# 2003 Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council election

The 2003 Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Redcar and Cleveland Unitary Council in England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 1999. The Labour party lost overall control of the council to no overall control.

## Background

Between 1999 and 2003 the Local Government Boundary Commission for England had made changes to the wards of the council. The changes included renaming Belmont ward to Westworth, and Redcar ward to Zetland, with 18 of the 22 wards having boundary changes.
Before the election Labour ran the council with 31 seats, compared to 14 Conservatives, 11 Liberal Democrats and 3 East Cleveland Independents. In total 151 candidates stood for the 59 seats that were being contested, an increase of 9 from the 1999 election.
The election had a trial of all postal voting to try and increase turnout, with ballots being delivered to voters 2 weeks before the election.

## Election result

The count for Brotton ward was suspended on election night after 2 recounts and completed the following day. Overall turnout at the election was 51.5%, an increase from 37% in 1999.
Labour lost their majority on the council, finishing with 23 seats, 7 short of a majority. Among the Labour councillors to lose seats was the leader of the council Dave Walsh in Eston ward, after he had moved to contest Eston, instead of Loftus which he had previously been a councillor for.
Following the election Labour chose George Dunning, formerly the deputy leader, as the new leader of the party on the council, defeating Dave McLuckie by 12 votes to 11. Meanwhile, the 8 independents joined, with Steve Kay as their leader, in an East Cleveland, Eston and Marske Independents group. After negotiations the Liberal Democrat, Conservative and Independent groups formed a coalition to take control of the council from Labour.
Redcar and Cleveland local election result 2003 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 23 | 0 | 8 | -8 | 39.0 | 36.1 | 47,411 | +4,313 |
| Liberal Democrats | 15 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 25.4 | 26.4 | 35,596 | +13,612 |
| Conservative | 13 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 22.0 | 25.6 | 34,007 | +10,145 |
| Independent | 4 | | | +4 | 6.8 | 7.9 | 10,325 | +6,353 |
| East Cleveland Independent | 4 | | | +1 | 6.8 | 4.0 | 5,202 | +5,202 |
One East Cleveland Independent was unopposed at the election.

## Ward results

Brotton (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Brian Hogg | 1,189 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Valerie Miller | 1,036 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kay Walker | 1,002 |
| | Labour | Barry Hunt | 985 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Norma Morris | 834 |
| | Labour | Eileen Goodenough | 796 |
| | Conservative | Roberta Jackson | 497 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,339 |
Coatham (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal Democrats | Josephine Crawford | 788 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Irene Curr | 670 |
| | Labour | Raymond Goddard | 585 |
| | Independent | Allan Parsons | 492 |
| | Conservative | Edward Dolan | 378 |
| | Labour | Paul McGrath | 376 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,289 |
Dormanstown (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Vilma Collins | 1,276 |
| | Labour | Cliff Houlding | 1,185 |
| | Labour | Peter Todd | 1,058 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elsie Houston | 806 |
| | Independent | Peter Abramson | 793 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Langner | 775 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Slater | 773 |
| | Conservative | Frederick Walker | 414 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,080 |
Eston (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Independent | Ann Higgins | 1,579 |
| | Independent | Vincent Smith | 1,487 |
| | Independent | Christopher Beadle | 1,464 |
| | Labour | John Simms | 1,154 |
| | Labour | David Walsh | 856 |
| | Labour | Patrick Harford | 841 |
| | Conservative | Stewart Dadd | 309 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,690 |
Grangetown (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Lynn Pallister | 927 |
| | Labour | Peter Dunlop | 857 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Tuffs | 366 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Harry Jones | 283 |
| | Conservative | Philip Jeffels | 62 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,495 |
Guisborough (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Bill Clarke | 1,405 |
| | Conservative | Anne Franklin | 1,399 |
| | Labour | Keith Pudney | 1,277 |
| | Labour | David Punshon | 1,266 |
| | Conservative | John Hale | 1,217 |
| | Labour | Denise Bunn | 1,187 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Eileen Slater | 337 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,088 |
Hutton (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Graham Jeffery | 1,835 |
| | Conservative | Valerie Halton | 1,816 |
| | Conservative | Peter Spencer | 1,708 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Shelagh Kidd | 847 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Judith Mackuin | 791 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Arthur Kidd | 767 |
| | Labour | Denise Robson | 613 |
| | Labour | Simon Matthews | 605 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,982 |
Kirkleatham (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Norman Davies | 1,241 |
| | Labour | Brenda Forster | 1,228 |
| | Labour | Mark Hannon | 1,142 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kelly Abbott | 657 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Reveley | 624 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carol Johnson | 623 |
| | Conservative | Joan Bolton | 520 |
| | Conservative | Michael Moody | 511 |
| | Conservative | Jacqueline Rouse | 417 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,963 |
Lockwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | East Cleveland Independent | Stephen Kay | unopposed | | |
Loftus (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | East Cleveland Independent | David Fitzpatrick | 1,918 |
| | Labour | Eric Jackson | 1,149 |
| | East Cleveland Independent | Mary Lanigan | 1,045 |
| | East Cleveland Independent | Stephanie Aplin-Wakefield | 969 |
| | Independent | Linda Bell | 735 |
| | Labour | Christine Swales | 486 |
| | Labour | Roger Clipsham | 447 |
| | Conservative | Susan King | 282 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,031 |
Longbeck (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Norah Cooney | 1,338 |
| | Conservative | Vvera Moody | 1,254 |
| | Independent | Mike Findley | 1,189 |
| | Labour | Mike Stephen | 574 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Patricia Fisher | 295 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Plummer | 281 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Victoria Crawford | 219 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Dixon | 152 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,302 |
Newcomen (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Abbott | 1,423 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Glynis Abbott | 1,301 |
| | Labour | Frederick Forster | 438 |
| | Conservative | Allan Gwenlan | 197 |
| | Conservative | George Bolton | 123 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,482 |
Normanby (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Wendy Wall | 1,534 |
| | Labour | Carole Ealand | 1,483 |
| | Labour | David Tomlin | 1,315 |
| | Conservative | Paul Lennox | 935 |
| | Conservative | Sarah Dadd | 731 |
| | Conservative | Jennifer Bell | 702 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Broadhurst | 321 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Florence Sefton | 310 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marjorie Paskin | 303 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,634 |
Ormesby (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal Democrats | Glyn Nightingale | 1,959 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Eric Empson | 1,847 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Irene Nightingale | 1,784 |
| | Labour | Richard White | 577 |
| | Conservative | Mary Dadd | 459 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,626 |
Saltburn (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Joan Sands | 1,313 |
| | Conservative | John Robinson | 1,283 |
| | Conservative | Barbara Harpham | 1,129 |
| | Labour | Joan Guy | 1,024 |
| | Labour | Cyril Hammond | 863 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian Grierson | 703 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jill Clarke | 299 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lilla Reveley | 275 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,889 |
Skelton (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Brian Briggs | 1,700 |
| | Labour | David McLuckie | 1,492 |
| | Labour | Helen McLuckie | 1,378 |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Shaw | 1,194 |
| | Conservative | James Carrolle | 1,027 |
| | Conservative | Michael King | 1,021 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,812 |
South Bank (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Ian Jeffrey | 1,476 |
| | Labour | Pearl Hall | 1,407 |
| | Labour | Sylvia Szintai | 1,354 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Angela Draper | 473 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michele Elcoate | 455 |
| | Conservative | Stuart Bell | 374 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,539 |
St Germains (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marjorie Moses | 1,763 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bill Goodwill | 1,702 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Wilson | 1,477 |
| | Independent | Peter Atkinson | 1,025 |
| | Independent | Kenneth Seymour | 536 |
| | Conservative | John Moody | 487 |
| | Labour | Peter Briggs | 452 |
| | Conservative | Vera Rider | 428 |
| | Labour | James Hill | 355 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,225 |
Teesville (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Sheelagh Clarke | 1,595 |
| | Labour | George Dunning | 1,405 |
| | Labour | Norman Pickthall | 1,239 |
| | Conservative | David Tabner | 881 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Harris | 878 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Leach | 803 |
| | Independent | Paul Jackson | 476 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gillian Cockburn | 231 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gordon Plummer | 221 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kenneth Cockburn | 210 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,939 |
West Dyke (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal Democrats | Joyce Benbow | 1,971 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Keith Blott | 1,525 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mary Ovens | 1,507 |
| | Conservative | Adele Coleman | 986 |
| | Labour | Michael Blott | 628 |
| | Conservative | Gillian Dadd | 544 |
| | Conservative | Kenneth Emmerson | 537 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,698 |
Westworth (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Alma Thrower | 756 |
| | East Cleveland Independent | Bruce Mackenzie | 660 |
| | East Cleveland Independent | Tressa Cooper | 610 |
| | Labour | John Birtill | 562 |
| | Independent | David Williams | 549 |
| | Labour | Michael McGee | 390 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,527 |
Zetland (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Robert Stanway | 845 |
| | Conservative | Jean White | 840 |
| | Labour | Paul Dixon | 791 |
| | Labour | Albert Mills | 653 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Arthur Clarke | 409 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Curr | 353 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,891 |