2003 Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2003 Gateshead Council election was held on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Gateshead Council in Tyne and Wear, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party kept overall control of the council.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was

Campaign

The Labour party feared that the Iraq War would cause them to lose ground in the election, after even their own councillors in Gateshead had passed a motion in February opposing the war. Labour hoped to separate the election from national issues by focusing on the council's record including the fact that council was rated as excellent in national league tables. The Liberal Democrats focused their attacks on the level of Council Tax including the 9.8% rise for Gateshead in 2003.[2]

The main battleground was seen as being in Winlaton ward which the Liberal Democrats had won in the 2000 election but Labour had retained in 2002.[2] As well as the two main parties on the council, the Conservatives contested all wards, while the British National Party put up 8 candidates and the Green party 3 candidates.[2]

As in the previous election in 2002 the election was held under all postal voting.[2] As a result, overall turnout was 54.67% in Gateshead,[3] which was the third highest turnout in the 2003 United Kingdom local elections with only the elections in Hertfordshire and Copeland seeing a higher turnout.[4]

Election result

The results saw no seats change hands between the parties with the Labour party pleased at managing to hold all of the seats they were defending.[3] The result was seen as a blow to the Liberal Democrats chances of taking the Blaydon parliamentary seat at the next general election.[3]

Gateshead Local Election Result 2003[5]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 16 0 0 0 72.7 54.2 43,686 -2.7%
  Liberal Democrats 6 0 0 0 27.3 29.7 23,964 +1.0%
  Conservative 0 0 0 0 0 8.4 6,824 -0.3%
  BNP 0 0 0 0 0 3.7 2,955 +2.7%
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0 3.0 2,437 -0.1%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 0.7 598 -0.2%
  Socialist Alliance 0 0 0 0 0 0.2 135 +0.1%

Ward results
Bede[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Patricia Murray 1,539 67.6 -8.7
BNP Kevin Bell 307 13.5 +13.5
Liberal Democrats Colin Ball 287 12.6 -3.6
Conservative Ruth Fearby 144 6.3 -1.1
Majority 1,232 54.1 -6.0
Turnout 2,277
Labour hold Swing
Bensham[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kevin Dodds 1,613 69.4 -1.4
Liberal Democrats Susan Armstrong 244 10.5 +0.7
BNP Terence Armstrong 209 9.0 +2.1
Conservative Ada Callanan 190 8.2 -1.3
Socialist Alliance David Morton 67 2.9 -0.1
Majority 1,369 58.9 -2.1
Turnout 2,323
Labour hold Swing
Birtley[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Foy 1,753 52.0 -1.2
Liberal Mark Davidson 1,415 42.0 +1.2
Conservative Barbara Nye 204 6.0 +0.0
Majority 338 10.0 -2.4
Turnout 3,372
Labour hold Swing
Blaydon[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Elsdon Watson 2,003 63.9 -0.6
Liberal Democrats Maxine Thompson 879 28.0 +0.3
Conservative Mark Watson 254 8.1 +0.3
Majority 1,124 35.9 -0.9
Turnout 3,136
Labour hold Swing
Chopwell and Rowlands Gill[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael McNestry 2,624 62.1 +4.4
Liberal Democrats Eileen Blythe 991 23.4 -4.6
Conservative Leonard Davidson 312 7.4 +0.1
Green Pamela Woolner 300 7.1 +0.2
Majority 1,633 38.7 +9.0
Turnout 4,227
Labour hold Swing
Chowdene[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Keith Wood 2,609 68.5 -0.6
Conservative Raymond Swadling 646 17.0 +0.6
Liberal Democrats Glenys Goodwill 552 14.5 +0.0
Majority 1,963 51.5 -1.2
Turnout 3,807
Labour hold Swing
Crawcrook and Greenside[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Sally Danys 1,995 46.7 -5.5
Labour Jack Graham 1,746 40.9 -1.7
Conservative David Moor 331 7.8 +2.6
Green Duncan Couchman 198 4.6 +4.6
Majority 249 5.8 -3.8
Turnout 4,270
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Deckham[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Martin Gannon 1,615 57.6 -10.5
Liberal Democrats Ceila Wraith 450 16.1 -0.5
BNP Ronald Fairlamb 441 15.7 +15.7
Conservative Karl Gatiss 296 10.6 -4.7
Majority 1,165 41.5 -10.0
Turnout 2,802
Labour hold Swing
Dunston[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Brooks 2,753 68.0 -0.7
Liberal Democrats Anne Murray 552 13.6 +2.9
Conservative John Callanan 392 9.7 -0.5
BNP Daniel Dafter 352 8.7 +8.7
Majority 2,201 54.4 -3.6
Turnout 4,049
Labour hold Swing
Felling[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Raymond Napier 1,967 67.7 -10.0
BNP John Battersby 405 13.9 +13.9
Liberal Democrats David Lucas 334 11.5 +0.6
Conservative Trevor Murray 198 6.8 -4.6
Majority 1,562 53.8 -12.5
Turnout 2,904
Labour hold Swing
High Fell[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Malcolm Graham 2,226 72.5 +3.2
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Bird 427 13.9 +5.5
BNP Kevin Scott 237 7.7 +7.7
Conservative June Murray 181 5.9 +0.1
Majority 1,799 58.6 +5.8
Turnout 3,071
Labour hold Swing
Lamesley[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Craig Harrison 1,954 59.2 +0.3
Liberal Susan Davidson 1,022 31.0 -2.3
Conservative Karen Sludden 322 9.8 +1.9
Majority 932 28.2 +2.6
Turnout 3,298
Labour hold Swing
Leam[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Tinnion 2,475 69.3 -4.6
Liberal Democrats Norman Spours 694 19.4 +2.3
Conservative John McNeil 402 11.3 +2.3
Majority 1,781 49.9 -6.9
Turnout 3,571
Labour hold Swing
Low Fell[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Frank Hindle 2,875 61.6 +3.8
Labour Peter Wilson 1,280 27.4 -2.4
Conservative Paul Sterling 515 11.0 -1.4
Majority 1,595 34.2 +6.2
Turnout 4,670
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Pelaw and Heworth[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ian Patterson 2,215 55.7 +6.9
Labour Robert Goldsworthy 1,531 38.5 -8.5
Conservative Maureen Moor 129 3.2 -1.0
Green Nicholas Boldrini 100 2.5 +2.5
Majority 684 17.2 +15.4
Turnout 3,975
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Ryton[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ione Rippeth 2,960 66.0 +4.4
Labour Dane Roberts 1,279 28.5 -4.7
Conservative Antoinette Sterling 248 5.5 +0.3
Majority 1,681 37.5 +9.1
Turnout 4,487
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Saltwell[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Mearns 1,793 63.0 -2.3
Liberal Democrats Paul Cowie 420 14.8 +2.2
BNP George Bainbridge 355 12.5 +1.5
Conservative Elaine McMaster 279 9.8 -1.4
Majority 1,373 48.2 -4.5
Turnout 2,847
Labour hold Swing
Teams[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Margaret Duddin 2,362 62.7 -4.6
BNP Michael Dafter 649 17.2 +8.8
Liberal Democrats James Blythe 463 12.3 -1.3
Conservative Margaret Bell 292 7.8 -2.7
Majority 1,899 45.5 -8.2
Turnout 3,766
Labour hold Swing
Whickham North[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Mary Wallace 2,470 54.0 +5.2
Labour Frank Earl 1,719 37.6 -5.8
Conservative Elaine Robertson 383 8.4 +0.6
Majority 751 16.4 +11.0
Turnout 4,572
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Whickham South[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Wallace 2,901 55.0 -3.5
Labour Gary Haley 1,804 34.2 +3.4
Conservative Peter Ross 567 10.8 +0.1
Majority 1,097 20.8 -6.9
Turnout 5,272
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Winlaton[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Wilson 2,000 53.4 -0.4
Liberal Democrats Peter Stokel 1,545 41.3 -0.7
Conservative Charles Sludden 199 5.3 +1.1
Majority 455 12.1 +0.3
Turnout 3,744
Labour hold Swing
Wrekendyke[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Linda Green 3,041 73.1 -2.7
Liberal Democrats John Diston 710 17.1 +1.8
Conservative Eleanor Steeley 340 8.2 -0.6
Socialist Alliance Angela Makki 68 1.6 +1.6
Majority 2,331 56.0 -4.5
Turnout 4,159
Labour hold Swing

References
  1. "Local elections". BBC Online. Retrieved 9 May 2009.
  2. "Labour bracing itself for backlash". The Journal. 16 April 2003. p. 14.
  3. "Labour majority slashed in city". The Journal. 2 May 2003. p. 44.
  4. "Election boost". Evening Chronicle. 11 June 2003. p. 18.
  5. "Election results; English Councils; Local elections 2003". The Times. 2 May 2003. p. 16.
  6. "Election results". The Journal. 2 May 2003. p. 32.
Preceded by
2002 Gateshead Council election		 Gateshead local elections Succeeded by
2004 Gateshead Council election
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