2003 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council election

2003 UK local government election June 2026 December 2013 thumb|500px|right|Map of the results of the 2003 Wigan council election. 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%. https://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/bsp/hi/vote2003/locals/html/327.stm Local elections 2009-12-17 BBC News http://www.wigan.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/3692F771-E969-41EE-B068-1F9F20DFE0B7/0/WiganResults1973to2007.pdf Wigan Council results from 1973 to 2008 wigan.gov.uk 2012-01-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20111120022015/http://www.wigan.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/3692F771-E969-41EE-B068-1F9F20DFE0B7/0/WiganResults1973to2007.pdf 20 November 2011 dead dmy-all http://kinnear.wiganmbc.gov.uk/electionresults/index.asp?ElectionDate=1+May+2003 Local Election Results 01 May 2003 wiganmbc.gov.uk 2012-06-28 4 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090450/http://kinnear.wiganmbc.gov.uk/electionresults/index.asp?ElectionDate=1+May+2003 dead http://www.andrewteale.me.uk/2003/document002.html#toc10 Local Elections Archive Project: 2003 - Wigan andrewteale.me.uk 2012-06-28 Election result Wigan local election result 2003 Labour Party (UK) 18 0 5 -5 75.0 49.6 26,761 -7.3 Community Action Party 3 3 0 +3 12.5 13.8 7,458 +4.6 Liberal Democrats (UK) 2 1 0 +1 8.3 14.0 7,568 +2.4 Conservative Party (UK) 1 1 0 +1 4.2 17.0 9,174 -0.3 Socialist Alliance (England) 0 0 0 0 0.0 3.6 1,921 +1.1 British National Party 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: PartyPrevious councilNew 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 #FFBF00 58 darkgray #FFBF00 48 darkgray Ward results Abram Labour Party (UK) Carl Sweeney 1,261 56.7 -8.5 British National Party Dennis Shambley 576 25.9 +3.1 Community Action Party Ronald Barnes 218 9.8 +9.8 Conservative Party (UK) Marion Green 164 7.4 -4.3 5 0.2 -0.1 685 30.8 -11.6 2,219 25.0 -3.1 Labour Party (UK) -5.8 Ashton-Golborne Community Action Party Kevin Williams 1,256 46.8 +4.7 Labour Party (UK) Patricia Holland 1,060 39.5 -4.8 Conservative Party (UK) Marie Winstanley 276 10.3 +0.2 Socialist Alliance (England) Marian Markham 89 3.3 -0.1 3 0.1 +0.0 196 7.3 +5.2 2,684 24.1 -2.7 Community Action Party Labour Party (UK) +4.7 Aspull-Standish Liberal Democrats (UK) Trevor Beswick 1,354 39.8 +9.3 Labour Party (UK) George Davies 1,296 38.1 -6.2 Conservative Party (UK) Barry Woolley 687 20.2 -2.0 Socialist Alliance (England) Judith Ford 61 1.8 -1.1 3 0.1 +0.0 58 1.7 -12.1 3,401 28.8 -1.7 Liberal Democrats (UK) Labour Party (UK) +7.7 Atherton Labour Party (UK) Reginald Holmes 989 53.6 -1.2 Liberal Democrats (UK) John Stackhouse 659 35.7 +2.2 Conservative Party (UK) Ann Davies 193 10.5 +4.2 4 0.2 +0.2 330 17.9 -3.4 1,845 21.3 -7.3 Labour Party (UK) -1.7 Bedford-Astley Labour Party (UK) John Lea 881 53.5 N/A Conservative Party (UK) David Morris 393 23.9 N/A Liberal Democrats (UK) Glynnis Hogg 305 18.5 N/A Socialist Alliance (England) Barbara Hennessy 61 3.7 N/A 6 0.4 N/A 488 29.6 N/A 1,646 19.9 N/A Labour Party (UK) N/A Beech Hill Labour Party (UK) Andrew Collins 1,010 55.3 -2.5 Liberal Democrats (UK) Nigel Wickes 467 25.6 -6.0 Conservative Party (UK) Barry Alder 233 12.8 +12.8 Socialist Alliance (England) Graham MacFarlane 111 6.1 +6.1 5 0.3 -0.1 543 29.7 +3.5 1,826 20.1 -7.0 Labour Party (UK) +1.7 Bryn Community Action Party Gary Wilkes 1,320 47.7 -0.3 Labour Party (UK) Robin Atkinson 1,222 44.1 -0.9 Conservative Party (UK) Stuart Foy 161 5.8 -1.1 Socialist Alliance (England) Paul Lewis 61 2.2 +2.2 4 0.1 +0.0 98 3.5 +0.5 2,768 28.0 -1.4 Community Action Party Labour Party (UK) +0.3 Hindley Labour Party (UK) Jack Topping 1,278 66.3 -7.4 Conservative Party (UK) Andre Walker 331 17.2 -8.1 Liberal Democrats (UK) Tarek Gaber 190 9.9 +9.9 Socialist Alliance (England) Mark Tebbutt 117 6.1 +6.1 12 0.6 -0.5 947 49.1 +0.7 1,928 18.2 -3.1 Labour Party (UK) +0.3 Hindley Green Labour Party (UK) Peter Turner 1,039 57.9 -13.8 Conservative Party (UK) Rosina Oxley 343 19.1 -8.0 Liberal Democrats (UK) Solveiq Gaber 273 15.2 +15.2 Socialist Alliance (England) Claire Doherty 135 7.5 +7.5 5 0.3 -1.0 696 38.8 -5.8 1,795 16.3 -3.3 Labour Party (UK) -2.9 Hindsford Liberal Democrats (UK) Robert Bleakley 1,685 61.1 +5.7 Labour Party (UK) Philip Loudon 943 34.2 +1.3 Conservative Party (UK) Dorothy Angell 131 4.7 +0.7 0 0.0 -0.1 742 26.9 +4.4 2,759 25.4 -3.1 Labour Party (UK) +2.2 Hope Carr Labour Party (UK) John O'Brien 1,196 47.6 -4.5 Community Action Party Janice Solinas 648 25.8 +6.7 Conservative Party (UK) Andrew Oxley 564 22.5 -2.3 Socialist Alliance (England) Keith Fry 91 3.6 +0.0 11 0.4 +0.1 548 21.8 -5.5 2,510 24.4 -3.7 Labour Party (UK) -5.6 Ince Labour Party (UK) David Molyneux 1,085 73.7 -2.7 Conservative Party (UK) Robert Rees 139 9.4 -1.5 Socialist Alliance (England) Michael Doherty 125 8.5 -3.9 Community Action Party Ian Franzen 120 8.1 +8.1 4 0.3 -0.1 946 64.2 +0.3 1,473 19.2 -2.0 Labour Party (UK) -0.6 Langtree Labour Party (UK) Michael Crosby 1,211 42.5 -9.4 Conservative Party (UK) Gareth Fairhurst 1,062 37.3 +7.7 Liberal Democrats (UK) Freda Graham 476 16.7 -1.5 Socialist Alliance (England) John Pointon 91 3.2 +3.2 11 0.4 +0.1 149 5.2 -17.1 2,851 24.5 -4.1 Labour Party (UK) -8.5 Leigh Central Labour Party (UK) Barbara Jarvis 1,030 65.8 -5.7 Conservative Party (UK) Alan Lowe 281 18.0 +1.4 Community Action Party Daniel Burrows 170 10.9 -0.8 Socialist Alliance (England) Robert Stephenson 79 5.0 +5.0 5 0.3 +0.0 749 47.9 -7.0 1,565 18.6 -2.9 Labour Party (UK) -3.5 Leigh East Labour Party (UK) Keith Cunliffe 1,144 62.5 -14.5 Conservative Party (UK) Derek Davies 368 20.1 -2.1 Community Action Party James Forkgen 232 12.7 +12.7 Socialist Alliance (England) William Markham 79 4.3 +4.3 8 0.4 -0.4 776 42.4 -12.3 1,831 16.9 -2.1 Labour Party (UK) -6.2 Lightshaw Community Action Party Peter Solinas 1,540 45.4 +0.9 Labour Party (UK) Alan Melling 1,221 36.0 -5.7 Conservative Party (UK) James Grundy 568 16.7 +3.1 Socialist Alliance (England) Marie Winnard 58 1.7 +1.7 5 0.1 +0.0 319 9.4 +6.5 3,392 27.9 -7.1 Community Action Party Labour Party (UK) +3.3 Newtown Labour Party (UK) Joy Birch 981 66.1 -10.8 Liberal Democrats (UK) Martin Sutton 348 23.5 +23.5 Socialist Alliance (England) Barry Conway 146 9.8 -11.4 9 0.6 -1.2 633 42.7 -13.0 1,484 17.5 -1.2 Labour Party (UK) -17.1 Norley Labour Party (UK) Stephen Parker 815 59.2 -24.3 Community Action Party Margaret Crank 508 36.9 +36.9 Socialist Alliance (England) Samuel Blakeman 51 3.7 -12.3 3 0.2 -0.3 307 22.3 -45.2 1,377 20.5 +2.6 Labour Party (UK) -30.6 Orrell Labour Party (UK) Ronald Capstick 1,380 46.7 -5.5 Conservative Party (UK) Richard Clayton 1,074 36.4 -10.9 British National Party Richard Moreton 368 12.5 +12.5 Socialist Alliance (England) Robert Fairhurst 125 4.2 +4.2 6 0.2 -0.3 306 10.4 +5.4 2,953 31.5 +1.2 Labour Party (UK) +2.7 Swinley Conservative Party (UK) Henry Cadman 1,265 47.8 +7.5 Labour Party (UK) John Ball 913 34.5 -2.3 Liberal Democrats (UK) Alan Robinson 351 13.3 +0.9 Socialist Alliance (England) Frances Berka 111 4.2 +2.0 6 0.2 +0.1 352 13.3 +9.7 2,646 30.7 -3.7 Conservative Party (UK) Labour Party (UK) +4.9 Tyldesley East Labour Party (UK) Stephen Hellier 1,237 50.8 -13.2 Liberal Democrats (UK) Richard Derricutt 1,186 48.7 +13.5 12 0.5 -0.3 51 2.1 -26.7 2,435 20.2 -0.7 Labour Party (UK) -13.3 Whelley Labour Party (UK) John Earl 1,208 65.4 -5.4 Liberal Democrats (UK) Jean Beswick 274 14.8 -6.9 Conservative Party (UK) Joan Pietre 239 12.9 +12.9 Socialist Alliance (England) Janet Phillips 117 6.3 -0.7 10 0.5 +0.0 934 50.5 +1.5 1,848 22.7 -1.4 Labour Party (UK) +0.7 Winstanley Labour Party (UK) Philip Kelly 1,259 44.5 -20.1 Community Action Party Stanley Barnes 961 34.0 +34.0 Conservative Party (UK) Jonathan Cartwright 486 17.2 -17.5 Socialist Alliance (England) John Bolton 114 4.0 +4.0 9 0.3 -0.5 298 10.5 -19.4 2,829 21.7 +1.7 Labour Party (UK) -27.0 Worsley Mesnes Labour Party (UK) Joseph Baldwin 1,102 57.8 -16.8 Community Action Party William Barnes 485 25.4 +25.4 Conservative Party (UK) Thomas Sutton 216 11.3 -3.9 Socialist Alliance (England) Jacqueline Pointon 99 5.2 -4.7 6 0.3 +0.0 617 32.3 -27.0 1,908 20.0 -0.2 Labour Party (UK) -21.1 References expanded Category:2003 English local elections 2003 Category:2000s in Greater Manchester