# 2003 City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council election

Elections to City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council were held on 1 May 2003. Before the election, Wibsey Labour councillor, Keith Thomson, had defected to Independent. One third of the council was up for election, and it remained under no overall control.

## Election result

Bradford Local Election Result 2003 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 13 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 43.3 | 30.4 | 33,604 | -8.0% |
| Conservative | 10 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 33.3 | 32.6 | 35,988 | -5.9% |
| Liberal Democrats | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 20.0 | 23.4 | 25,885 | +6.8% |
| Green | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3.3 | 5.6 | 6,140 | +1.7% |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 5.8 | 6,391 | +5.4% |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 2.0 | 2,170 | -0.0% |
| Socialist Alliance | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 0.2 | 235 | -0.0% |
This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Conservative | 38 | 36 |
| | Labour | 37 | 36 |
| | Liberal Democrat | 12 | 14 |
| | Green | 2 | 3 |
| | Independent | 1 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 90 | 90 | 90 |
| Working majority | Working majority | -14 | -18 |

## Ward results

Baildon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Malcolm Cole | 2,365 | 46.2 | −2.4 |
| | Conservative | Edward Ward | 1,207 | 23.6 | −15.8 |
| | BNP | David Hobson | 842 | 16.4 | +16.4 |
| | Labour | Miranda Vasey | 564 | 11.0 | +2.8 |
| | Green | Kevin Warnes | 143 | 2.8 | −1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,158 | 22.6 | +13.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,125 | 42.2 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +6.7 | |
Bingley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robin Owens | 1,972 | 49.4 | −1.7 |
| | Labour | Frank Needham | 1,231 | 30.8 | −2.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Sykes | 505 | 12.6 | +3.0 |
| | Green | Arthur John Arnold | 283 | 7.1 | +1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 741 | 18.6 | +0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,001 | 37.6 | −4.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.3 | |
Bingley Rural :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Cooke | 2,149 | 57.4 | −5.5 |
| | Labour | James Newton | 871 | 23.3 | −0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Fielden | 474 | 12.7 | +4.3 |
| | Green | Brian Newham | 250 | 6.7 | +1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,278 | 34.1 | −5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,779 | 32.2 | −4.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -2.5 | |
Bolton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Gray | 1,866 | 52.6 | −10.2 |
| | BNP | Arthur Bentley | 657 | 18.5 | +18.5 |
| | Labour | Jagtar Deol | 606 | 17.1 | −3.8 |
| | Conservative | Peter Benson | 420 | 11.8 | −4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,209 | 34.1 | −7.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,552 | 35.2 | −1.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | -14.3 | |
Bowling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rupert Oliver | 2,077 | 61.3 | +30.1 |
| | Labour | Mohammed Darr | 809 | 23.9 | −21.3 |
| | Conservative | Fayzul Islam | 500 | 14.8 | −8.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,268 | 37.4 | +23.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,395 | 29.9 | −1.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | +25.7 | |
Bradford Moor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mohammod Islam | 1,945 | 41.7 | +30.4 |
| | Conservative | Sakhawat Hussain | 1,577 | 33.8 | −12.8 |
| | Labour | Susanne Rooney | 1,147 | 24.6 | −17.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 368 | 7.9 | +3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,727 | 44.5 | +0.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +21.6 | |
Clayton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Elaine Byrom | 1,267 | 35.5 | −8.6 |
| | Labour | Olayemi Fagborun | 1,058 | 29.6 | −6.5 |
| | BNP | Lynda Cromie | 691 | 19.3 | +19.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lorna Leeming | 449 | 12.6 | −3.0 |
| | Green | Alexander Suchi | 107 | 3.0 | −1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 209 | 5.8 | −2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,578 | 34.9 | +2.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.0 | |
Craven :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Emmott | 2,178 | 56.6 | +1.8 |
| | Labour | Francis Harrison | 996 | 25.9 | −5.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Hamish Hay | 671 | 17.4 | +4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,182 | 30.7 | +7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,858 | 31.1 | −3.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.8 | |
Eccleshill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Attenborough | 1,130 | 37.9 | +5.0 |
| | Labour | Gareth Logan | 847 | 28.4 | −3.2 |
| | BNP | Kerry Bedford | 519 | 17.4 | +2.7 |
| | Conservative | Richard Sheard | 431 | 14.4 | −3.6 |
| | Green | Joan Foulds | 56 | 1.9 | +1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 283 | 9.5 | +8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,987 | 32.4 | −3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +4.1 | |
Great Horton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Godward | 1,263 | 37.8 | −17.7 |
| | Conservative | Richard Milczanowski | 739 | 22.1 | −8.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Chadwick | 573 | 17.1 | +8.8 |
| | BNP | James Breslin | 546 | 16.3 | +16.3 |
| | Green | Derek Curtis | 221 | 6.6 | +1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 524 | 15.7 | −9.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,346 | 31.3 | −2.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.7 | |
Heaton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mark Fielding | 1,544 | 35.5 | −4.4 |
| | Conservative | Mohammad Masood | 1,238 | 28.4 | −18.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mohammed Mirza | 1,124 | 25.8 | +19.0 |
| | Green | John Francis Love | 448 | 10.3 | +5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 306 | 7.0 | +0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,372 | 37.9 | −5.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.9 | |
Idle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ann Lesley Ozolins | 2,266 | 52.1 | +1.8 |
| | BNP | Stewart Williams | 874 | 20.1 | +20.1 |
| | Conservative | Harry Sissling | 596 | 13.7 | −14.5 |
| | Labour | Shofiqul Islam | 497 | 11.4 | −10.2 |
| | Green | Judith Wever | 119 | 2.7 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,392 | 32.0 | +9.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,359 | 35.4 | −0.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | -9.1 | |
Ilkley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Brian Smith | 2,441 | 57.9 | −6.3 |
| | Labour | Paul Dutton | 994 | 23.6 | +0.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Keeley | 777 | 18.4 | +6.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,447 | 34.3 | −6.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,240 | 38.6 | −4.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.2 | |
Keighley North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Malcolm Slater | 1,598 | 38.4 | −9.4 |
| | Conservative | Nancy Holdsworth | 1,293 | 31.1 | −10.0 |
| | Green | Arif Hussain | 871 | 20.9 | +20.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Main | 397 | 9.5 | −1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 305 | 7.3 | +0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,174 | 37.9 | +0.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.3 | |
Keighley South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lynne Joyce | 1,149 | 51.2 | −11.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Campbell Brown | 568 | 25.3 | +14.2 |
| | Conservative | Robert Payne | 529 | 23.5 | −2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 581 | 25.9 | −10.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,282 | 26.4 | −3.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -12.7 | |
Keighley West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Barry Thorne | 1,123 | 34.6 | −10.2 |
| | Conservative | David McKay | 949 | 29.2 | −1.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Isa Khan | 504 | 15.5 | +5.5 |
| | Independent | Brian Hudson | 407 | 12.5 | −1.6 |
| | Independent | John Philip | 264 | 8.1 | +8.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 174 | 5.4 | −8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,274 | 29.2 | −4.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.1 | |
Little Horton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian Greenwood | 1,297 | 43.5 | −7.5 |
| | Conservative | Khadam Hussain | 1,119 | 37.5 | +2.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Michell | 444 | 14.9 | +7.6 |
| | Green | Brian Ford | 123 | 4.1 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 174 | 6.0 | −10.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,991 | 30.9 | −5.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -5.1 | |
Odsal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Adam Green | 1,604 | 50.7 | −0.3 |
| | Conservative | Jonathan Stubbs | 871 | 27.5 | −3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Boulton | 687 | 21.7 | +6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 733 | 23.2 | +3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,184 | 27.3 | −4.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.6 | |
Queensbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Smith | 1,633 | 32.9 | −10.1 |
| | BNP | Paul Cromie | 1,489 | 30.0 | +30.0 |
| | Labour | Carolyn Lowing | 1,370 | 27.6 | −12.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Lambert | 472 | 9.5 | −1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 144 | 2.9 | +0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,969 | 37.4 | +7.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -20.0 | |
Rombalds :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Matthew Palmer | 2,678 | 57.1 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ambrose Micklem | 906 | 19.3 | +0.8 |
| | Labour | Andrew Dundas | 860 | 18.3 | −6.4 |
| | Green | Julie Cowdery | 243 | 5.2 | +5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,772 | 37.8 | +5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,704 | 37.2 | −3.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.2 | |
Shipley East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mark Blackburn | 1,172 | 38.9 | −12.0 |
| | BNP | Christopher Hill | 773 | 25.6 | +25.6 |
| | Conservative | Derek Taylor | 470 | 15.6 | −8.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Hall | 464 | 15.4 | −2.9 |
| | Green | Christina Love | 135 | 4.5 | −2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 399 | 13.2 | −13.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,016 | 31.3 | +1.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -18.8 | |
Shipley West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | Robert Nicholls | 2,423 | 50.3 | +8.2 |
| | Conservative | William Mills Oldfield | 1,298 | 26.9 | −3.1 |
| | Labour | Vanda Greenwood | 700 | 14.5 | −7.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alexander Cole | 397 | 8.2 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,125 | 23.3 | +11.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,834 | 42.7 | −4.4 |
| | Green gain from Conservative | Green gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.6 | |
Thornton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Buffham | 1,381 | 44.1 | +1.0 |
| | Independent | Melanie Milnes | 876 | 28.0 | +0.3 |
| | Labour | Catherine Rowen | 540 | 17.2 | −2.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Weston | 216 | 6.9 | +1.2 |
| | Green | Michael Rawnsley | 119 | 3.8 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 505 | 16.1 | +0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,137 | 33.2 | −1.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.3 | |
Toller :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Amir Hussain | 1,623 | 43.1 | −14.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Reid | 1,259 | 33.4 | +27.6 |
| | Conservative | John Robertshaw | 886 | 23.5 | −12.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 364 | 9.7 | −11.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,791 | 32.5 | −16.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -21.2 | |
Tong :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Michael Johnson | 1,172 | 63.2 | +0.4 |
| | Conservative | Michael George Ellis | 379 | 20.4 | −5.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Joan Collins | 304 | 16.4 | +5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 793 | 42.7 | +6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,863 | 20.0 | −4.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.0 | |
Undercliffe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mohammed Jamil | 1,124 | 36.5 | +5.8 |
| | Labour | Raymond Bage | 890 | 28.9 | −13.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Edward Hallmann | 839 | 27.3 | +5.8 |
| | Green | Steven Schofield | 222 | 7.2 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 234 | 7.6 | −3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,102 | 31.1 | −3.8 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +9.5 | |
University :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Munir Ahmed | 1,937 | 39.7 | −15.9 |
| | Conservative | Meherban Hussain | 1,221 | 25.0 | −9.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Naveed Ilyas | 721 | 14.8 | +10.0 |
| | Independent | Karl Dallas | 623 | 12.8 | +12.8 |
| | Green | John Robinson | 377 | 7.7 | +2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 716 | 14.7 | −6.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,906 | 36.2 | −7.7 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -3.3 | |
Wibsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ralph Ritchie Berry | 1,400 | 50.6 | −9.3 |
| | Conservative | Dorothy Craven | 859 | 31.0 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian Boulton | 508 | 18.4 | +6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 541 | 19.5 | −11.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,788 | 28.8 | −4.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -5.8 | |
Worth Valley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Glen Miller | 1,653 | 45.7 | +4.0 |
| | Labour | Mark Curtis | 1,279 | 35.4 | +6.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Samuel Harris | 448 | 12.4 | +3.9 |
| | Socialist Alliance | Jillian Crowther | 235 | 6.5 | +6.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 374 | 10.3 | −2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,636 | 30.6 | −5.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.0 | |
Wyke :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rosemary Watson | 1,463 | 50.1 | +3.9 |
| | Conservative | John Arthur Stead | 930 | 31.8 | −1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Matthew Boulton | 529 | 18.1 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 533 | 18.2 | +5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,940 | 25.4 | −2.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.6 | |

## By-elections between 2003 and 2004

Great Horton By-Election 16 October 2003 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Liz Devlin | 926 | 36.9 | −0.9 |
| | Conservative | Richard Milczanowski | 764 | 30.4 | +8.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Michell | 692 | 27.6 | +10.5 |
| | Green | Derek Curtis | 129 | 5.1 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 162 | 6.5 | −9.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,511 | 23.4 | −7.9 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -4.6 | |