# 2003 Swindon Borough Council election

The 2003 Swindon Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Swindon Unitary Council in Wiltshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.
After the election, the composition of the council was
* Conservative 29
* Labour 22
* Liberal Democrat 8

## Voting trial

Swindon was one of 3 councils which trialed voting by television in 2003 for the first time anywhere in the world. Voters in Swindon also had 8 electronic information kiosks in the town centre where they could vote, telephone and internet voting. These trials, which were open for voting in the week before the election, followed a trial of electronic voting in the 2002 election which saw turnout increase by 3.5%.
Overall turnout in the election was 29.82%, lower than in 2002. However the number of electronic votes increased by 75% from 2002 to 11,055, including 349 cast by television.

## Election result

Swindon Local Election Result 2003 :
| Party | Seats | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 12 | +6 | 60.0 | 41.8 | 16,983 | +3.2% |
| Labour | 5 | -6 | 25.0 | 30.7 | 12,455 | -3.5% |
| Liberal Democrats | 3 | 0 | 15.0 | 25.3 | 10,287 | +1.0% |
| Socialist Alliance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 289 | +0.3% |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 265 | +0.7% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 | 232 | -1.2% |
| Swindon Org UK People Before Profit | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 102 | +0.3% |

## Ward results

Abbey Meads :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Stoddart | 651 | 64.9 | −5.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Derek Richards | 182 | 18.1 | +8.0 |
| | Labour | Ruairi Tobin | 170 | 16.9 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 469 | 46.8 | −4.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,003 | 24.0 | −4.9 |
Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Dickinson | 632 | 38.6 | +3.9 |
| | Labour | David Cox | 616 | 37.6 | −4.3 |
| | Conservative | Olive Clapham | 287 | 17.5 | +0.9 |
| | Swindon Org UK People Before Profit | Karsten Evans | 102 | 6.2 | +6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16 | 1.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,637 | 23.1 | −2.3 |
Covingham and Nythe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Glenn Smith | 1,323 | 53.4 | +13.8 |
| | Labour | Peter Mallinson | 766 | 30.9 | −16.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ellen Aylett | 388 | 15.7 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 557 | 22.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,477 | 35.8 | +0.1 |
Dorcan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Albinson | 992 | 44.0 | +2.4 |
| | Labour | Peter Brown | 951 | 42.2 | −2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Phipps | 311 | 13.8 | +2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 41 | 1.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,254 | 32.5 | −1.7 |
Eastcott :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Wiltshire | 1,039 | 53.7 | +5.9 |
| | Labour | Richard Young | 502 | 26.0 | −0.5 |
| | Conservative | Valerie Butt | 393 | 20.3 | +4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 537 | 27.8 | +6.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,934 | 25.5 | −2.6 |
Freshbrook and Grange Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geraldine Robertson | 987 | 46.9 | +6.0 |
| | Conservative | Gerald Boydell | 727 | 34.5 | −0.2 |
| | Labour | James Grant | 391 | 18.6 | −5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 260 | 12.4 | +6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,105 | 27.3 | −0.8 |
Gorse Hill and Pinehurst :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Ballman | 603 | 40.4 | −13.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Steven Camburn | 352 | 23.6 | +12.8 |
| | Conservative | Mark Furkins | 348 | 23.3 | −0.8 |
| | Socialist Alliance | Andrew Newman | 189 | 12.7 | +1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 251 | 16.8 | −13.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,492 | 21.6 | −1.1 |
Haydon Wick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ian Dobie | 1,203 | 52.5 | +4.6 |
| | Labour | John Keepin | 625 | 27.3 | −7.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tel Hudson | 462 | 20.2 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 578 | 25.2 | +12.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,290 | 28.8 | −1.2 |
Highworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Melanie Duff | 1,176 | 47.2 | −3.3 |
| | Labour | Lynn Vardy | 866 | 34.7 | +6.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jennifer Shorten | 452 | 18.1 | −3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 310 | 12.4 | −10.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,494 | 38.3 | −0.4 |
Moredon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Maureen Caton | 787 | 40.5 | −5.9 |
| | Conservative | Dale Heenan | 759 | 39.0 | +3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Sharp | 301 | 15.5 | −2.6 |
| | UKIP | Trevor Prescott | 98 | 5.0 | +5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 28 | 1.4 | −9.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,945 | 26.0 | +1.3 |
Old Town and Lawn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Fionuala Foley | 2,000 | 54.8 | +14.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Wheaver | 1,160 | 31.8 | −17.1 |
| | Labour | Maire Darker | 259 | 7.1 | +0.2 |
| | Green | John Hughes | 232 | 6.4 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 840 | 23.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,651 | 47.6 | −5.1 |
Parks :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Fay Howard | 775 | 53.7 | −10.7 |
| | Conservative | Natasha Young | 350 | 24.3 | +4.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jacob Pajak | 317 | 22.0 | +5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 425 | 29.5 | −15.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,442 | 20.8 | −1.0 |
Penhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Andy Harrison | 613 | 50.6 | −8.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Louisa Sharp | 326 | 26.9 | +5.0 |
| | Conservative | Donald Day | 172 | 14.2 | −4.4 |
| | Socialist Alliance | Roy North | 100 | 8.3 | +8.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 287 | 23.7 | −13.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,211 | 26.5 | +0.8 |
Shaw and Nine Elms :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Garry Perkins | 912 | 49.2 | −4.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Amber Johnson | 481 | 25.9 | +5.8 |
| | Labour | Neil Heavens | 461 | 24.9 | −1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 431 | 23.2 | −3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,854 | 26.8 | −0.4 |
St Margaret :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Christopher Van Roon | 1,273 | 54.4 | +7.2 |
| | Labour | Patricia Spry | 678 | 29.0 | −10.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Payne | 390 | 16.7 | +3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 595 | 25.4 | +17.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,341 | 31.0 | +0.5 |
St Philip :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Deborah Baylies | 1,107 | 45.6 | +5.8 |
| | Labour | Eriqua Ballman | 926 | 38.2 | −7.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Wiltshire | 393 | 16.2 | +6.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 181 | 7.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,426 | 34.0 | +2.8 |
Toothill and Westlea :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Steve Wakefield | 879 | 50.4 |
| | Labour | Philip Rashid | 503 | 28.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Leigh Bint | 361 | 20.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 376 | 21.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,743 | 29.4 |
Walcot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Laura Holiday | 654 | 40.9 |
| | Labour | Christian Eley | 566 | 35.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kathleen McCarthy | 378 | 23.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 88 | 5.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,598 | 31.1 |
Western :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Keith Small | 863 | 43.3 | −6.9 |
| | Conservative | Halina Roberts | 519 | 26.0 | +0.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Russell Scott-Browne | 444 | 22.3 | +8.1 |
| | UKIP | Michael Morton | 167 | 8.4 | +2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 344 | 17.3 | −7.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,993 | 26.3 | −2.2 |
Wroughton and Chiseldon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Morton | 1,258 | 46.2 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Victor Goodman | 930 | 34.2 | −3.7 |
| | Labour | Sarah Bush | 534 | 19.6 | +4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 328 | 12.0 | +6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,722 | 36.1 | −3.9 |