# 2003 Basildon District Council election

The 2003 Basildon District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Basildon District Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.
After the election, the composition of the council was
* Conservative 23
* Labour 14
* Liberal Democrats 3
* Basildon Independent Residents 2

## Background

The previous election in 2002 saw the Conservatives win exactly half of the seats, but Labour remained in control of the council with the support of the Liberal Democrats. However 6 months before the 2003 election 2 Labour councillors defected and the Conservatives took over the administration of the council.

## Election result

The results saw the Conservatives win a majority for only the second time in the history of Basildon council.
Following the election the Labour leader on the council Nigel Smith was replaced by his group with Paul Kirkman.
2003 Basildon Local Election Result :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes |
| Conservative | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 57.1 | 45.3 | 12,090 |
| Labour | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 35.7 | 27.9 | 7,441 |
| Liberal Democrats | 1 | 0 | 0 | | 7.1 | 19.7 | 5,255 |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 4.1 | 1,104 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 1.9 | 510 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 1.1 | 299 |

## Ward results
### Billericay East

Billericay East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David Dadds | 1,563 | 66.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Edwards | 526 | 22.3 |
| | Labour | Patricia Reid | 272 | 11.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,037 | 43.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,361 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Billericay West

Billericay West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Stephen Horgan | 1,712 | 69.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Taylor | 514 | 20.9 |
| | Labour | Geoffrey Viney | 238 | 9.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,198 | 48.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,464 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Burstead

Burstead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Kevin Blake | 1,213 | 51.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Belinda Jackson | 902 | 38.4 |
| | Labour | Margaret Viney | 234 | 10.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 311 | 13.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,349 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Fryerns

Fryerns :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Julia Woods | 966 | 43.4 |
| | BNP | William Bake | 487 | 21.9 |
| | Conservative | Kenneth Evens | 427 | 19.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Lutton | 223 | 10.0 |
| | Green | Adam Ellis | 124 | 5.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 479 | 21.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,227 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### Laindon Park

Laindon Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David Walsh | 844 | 43.6 |
| | Labour | Anthony Borlase | 780 | 40.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dorothy Edwards | 163 | 8.4 |
| | Independent | Jason Richardson | 97 | 5.0 |
| | Independent | Michael Payne | 51 | 2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 64 | 3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,935 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour |

### Lee Chapel North

Lee Chapel North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Richard Rackham | 766 | 40.6 |
| | Conservative | Richard Hyland | 434 | 23.0 |
| | BNP | Sidney Chaney | 285 | 15.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Martin | 207 | 11.0 |
| | Green | Ernest Humphries | 114 | 6.0 |
| | Independent | Steven Denne | 80 | 4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 332 | 17.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,886 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### Nethermayne

Nethermayne :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Benjamin Williams | 1,168 | 48.1 |
| | Labour | Lynda Gordon | 672 | 27.7 |
| | Conservative | Henry Tucker | 586 | 24.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 496 | 20.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,426 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |

### Pitsea North West

Pitsea North West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Philip Rackley | 738 | 48.3 |
| | Conservative | Mark Levey | 541 | 35.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Howard | 248 | 16.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 197 | 12.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,527 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### Pitsea South East

Pitsea South East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Geddes | 771 | 36.1 |
| | Labour | Michael Plant | 717 | 33.6 |
| | BNP | David King | 332 | 15.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Vivien Howard | 169 | 7.9 |
| | Independent | Raymond Abrahall | 87 | 4.1 |
| | Green | David Wilkinson | 61 | 2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 54 | 2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,137 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour |

### St Martin's

St Martin's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Colin Payn | 563 | 47.0 |
| | Conservative | Deborah Allen | 351 | 29.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Dickinson | 178 | 14.8 |
| | Independent | Alfred Viccary | 107 | 8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 212 | 17.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,199 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### Vange

Vange :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Swatantra Nandanwar | 507 | 41.9 |
| | Conservative | Philip Johnson | 452 | 37.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Hersom | 163 | 13.5 |
| | Independent | John Cord | 88 | 7.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 55 | 4.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,210 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### Wickford Castledon

Wickford Castledon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Sylvia Buckley | 1,121 | 68.1 |
| | Labour | Andrew Powderly | 269 | 16.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Fane Cummings | 256 | 15.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 852 | 51.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,646 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Wickford North

Wickford North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Michael Mowe | 1,396 | 63.4 |
| | Labour | Clive Thomas | 451 | 20.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Robertson | 355 | 16.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 945 | 42.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,202 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Wickford Park

Wickford Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Christopher Jackson | 679 | 60.1 |
| | Labour | Christopher Wilson | 268 | 23.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Woods | 183 | 16.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 411 | 36.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,130 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |