# 2003 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council election

The 2003 Southend-on-Sea Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Southend-on-Sea Unitary Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
* Conservative 32
* Labour 10
* Liberal Democrat 8
* Independent 1

## Election result

The results saw the Conservatives keep control of the council with a slightly reduced majority of 13 seats. The only changes saw the Conservatives lose one seat to the Liberal Democrats in St Laurence ward and an independent candidate gain Westborough from the Labour party.
Southend-on-Sea Local Election Result 2003 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 10 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 58.8 | 47.8 | 14,795 | +1.5% |
| Liberal Democrats | 3 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 17.6 | 28.0 | 8,672 | +6.7% |
| Labour | 3 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 17.6 | 18.6 | 5,767 | -2.4% |
| Independent | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 5.9 | 2.3 | 706 | -7.2% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.4 | 754 | +0.5% |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 | 249 | +0.8% |

## Ward results

Belfairs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Julie Cushion | 1,113 | 50.5 | +0.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Grimwade | 860 | 39.0 | +9.2 |
| | Labour | Tony Borton | 230 | 10.4 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 253 | 11.5 | −9.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,203 | 30.3 | −3.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Blenheim Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Clinkscales | 888 | 44.0 | −1.7 |
| | Conservative | Ian Robertson | 835 | 41.3 | +3.4 |
| | Labour | Charles Willis | 297 | 14.7 | −1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 53 | 2.6 | −5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,020 | 27.0 | −1.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Chalkwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Latham | 1,155 | 62.2 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Gage | 435 | 23.4 | +4.8 |
| | Labour | Lydia Sookias | 266 | 14.3 | +0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 720 | 38.8 | −2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,856 | 25.9 | −1.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Eastwood Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Roger Weaver | 1,078 | 51.3 | +2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Norah Goodman | 841 | 40.0 | +6.7 |
| | Labour | Raoul Meade | 184 | 8.7 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 237 | 11.3 | −4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,103 | 28.0 | −5.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Kursaal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stephen George | 644 | 51.5 | +1.8 |
| | Conservative | Judith Smithson | 383 | 30.6 | −4.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | George Lewin | 224 | 17.9 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 261 | 20.9 | +6.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,251 | 18.5 | −0.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Leigh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Wrexham | 1,335 | 61.2 | +15.8 |
| | Conservative | Simon Gutteridge | 573 | 26.3 | −7.7 |
| | Green | Dawn Arno | 138 | 6.3 | +6.3 |
| | Labour | Helen Beckett | 134 | 6.1 | −3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 762 | 35.0 | +23.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,180 | 31.1 | −2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Milton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jonathan Garston | 785 | 52.1 | −2.2 |
| | Labour | Ian Gilbert | 403 | 26.7 | −8.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Clark | 201 | 13.3 | +13.3 |
| | Green | Steve Flynn | 118 | 7.8 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 382 | 25.3 | +5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,507 | 22.2 | −5.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Prittlewell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Murray Foster | 962 | 47.3 | +14.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Adams | 695 | 34.2 | +5.2 |
| | Labour | Margaret Borton | 245 | 12.1 | −2.3 |
| | Green | Andrea Black | 131 | 6.4 | +6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 267 | 13.1 | +9.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,033 | 27.0 | −7.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
St Laurence :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carole Roast | 925 | 47.8 | +18.2 |
| | Conservative | Michael Dolby | 738 | 38.1 | +6.6 |
| | Labour | Paul White | 272 | 14.1 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 187 | 9.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,935 | 26.2 | −7.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
St Lukes :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kevin Robinson | 590 | 42.9 | −7.5 |
| | Conservative | Melvyn Day | 525 | 38.2 | +0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marion Boulton | 155 | 11.3 | +11.3 |
| | Green | Cristian Ramis | 105 | 7.6 | −4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 65 | 4.7 | −8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,375 | 18.0 | −3.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Shoeburyness :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Patricia Rayner | 810 | 56.7 | +19.0 |
| | Labour | Anne Chalk | 472 | 33.0 | +6.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Colin Spraggs | 147 | 10.3 | +4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 338 | 23.7 | +15.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,429 | 19.6 | −4.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Southchurch :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ann Holland | 1,258 | 71.8 | +11.1 |
| | Labour | Darius Ware-Lane | 264 | 15.1 | −1.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Timothy Ray | 229 | 13.1 | +4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 994 | 56.8 | +12.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,751 | 24.8 | −5.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Thorpe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Anthony Delaney | 1,456 | 75.1 | −0.4 |
| | Labour | John Townsend | 248 | 12.8 | −2.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Linda Smith | 235 | 12.1 | +2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,208 | 62.3 | +1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,939 | 27.3 | −5.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Victoria :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Norman | 667 | 45.8 | −11.5 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Smithson | 308 | 21.1 | −12.2 |
| | BNP | Graham John | 249 | 17.1 | +17.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Collins | 142 | 9.7 | +9.7 |
| | Green | Adrian Hedges | 91 | 6.2 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 359 | 24.6 | +0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,457 | 21.9 | −0.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
West Leigh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Howard Briggs | 1,417 | 57.4 | −3.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Albert Wren | 821 | 33.2 | +1.5 |
| | Labour | Joyce Mapp | 118 | 4.8 | −2.3 |
| | Green | Doris Thomas | 114 | 4.6 | +4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 596 | 24.1 | −5.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,470 | 36.2 | −4.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
West Shoebury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Derek Jarvis | 1,173 | 69.0 | +5.2 |
| | Labour | Julian Ware-Lane | 340 | 20.0 | −7.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Amanda Spraggs | 187 | 11.0 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 833 | 49.0 | +13.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,700 | 23.3 | −5.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Westborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Martin Terry | 640 | 36.9 | +11.4 |
| | Labour | Marimuthu Velmurugan | 393 | 22.7 | −4.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Colin Ritchie | 352 | 20.3 | −3.4 |
| | Conservative | Emma Hill | 226 | 13.0 | −4.6 |
| | Independent | Trevor Oakley | 66 | 3.8 | +3.8 |
| | Green | Rita Wood | 57 | 3.3 | −2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 247 | 14.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,734 | 25.1 | −0.2 |
| | Independent gain from Labour | Independent gain from Labour | Swing | | |