Elections to Wigan Borough Council were held on 1 May 2003 with one-third of the council was up for election. Prior to the election, there had been two vacancies in Leigh Central, with Labour winning a by-election in June and the seat being fought in this election filled unopposed by Barbara Jarvis.
The election boasted a record number of candidates for an election of thirds, with 90 spread across all 24 wards. Whilst the Conservative's fielded a strong showing of all but three wards and the Lib Dems improved to fight half the wards, the bulk of the increase came from Community Action and the Socialist Alliance more than doubling their last year's totals, with the Socialist Alliance now contesting all but four wards and Community Action just under half. Labour reliably put up candidates for all wards, and the BNP a second candidate in Orrell.
Labour's share fell to under half of the votes for only the second time in the council's history, with the only other time being their low-point in 1975, with one of their lowest votes achieved. The main beneficiaries were the rapidly advancing Community Action Party, and to a lesser extent the Lib Dems, helping them to narrowly retain their third place in vote share behind the second place, and largely unchanged, Conservatives. The Socialist Alliance made little headway despite their near-full slate, and significantly fell back in their most competitive wards.
Labour lost five seats on the night, with each of three main competitors picking up seats. Community Action accounted for three, gaining further representation in Bryn and Lightshaw and also making another breakthrough in the formerly uninterrupted Labour territory of Ashton-Golborne. The Lib Dems picked up a seat in the historically competitive Aspull-Standish ward for the first time in over a decade, as well as comfortably defending their seat in Hindsford. The Tories strengthened their footing on the council with another gain in Swinley, a ward which had reliably elected Conservatives throughout the eighties, but had progressively been routed in the early nineties. This left Labour's majority at 58, the lowest in just under twenty years.
Overall turnout dropped from last year's partly recovered figure of just over a quarter of the electorate, to 22.7%.[1][2][3][4]
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Transcription
Election result
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | 18 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 75.0 | 49.6 | 26,761 | -7.3 | |
| Community Action | 3 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 12.5 | 13.8 | 7,458 | +4.6 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 2 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 8.3 | 14.0 | 7,568 | +2.4 | |
| Conservative | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4.2 | 17.0 | 9,174 | -0.3 | |
| Socialist Alliance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 3.6 | 1,921 | +1.1 | |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 944 | +0.7 | |
This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the Council after the elections:
| Party | Previous council | New council | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | 65 | 60 | |||
| Community Action | 2 | 5 | |||
| Liberal Democrat | 3 | 4 | |||
| Conservative | 2 | 3 | |||
| Socialist Alliance | 0 | 0 | |||
| BNP | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 72 | 72 | |||
| Working majority | 58 | 48 | |||
Ward results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Carl Sweeney | 1,261 | 56.7 | -8.5 | |
| BNP | Dennis Shambley | 576 | 25.9 | +3.1 | |
| Community Action | Ronald Barnes | 218 | 9.8 | +9.8 | |
| Conservative | Marion Green | 164 | 7.4 | -4.3 | |
| Rejected ballots | 5 | 0.2 | -0.1 | ||
| Majority | 685 | 30.8 | -11.6 | ||
| Turnout | 2,219 | 25.0 | -3.1 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | -5.8 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Action | Kevin Williams | 1,256 | 46.8 | +4.7 | |
| Labour | Patricia Holland | 1,060 | 39.5 | -4.8 | |
| Conservative | Marie Winstanley | 276 | 10.3 | +0.2 | |
| Socialist Alliance | Marian Markham | 89 | 3.3 | -0.1 | |
| Rejected ballots | 3 | 0.1 | +0.0 | ||
| Majority | 196 | 7.3 | +5.2 | ||
| Turnout | 2,684 | 24.1 | -2.7 | ||
| Community Action gain from Labour | Swing | +4.7 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Trevor Beswick | 1,354 | 39.8 | +9.3 | |
| Labour | George Davies | 1,296 | 38.1 | -6.2 | |
| Conservative | Barry Woolley | 687 | 20.2 | -2.0 | |
| Socialist Alliance | Judith Ford | 61 | 1.8 | -1.1 | |
| Rejected ballots | 3 | 0.1 | +0.0 | ||
| Majority | 58 | 1.7 | -12.1 | ||
| Turnout | 3,401 | 28.8 | -1.7 | ||
| Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | +7.7 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Reginald Holmes | 989 | 53.6 | -1.2 | |
| Liberal Democrats | John Stackhouse | 659 | 35.7 | +2.2 | |
| Conservative | Ann Davies | 193 | 10.5 | +4.2 | |
| Rejected ballots | 4 | 0.2 | +0.2 | ||
| Majority | 330 | 17.9 | -3.4 | ||
| Turnout | 1,845 | 21.3 | -7.3 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | -1.7 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | John Lea | 881 | 53.5 | N/A | |
| Conservative | David Morris | 393 | 23.9 | N/A | |
| Liberal Democrats | Glynnis Hogg | 305 | 18.5 | N/A | |
| Socialist Alliance | Barbara Hennessy | 61 | 3.7 | N/A | |
| Rejected ballots | 6 | 0.4 | N/A | ||
| Majority | 488 | 29.6 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 1,646 | 19.9 | N/A | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Andrew Collins | 1,010 | 55.3 | -2.5 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Nigel Wickes | 467 | 25.6 | -6.0 | |
| Conservative | Barry Alder | 233 | 12.8 | +12.8 | |
| Socialist Alliance | Graham MacFarlane | 111 | 6.1 | +6.1 | |
| Rejected ballots | 5 | 0.3 | -0.1 | ||
| Majority | 543 | 29.7 | +3.5 | ||
| Turnout | 1,826 | 20.1 | -7.0 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | +1.7 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Action | Gary Wilkes | 1,320 | 47.7 | -0.3 | |
| Labour | Robin Atkinson | 1,222 | 44.1 | -0.9 | |
| Conservative | Stuart Foy | 161 | 5.8 | -1.1 | |
| Socialist Alliance | Paul Lewis | 61 | 2.2 | +2.2 | |
| Rejected ballots | 4 | 0.1 | +0.0 | ||
| Majority | 98 | 3.5 | +0.5 | ||
| Turnout | 2,768 | 28.0 | -1.4 | ||
| Community Action gain from Labour | Swing | +0.3 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Jack Topping | 1,278 | 66.3 | -7.4 | |
| Conservative | Andre Walker | 331 | 17.2 | -8.1 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Tarek Gaber | 190 | 9.9 | +9.9 | |
| Socialist Alliance | Mark Tebbutt | 117 | 6.1 | +6.1 | |
| Rejected ballots | 12 | 0.6 | -0.5 | ||
| Majority | 947 | 49.1 | +0.7 | ||
| Turnout | 1,928 | 18.2 | -3.1 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | +0.3 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Peter Turner | 1,039 | 57.9 | -13.8 | |
| Conservative | Rosina Oxley | 343 | 19.1 | -8.0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Solveiq Gaber | 273 | 15.2 | +15.2 | |
| Socialist Alliance | Claire Doherty | 135 | 7.5 | +7.5 | |
| Rejected ballots | 5 | 0.3 | -1.0 | ||
| Majority | 696 | 38.8 | -5.8 | ||
| Turnout | 1,795 | 16.3 | -3.3 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | -2.9 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Robert Bleakley | 1,685 | 61.1 | +5.7 | |
| Labour | Philip Loudon | 943 | 34.2 | +1.3 | |
| Conservative | Dorothy Angell | 131 | 4.7 | +0.7 | |
| Rejected ballots | 0 | 0.0 | -0.1 | ||
| Majority | 742 | 26.9 | +4.4 | ||
| Turnout | 2,759 | 25.4 | -3.1 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | +2.2 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | John O'Brien | 1,196 | 47.6 | -4.5 | |
| Community Action | Janice Solinas | 648 | 25.8 | +6.7 | |
| Conservative | Andrew Oxley | 564 | 22.5 | -2.3 | |
| Socialist Alliance | Keith Fry | 91 | 3.6 | +0.0 | |
| Rejected ballots | 11 | 0.4 | +0.1 | ||
| Majority | 548 | 21.8 | -5.5 | ||
| Turnout | 2,510 | 24.4 | -3.7 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | -5.6 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | David Molyneux | 1,085 | 73.7 | -2.7 | |
| Conservative | Robert Rees | 139 | 9.4 | -1.5 | |
| Socialist Alliance | Michael Doherty | 125 | 8.5 | -3.9 | |
| Community Action | Ian Franzen | 120 | 8.1 | +8.1 | |
| Rejected ballots | 4 | 0.3 | -0.1 | ||
| Majority | 946 | 64.2 | +0.3 | ||
| Turnout | 1,473 | 19.2 | -2.0 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | -0.6 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Michael Crosby | 1,211 | 42.5 | -9.4 | |
| Conservative | Gareth Fairhurst | 1,062 | 37.3 | +7.7 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Freda Graham | 476 | 16.7 | -1.5 | |
| Socialist Alliance | John Pointon | 91 | 3.2 | +3.2 | |
| Rejected ballots | 11 | 0.4 | +0.1 | ||
| Majority | 149 | 5.2 | -17.1 | ||
| Turnout | 2,851 | 24.5 | -4.1 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | -8.5 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Barbara Jarvis | 1,030 | 65.8 | -5.7 | |
| Conservative | Alan Lowe | 281 | 18.0 | +1.4 | |
| Community Action | Daniel Burrows | 170 | 10.9 | -0.8 | |
| Socialist Alliance | Robert Stephenson | 79 | 5.0 | +5.0 | |
| Rejected ballots | 5 | 0.3 | +0.0 | ||
| Majority | 749 | 47.9 | -7.0 | ||
| Turnout | 1,565 | 18.6 | -2.9 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | -3.5 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Keith Cunliffe | 1,144 | 62.5 | -14.5 | |
| Conservative | Derek Davies | 368 | 20.1 | -2.1 | |
| Community Action | James Forkgen | 232 | 12.7 | +12.7 | |
| Socialist Alliance | William Markham | 79 | 4.3 | +4.3 | |
| Rejected ballots | 8 | 0.4 | -0.4 | ||
| Majority | 776 | 42.4 | -12.3 | ||
| Turnout | 1,831 | 16.9 | -2.1 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | -6.2 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Action | Peter Solinas | 1,540 | 45.4 | +0.9 | |
| Labour | Alan Melling | 1,221 | 36.0 | -5.7 | |
| Conservative | James Grundy | 568 | 16.7 | +3.1 | |
| Socialist Alliance | Marie Winnard | 58 | 1.7 | +1.7 | |
| Rejected ballots | 5 | 0.1 | +0.0 | ||
| Majority | 319 | 9.4 | +6.5 | ||
| Turnout | 3,392 | 27.9 | -7.1 | ||
| Community Action gain from Labour | Swing | +3.3 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Joy Birch | 981 | 66.1 | -10.8 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Martin Sutton | 348 | 23.5 | +23.5 | |
| Socialist Alliance | Barry Conway | 146 | 9.8 | -11.4 | |
| Rejected ballots | 9 | 0.6 | -1.2 | ||
| Majority | 633 | 42.7 | -13.0 | ||
| Turnout | 1,484 | 17.5 | -1.2 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | -17.1 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Stephen Parker | 815 | 59.2 | -24.3 | |
| Community Action | Margaret Crank | 508 | 36.9 | +36.9 | |
| Socialist Alliance | Samuel Blakeman | 51 | 3.7 | -12.3 | |
| Rejected ballots | 3 | 0.2 | -0.3 | ||
| Majority | 307 | 22.3 | -45.2 | ||
| Turnout | 1,377 | 20.5 | +2.6 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | -30.6 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Ronald Capstick | 1,380 | 46.7 | -5.5 | |
| Conservative | Richard Clayton | 1,074 | 36.4 | -10.9 | |
| BNP | Richard Moreton | 368 | 12.5 | +12.5 | |
| Socialist Alliance | Robert Fairhurst | 125 | 4.2 | +4.2 | |
| Rejected ballots | 6 | 0.2 | -0.3 | ||
| Majority | 306 | 10.4 | +5.4 | ||
| Turnout | 2,953 | 31.5 | +1.2 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | +2.7 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Henry Cadman | 1,265 | 47.8 | +7.5 | |
| Labour | John Ball | 913 | 34.5 | -2.3 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Alan Robinson | 351 | 13.3 | +0.9 | |
| Socialist Alliance | Frances Berka | 111 | 4.2 | +2.0 | |
| Rejected ballots | 6 | 0.2 | +0.1 | ||
| Majority | 352 | 13.3 | +9.7 | ||
| Turnout | 2,646 | 30.7 | -3.7 | ||
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +4.9 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Stephen Hellier | 1,237 | 50.8 | -13.2 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Richard Derricutt | 1,186 | 48.7 | +13.5 | |
| Rejected ballots | 12 | 0.5 | -0.3 | ||
| Majority | 51 | 2.1 | -26.7 | ||
| Turnout | 2,435 | 20.2 | -0.7 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | -13.3 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | John Earl | 1,208 | 65.4 | -5.4 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Jean Beswick | 274 | 14.8 | -6.9 | |
| Conservative | Joan Pietre | 239 | 12.9 | +12.9 | |
| Socialist Alliance | Janet Phillips | 117 | 6.3 | -0.7 | |
| Rejected ballots | 10 | 0.5 | +0.0 | ||
| Majority | 934 | 50.5 | +1.5 | ||
| Turnout | 1,848 | 22.7 | -1.4 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | +0.7 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Philip Kelly | 1,259 | 44.5 | -20.1 | |
| Community Action | Stanley Barnes | 961 | 34.0 | +34.0 | |
| Conservative | Jonathan Cartwright | 486 | 17.2 | -17.5 | |
| Socialist Alliance | John Bolton | 114 | 4.0 | +4.0 | |
| Rejected ballots | 9 | 0.3 | -0.5 | ||
| Majority | 298 | 10.5 | -19.4 | ||
| Turnout | 2,829 | 21.7 | +1.7 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | -27.0 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Joseph Baldwin | 1,102 | 57.8 | -16.8 | |
| Community Action | William Barnes | 485 | 25.4 | +25.4 | |
| Conservative | Thomas Sutton | 216 | 11.3 | -3.9 | |
| Socialist Alliance | Jacqueline Pointon | 99 | 5.2 | -4.7 | |
| Rejected ballots | 6 | 0.3 | +0.0 | ||
| Majority | 617 | 32.3 | -27.0 | ||
| Turnout | 1,908 | 20.0 | -0.2 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | -21.1 | |||
References
- ^ "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "Wigan Council results from 1973 to 2008" (PDF). wigan.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "Local Election Results 01 May 2003". wiganmbc.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "Local Elections Archive Project: 2003 - Wigan". andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
This page was last edited on 10 January 2024, at 16:52