.2
Labour Warwick Payne 1,028 28.8
Liberal Democrats David Newman 657 18.4
Independent Simon Hardy 201 5.6
UKIP Kevin Costigane 106 3.0
Majority 551 15.4
Turnout 3,571 35.1 -0.5
Conservative hold Swing

Sholing
Sholing[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gavin Dick 1,269 37.6
Labour Paul Jenks 1,225 36.3
Liberal Democrats Colin McPhee 588 17.4
UKIP Tony Weaver 256 7.6
Socialist Alliance Leonora Goergen 39 1.2
Majority 44 1.3
Turnout 3,377 32.2 +0.4
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Swaythling
Swaythling[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Terence Holden-Brown 1,066 46.4
Labour Michael Brainsby 636 27.7
Conservative Robert Alexander 432 18.8
UKIP Rodney Caws 95 4.1
Liberal June Mitchell 68 3.0
Majority 430 18.7
Turnout 2,297 23.8 +0.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Woolston
Woolston[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats David Simpson 1,261 42.6
Labour Julian Price 1,091 36.8
Conservative Brian Lankford 382 12.9
BNP Debbyann Payne 189 6.4
Socialist Alliance Matthew Wilkinson 38 1.3
Majority 170 5.8
Turnout 2,961 29.8 -0.1
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing

References
  1. "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  2. "How Britain voted: English and Scottish councils". The Independent. 3 May 2003. pp. 18–19.
  3. "Tears and triumphs on a historic night". Southern Daily Echo. 2 May 2003. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  4. "Crucial talks on who will control city's budget". Southern Daily Echo. 16 May 2003. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  5. "So, just who will be running Southampton's £232m show?". Southern Daily Echo. 12 May 2003. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  6. "Back in the seat of power after 90 years". Southern Daily Echo. 22 May 2003. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  7. "Election details". Southampton City Council. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  8. "Election results". Financial Times. 2 May 2003. p. 4.
  9. David Cromwell Why Are We the Good Guys? Alresford, Hants: Zero Books, 2012, p.29
Preceded by
2002 Southampton Council election		 Southampton local elections Succeeded by
2004 Southampton Council election
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