# 2003 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2003 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.

## Campaign

Before the election the Conservatives ran the council with 28 seats, compared to 13 for Labour and 10 for the Liberal Democrats, with 17 seats being contested in the election. The election came after a by-election in Shirley West ward in March 2003, which saw the Liberal Democrats gain the seat on a swing of 26%, making that ward a key seat in the election.
Issues in the election included broad opposition to windfall development, while Labour campaigned on a north–south divide they said was evident in the council. Proposals for the expansion of Birmingham Airport divided the parties, with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats opposing expansion, while almost all Labour councillors supported it. A recent increase in council tax of 11% was another issue in the election, with the ruling Conservative group blaming the increase on the national Labour government due to a change in the grant, but the Labour Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford said the increase was double that of other local Labour controlled councils.

## Election result

The results saw the Conservatives keep a 5-seat majority on the council. The Conservatives gained one seat from the Liberal Democrats in Packwood ward, but lost another one back to the Liberal Democrats in Shirley West.
Solihull Local Election Result 2003 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 52.9 | 51.3 | 22,557 | +2.1% |
| Liberal Democrats | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23.5 | 30.8 | 13,524 | +3.7% |
| Labour | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23.5 | 17.9 | 7,850 | -5.8% |
This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections :
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Conservatives | 28 | 28 |
| | Labour | 13 | 13 |
| | Liberal Democrat | 10 | 10 |
| Total | Total | 51 | 51 | 51 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 5 | 5 |

## Ward results

Bickenhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alan Martin | 1,765 | 67.9 | +27.8 |
| | Labour | Florence Nash | 747 | 28.7 | −25.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Douglas Hogg | 89 | 3.4 | −2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,018 | 39.1 | −25.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,601 | 25.2 | −10.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +26.6 | |
Castle Bromwich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robin Draycott | 1,731 | 66.8 | +1.4 |
| | Labour | James Moore | 589 | 22.7 | −1.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Daniell | 270 | 10.4 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,142 | 44.1 | +3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,590 | 28.2 | −3.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.5 | |
Chelmsley Wood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Nicholas Stephens | 719 | 58.8 | −3.4 |
| | Conservative | Martin McCarthy | 330 | 27.0 | +2.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jennifer Wright | 173 | 14.2 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 389 | 31.8 | −6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,222 | 16.9 | −2.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.1 | |
Elmdon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Bramham | 1,268 | 48.1 | +3.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nigel Dyer | 864 | 32.8 | +18.6 |
| | Labour | Frederick Churchill | 502 | 19.1 | −22.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 404 | 15.3 | +11.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,634 | 33.8 | −3.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -7.6 | |
Fordbridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kenneth Harrop | 485 | 56.1 | −5.2 |
| | Conservative | Michael Robinson | 252 | 29.2 | +2.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Hayes | 127 | 14.7 | +2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 233 | 27.0 | −7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 864 | 15.0 | −4.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.8 | |
Kingshurst :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Kimberley | 669 | 59.8 | −3.5 |
| | Conservative | David Plaister | 360 | 32.2 | +5.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bernard Wright | 90 | 8.0 | −2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 309 | 27.6 | −8.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,119 | 20.7 | −3.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.4 | |
Knowle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Blake | 2,173 | 71.4 | +6.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Small | 563 | 18.5 | −3.0 |
| | Labour | Patricia Harrop | 307 | 10.1 | −3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,610 | 52.9 | +9.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,043 | 34.9 | −2.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.5 | |
Lyndon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Olive Hogg | 1,479 | 67.3 | +1.9 |
| | Conservative | Gary Allport | 441 | 20.1 | +0.4 |
| | Labour | Catherine Connan | 279 | 12.7 | −2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,038 | 47.2 | +1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,199 | 28.9 | −2.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +0.7 | |
Meriden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Kenneth Allsopp | 2,054 | 64.2 | −5.4 |
| | Labour | Jonathan Maltman | 581 | 18.2 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Whitlock | 563 | 17.6 | +3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,473 | 46.1 | −7.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,198 | 34.0 | −2.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.5 | |
Olton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Honor Cox | 1,953 | 63.4 | +1.6 |
| | Conservative | Jeffrey Stocks | 942 | 30.6 | +0.2 |
| | Labour | Rajeshwar Singh | 187 | 6.1 | −1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,011 | 32.8 | +1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,082 | 33.6 | −5.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +0.7 | |
Packwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ian Courts | 2,522 | 62.4 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Reeves | 1,226 | 30.4 | −2.4 |
| | Labour | Kenneth Nye | 291 | 7.2 | +0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,296 | 32.1 | +4.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,039 | 34.6 | −3.3 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +2.0 | |
Shirley East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Reeve | 1,567 | 49.8 | −7.3 |
| | Conservative | Patricia Handslip | 1,307 | 41.5 | +6.5 |
| | Labour | Kevin Raven | 273 | 8.7 | +0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 260 | 8.3 | −13.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,147 | 34.4 | −4.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | -6.9 | |
Shirley South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Fiona Oakes | 1,897 | 53.3 | −1.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roger Gemmell | 1,151 | 32.3 | +4.6 |
| | Labour | James Burman | 512 | 14.4 | −3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 746 | 21.0 | −5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,560 | 27.5 | −1.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -2.8 | |
Shirley West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Reeve | 1,492 | 56.3 | +35.2 |
| | Conservative | David Skelding | 843 | 31.8 | −22.3 |
| | Labour | Arthur Harper | 317 | 12.0 | −12.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 649 | 24.5 | −4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,652 | 29.5 | −0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +28.7 | |
Silhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Susan Gomm | 1,849 | 61.4 | −0.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barbara Harber | 794 | 26.4 | +2.9 |
| | Labour | Una Kimberley | 370 | 12.3 | −2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,055 | 35.0 | −3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,013 | 30.7 | −4.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.6 | |
Smith's Wood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Donald Cornock | 716 | 59.9 | −5.2 |
| | Conservative | Daniel Kettle | 307 | 25.7 | +3.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brenda Davies | 173 | 14.5 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 409 | 34.2 | −9.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,196 | 16.5 | −1.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.5 | |
St Alphege :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Stuart Davis | 2,516 | 66.7 | +0.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brenda Chapple | 950 | 25.2 | +1.0 |
| | Labour | Marcus Bennion | 306 | 8.1 | −1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,566 | 41.5 | −0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,772 | 34.1 | −3.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.2 | |