# 2003 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election

The 2003 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council in West Yorkshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party kept overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
* Labour 50
* Conservative 7
* Liberal Democrat 3
* Independent 3

## Election result

The results saw Labour lose 2 seats to the Conservatives in Pontefract South and Wakefield Rural, and 1 seat to the Liberal Democrats in Ossett. Labour remained firmly in control, and while they were disappointed to lose 3 seats, the results were seen as being "not too bad" by the Labour council leader Peter Box. No other party won any seats, but the votes for the British National Party concerned the other political leaders. Voter turnout was lowest in South Elmsall ward at 18.6%.
Wakefield Local Election Result 2003 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 17 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 81.0 | 46.1 | 27,678 | -7.4% |
| Conservative | 3 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 14.3 | 25.3 | 15,168 | +0.6% |
| Liberal Democrats | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4.8 | 11.2 | 6,700 | -0.2% |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.5 | 6,896 | +5.5% |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.4 | 1,413 | +2.4% |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 | 913 | +1.0% |
| Socialist Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 | 707 | -1.7% |
| Socialist Alternative | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 | 390 | +0.0% |
| Socialist Alliance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 141 | -0.2% |

## Ward results

Castleford Ferry Fryston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James Nicholson | 1,117 | 58.7 | −16.9 |
| | Independent | John Bird | 621 | 32.6 | +32.6 |
| | Conservative | Madge Richards | 166 | 8.7 | −5.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 496 | 26.1 | −35.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,904 | 20.7 | +1.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Castleford Glasshoughton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul Phelps | 1,655 | 80.6 | −1.5 |
| | Conservative | Charles Scholes | 399 | 19.4 | +8.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,256 | 61.2 | −9.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,054 | 19.5 | −1.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Castleford Whitwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Box | 1,424 | 75.3 | −7.6 |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Rhodes | 320 | 16.9 | +6.1 |
| | Socialist Labour | Kathryn Summerscales | 148 | 7.8 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,104 | 58.4 | −13.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,892 | 19.9 | −2.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Crofton & Ackworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roy Hirst | 1,310 | 40.3 | −10.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James McDougall | 769 | 23.7 | +1.8 |
| | Independent | Christopher Hazell | 640 | 19.7 | +19.7 |
| | Conservative | Michael Ledgard | 530 | 16.3 | −1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 541 | 16.6 | −12.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,249 | 26.8 | +1.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Featherstone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Graham Isherwood | 1,554 | 71.3 | −11.7 |
| | Conservative | Terence Brown | 433 | 19.9 | +2.9 |
| | Socialist Labour | Zane Carpenter | 192 | 8.8 | +8.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,121 | 51.4 | −14.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,179 | 20.4 | +0.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Hemsworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Glyn Lloyd | 1,384 | 61.1 | −11.4 |
| | Independent | Roy Bateman | 579 | 25.6 | +25.6 |
| | Conservative | Eamonn Mullins | 301 | 13.3 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 805 | 35.5 | −20.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,264 | 21.5 | +0.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Horbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Janet Holmes | 1,519 | 37.4 | −5.8 |
| | Conservative | Caroline Smith | 1,054 | 26.0 | −11.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Goodair | 695 | 17.1 | −0.3 |
| | BNP | John Aveyard | 629 | 15.5 | +15.5 |
| | Independent | John Alexander | 161 | 4.0 | +4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 465 | 11.4 | +5.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,058 | 34.1 | +7.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Knottingley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Graham Clarke | 1,297 | 60.4 | −15.5 |
| | Conservative | David Howarth | 403 | 18.8 | −5.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carey Chambers | 261 | 12.2 | +12.2 |
| | UKIP | Colin Batty | 185 | 8.6 | +8.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 894 | 41.6 | −10.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,146 | 21.2 | +0.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Normanton & Sharlston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Barry Smith | 1,354 | 49.1 | −0.7 |
| | Independent | Graeme Milner | 797 | 28.9 | +3.6 |
| | Conservative | Allan Couch | 370 | 13.4 | +0.2 |
| | Socialist Labour | Norman Hartshorne | 237 | 8.6 | −3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 557 | 20.2 | −4.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,758 | 21.9 | +1.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Ossett :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Knowles | 1,639 | 38.8 | −16.1 |
| | Labour | Donald Hitchen | 1,112 | 26.3 | −5.4 |
| | BNP | Suzy Cass | 784 | 18.6 | +18.6 |
| | Conservative | Glenn Armitage | 689 | 16.3 | +3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 527 | 12.5 | −10.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,224 | 34.4 | +3.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Pontefract North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Clive Tennant | 1,443 | 58.2 | −10.0 |
| | Conservative | Richard Molloy | 536 | 21.6 | −1.6 |
| | UKIP | Howard Burdon | 352 | 14.2 | +14.2 |
| | Socialist Alternative | John Gill | 149 | 6.0 | +1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 907 | 36.6 | −8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,480 | 19.7 | −1.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Pontefract South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Philip Booth | 1,290 | 44.1 | |
| | Labour | Patricia Garbutt | 1,270 | 43.4 | |
| | UKIP | James Marran | 224 | 7.7 | |
| | Socialist Alliance | Alan Hyman | 141 | 4.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20 | 0.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,925 | 27.9 | −0.5 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
South Elmsall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Allan Garbutt | 1,398 | 67.8 | −0.3 |
| | Conservative | Ian Hall | 664 | 32.2 | +14.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 736 | 35.6 | −14.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,062 | 18.6 | −2.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
South Kirkby :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mollie Wright | 1,714 | 81.0 | +35.8 |
| | Conservative | Christian l'Anson | 403 | 19.0 | +14.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,311 | 62.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,117 | 20.9 | −3.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Stanley & Altofts :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kevin Swift | 1,129 | 35.4 | −16.5 |
| | Conservative | Pauline Mitchell | 849 | 26.6 | +3.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Burch | 578 | 18.1 | −4.1 |
| | Independent | Steve Gilks | 501 | 15.7 | +15.7 |
| | Socialist Labour | Thomas Appleyard | 130 | 4.1 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 280 | 8.8 | −19.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,187 | 23.4 | +0.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Stanley & Wrenthorpe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Lund | 1,266 | 34.3 | −11.7 |
| | Conservative | James Dick | 954 | 25.9 | −5.5 |
| | Independent | Alexander Adie | 808 | 21.9 | +21.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Dodd | 658 | 17.9 | −4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 312 | 8.4 | −6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,686 | 24.8 | +0.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Wakefield Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Denise Jeffery | 1,430 | 44.0 | −4.9 |
| | Conservative | Jane Brown | 1,251 | 38.5 | −0.4 |
| | Independent | Catherine Holmes | 567 | 17.5 | +17.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 179 | 5.5 | −4.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,248 | 30.0 | −8.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Wakefield East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Richard Hayward | 1,091 | 37.1 | −8.3 |
| | Conservative | John Berry | 639 | 21.7 | +5.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Dale | 532 | 18.1 | +9.3 |
| | Independent | Georgina Fenton | 436 | 14.8 | +5.2 |
| | Socialist Alternative | Michael Griffiths | 241 | 8.2 | +0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 452 | 15.4 | −13.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,939 | 26.1 | −0.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Wakefield North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Rhodes | 1,103 | 39.7 | −16.1 |
| | Conservative | Michael Mitchell | 708 | 25.5 | +1.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Douglas Dale | 558 | 20.1 | +4.3 |
| | Independent | Jeffrey Warriner | 254 | 9.2 | +9.2 |
| | UKIP | Keith Wells | 152 | 5.5 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 395 | 14.2 | −17.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,775 | 25.9 | +1.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Wakefield Rural :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | June Drysdale | 1,514 | 41.8 | −1.8 |
| | Labour | Maurren Cummings | 1,132 | 31.2 | −11.6 |
| | Independent | Michael Greensmith | 527 | 14.5 | +14.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Morgan | 451 | 12.4 | −1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 382 | 10.6 | +9.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,623 | 28.5 | +0.6 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Wakefield South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Hopkins | 1,695 | 40.0 | +11.0 |
| | Labour | Hazel Chowcat | 976 | 23.0 | −3.9 |
| | Independent | Nicholas Hazell | 873 | 20.6 | −12.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Nuthall | 559 | 13.2 | +2.7 |
| | Independent | Stephen Selby | 132 | 3.1 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 719 | 17.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,235 | 35.1 | −2.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |