# 2003 Sunderland City Council election

The 2003 Sunderland Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Sunderland Metropolitan Borough Council in Tyne and Wear, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour Party stayed in overall control of the council.

## Campaign

25 seats were contested in the election by a total of 92 candidates, with the Labour Party, Conservative Party and British National Party contesting every seat. With the British National Party contesting every seat the issue of asylum seekers was important in the election, with the British National Party saying that Sunderland had seen a "palpable invasion of asylum-seekers". However Labour, who were defending 21 of the 25 seats, said that in the previous 2 years only 1,800 had been temporarily housed in the city of a population of 289,000. During the campaign a number of prominent people from the North East including the Bishop of Durham Michael Turnbull and the chairman of Sunderland Football Club Bob Murray issued a statement calling on voters to reject the British National Party.
Labour defended their record pointing to an excellent rating in government league tables, having the second lowest council tax in the north east despite a 7.7% rise and to regeneration projects. They targeted the Conservative wards of Hendon and St Peters, but the Conservatives attacked the management of the council for being bloated and said they could bring more efficiency. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats contested 13 seats and said there needed to be more opposition councillors to challenge Labour.
The election in Sunderland saw a trial of all postal voting in an attempt to increase turnout. This helped lead to turnout being over double that seen at the 2002 election at 46%.

## Election result

The results saw Labour hold control of the council with 63 seats after gaining 2 seats from the Conservatives who were reduced to 9 seats. One of the 2 gains saw the former leader of council, Bryn Sidaway, win Hendon by 39 votes after a recount, regaining the seat that he had lost in the 1999 election. However Labour did lose 1 seat in Eppleton to an independent Colin Wakefield who had stood to represent a Residents Against Toxic Site campaign.
The British National Party failed to win any seats, but did win 13,652 votes, 13.75% of the total and came second in 5 wards. The failure of the British National Party was partly attributed to the increase in turnout due to the all-postal voting.
Sunderland Local Election Result 2003 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 21 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 84.0 | 52.5 | 52,060 | 4.4% |
| Conservative | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8.0 | 22.3 | 22,089 | 9.6% |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.8 | 13,652 | 10.7% |
| Liberal Democrats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.3 | 7,265 | 0.6 |
| Independent | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4.0 | 2.7 | 2,669 | 2.5% |
| Liberal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.4 | 1,408 | 1.6 |
| National Front | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 73 | 0.1 |
This resulted in the following composition of the council:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Labour | 62 | 63 |
| | Conservatives | 11 | 9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 1 | 1 |
| | Liberal | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 75 | 75 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 49 | 51 |

## Ward by ward results

Castletown :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Leslie Mann | 2,087 | 64.5 | −21.7 |
| | BNP | Ian Mcdonald | 752 | 23.2 | +23.2 |
| | Conservative | Gwennyth Gibson | 396 | 12.2 | −1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,335 | 41.3 | −31.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,235 | 43.1 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Colin Anderson | 1,594 | 49.0 | −10.3 |
| | BNP | Christopher Lathan | 686 | 21.1 | +21.1 |
| | Conservative | Dorreen Storey | 487 | 15.0 | −4.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jane Walters | 487 | 15.0 | −6.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 908 | 27.9 | −10.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,254 | 42.3 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Colliery :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Norman Dent | 1,722 | 52.4 | −9.8 |
| | Conservative | John Brown | 878 | 26.7 | −11.1 |
| | BNP | Ian Leadbitter | 685 | 20.9 | +20.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 844 | 25.7 | +1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,285 | 48.4 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Eppleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Colin Wakefield | 1,839 | 39.6 | +39.6 |
| | Labour | Robert Heron | 1,788 | 38.5 | −28.5 |
| | Conservative | David Wilson | 464 | 10.0 | −23.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Philip Dowell | 330 | 7.1 | +7.1 |
| | BNP | James Davison | 225 | 4.8 | +4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 51 | 1.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,646 | 48.9 | |
| | Independent gain from Labour | Independent gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Fulwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Walton | 2,506 | 53.8 | −12.7 |
| | Labour | Rosalind Copeland | 1,313 | 28.2 | +6.5 |
| | BNP | Joseph Dobbie | 431 | 9.3 | +4.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Amie Leung | 406 | 8.7 | +2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,193 | 25.6 | −19.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,656 | 56.8 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Grindon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Forbes | 1,885 | 62.3 | −4.7 |
| | Conservative | David Andrew | 627 | 20.7 | −12.3 |
| | BNP | Paul Humble | 515 | 17.0 | +17.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,258 | 41.6 | +7.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,027 | 43.2 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Hendon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Brynley Sidaway | 1,711 | 42.8 | −2.2 |
| | Conservative | Paul Maddison | 1,672 | 41.8 | +0.9 |
| | BNP | David Guynan | 619 | 15.5 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 39 | 1.0 | −3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,002 | 51.5 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Hetton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Florence Anderson | 2,807 | 72.9 | −2.2 |
| | Conservative | Olwyn Bird | 624 | 16.2 | −8.7 |
| | BNP | Andrew Morris | 419 | 10.9 | +10.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,183 | 56.7 | +6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,850 | 43.9 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Houghton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Louise Farthing | 2,461 | 70.1 | −10.2 |
| | Conservative | Gordon Newton | 571 | 16.3 | −3.4 |
| | BNP | Ian Patterson | 480 | 13.7 | +13.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,890 | 53.8 | −6.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,512 | 43.9 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Pallion :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Robert Pells | 1,695 | 38.3 | −6.1 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Daughton | 1,581 | 35.8 | −4.1 |
| | BNP | David Martin | 556 | 12.6 | +12.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sham Vedhara | 410 | 9.3 | −1.8 |
| | Independent | Ronald Smith | 178 | 4.0 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 114 | 2.6 | −1.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,420 | 53.5 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Ryhope :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Aileen Handy | 2,657 | 54.5 | −15.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martyn Herron | 798 | 16.4 | +16.4 |
| | Conservative | William Dunn | 730 | 15.0 | −15.2 |
| | BNP | Michael Matthews | 691 | 14.2 | +14.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,859 | 38.1 | −1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,876 | 45.9 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
St Chad's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Porthouse | 2,090 | 50.2 | −8.0 |
| | Conservative | Lee Martin | 1,224 | 29.4 | −12.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Foreman | 437 | 10.5 | +10.5 |
| | BNP | Carol Dobbie | 415 | 10.0 | +10.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 866 | 20.8 | +4.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,166 | 51.9 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
St Michael's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Wood | 2,727 | 56.7 | −10.2 |
| | Labour | David Errington | 1,551 | 32.2 | −0.9 |
| | BNP | Stephen Bilton | 534 | 11.1 | +11.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,176 | 24.4 | −9.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,812 | 55.8 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
St Peter's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Christine Shattock | 1,481 | 34.0 | −1.8 |
| | Conservative | Lilian Walton | 1,362 | 31.3 | −8.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Lennox | 841 | 19.3 | −5.4 |
| | BNP | Jason Dent | 674 | 15.5 | +15.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 119 | 2.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,358 | 54.1 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Shiney Row :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Anne Hall | 3,060 | 60.8 | −11.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Neil Grundy | 878 | 17.4 | +17.4 |
| | Conservative | John Calvert | 621 | 12.3 | −15.2 |
| | BNP | Sharon Leadbitter | 474 | 9.4 | +9.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,182 | 43.4 | −1.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,033 | 45.2 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Silksworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Patricia Smith | 2,760 | 65.7 | −6.5 |
| | Conservative | Patricia Francis | 646 | 15.4 | −6.1 |
| | BNP | Trevor Jenkins | 575 | 13.7 | +7.4 |
| | Independent | Georgina Kennedy | 221 | 5.3 | +5.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,114 | 50.3 | −0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,202 | 44.3 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
South Hylton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Susan Watson | 1,927 | 61.7 | −6.7 |
| | BNP | Debra Hiles | 674 | 21.6 | +21.6 |
| | Conservative | Kathryn Chamberlin | 520 | 16.7 | −14.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,253 | 40.1 | +3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,121 | 43.0 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Southwick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bryan Charlton | 1,519 | 53.1 | −9.8 |
| | BNP | Alan Brettwood | 510 | 17.8 | −1.9 |
| | Independent | Frederick Crone | 431 | 15.1 | +15.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Griffin | 217 | 7.6 | −3.7 |
| | Conservative | Alice Mclaren | 183 | 6.4 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,009 | 35.3 | −7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,860 | 45.7 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Thorney Close :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Allan | 1,983 | 63.7 | −3.4 |
| | BNP | Joseph Dobbie | 680 | 21.8 | +6.2 |
| | Conservative | Paula Wilkinson | 450 | 14.5 | −2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,303 | 41.9 | −8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,113 | 42.6 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Thornholme :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Winifred Lundgren | 1,408 | 42.9 | −13.7 |
| | Labour | Phillip Gibson | 919 | 28.0 | −2.2 |
| | Conservative | Marjorie Matthews | 499 | 15.2 | +2.0 |
| | BNP | Philip Clark | 453 | 13.8 | +13.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 489 | 14.9 | −11.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,279 | 45.5 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
Town End Farm :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gowan Scott | 1,760 | 59.4 | −1.7 |
| | BNP | John Martin | 878 | 29.7 | +1.7 |
| | Conservative | Gillian Connor | 323 | 10.9 | +0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 882 | 29.8 | −3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,961 | 45.1 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Washington East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Eric Timmins | 3,003 | 61.0 | −1.1 |
| | Conservative | Jacqueline Atkinson | 822 | 16.7 | −6.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Avril Kitching | 650 | 13.2 | −1.9 |
| | BNP | David Richardson | 371 | 7.5 | +7.5 |
| | National Front | Mark Farrell | 73 | 1.5 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,181 | 44.3 | +5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,919 | 44.2 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Washington North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Murray | 2,703 | 74.0 | −5.5 |
| | Conservative | Kathleen Irvine | 528 | 14.5 | −6.0 |
| | BNP | Ian Guilbert | 422 | 11.6 | +11.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,175 | 59.5 | +0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,653 | 42.2 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Washington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bryan Williams | 3,152 | 52.4 | +2.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Owen Dumpleton | 1,169 | 19.4 | +1.9 |
| | Conservative | Michael Dixon | 1,112 | 18.5 | −14.2 |
| | BNP | Gordon Pace | 586 | 9.7 | +9.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,983 | 32.9 | +15.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,019 | 42.4 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Washington West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Craddock | 2,432 | 61.5 | −4.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Griffin | 642 | 16.2 | −1.4 |
| | Conservative | Justin Garrod | 536 | 13.5 | −3.0 |
| | BNP | Keith Byrne | 347 | 8.8 | +8.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,790 | 45.2 | −3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,957 | 42.8 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |