# 2003 South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2003 South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council in Tyne and Wear, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour Party kept overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was:
* Labour 49
* Liberal Democrat 5
* Progressives 3
* Independent 2
* Conservative 1

## Campaign

59 candidates stood in the election for the 20 seats that were being contested. Labour stood in all 20 seats, while the Conservatives had 14 candidates, Liberal Democrats 12, independents 7, Progressives 5 and the British National Party 1. As well as the postal voting that had been used in the 2002 election, South Tyneside was one of 4 councils which also trialed e-voting, enabling votes to be sent by phone, text message, e-mail and be placed in special electronic voting kiosks.
Labour were guaranteed to keep a majority on the council whatever the results, but both the Liberal Democrats and the Progressives hoped to make gains in the election, while the Conservatives aimed to gain a presence on the council. Hebburn Quay was seen as being a key ward as the sitting Liberal Democrat councillor Catherine Tolson stood down at the election, and Labour had only been 20 votes from winning in 1999. Labour defended their record in power including regeneration and improving care for the elderly, however they were attacked for increasing council tax bills and for the closure of leisure facilities.

## Election result

At the count the results were delayed for over an hour after there was a problem with the electronic counting system. When the count was done, recounts were needed in both Cleadon and East Boldon and Whiteleas wards.
The results saw Labour keep a strong majority on the council despite losing 2 seats to independents in Hebburn South and Whiteleas wards. The Liberal Democrats managed to hold on to Hebburn Quay ward, but lost Cleadon and East Boldon to the Conservatives. The Conservative candidate in Cleadon and East Boldon, Donald Wood, won by 3 votes and thus became the first member of the party on the council since 1992. Overall turnout in the election was 46.11%.
South Tyneside Local Election Result 2003 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 15 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 75.0 | 49.0 | 25,685 | -3.5% |
| Independent | 2 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 10.0 | 9.0 | 4,747 | +4.0% |
| Liberal Democrats | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 5.0 | 16.8 | 8,811 | -5.4% |
| Conservative | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 5.0 | 15.9 | 8,351 | +3.5% |
| South Tyneside Progressives | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 8.5 | 4,445 | +0.7% |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 | 420 | +0.8% |

## Ward results

All Saints :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James Caine | 1,096 | 50.8 | −14.1 |
| | South Tyneside Progressives | Robert Burdon | 1,063 | 49.2 | +21.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 33 | 1.6 | −35.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,159 | 39.9 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Beacon and Bents :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Wood | 1,349 | 51.3 | −3.8 |
| | South Tyneside Progressives | Gordon Finch | 602 | 22.9 | −22.0 |
| | BNP | David Delaney | 420 | 16.0 | +16.0 |
| | Independent | William Mitcheson | 261 | 9.9 | +9.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 747 | 28.4 | +18.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,632 | 47.4 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Bede :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Thomas Defty | 1,381 | 67.7 | −10.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Muriel Coe | 464 | 22.7 | +0.7 |
| | Conservative | Christopher Taylor | 195 | 9.6 | +9.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 917 | 45.0 | −11.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,040 | 40.7 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Biddick Hall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Linda Waggott | 1,473 | 69.8 | +6.3 |
| | Conservative | James Cain | 636 | 30.2 | +20.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 837 | 39.6 | +2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,109 | 41.4 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Boldon Colliery :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Lynch | 1,864 | 59.2 | −8.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Frederick Taylor | 675 | 21.4 | +0.5 |
| | Conservative | Gerald Brebner | 350 | 11.1 | −0.4 |
| | Independent | Colin Campbell | 262 | 8.3 | +8.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,189 | 37.8 | −8.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,151 | 46.4 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Cleadon and East Boldon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Donald Wood | 1,570 | 41.0 | +9.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Carlin-Page | 1,567 | 40.9 | −6.6 |
| | Labour | David Wood | 696 | 18.2 | −2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3 | 0.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,833 | 52.9 | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Cleadon Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James Foreman | 1,205 | 48.6 | +2.9 |
| | Conservative | Martin Anderson | 719 | 29.0 | +29.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alison Taylor | 553 | 22.3 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 486 | 19.6 | +8.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,477 | 44.8 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Fellgate and Hedworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul Waggott | 1,634 | 58.1 | −9.1 |
| | Independent | George Waddle | 835 | 29.7 | +29.7 |
| | Conservative | Philip Parkinson | 342 | 12.2 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 799 | 28.4 | −17.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,811 | 44.0 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Harton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Robert Dix | 1,156 | 43.5 | −8.0 |
| | South Tyneside Progressives | Lawrence Nolan | 632 | 23.8 | +23.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dorothy Grainger | 445 | 16.8 | −9.0 |
| | Conservative | Karl Arthur | 423 | 15.9 | −6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 524 | 19.7 | −6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,656 | 49.5 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Hebburn Quay :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Constance Ridgway | 1,348 | 49.7 | −8.5 |
| | Labour | John Hodgson | 1,209 | 44.5 | +2.7 |
| | Conservative | Stewart Jackson | 157 | 5.8 | +5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 137 | 5.2 | −11.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,714 | 46.3 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Hebburn South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | John McCabe | 1,175 | 49.6 | +18.8 |
| | Labour | Thomas Bamford | 988 | 41.7 | −4.9 |
| | Conservative | John Coe | 204 | 8.6 | +2,4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 187 | 7.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,367 | 50.7 | |
| | Independent gain from Labour | Independent gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Horsley Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Arthur Meeks | 1,418 | 46.2 | −4.5 |
| | Conservative | Patricia Pigott | 966 | 31.4 | −5.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Mortson | 688 | 22.4 | +9.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 452 | 14.8 | +0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,072 | 51.6 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Monkton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James Sewell | 1,478 | 56.6 | −0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sheila Bennett | 785 | 30.0 | −2.0 |
| | Conservative | John Cameron | 350 | 13.4 | +2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 693 | 26.6 | +1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,613 | 42.2 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Primrose :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James Perry | 1,658 | 64.6 | +4.6 |
| | Conservative | Walter Armstrong | 594 | 23.1 | +10.7 |
| | Independent | John Bissett | 316 | 12.3 | +12.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,064 | 41.5 | +9.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,568 | 41.0 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Refendyke :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Scott Duffy | 1,140 | 50.3 | −6.1 |
| | Independent | Dorothy Golightly | 500 | 22.1 | +22.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Troupe | 395 | 17.4 | −5.3 |
| | South Tyneside Progressives | Marjorie Robinson | 230 | 10.2 | −10.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 640 | 28.2 | −5.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,265 | 42.2 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Tyne Dock and Simonside :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Edward Malcolm | 1,202 | 64.6 | +4.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gary Ahmed | 658 | 35.4 | +8.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 544 | 29.2 | −3.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,860 | 43.4 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
West Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | South Tyneside Progressives | James Capstick | 1,918 | 70.8 | +9.7 |
| | Labour | Mervyn Owen | 791 | 29.2 | −9.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,127 | 41.6 | +19.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,709 | 48.1 | |
Westoe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Allen Branley | 1,243 | 40.7 | −1.4 |
| | Conservative | George Wilkinson | 1,118 | 36.6 | +1.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jennifer Burke | 691 | 22.6 | −0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 125 | 4.1 | −2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,052 | 48.6 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Whitburn and Marsden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Shirley Stratford | 1,312 | 50.8 | +0.2 |
| | Conservative | Miles Atkinson | 727 | 28.2 | +1.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Selby | 542 | 21.0 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 585 | 22.6 | −1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,581 | 48.8 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Whiteleas :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | John Haram | 1,398 | 50.1 | +14.2 |
| | Labour | Ernest Gibson | 1,392 | 49.9 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6 | 0.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,790 | 50.3 | |
| | Independent gain from Labour | Independent gain from Labour | Swing | | |