# 2003 South Kesteven District Council election

The 2003 South Kesteven District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of South Kesteven District Council in Lincolnshire, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative party gained control of the council from no overall control.

## Background

Before the election the Conservatives had half of the seats on the council with 29 councillors, compared to 14 independents, 12 Labour and 3 Liberal Democrats. The Conservatives ran the council in alliance with the Liberal Democrats, with Linda Neal taking over as leader of the council from Phil Taylor in 2002.
96 candidates stood for the 58 seats on the council over 34 wards, 15 fewer candidates than at the 1999 election. In 11 wards there was no election as the candidates for those seats were elected without opposition. The Conservatives stood 42 candidates, compared to 20 for Labour, 19 independents, 13 Liberal Democrats and 2 candidates for the Green party.

## Election result

The Conservatives gained two seats to take an overall majority on the council with 31 councillors. This came at the expense of the independents and Labour, who both lost two seats to have 12 and 10 councillors respectively. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats picked up two seats to have 5 councillors. Overall turnout at the election was 29.65%, around 3% less than in 1999.
The successful candidates included five married couples, Labour's Dorrien and Neil Dexter, Fereshteh and John Hurst and Avril and Mike Williams, as well as Conservatives Margery and Norman Radley and Graham and Mary Wheat. Conservative gains included picking up a seat in Bourne East, but they did lose three seats to the Liberal Democrats in Stamford St John's. In Stamford St George's the second seat for the ward was decided by the toss of a coin and had Conservative Bob Sandall defeat Liberal Democrat Ray Lee.
South Kesteven local election result 2003 :
| Party | Seats | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes |
| Conservative | 31 | +2 | 53.4 | 43.9 | 15,421 |
| Independent | 12 | -2 | 20.7 | 20.2 | 7,103 |
| Labour | 10 | -2 | 17.2 | 19.4 | 6,813 |
| Liberal Democrats | 5 | +2 | 8.6 | 15.5 | 5,438 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 | 373 |

## Ward results

All Saints (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Terl Bryant | 443 |
| | Conservative | Paul Morris | 425 |
| | Labour | Mark Ashberry | 352 |
| | Labour | Robert Loomes | 347 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,567 |
Aveland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gerald Taylor | unopposed | | |
Barrowby :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Pamela Bosworth | 491 | 82.9 |
| | Labour | Paul Jacklin | 101 | 17.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 390 | 65.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 592 | |
Belmont (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | George Chivers | 441 |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Craft | 441 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jane Carr | 288 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Carr | 232 |
| | Green | Helen Cross | 174 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,576 |
Bourne East (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Independent | John Kirkman | 854 |
| | Conservative | Judith Smith | 636 |
| | Conservative | Donald Fisher | 569 |
| | Independent | Guy Cudmore | 473 |
| | Labour | Derrick Crump | 417 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,949 |
Bourne West (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Linda Neal | 715 |
| | Conservative | John Smith | 683 |
| | Conservative | Brian Fines | 659 |
| | Labour | Trevor Holmes | 573 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,630 |
Deeping St James (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal Democrats | Raymond Auger | 797 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kenneth Joynson | 761 |
| | Conservative | Bryan Helyar | 683 |
| | Labour | Helen Blades | 617 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,858 |
Earlesfield (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Neil Dexter | 356 |
| | Labour | Dorrien Dexter | 345 |
| | Labour | Yvonne Gibbins | 290 |
| | Conservative | Madge Allen | 230 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon Finch | 143 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Raymond Harding | 119 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,483 |
Ermine :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Manoharan Nadarajah | unopposed | | |
Forest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Paul Carpenter | unopposed | | |
Glen Eden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Angeline Percival | unopposed | | |
Grantham St John's (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Independent | John Wilks | 480 |
| | Labour | John Hurst | 325 |
| | Conservative | Donald Atkinson | 245 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,050 |
Green Hill (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Alan Parkin | 588 |
| | Conservative | Frank Turner | 542 |
| | Labour | Alan Kane | 217 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,347 |
Greyfriars (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Michael Taylor | 443 |
| | Conservative | Joan Stokes | 422 |
| | Labour | Erica South | 231 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,096 |
Harrowby (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Independent | Stephen Hewerdine | 621 |
| | Labour | Michael Williams | 462 |
| | Labour | Avril Williams | 458 |
| | Labour | Clifford Wells | 423 |
| | Independent | Bruce Wells | 410 |
| | Conservative | Peter Stephens | 382 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Julie Hirst | 229 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin James | 226 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,211 |
Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Peter Martin-Mayhew | 513 | 79.8 |
| | Independent | Terence Norman | 130 | 20.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 383 | 59.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 643 | |
Hillsides :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Elizabeth Channell | 405 | 60.7 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Trollope-Bellew | 262 | 39.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 143 | 21.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 667 | |
Isaac Newton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Ian Selby | 326 | 51.5 |
| | Conservative | William Adams | 307 | 48.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19 | 3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 633 | |
Lincrest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Norman Radley | unopposed | | |
Loveden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | A.V Kerr | unopposed | | |
Market and West Deeping (3 seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | Alan Galbraith | unopposed |
| Independent | Reg Howard | unopposed |
| Conservative | Stan Pease | unopposed |
Morkery :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Margery Radley | 302 | 53.8 |
| | Independent | Christopher Robinson | 259 | 46.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 43 | 7.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 561 | |
Peascliffe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Jeffery Thompson | 411 | 68.5 |
| | Conservative | Ian Stokes | 189 | 31.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 222 | 37.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 600 | |
Ringstone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frances Cartwright | unopposed | | |
Saxonwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Paul Wood | 350 | 55.2 |
| | Conservative | Nigel Parker | 284 | 44.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 66 | 10.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 634 | |
Stamford St. John's (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal Democrats | Doarkanathsing Bisnauthsing | 714 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Maureen Jalili | 618 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen O'Hare | 574 |
| | Conservative | Michael Exton | 561 |
| | Conservative | David Nalson | 544 |
| | Conservative | Brian Sumner | 475 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,486 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing |
St. Anne's (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Independent | Charles Burrows | 468 |
| | Labour | Fereshteh Hurst | 296 |
| | Conservative | Janice Clough | 281 |
| | Independent | Harry Thomas | 217 |
| | Green | Margaret Gregory | 199 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,461 |
St George's (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Joyce Gaffigan | 370 |
| | Conservative | Percival Sandall | 340 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Raymond Lee | 339 |
| | Labour | Robina Hill | 307 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,356 |
St. Mary's (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Robert Conboy | 666 |
| | Conservative | Azar Woods | 486 |
| | Independent | Cedric Cadman | 321 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,473 |
St. Wulfram's (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Herbert Wheat | 614 |
| | Conservative | Mary Wheat | 559 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Judith Smith | 398 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,571 |
Thurlby :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Nicholson | unopposed | | |
Toller :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Reg Lovelock | unopposed | | |
Truesdale (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Independent | Paul Genever | 649 |
| | Independent | George Waterhouse | 541 |
| | Independent | Thomas Butterfield | 514 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,704 |
Witham Valley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Rosemary Kaberry-Brown | unopposed | | |

## By-elections between 2003 and 2007
### Greyfriars

Greyfriars by-election 21 October 2004 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ian Stokes | 166 | 47.6 | −18.1 |
| | Labour | | 98 | 28.1 | −6.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 85 | 24.4 | +24.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 68 | 19.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 349 | 12 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### All Saints

All Saints by-election 1 September 2005 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | | 271 | 40.8 | −14.9 |
| | Labour | | 193 | 29.0 | −15.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 186 | 28.0 | +28.0 |
| | Independent | | 14 | 2.1 | +2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 78 | 11.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 664 | 19.0 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Earlesfield

Earlesfield by-election 1 September 2005 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | | 219 | 62.2 | +13.4 |
| | Conservative | | 133 | 37.8 | +6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 86 | 24.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 352 | 8.2 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### St Anne's

Labour won a by-election in St Anne's ward after the death of councillor Fred Burrows. Labour candidate Lee Steptoe was unopposed after the Conservative candidates papers were found to be invalid, while the Liberal Democrats were unable to find the required 10 seconders.
St Anne's by-election 27 October 2005 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lee Steptoe | unopposed | | |
| | Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent | Swing | | |

### Market and West Deeping

Market and West Deeping by-election 9 March 2006 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Exton | unopposed | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Truesdale

Truesdale by-election 18 May 2006 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Thomas Webster | 416 | 42.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 232 | 23.6 |
| | Independent | | 171 | 17.4 |
| | Independent | | 166 | 16.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 184 | 18.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 985 | 27.7 |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | |