2003 Worthing Borough Council election

The 2003 Worthing Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Worthing Borough Council in West Sussex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats lost overall control of the council to no overall control.[1] Overall turnout was 28.61%.[2]

The election saw 38 candidates from 4 parties competing for the 13 seats which were being contested.[3] 7 sitting councillors stood down at the election which saw the Liberal Democrats attempting to defend the majority they had won in the previous election in 2002.[3] The Liberal Democrats campaigned on the record of their "Clean and Safe Worthing" campaign and on plans to upgrade the leisure centre and replace the Aquarena.[3] However the Conservatives attacked them for stopping improvements to the seafront and for the poor state of facilities in Worthing.[3] The Green and Labour parties also stood candidates but did not contest all of the wards with Labour only putting up 3 candidates.[3]

The results saw the Conservatives make one gain from the Liberal Democrats in Selden ward,[4] with the winner, Jack Saheid, becoming the first Muslim councillor on Worthing council.[5] After the Liberal Democrats failed by 6 votes to gain Gaisford from the Conservatives, both parties ended the election on 18 seats making Worthing a hung council.[5] The results meant that the Liberal Democrat mayor of Worthing had the casting vote on the council.[6]

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Election result
Worthing Local Election Result 2003[5][8]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 8 1 0 +1 61.5 51.8 12,297 +6.9%
  Liberal Democrats 5 0 1 -1 38.5 41.0 9,724 -2.9%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 5.1 1,210 +1.6%
  Labour 0 0 0 0 0 2.1 503 -5.5%

Ward results
Broadwater[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Geraldine Lissenburg 1,069 65.9 -2.9
Conservative Heather Mercer 427 26.3 +4.0
Green Derek Colkett 125 7.7 +7.7
Majority 642 39.6 -6.9
Turnout 1,621 25.0 -0.8
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Castle[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Claire Potter 923 54.5 +3.5
Conservative John Rogers 771 45.5 +12.1
Majority 152 9.0 -8.6
Turnout 1,694 28.6 -3.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Central[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Hart 667 47.4 -11.3
Conservative Martin Coppard 472 33.5 +4.6
Labour Brian Gill 158 11.2 -1.2
Green Alice-Amanda Hinton 111 7.9 +7.9
Majority 195 13.9 -15.9
Turnout 1,408 24.4 -2.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Durrington[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Nick Rodgers 1,168 56.3 -8.5
Conservative Alan Whiteley 787 37.9 +8.9
Green John Dwyer 121 5.8 -0.4
Majority 381 18.4 -17.4
Turnout 2,076 25.1 -5.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Gaisford[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Stephens 752 45.7 +7.9
Liberal Democrats Antony Price 746 45.3 -3.8
Green Marie Hillcoat 149 9.0 +4.5
Majority 6 0.4
Turnout 1,647 25.5 -4.8
Conservative hold Swing
Goring[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Welch 1,732 73.4 +2.1
Liberal Democrats Brian Stephenson 628 26.6 -2.1
Majority 1,104 46.8 +4.2
Turnout 2,360 35.4 -2.2
Conservative hold Swing
Heene (2)[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tim Dice 996
Conservative Paul High 949
Liberal Democrats Alan Jones 513
Liberal Democrats Kevin Skepper 418
Green Heather Rogers 191
Turnout 3,067 25.2 -2.1
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Marine[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tom Wye 1,282 63.6 +2.9
Liberal Democrats Peter Medcalf 373 18.5 -0.6
Labour Peter Barnes 222 11.0 -0.3
Green Lucielle Colkett 140 6.9 -2.0
Majority 909 45.1 +3.5
Turnout 2,017 31.4 -0.3
Conservative hold Swing
Offington[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark McCarthy 1,490 69.7 +5.1
Liberal Democrats David Moynan 489 22.9 -0.2
Green Rosemary Hook 160 7.5 +2.2
Majority 1,001 46.8 +5.3
Turnout 2,139 33.7 -1.0
Conservative hold Swing
Salvington[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jacqueline Marsh 1,100 60.3 -0.3
Liberal Democrats Mark O'Keeffe 723 39.7 +11.3
Majority 377 20.6 -11.6
Turnout 1,940 27.9 -1.9
Conservative hold Swing
Selden[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jack Saheid 1,053 51.2 +15.5
Liberal Democrats Christine Brown 872 42.4 -2.4
Green Dave Yates 130 6.3 +1.8
Majority 181 8.8
Turnout 2,055 33.9 +0.4
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Tarring[2][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John Lovell 1,135 62.1 -6.7
Conservative Gavin Clark 486 26.6 +3.5
Labour Ian Sandell 123 6.7 -1.4
Green Benjamin Colkett 83 4.5 +4.5
Majority 649 35.5 -10.2
Turnout 1,827 27.6 -1.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

References
  1. "Election Results". The Times. 2 May 2003. p. 17.
  2. "Worthing borough council elections 1 May 2003" (PDF). Political Science Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  3. "Worthing council". The Argus. 21 April 2003. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  4. "Tories cheer votes victory". The Argus. 2 May 2003. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  5. "Worthing borough council: no overall control". The Argus. 2 May 2003. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  6. "Parties in storm over control". The Argus. 7 May 2003. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  7. "English local elections: Results". The Guardian. 2 May 2003. p. 12.
  8. "Election results". Financial Times. 2 May 2003. p. 4.
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