# 2003 Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council election

The 2003 Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Windsor and Maidenhead Unitary Council in Berkshire, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2000 reducing the number of seats by 1. The Liberal Democrats gained overall control of the council from no overall control.

## Campaign

Windsor and Maidenhead council was a top target for the Liberal Democrats in the 2003 local elections. The party had come close to taking the Maidenhead parliamentary constituency at the last general election in 2001 and were optimistic of taking control of the council. The Liberal Democrats were expected to benefit from the support of the estimated 3,000 Muslims who lived in the council area due to the party's opposition to the Iraq War. The issue of a proposed extension to a local mosque was also used for the Liberal Democrats, but the Conservatives accused them of pandering to the Muslim community.
The council had been controlled by the Conservatives since the 2000 election in an alliance with 2 of the independent councillors. However the Liberal Democrats attacked the council for having raised council tax by 9.3% in the last year and by 20% over the 3 years since the last election. They also criticised the council for its plans to demolish the town hall and pointed to a weak rating for the council by the Audit Commission. However the Conservatives said Windsor and Maidenhead's council tax was still one of the lowest in the southeast and that if the Liberal Democrats implemented the policies in their manifesto it would mean a 27% increase in council tax.
Boundary changes which reduced the number of seats by 1, meant both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats needed 1 less seat to take control of the council. With the election important to both parties, the Conservative Party Chairman and local MP Theresa May and the Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy both campaigned in the area.
The council again used a mobile polling station to go to railway stations and supermarkets in an attempt to increase turnout.

## Election result

The results saw the Liberal Democrats take control of the council, after gaining 13 seats. The election results were seen as giving the Liberal Democrats hope for the next general election in the Maidenhead constituency after the party won 61% of the vote in wards within the constituency against 33.6% for the Conservatives.
Windsor and Maidenhead Local Election Result 2003 :
| Party | Seats | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes |
| Liberal Democrats | 34 | +13 | 59.6 | 49.0 | 46,098 |
| Conservative | 15 | -14 | 26.3 | 37.8 | 35,585 |
| Independent | 5 | +5 | 8.8 | 4.8 | 4,540 |
| OWRA | 2 | 0 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 1,732 |
| Labour | 1 | 0 | 1.8 | 6.0 | 5,617 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 464 |
| Residents | 0 | -5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Ward results

Ascot and Cheapside (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David Hilton | 775 | |
| | Conservative | Peter Spooner | 708 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Pope | 229 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Taylor | 214 | |
| | Green | Stephen Young | 120 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,046 | 30.3 |
Belmont (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Bruton | 1,524 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Clive Baskerville | 1,406 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Mackay | 1,364 | |
| | Conservative | Philip Love | 752 | |
| | Conservative | Iain Buchanan | 712 | |
| | Conservative | Asghar Majeed | 638 | |
| | Labour | Patricia Shenstone | 147 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,543 | 39.1 |
Bisham and Cookham (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mohinder Brar | 1,196 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Ricardo | 1,090 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Cubley | 1,000 | |
| | Conservative | Alan Jay | 968 | |
| | Conservative | Michael Lawrence | 964 | |
| | Conservative | Chester Denniford | 936 | |
| | Labour | Judith Percival | 144 | |
| | Labour | Paul Percival | 105 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,403 | 40.9 |
Boyn Hill (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Holness | 1,297 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Hyde | 1,235 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Howes | 1,215 | |
| | Conservative | Yames Bragg | 643 | |
| | Conservative | Howard McBrien | 641 | |
| | Conservative | Arshad Hussain | 606 | |
| | Green | Ann Hay | 113 | |
| | Labour | Robert Barclay | 81 | |
| | Labour | Jennifer Cooper | 81 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,912 | 36.7 |
Bray (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Leo Walters | 1,028 | |
| | Conservative | Barry Thompson | 986 | |
| | Conservative | David Burbage | 982 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Janikoun | 509 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Heather Elliot | 460 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nigel Shurben | 396 | |
| | Labour | Alan Wellstead | 147 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,508 | 28.4 |
Castle Without (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Eglise | 962 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bryan Hedley | 962 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Pritchett | 959 | |
| | Conservative | George Bathurst | 444 | |
| | Conservative | Catherine Lavender | 429 | |
| | Conservative | David Coppinger | 399 | |
| | Labour | Margaret Atwell | 136 | |
| | Labour | Janet Milward | 132 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,423 | 31.4 |
Clewer East (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mary Gliksten | 655 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lee Hibbard | 640 | |
| | Conservative | Keith Evans | 553 | |
| | Conservative | Eileen Quick | 541 | |
| | Labour | Andrew Gittins | 120 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,509 | 38.1 |
Clewer North (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Cynthia Endacott | 967 | |
| | Independent | Eileen Penfold | 914 | |
| | Independent | Geoffrey Fido | 883 | |
| | Conservative | Peter Smith | 457 | |
| | Conservative | James Richards | 452 | |
| | Conservative | Wesley Richards | 430 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Foster | 274 | |
| | Labour | Ann Matthews | 265 | |
| | Labour | Andrew Foakes | 250 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nicola Shurben | 249 | |
| | Labour | Antony Matthews | 245 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gary Wilson | 227 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,613 | 31.6 |
Clewer South (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Fagence | 742 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Antony Wood | 706 | |
| | Conservative | Jennifer Heaven | 232 | |
| | Conservative | Victor Chukwuemeka | 207 | |
| | Labour | Linda Ayres | 89 | |
| | Labour | Kenneth Coles | 87 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,063 | 27.6 |
Cox Green (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Victoria Howes | 1,332 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bruce Adams | 1,320 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Emrys Richards | 1,295 | |
| | Conservative | Paul Digby | 529 | |
| | Conservative | Maureen Mallet | 493 | |
| | Conservative | Charles Horder | 490 | |
| | Labour | Ian Harvey | 132 | |
| | Labour | Robert Horner | 121 | |
| | Labour | Mohammed Shafiq | 90 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,802 | 34.3 |
Datchet (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Jesse Grey | 613 | |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Hawkes | 610 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Timothy O'Flynn | 438 | |
| | Independent | Ewan Larcombe | 264 | |
| | Labour | Peter Ward | 129 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,054 | 29.7 |
Eton and Castle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Pratt | 309 | 58.3 |
| | Conservative | Gwyn Collier | 180 | 34.0 |
| | Labour | Jennifer Ward | 41 | 7.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 129 | 24.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 530 | 29.7 |
Eton Wick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Mark Olney | 484 | 62.9 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Smith | 286 | 37.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 198 | 25.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 770 | 42.0 |
Furze Platt (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mary Stock | 1,459 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Cynthia Pitteway | 1,411 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Humaira Javed | 1,377 | |
| | Conservative | Clifford Baker | 613 | |
| | Conservative | Penelope Baker | 590 | |
| | Conservative | Anthony Willis | 566 | |
| | Labour | Katherine Holder | 117 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,133 | 37.7 |
Horton and Wraysbury (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Donald Gregory | 790 | |
| | Independent | Richard Bertram | 722 | |
| | Conservative | Duncan Parker | 516 | |
| | Conservative | David Martin | 474 | |
| | Labour | Paul Rae | 69 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,571 | 34.7 |
Hurley and Walthams (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Iles | 1,166 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jeremy Hyde | 1,154 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Langdown | 1,118 | |
| | Conservative | David Penfold | 639 | |
| | Conservative | Philip Watss | 580 | |
| | Conservative | Justin List | 563 | |
| | Labour | Patrick McDonald | 295 | |
| | Labour | Kelly Dale | 272 | |
| | Labour | Kevin Webb | 261 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,048 | 44.0 |
Maidenhead Riverside (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Pamela Proctor | 1,374 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Herlinger | 1,341 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alison Napier | 1,294 | |
| | Conservative | Andrew Jenner | 877 | |
| | Conservative | Catherine Hollingsworth | 784 | |
| | Conservative | Jennifer Spear | 723 | |
| | Labour | Pamela Kennedy | 117 | |
| | Green | Craig McDermott | 86 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,596 | 41.8 |
Oldfield (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Derek Wilson | 729 | |
| | Conservative | Dorothy Kemp | 725 | |
| | Conservative | Gillian Moore | 713 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barbara Dorrington | 640 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Bartley | 622 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Hill | 608 | |
| | Labour | Kathleen Cutting | 293 | |
| | Labour | Anthony Randall | 217 | |
| | Labour | Nigel Smith | 193 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,740 | 28.3 |
Old Windsor (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | OWRA | Malcolm Beer | 906 | |
| | OWRA | Eric Wiles | 826 | |
| | Conservative | Christopher Hawkes | 173 | |
| | Conservative | James Belsey | 161 | |
| | Labour | Roy Reeves | 125 | |
| | Labour | Ahamed Mashoor | 103 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,294 | 30.5 |
Park (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Scott | 854 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Beverley Green | 835 | |
| | Conservative | Anthony Cross | 640 | |
| | Conservative | John Henson | 634 | |
| | Labour | Brent Curless | 77 | |
| | Labour | Annemarie Price | 67 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,107 | 37.3 |
Pinkneys Green (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kathryn Newbound | 1,480 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon Werner | 1,360 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Wilson Hendry | 1,341 | |
| | Conservative | Charles Hollingsworth | 603 | |
| | Conservative | Brian Webster | 598 | |
| | Conservative | Jacqueline Porter | 581 | |
| | Labour | Margaret Horner | 127 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,090 | 38.9 |
Sunningdale (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Christine Bateson | 858 | |
| | Conservative | John Webb | 847 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Herbert-Brown | 212 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Cross | 185 | |
| | Labour | Kevin Cochrane | 122 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,224 | 31.8 |
Sunninghill and South Ascot (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Brian Birkhead | 914 | |
| | Conservative | Alison Knight | 904 | |
| | Conservative | Lynda Yong | 896 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Enid Cross | 698 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Charmian Hopkins | 686 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Bushill | 678 | |
| | Green | Stephen Shaw | 145 | |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Yates | 136 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,057 | 34.4 |