2003 Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council election

2003 UK local government election May 2025 December 2013 The 2003 Gateshead Borough 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. https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/vote2003/locals/html/116.stm Local elections 2009-05-09 BBC Online After the election, the composition of the council was: Labour 46 Liberal Democrat 19 Liberal 1 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. Labour bracing itself for backlash The Journal 14 2003-04-16 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. 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. As in the previous election in 2002 the election was held under all postal voting. As a result, overall turnout was 54.67% in Gateshead, Labour majority slashed in city The Journal 44 2003-05-02 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. Election boost Evening Chronicle 18 2003-06-11 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. The result was seen as a blow to the Liberal Democrats chances of taking the Blaydon parliamentary seat at the next general election. Gateshead local election result 2003 Election results; English Councils; Local elections 2003 The Times 16 2003-05-02 Labour Party (UK) 16 0 0 0 72.7 54.2 43,686 -2.7 Liberal Democrats (UK) 6 0 0 0 27.3 29.7 23,964 +1.0 Conservative Party (UK) 0 0 0 0 0.0 8.4 6,824 -0.3 British National Party 0 0 0 0 0.0 3.7 2,955 +2.7 Liberal Party (UK, 1989) 0 0 0 0 0.0 3.0 2,437 -0.1 Green Party of England and Wales 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.7 598 -0.2 Socialist Alliance (England) 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.2 135 +0.1 Ward results Bede Election results The Journal 32 2003-05-02 Labour Party (UK) Patricia Murray 1,539 67.6 -8.7 British National Party Kevin Bell 307 13.5 +13.5 Liberal Democrats (UK) Colin Ball 287 12.6 -3.6 Conservative Party (UK) Ruth Fearby 144 6.3 -1.1 1,232 54.1 -6.0 2,277 Labour Party (UK) Bensham Labour Party (UK) Kevin Dodds 1,613 69.4 -1.4 Liberal Democrats (UK) Susan Armstrong 244 10.5 +0.7 British National Party Terence Armstrong 209 9.0 +2.1 Conservative Party (UK) Ada Callanan 190 8.2 -1.3 Socialist Alliance (England) David Morton 67 2.9 -0.1 1,369 58.9 -2.1 2,323 Labour Party (UK) Birtley Labour Party (UK) Paul Foy 1,753 52.0 -1.2 Liberal Party (UK, 1989) Mark Davidson 1,415 42.0 +1.2 Conservative Party (UK) Barbara Nye 204 6.0 +0.0 338 10.0 -2.4 3,372 Labour Party (UK) Blaydon Labour Party (UK) Elsdon Watson 2,003 63.9 -0.6 Liberal Democrats (UK) Maxine Thompson 879 28.0 +0.3 Conservative Party (UK) Mark Watson 254 8.1 +0.3 1,124 35.9 -0.9 3,136 Labour Party (UK) Chopwell and Rowlands Gill Labour Party (UK) Michael McNestry 2,624 62.1 +4.4 Liberal Democrats (UK) Eileen Blythe 991 23.4 -4.6 Conservative Party (UK) Leonard Davidson 312 7.4 +0.1 Green Party of England and Wales Pamela Woolner 300 7.1 +0.2 1,633 38.7 +9.0 4,227 Labour Party (UK) Chowdene Labour Party (UK) Keith Wood 2,609 68.5 -0.6 Conservative Party (UK) Raymond Swadling 646 17.0 +0.6 Liberal Democrats (UK) Glenys Goodwill 552 14.5 +0.0 1,963 51.5 -1.2 3,807 Labour Party (UK) Crawcrook and Greenside Liberal Democrats (UK) Sally Danys 1,995 46.7 -5.5 Labour Party (UK) Jack Graham 1,746 40.9 -1.7 Conservative Party (UK) David Moor 331 7.8 +2.6 Green Party of England and Wales Duncan Couchman 198 4.6 +4.6 249 5.8 -3.8 4,270 Liberal Democrats (UK) Deckham Labour Party (UK) Martin Gannon 1,615 57.6 -10.5 Liberal Democrats (UK) Ceila Wraith 450 16.1 -0.5 British National Party Ronald Fairlamb 441 15.7 +15.7 Conservative Party (UK) Karl Gatiss 296 10.6 -4.7 1,165 41.5 -10.0 2,802 Labour Party (UK) Dunston Labour Party (UK) Albert Brooks 2,753 68.0 -0.7 Liberal Democrats (UK) Anne Murray 552 13.6 +2.9 Conservative Party (UK) John Callanan 392 9.7 -0.5 British National Party Daniel Dafter 352 8.7 +8.7 2,201 54.4 -3.6 4,049 Labour Party (UK) Felling Labour Party (UK) Raymond Napier 1,967 67.7 -10.0 British National Party John Battersby 405 13.9 +13.9 Liberal Democrats (UK) David Lucas 334 11.5 +0.6 Conservative Party (UK) Trevor Murray 198 6.8 -4.6 1,562 53.8 -12.5 2,904 Labour Party (UK) High Fell Labour Party (UK) Malcolm Graham 2,226 72.5 +3.2 Liberal Democrats (UK) Elizabeth Bird 427 13.9 +5.5 British National Party Kevin Scott 237 7.7 +7.7 Conservative Party (UK) June Murray 181 5.9 +0.1 1,799 58.6 +5.8 3,071 Labour Party (UK) Lamesley Labour Party (UK) Craig Harrison 1,954 59.2 +0.3 Liberal Party (UK, 1989) Susan Davidson 1,022 31.0 -2.3 Conservative Party (UK) Karen Sludden 322 9.8 +1.9 932 28.2 +2.6 3,298 Labour Party (UK) Leam Labour Party (UK) Paul Tinnion 2,475 69.3 -4.6 Liberal Democrats (UK) Norman Spours 694 19.4 +2.3 Conservative Party (UK) John McNeil 402 11.3 +2.3 1,781 49.9 -6.9 3,571 Labour Party (UK) Low Fell Liberal Democrats (UK) Frank Hindle 2,875 61.6 +3.8 Labour Party (UK) Peter Wilson 1,280 27.4 -2.4 Conservative Party (UK) Paul Sterling 515 11.0 -1.4 1,595 34.2 +6.2 4,670 Liberal Democrats (UK) Pelaw and Heworth Liberal Democrats (UK) Ian Patterson 2,215 55.7 +6.9 Labour Party (UK) Robert Goldsworthy 1,531 38.5 -8.5 Conservative Party (UK) Maureen Moor 129 3.2 -1.0 Green Party of England and Wales Nicholas Boldrini 100 2.5 +2.5 684 17.2 +15.4 3,975 Liberal Democrats (UK) Ryton Liberal Democrats (UK) Ione Rippeth 2,960 66.0 +4.4 Labour Party (UK) Dane Roberts 1,279 28.5 -4.7 Conservative Party (UK) Antoinette Sterling 248 5.5 +0.3 1,681 37.5 +9.1 4,487 Liberal Democrats (UK) Saltwell Labour Party (UK) Ian Mearns 1,793 63.0 -2.3 Liberal Democrats (UK) Paul Cowie 420 14.8 +2.2 British National Party George Bainbridge 355 12.5 +1.5 Conservative Party (UK) Elaine McMaster 279 9.8 -1.4 1,373 48.2 -4.5 2,847 Labour Party (UK) Teams Labour Party (UK) Margaret Duddin 2,362 62.7 -4.6 British National Party Michael Dafter 649 17.2 +8.8 Liberal Democrats (UK) James Blythe 463 12.3 -1.3 Conservative Party (UK) Margaret Bell 292 7.8 -2.7 1,899 45.5 -8.2 3,766 Labour Party (UK) Whickham North Liberal Democrats (UK) Mary Wallace 2,470 54.0 +5.2 Labour Party (UK) Frank Earl 1,719 37.6 -5.8 Conservative Party (UK) Elaine Robertson 383 8.4 +0.6 751 16.4 +11.0 4,572 Liberal Democrats (UK) Whickham South Liberal Democrats (UK) Jonathan Wallace 2,901 55.0 -3.5 Labour Party (UK) Gary Haley 1,804 34.2 +3.4 Conservative Party (UK) Peter Ross 567 10.8 +0.1 1,097 20.8 -6.9 5,272 Liberal Democrats (UK) Winlaton Labour Party (UK) George Wilson 2,000 53.4 -0.4 Liberal Democrats (UK) Peter Stokel 1,545 41.3 -0.7 Conservative Party (UK) Charles Sludden 199 5.3 +1.1 455 12.1 +0.3 3,744 Labour Party (UK) Wrekendyke Labour Party (UK) Linda Green 3,041 73.1 -2.7 Liberal Democrats (UK) John Diston 710 17.1 +1.8 Conservative Party (UK) Eleanor Steeley 340 8.2 -0.6 Socialist Alliance (England) Angela Makki 68 1.6 +1.6 2,331 56.0 -4.5 4,159 Labour Party (UK) References 2002 Gateshead Council election Gateshead local elections 2004 Gateshead Council election Gateshead 2003 Category:2000s in Tyne and Wear